Stereoboard's Round-Up Review Of Download Festival 2011 (Download Feature)
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Written by Rob Sleigh
Chills and thrills certainly seemed to be the order of the day at the rock extravaganza that was Download 2011. Despite hosting one of the hottest line-ups on the heavy music calendar, the Donington event was noticeably cooler than usual thanks to an icy breeze that was doing its best to send the throngs of attending metallers running for their sleeping bags. However, the occasionally inhospitable weather at this year’s festival was far from enough to put a dampener on the event, which saw Linkin Park and Def Leppard both returning to top an outstanding bill of metal that yet again proved to appeal to the nu and old school alike.
After Download 2010, expectations were understandably high for a spectacular follow-up. Last year’s festival marked the celebration of 30 years of heavy rock at Donington, with AC/DC making their big return to the site for a memorable performance on their own stage on the Friday night. Completing the three headlining slots were Rage Against the Machine and Aerosmith, who unexpectedly topped the bill to put an end to rumours of their alleged split. So as you can see, Download 2011 had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, as Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and Pendulum joined the line-up to complete this year’s selection of headlining acts with performances on the Second Stage, it was the just the beginning of what can only be described as another killer Download Festival bill.
Following performances in recent years from the likes of Limp Bizkit, Faith No More and the aforementioned Aerosmith, Download is beginning to build itself a reputation as the British host of some big rock comebacks and this year was far from the exception. Glam rock revivalists The Darkness and US metallers System of a Down chose Download 2011 to play their big European reunion shows, with both proving to be highlights of the weekend.
Following the grand opening of the festival on Thursday 9th June, it was soon time for the gathered revellers to emerge from their tents, shake off their hangovers and get settled in for a fantastic three days of pure rock. One of the first acts to take to the Main Stage on the Friday is former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver bassist DUFF MCKAGAN, making his fifth appearance at Donington and second with current band LOADED. Probably not the most exciting performance of day, although the inclusion of ‘It’s So Easy’ proves to be a highlight of the set and a fitting tribute to McKagan’s first visit to Donington 23 years ago. Over on the Second Stage, Pennsylvanian political punkers ANTI-FLAG are one of the first bands to represent the punk rock fraternity at Download 2011 with their shouty, middle-finger-to-the-establishment moshpit anthems.
Southern rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY continue to warm-up the Main Stage with their Kentucky-fried riffage, followed by THIN LIZZY, who bring out classics like ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ and ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ as new vocalist Ricky Warwick does a respectable job as frontman and dedicates the set to Phil Lynott and Gary Moore, much to the crowd’s delight. Later, Sheffield-based metalcore band BRING ME THE HORIZON terrorize the Second Stage crowd with their relentlessly brutal brand of music as frontman Ollie Sykes is joined onstage by a man in a kangaroo costume for track ‘Football Season is Over’. Californian nu-metallers KORN are up next, following their last performance here in 2009. Tracks such as ‘Got the Life’ and ‘Falling Away From Me’ are welcome additions to the setlist and kilted singer Jonathan Davies even throws short renditions of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ and Snoop Dogg’s ‘Lodi Dodi’ into the mix.
The highlight of the day comes when THE DARKNESS take to the Main Stage for one of their first performances in five years. Back to their usual jovial selves, the quartet roll through old favourites like ‘Growing On Me’, ‘I Believe In a Thing Called Love’ and ‘Get Your Hands Off My Woman’, which handlebar-moustached frontman Justin Hawkins dedicates to a woman partaking in the age-old Donington tradition of flashing the band. On particularly good form, the high-pitched vocalist leads the crowd in some comical chanting: “Give me a D… Give me an ‘ownload!”
While rockers DEF LEPPARD take to the Main Stage for their second headlining set at Download in three years, US metallers DANZIG top the bill over on the Pepsi Max Stage, led by their iconic frontman Glenn Danzig. Despite an angry exchange of words with one of the sound men, who feels the full force of the singer’s booming voice, the original Misfits frontman fails to disappoint, moving energetically around the stage to tracks like ‘Mother’ and ‘Thirteen’ – a song that he wrote for the late Johnny Cash. Ending the first day of Download elsewhere is PENDULUM, who provide one of the most talked-about sets of the weekend, topping the Second Stage with their surprising popular brand of live drum and bass.
After a cloudy start to Download 2011 on Friday, which witnessed a couple of failed attempts by the rain to dampen the mood, Saturday kicks off with some of the brightest weather of the weekend. Beginning the day’s music with an unjustifiably early start for one of the Main Stage highlights are Newport ragga-metallers SKINDRED. Vocalist Benji Webbe takes to the stage in a brightly-coloured Union Jack suit, leading the way as an expert frontman and commanding the crowd with ease at every turn. One of the most outstanding sets of the day sees Webbe convincing the crowd to do the Heavy Metal Robot and swing items of clothing around their heads to live favourites like ‘Warning’ and ‘Nobody’. Over on the Second Stage, US rockers CLUTCH bring their bluesy metal to Download for an impressive performance that sees the band playing tracks like ‘The Mob Goes Wild’ and ‘Mice and Gods’ to a moderately-sized crowd for an afternoon slot.
Back on the Main Stage, New Orleans sludge metallers DOWN return to Download with their shaven-headed frontman and former Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo, who makes a very rare reference to his previous band by dedicating a brief rendition of their classic ‘Walk’ to the band’s late guitarist Dimebag Darrell. Naturally, the crowd go nuts. In the Pepsi Max tent, Californian hardcore punkers TRASH TALK pick up the pace with their chaotic brand of thrash metal. Vocalist Lee Spielman, who spends much of the band’s set ignoring the festival’s “no crowd-surfing” rule with little regard for his own safety, encourages the gathered moshers to run to the rear of the tent and back and generally make security’s job as difficult as possible. Riotously entertaining stuff.
Providing one of the mellowest sets of the weekend are reformed rockers SKUNK ANANSIE, who perform a welcome set of old favourites like ‘Weak’ and ‘Twisted (Everyday Hurts)’. At one point, cat-suited singer Skin walks out into the moshpit on people’s shoulders before crowd-surfing back to the front and ending the set with their fierce debut single from 1995 ‘Little Baby Swastika’. They’re soon followed by Californian metallers AVENGED SEVENFOLD, who are arguably one of the most popular acts of the weekend. It proves to be an emotional performance, with vocalist M. Shadows making frequent reference to the band’s late drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan and dedicating the track ‘Afterlife’ to his memory.
THE KING BLUES would probably have been named as one of the most unlikely additions to the Download line-up with their bouncy brand of melodic ska-punk. However, as they take to the Pepsi Max Stage ahead of Saturday night headliners Funeral For A Friend, the tent is full – and it isn’t even raining. “We may not be the heaviest band on the bill,” admits frontman Itch Fox. “And we’re fully aware that we don’t have the longest hair. But we are rockers!”
Ending the day’s proceedings on the Second Stage is ALICE COOPER, bringing his extravagant rock and roll horror show to Donington for a headlining slot at Download 2011. As the curtain drops to begin this evening’s performance, the rock legend is revealed on a tall pulpit, dressed in a slightly-less-than-convincing spider costume for set opener ‘The Black Widow’ (pictured). During a setlist that includes the likes of ‘No More Mr Nice Guy’ and ‘I’m Eighteen’, Alice Cooper brings a variety of weird and wonderful props out onstage, including an actual live snake. ‘Wayne’s World’ fans will no doubt remember the track ‘Feed My Frankenstein’, which also makes an appearance tonight. We truly are not worthy.
One of the biggest shows of the weekend is doubtlessly SYSTEM OF A DOWN’S UK comeback, marking one of the band’s first live performances in five years. At almost 30 songs and two hours in length, the reformed metallers keep the banter to a minimum for a set of favourites from their four albums. Notable classics include ‘Chop Suey’, ‘Toxicity’, ‘War?’ and early fan favourite ‘Sugar’, which brings the set to a close.
Despite the mostly dry weather across the first two days of the festival, the rain finally won out on the Sunday, as news of heavy rain and flood warnings began… flooding in. Fortunately, BOWLING FOR SOUP are one of the first bands up on the Main Stage and provide enough amusement to turn most damp frowns upside down for at least 40 minutes. Their pop-punk anthems may not seem like the obvious choice to sandwich between several heavy metal bands, but with such a comedy-packed set, who could really bring themselves to boo? An attempt by the band to penetrate an inflatable sheep with an inflatable phallus thrown from the crowd provides much hilarity and a highly-immature highlight of the set. Oddly, the rain stops for the entire duration of the band’s performance. “We’re God’s favourite band,” jokes frontman Jaret Reddick. “We’re probably going to get struck by lightning now.”
The comedy continues over on the Second Stage as costumed thrash metallers GWAR hit Download. However, while the elaborate performance manages to amuse at first, there’s only so many times that squirting fake blood onto the crowd can seem funny. However, New Jersey folk punkers The GASLIGHT ANTHEM are up next on the Main Stage to bring some genuine entertainment to proceedings. While the band admits that they felt out of place at Download, there’s no denying that they are another surprisingly popular choice. Frontman Brian Fallon certainly seems to enjoy the experience, admitting that he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to play here as he owns the AC/DC ‘Live at Donington’ DVD. He also encourages the crowd to relish the bad weather. “Tomorrow you can brush yourself down and drink some tea, but today’s for getting dirty.”
Bridgend metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE take to the Main Stage ahead of headliners Linkin Park for their sixth appearance at Download. Another hugely popular addition to the line-up, the quartet provide an action-packed show, complete with huge inflatable Bullet For My Valentine beach balls and a spectacular, if early, fireworks display that leaves the crowd engulfed in a cloud of smoke. Following this regular addition to the line-up is a much less frequent visitor to the bill and one of the most long-awaited acts to appear at Download. We are of course talking about ROB ZOMBIE, who headlines the Second Stage to make his debut solo performance at Donington and second overall. He was last here 16 years ago for Monsters of Rock with his former band White Zombie – an occasion that the singer recalls tonight before playing ‘Super-Charger Heaven’. In a manner that would make last night’s headliner Mr Alice Cooper green with envy, Zombie plays an intensely thrilling set filled with pyrotechnics galore as well as more giant aliens and robots than you can shake a stick at. Finishing his set with ‘Dragula’, Rob Zombie completes Download with a fitting end to a weekend of explosive heavy rock.
As LINKIN PARK close the festival for their third headlining performance at Download, they bring an end to another great year at Donington. Few festivals can claim to compete with such a genuine ROCK festival and even fewer can do it in a way that brings younger metal fans together with the old school. With a few more unlikely guests making appearances in 2011, you can’t help but wonder whether future Download line-ups will continue to mellow further still. But for now it remains the ultimate British rock music event and still successfully captures the true spirit of Donington. Long may it continue.
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After Download 2010, expectations were understandably high for a spectacular follow-up. Last year’s festival marked the celebration of 30 years of heavy rock at Donington, with AC/DC making their big return to the site for a memorable performance on their own stage on the Friday night. Completing the three headlining slots were Rage Against the Machine and Aerosmith, who unexpectedly topped the bill to put an end to rumours of their alleged split. So as you can see, Download 2011 had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, as Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and Pendulum joined the line-up to complete this year’s selection of headlining acts with performances on the Second Stage, it was the just the beginning of what can only be described as another killer Download Festival bill. 
