Danny Bowes recalls how Thunder's 1990 Monsters of Rock show was on a knife-edge
Fortunately it was a triumph
Thunder frontman and Planet Rock presenter Danny Bowes has recalled how the band’s triumphant set at Monsters of Rock in 1990 was initially on a knife-edge.
To celebrate next month’s first full capacity Download Festival in three years, Download booker Andy Copping is hosting a special one-hour show this Sunday evening (15th May) from 7pm on Planet Rock.
Throughout the one-off show Andy Copping will be chatting to a trio of Planet Rock presenters - Danny Bowes, Toby Jepson and Joe Elliott - about this year’s Download Festival and their memories of Donington rock extravaganzas in years gone by.
During his chat, Danny Bowes explained how he feared Thunder’s debut performance at Monsters of Rock in 1990 could have been a disaster.
“We did some warm-up shows prior to it and for the first of those warm-up shows my voice was completely shot,” Danny said.
“I saw a specialist the next day who basically injected me with something, and he said ‘shut up for the next few days. Do NOT speak!’
“When we got to the site, I had absolutely no idea if I could sing. It’s only really when I got to the first high note in the first song (‘She's So Fine’), I realised it was going to be ok. And the rest, they say, is history.”
Watch Thunder perform ‘She’s So Fine’ at Monsters of Rock:
Thunder were first on the bill at Monsters of Rock 1990 and they appeared alongside headliners Whitesnake Aerosmith, Poison and The Quireboys.
Thunder went on to appear at Monsters of Rock in 1992 and the one-off Milton Keynes event in 2006, and they’ve performed at Download Festival multiple times over the past two decades.
Listen to Download Festival Special on Planet Rock:
Hosted by Andy Copping, Planet Rock's Download Festival special airs at 7pm on Sunday 15th May 2022. The show features interviews with Danny Bowes, Toby Jepson and Joe Elliott.
66 photos of the legendary Monsters of Rock Festival:
Ritchie Blackmore at the first Monsters of Rock in 1980
Ritchie Blackmore of headliners Rainbow at the very first Monsters of Rock on 16th August 1980. The show was Cozy Powell's last as Rainbow drummer.
Monsters of Rock 1980 line-up
Rainbow promoter Paul Loasby together with Maurice Jones organised a one-day music festival in the UK celebrating hard rock and heavy metal music. The inaugural Monsters of Rock was held at Donington Park racetrack on 16th August 1980 with Rainbow topping a bill that also featured Judas Priest, Scorpions, April Wine, Saxon, Riot and Touch. Saxon were so enamoured by the experience, Biff Byford wrote the song 'And the Bands Played On' about it.
Monsters of Rock stage in 1983
With the stage located in a natural amphitheatre, the slopping ground allowed better viewing for attendees.
AC/DC at Monsters of Rock 1981
Buoyed by the success of the first year – which was originally meant to be a one-off event – Monsters of Rock returned on Saturday 22nd August 1981 with a stellar line-up of AC/DC, Whitesnake, Blue Öyster Cult, Slade, Blackfoot and More.
Slade at Monsters of Rock 1981
Slade guitarist Dave Hill strikes a pose on a speaker stack in front of the 65,000 strong Donington crowd at Monsters of Rock 1981.
Slade at Monsters of Rock 1981
Slade frontman Noddy Holder puckers up to guitarist Dave Hill at Monsters of Rock 1981.
Slade at Monsters of Rock 1981
Slade's Dave Hill in his eye-catching snakeskin trousers at Monsters of Rock 1981.
Whitesnake at Monsters of Rock 1981
Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale on stage at Monsters of Rock 1981. The band were touring their fourth studio album 'Come an' Get It.'
Whitesnake at Monsters of Rock 1981
Whitesnake guitarist and songwriter Bernie Marsden at Monsters of Rock 1981.
Monsters of Rock 1982 line-up
The third Monsters of Rock boasted performances from Status Quo, Gillan, Saxon (the first band to grace the hallowed turf of Donington twice), Hawkwind, Uriah Heep and Anvil.
Gillan at Monsters of Rock 1982
Gillan's eponymous frontman Ian Gillan on stage at Monsters of Rock 1982, flanked by a young guitarist by the name of Janick Gers. No idea what he went on to do...
ZZ Top at Monsters of Rock 1983
ZZ Top's Dusty Hill, Frank Beard and Billy Gibbons backstage at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 20th August 1983. The event was headlined by Whitesnake with Meat Loaf, Twisted Sister, Dio and Diamond Head also on the bill.
ZZ Top at Monsters of Rock 1983
ZZ Top's Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons on stage at Monsters of Rock 1983.
Dio at Monsters of Rock 1983
Eponymous Dio frontman Ronnie James Dio on stage at Monsters of Rock 1983. Just three months earlier, Dio had unleashed their seminal debut album 'Holy Diver.'
Dee Snider and Ronnie James Dio at Monsters of Rock 1983
Twisted Sister at Monsters of Rock 1983
The view from the crowd as Twisted Sister take to the stage at Monsters of Rock 1983.
Meat Loaf at Monsters of Rock 1983
The late-great Michael Lee Aday - aka Meat Loaf - screams at Monsters of Rock 1983 where he was the penultimate act of the day.
Meat Loaf at Monsters of Rock 1983
Late rock legend Meat Loaf backstage at Monsters of Rock 1983 with wife Leslie and daughters Pearl and Amanda.
Monsters of Rock 1984
A ticket for the fifth Monsters of Rock on Saturday 18th August 1984 when AC/DC became the first band in the event's history to headline twice. Also on the bill were Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Y&T, Accept and Mötley Crüe.
Eddie Van Halen at Monsters of Rock 1984
Eddie Van Halen backstage with The Who's John Entwistle at Monsters of Rock 1984.
Eddie Van Halen at Monsters of Rock 1984
The late-great Eddie Van Halen walks to the stage at Monsters of Rock 1984.
Van Halen at Monsters of Rock 1984
Van Halen brought their pulsating live show to Monsters of Rock 1984. It proved to be the band's final show in the UK with David Lee Roth as their exuberant frontman – he would return to Monsters of Rock four years later as a solo artist, however.
Monsters of Rock 1984
The crowd at Donington Park, Leicestershire at Monsters of Rock 1984
ZZ Top at Monsters of Rock 1985
Looking resplendent in their matching flamed jackets, ZZ Top made the step up to headliners at Monsters of Rock 1985. Marillion, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Ratt and Magnum also performed.
Bon Jovi at Monsters of Rock 1985
Eponymous Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi on stage at Monsters of Rock 1985. The New Jersey rockers were touring their second album '7800° Fahrenheit.'
Metallica at Monsters of Rock 1985
San Francisco metallers Metallica made their Monsters of Rock debut on Saturday 17th August 1985. Pictured are Cliff Burton, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield backstage.
Bon Jovi at Monsters of Rock 1985
Bon Jovi's Alec John Such, Tico Torres, David Bryan, Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi backstage at Monsters of Rock 1985.
Monsters of Rock 1986 line-up
Ozzy Osbourne headlined the seventh Monsters of Rock on Saturday 16th August with Scorpions, Def Leppard, Mötorhead, Bad News and Warlock also performing the day. It was a landmark gig for Def Leppard as it was Rick Allen's first major concert appearance since he lost his left arm following a car crash on 31st December 1984.
Monsters of Rock 1987
The sun-kissed crowd at Monsters of Rock 1987. Alongside headliners Bon Jovi, the line-up also featured Dio, Metallica, Anthrax, W.A.S.P. and Cinderella.
Bon Jovi at Monsters of Rock 1987
Bon Jovi looking radiant backstage at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 22nd August 1987. Now rock superstars thanks to their blockbuster third album 'Slippery When Wet', Bon Jovi headlined the Donington event.
Metallica at Monsters of Rock 1987
Metallica frontman James Hetfield at Monsters of Rock 1987. The band were still on their touring cycle for their masterpiece third studio album 'Master of Puppets.'
Bon Jovi at Monsters of Rock 1987
Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora gets lost in the moment on stage at Monsters of Rock in August 1987.
Anthrax at Monsters of Rock 1987
Anthrax are photobombed by Metallica's James Hetfield backstage at Monsters of Rock 1987.
Dio at Monsters of Rock 1987
Dio backstage at Monsters of Rock in August 1987. It was Ronnie James Dio and co.'s second appearance at Donington Park.
Anthrax at Monsters of Rock 1987
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian at Monsters of Rock 1987. Nice shorts!
Monsters of Rock 1988 line-up
As part of their mammoth Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour trek, Iron Maiden headlined Monsters of Rock 1988. The line-up also featured KISS, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns N' Roses and Helloween.
Monsters of Rock 1988 hit by tragedy
Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose at Monsters of Rock 1988. Tragically, two young men lost their lives when there was a surge at the front of the 100,000 strong crowd during the set. The event was cancelled in 1989.
Aerosmith at Monsters of Rock 1990
Aerosmith backstage at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 18th August 1990. Following the tragedy two years earlier, the event returned with a reduced capacity of 75,000 people.
Whitesnake at Monsters of Rock 1990
Whitesnake's Adrian Vandenberg during the band's headline slot at Monsters of Rock 1990. Aerosmith, Poison, The Quireboys and Thunder also performed on the day.
Whitesnake at Monsters of Rock 1990
Whitesnake lynchpin David Coverdale at Monsters of Rock 1990.
The Quireboys at Monsters of Rock 1990
Monsters of Rock 1990
The crowd at Monsters of Rock 1990.
Thunder at Monsters of Rock 1990
AC/DC at Monsters of Rock 1991
AC/DC headlined Monsters of Rock for a third time on Saturday 17th August 1991. A year later, the band released the concert on VHS as 'Live at Donington 1991.'
AC/DC at Monsters of Rock 1991
AC/DC's Malcolm and Angus Young at Monsters of Rock 1991. The impressive line-up also boasted Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche and The Black Crowes.
Metallica at Monsters of Rock 1991
Metallica frontman James Hetfield at Monsters of Rock 1991, which took place just five days after the band unleashed their blockbuster fifth album 'Metallica' – AKA 'The Black Album.'
Monsters of Rock 1991
The crowd at Monsters of Rock 1991.
Mötley Crüe at Monsters of Rock 1991
Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil at Monsters of Rock 1991. It was their second appearance at the legendary event.
The Black Crowes at Monsters of Rock 1991
The Black Crowes' vocalist Chris Robinson at Monsters of Rock 1991 where the band opened proceedings.
Monsters of Rock 1992
With Iron Maiden headlining for a second time, the stage at Monsters of Rock 1992 was adorned with Melvyn Grant's tree-like incarnation of Eddie from Iron Maiden's 'Fear of the Dark' album and Mark Wilkinson's demonic Eddie from the Monsters of Rock poster.
Iron Maiden at Monsters of Rock 1992
Headliners Iron Maiden backstage at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 22nd August 1992. Their stellar performance was immortalised with the November 1992 live album and VHS video 'Live at Donington' and the set culminated with former guitarist Adrian Smith guesting on 'Running Free.'
Monsters of Rock 1992
Iron Maiden fans at Monsters of Rock 1992.
Skid Row at Monsters of Rock 1992
Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach on stage at Monsters of Rock 1992. Alongside Iron Maiden and Skid Row, the line-up also featured Thunder, Slayer, W.A.S.P. and The Almighty.
Aerosmith at Monsters of Rock 1994
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler in his questionable choice of head gear during the band's headline set at Monsters of Rock on Saturday 4th June 1994. There was no event in 1993 as organisers couldn't find a suitable headliner.
Pantera at Monsters of Rock 1994
Late-great Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell during the band's set at Monsters of Rock 1994.
Monsters of Rock 1994
The view of the main stage at Monsters of Rock 1994. For the first time, the Donington extravaganza featured two stages. Aerosmith, Extreme, Sepultura, Therapy? and Pride & Glory played the main stage, with The Wildhearts, Terrorvision, Skin, Biohazard, Cry of Love and Headswim on the second stage.
Extreme at Monsters of Rock 1994
Extreme's Mike Mangini, Nuno Bettencourt, Pat Badger and Gary Cherone backstage at Monsters of Rock 1994.
Monsters of Rock 1994
The view of the glorious crowd from the stage at Monsters of Rock 1994.
Monsters of Rock 1994
One Monsters of Rock attendee imbibes a touch too much in 1994.
Metallica at Escape from the Studio ‘95
Metallica headlined Donington Park on Saturday 26th August 1995, however it was on the proviso that the Monsters of Rock name was switched for Escape from the Studio '95. The name reflected Metallica's decision to headline while recording the 'Load' album.
Slash’s Snakepit at Escape from the Studio ‘95
Guns N' Roses legend Slash on stage with his band Slash's Snakepit at Escape from the Studio '95.
Escape from the Studio ‘95
The very steamy crowd during Metallica's set at Escape from the Studio '95
Ozzy Osbourne at Monsters of Rock 1996
The final Monsters of Rock at Donington Park took place on Saturday 17th August 1996. Ozzy Osbourne and KISS headlined with Sepultura, Bohazard, Dog Eat Dog, Paradise Lost and Fear Factory on the main stage. The Kerrang! Stage featured Korn, Type O Negative, Everclear, 3 Colours Red, Honeycrack and Cecil.
KISS at Monsters of Rock 1996
Paul Stanley during KISS's closing set at Monsters of Rock 1996.
Monsters of Rock 1996
Two young metalheads throw the horns at Monsters of Rock 1996.
Monsters of Rock 1996
KISS fans in makeup at Monsters of Rock 1996.
Deep Purple at Monsters of Rock 2006
A decade after the last event at Donington Park, the Monsters of Rock name was revived on Saturday 3rd June 2006 for a one-dayer at Milton Keynes Bowl. Deep Purple headlined with Alice Cooper, Thunder, Queensrÿche, Journey, Ted Nugent and Roadstar also performed.
Alice Cooper at Monsters of Rock 2006
Thunder at Monsters of Rock 2006
Thunder frontman and Planet Rock presenter Danny Bowes at Monsters of Rock 2006.