Download 2015 kicked off with full force (Photo: Jack Kirby)
Usually, when Friday comes around, we’re at work, wishing for the end of the day. We look forwards to Saturday and Sunday, with a deep hatred of Monday. But the worst Monday of the year is the one after Download Festival.
This year especially. When Slipknot, Muse and Kiss are headlining the festival, you’re bound to feel a tad lost afterwards.
EofE opened the 4th stage on the Friday (Photo: Jack Kirby)
Friday. Slipknot are headlining the Main Stage. But you’ll read that later. Before you get a chance to watch them, you must watch some quality bands. Bands like Fearless Vampire Killers, Allusondrugs, Lacuna Coil and Five Finger Death Punch. As well as the legends that are, Judas. Priest.
Firstly, it comes to All That Remains to open the weekend. When your vocalist wears a shirt that reads “Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but hollowpoints expand on impact,” you kind of need to deliver on that. And do they? No. They have a passion that should be infectious, but the music is plodding and generic. Which is a real shame, as on the Zippo Encore Stage is Rival State, a band that have relocated from New Zealand, and bring that Kiwi passion that envelopes their National Rugby Team. Rival State power through their set, which leaves the crowd wanting more.
Download has some of the most dedicated fans (Photo: Jack Kirby)
To follow Rival State, Fearless Vampire Killers have a fair job to do. A band known for their theatricality, FVK have an infectious enthusiasm and that comes through in their nonstop movement and smiles. This transfers to some of the crowd, but not as many as it should have. Sound issues water down a good set, which includes a cover of Bonnie Tyler. Fearless Vampire Killers should be proud, they did well to win over the majority of a crowd that have not really woken up yet.
I retire to the bar to get myself a drink or two (or four), before I head back to the Main Stage to catch Lacuna Coil.
Babymetal joined Dragonforce onstage (Photo: Jack Kirby)
Lacuna Coil come out, and rip into the growing crowd. It takes a while, but their recognisable sound begins to catch on more and more with the crowd of slightly intoxicated metal fans. By the time Cristina Scabbia is smashing out “Heaven’s a Lie,” they’ve won over the crowd completely. Just amazing, vocally beautiful, musically tight, LC have a few new and a few old satisfied fans.
Babymetal are backstage in the press area, but nobody has any idea why. Many head over to watch Dragonforce, who are doing their usual hair shredding guitar tricks. Faces are melted, and something goes down. Wait. Is that? No. It can’t be. BABYMETAL ARE ON STAGE WITH DRAGONFORCE. What a surprise.
Five Finger Death Punch ripped the main stage apart (Photo: Jack Kirby)
However, time to sprint over to the Main Stage again. There’s a bunch of very angry men on the stage. Five Finger Death Punch are here, and with the ferocity of a rampaging bull in a very provocative china shop, they’re here to tear you apart. With the presence of a band that consider stages like this to be the norm, they play a set that is heavy, tight, and holds nothing back. Impressive, considering their place on the bill. Bigger things for this band.
Here we go. Judas Priest. The legends that are. The crowd gets bigger, and more mean looking. They know what’s about to go down. Rob Halford stalks onto the stage, his leather jacketdraped in a Black Country flag. They play a set that is lost on many, where the sound seems to just blend. By the close of their set, these legends receive a response that does not beget their stature. Maybe it’s because of who’s up next.
Black Stone Cherry returned after 2014 to headline the 2nd stage (Photo: Jack Kirby)
The heroes, returning from the battlefield. “Slipknot are home.” To thunderous roars and rapturous applause, in amongst the sea of devil horns thrown into the air, Slipknot return to headline Download Festival once more. Some argue that although a great band, they play download almost too much, so much so, they’ve almost become the house band. The counterpoint to that is as follows. Slipknot. That’s it. “XIX” blares out from a stage devoid of anybody. It doesn’t matter, as the crowd are screaming the words. The second someone hits the stage, the roar is actually deafening. One by one, the band step onto the stage. Corey Taylor is the last on stage, and instantly addresses the download crowd like a general commanding an army. What he says, they do. Without question.
So they plough through the fan favourites. Make no mistake, Slipknot hit all the right notes. They know where they are, and they know their fans want to hear the big tracks. The new album doesn’t feature much, aside from the “most f*****g requested song” AOV. If you weren’t aware of how much Slipknot love their fans and Download Festival, this set will tell you, in the form of an epic show.
Adam Reynolds
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