I woke early as I wanted to be in the arena as soon as the gates opened. Breakfast was cooked on the guys BBQ once they’d finished and wake up drinks were consumed. I made my way to the arena entrance in the guest area and joined the short queue. Chatting to people in the queue it seems quite a few rush in to grab a spot with a chair and sit there all day but that means you’re restricted really to one stage but then I guess it depends on what and who you’ve come to see. We could hear Slipknot sound checking which is why the gates were late in opening. Once opened I was in quickly and noticing others rushing forward ran towards the main stage and got a spot right at the front next to the barrier. Why? Because I’d been following the band that will start today’s proceedings for a few years now and joined the crowdfunding campaign for their first album. I truly believe that one day soon they will be massive and headlining festivals such as this. So whilst I’m still able I want to be there at the front 😊
The crowd soon built up and I chatted to the lads next to me about music, the festival and who they wanted to see. Not surprisingly they were there for Slipknot and would stay all day I said that I’d be off after Alien Weaponry as I wanted to see bands on other stages. I also joked that I’m looking forward to seeing Tool because if they have another 13-year hiatus I’ll be 70 by the time they come back!!
Stage was set, band banner hoisted and everything ready and as 11am arrived so too did Alien Weaponry to probably the loudest cheer ever for a first band on. They started with the beginnings of “PC Bro” but as Henry was about to start smashing the beat there was a glitch with the drum machine. Undeterred Lewis spoke to us saying “bear with us whilst we fix a technical glitch” showing true professionalism. Seconds later, boom they began and the crowd exploded. Their next track is literally breath taking “Holding my Breath” a reflection on self-destructiveness driven by being peer judged is a statement on the times we live in fuelled as it is by social media. It is raw and full of emotion that you can feel being projected by Lewis as he sings “I’m in a black hole suffering endlessly”, a powerful song. Their energy and drive never lets up as Ethan and Lewis trade places constantly and Henry beats his drums almost to death. There are some serious pits developing around me and Henry and Lewis both add to the mayhem with swirling energetic riffs and ferocious head banging. I’m joining in although with a lot less hair. Crowd surfers are up early as well and my view is suddenly blocked by security as a guy lands on me, well better me than the fence. Alien Weaponry deliver thrash metal with a twist by incorporating and celebrating their Maori heritage giving us history lessons from their homeland. The irony of playing “Ahi Ka” here isn’t lost on me but hey it happened and they’re rightly calling us out. Despite their youth they dominate the stage captivating the huge crowd their savage riffs resonating with a deep primordial urge to “do something”. For some that is to partake in the massive circle pits for others, like myself, it’s to bang your head stupid until your neck hurts. Far too quickly they deliver their last song the totally brutal but awesome “Ru Ana Te Whenua” which starts with Henry chanting in Maori interspersed with savage drumming, a quick look behind and the pit has become a maelstrom that’s drawing me in. Luckily the boy’s blast into the main part of the song and I’m drawn back to the stage. At the end the crowd are cheering and chanting “one more song” for several minutes such was the power Alien Weaponry had over us. Never have I witnessed that for a band on first and I’m privileged to have been part of it, I am sure they will be. Phew what a way to start the day.
Back at the tent I met up with son and the chaps opposite and told them all about it. We chewed the fat on some life experiences before son and I decided to go and see Elvana. The arena had filled up and we slid (literally in the mud) over to the second stage. Elvana were a strange band, a Nirvana tribute band fronted by an Elvis Presley impersonator!! Even by his own admission his impersonation of Elvis was bad but the musicians in the band were good and gave a great account of themselves playing Nirvana songs. It was all a bit mad and the front man was even wearing a cape. Part way through he leaped off the stage to get “some love” off the crowd. In doing so he split his pants and spent the next 2 songs in the photo pit. They got the crowd going with sing alongs of both Nirvana and short snaps of Elvis. There was even a cover of “Suspicious Minds” during which a large number of yellow balloons were released. They ended with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” which had the crowd roaring along enjoying every minute, what a blast. Of course at the end he said, “Elvis is leaving the building”.
By now I’m in need of the facilities and in true Download fashion head to the nearest wall along with nearly everyone else! As someone remarked “I’ve never had to queue for the wall before!” showing the popularity of Elvana perhaps.
Son and I parted company as he went to meet friends and I’m off to the small stage to see the next act. It was lunch time though and for convenience I got a Mac’n’Cheese with crispy bacon on my way. Fighting my way through mud and crowds the band had just started when I arrived. Queen Zee, well Download seems to have gone in for the more outlandish bands this year and here’s another one. Hailing from Liverpool I’d say they’re as far from The Beetles as you’re likely to get. The lead singer is like a glam rocker but in a queer kind of way and this seems to be the tone for the band’s music. It’s all very much tongue in cheek in a kind of punk Rocky Horror Picture Show way in that it’s loud and brash in your face and disturbingly good.
All this sliding through mud is quite tiring so I returned to the tent for a rest and some refreshments before collecting my drinking horns to return to the arena. I tried a different bar but this one was just as busy.
Horns filled I take in Behemoth on the main stage. They’re into their stride delivering very dark extreme metal that has most of the crowd enthralled. Mid-set they’ve got everyone shouting, “Hail Satan”! It’s a powerful show culminating with the majority of the crowd (well those around me anyway) screaming along to “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel”.
Deciding I needed to cleanse my soul after that I head over to the second stage for some symphonic metal in the shape of Epica. My horns need replenishing so I join the large queue at the bar which allows me to hear, if not see, the band. Everyone in the queue is friendly and I have some banter with a group that I see several times during whilst snaking around. I think they’re making fun of my hat calling me “Mr Incognito” but as it’s reversable I turn the tables (well the hat) on them and on the next pass they burst out laughing. It’s all good fun really. Epica are a band similar to Nightwish, big swirling tunes backing up high symphonic vocals that cleansed some of the black metal from my mind. Creative and full of ideas the music was really good but as I couldn’t get a good spot some of the vocals and music was washed out by the crowd and breeze so I decided to make my way back over to the small stage to be ready for a band I think will be popular.
Once in the tent I’m treated to some good old-fashioned rock and roll from Riding The Low. They’ve got all the elements there and know how to deliver a stomping performance that has the crowd moving in time with the beat. It was refreshing to hear some solid rock sounds amongst all the metal and weird stuff.
I wait in the tent for the next band and move closer to the stage as the tent starts to fill up. Hang on a minute someone has turned up with, what I presume to be, a Mongolian flag on a pole and has made his way to the front. Next I see is the flag being taken out the back by security 😊 Download have a strict policy which I like as it means you at least have a chance of seeing the stage unlike Glastonbury.
Next up we have The Hu a completely novel band from Mongolia they play traditional instruments similar to cello’s and sing in a style called throat singing. I’d come across them on YouTube last year and was glad to be able to see them live. They play their 30-minute set with virtually no interruption playing songs the crowd are familiar with from videos such as the catchy “Yuve Yuve Yuve” to the towering “Wolf Totem” that is visceral and ignites primitive passions in us. It’s a fantastic performance from a band that will continue to grow.
By now I’ve been over refreshed and it’s too far to the nearest facilities, so I join others at a fence only to discover there’s a clear view of us from the backstage area that has several people running for cover!! Oh well it’s too late to stop. Afterwards I decided it was time for food but what variety? There’s such a choice I wasn’t sure what to have and after wandering around for a while I plumped for chicken and chips yeah rather uninspiring I know. Collecting my food and change I noticed it was short, oh come on I’m not that drunk, asked for the rest which was given a little reluctantly.
As I was eating I caught some of the next band on the main stage and I have to say even by this year’s weird tranche of bands this was way way out there. Die Antwoords are a rap/rave crew from South Africa that sing in a mixture of dialects, not exactly a staple act for a rock/metal festival but they were entertaining the crowds even if many were standing there open mouthed with WTF hanging on their lips. Yet it all got weirder when the woman started rapping like a demented pinky or perky (take your pick)! I heard later that sometimes the headliners choose the acts they want to play before them, and Slipknot had requested Die Antwoords!
I made my way back to the small tent and caught the end of the set by Intervals. What I heard was so good that I wished I been there for it all, a blend of prog rock with purer elements of rock and roll thrown in. They ticked the boxes for me in that short time.
After refilling the horns before the next band the religious theme of today is going strong and there’s now a plane flying over with a banner “Jesus Calls Will You Follow” I’m not sure there’s much light here amongst all the black but perhaps that’s why the plane is flying over us. Within the dark interior of the tent the stage crew seem to be setting up an alter complete with offertory and candles. When Batushka take the stage the band members line up at the back with a solitary figure at the front behind the alter and they’re all masked. Sombre music fills the tent and the solitary figure begins a chant and starts lighting the multitude of candles. Eventually, after some have left wondering what the hell is going on, the band strikes up some fierce dark black metal death music whilst the intonement reaches a screaming crescendo pitch. There’s more of this and some begin to heckle but the band stick to the plan and again shatter the near silence with their blend of black death music. It’s so weird that I’ve no clue what I’ve witnessed except perhaps some satanic black mass or liturgy and that’s both unsettling and strangely pleasing (shivers).
Deciding to stay where I was, well I’d done a lot of steps today, I caught some of the set by Carcass extreme death metal pioneers. I say some because this was devastating music performed at breakneck speed and fuelling a large pit despite the denseness of the crowd. I also left early to get a good spot for tonight’s headliner as there were no band clashes meaning there may well be over 100,000 people descending on the main stage.
With full horns I made my way down the central path towards the main stage but it was already looking packed so I stopped shorter than I would normally but with a view of the stage and the central screen. Saying hello to the two ladies next to me we struck up a conversation and I found out that the younger one was only 15, was at a residential school and had persuaded the head to let her come to the festival with her carer!! Now that’s progress. She was very chatty and was surprised I knew about her condition but there’s a family connection there I won’t expand on. Apparently her carer was asked to make sure she didn’t experience any bad language 😊I’m sure she already knew a fair bit from band lyrics and would undoubtedly get to hear the M word during the next set.
Slipknot came on to a taped version of “(515)” and an enormous roar and then began with “People = Shit” which instantly had the crowd singing along and head banging. It was still light and I could see the circle pits developing as the crowd goes ape. Where I am does provide quite a good view of the whole stage and I can see the various band members moving round the stage. Corey is dancing like the devil wearing a heavy overcoat and when we get a close up on the screen, he looks like he’s put on several pounds. It’s a heavy pummelling opening few numbers that you feel like you’ve done several rounds in a boxing ring.
Mixed in with fan favourites are songs from their new album included “Unsainted” which goes down a storm. Looking around everyone is having a great time. Then we get beaten round the head or, perhaps more accurately aurally assaulted by the drum trio during “Before I Forget”. As it goes dark we get “Psychosocial” followed by “The Devil In I” and looking up I see there’s an almost full moon hanging over the stage, an omen perhaps? By the time we get to “Custer” my throat is raw, my ears ringing (and I’m not at the front) and I’ve a large grin on my face. They end the set with one of my favourites “Duality” during which Clown drops down from his raised kit to smash a flaming bat against a keg which sends sparks flying. It’s a tightly performed set of pure showmanship with theatricals added in.
They’re not off stage for long before they’re back with the song that is a staple and one the crowds look forward to “Spit It Out”. In the middle Corey’s there telling us to get down on our knees which 90% of the crowd do including my new friends. I look over at them and smile as Corey tells us not to jump until he says, “Jump the f**k up” and when he does get to that part it’s quite a sight to behold as 90,000+ people leap into the air! As they begin their last number my friends depart and I wish them all the best.
Afterwards I walk back to the tent and find the chaps already sitting round the campfire looking like they’ve finished the bottle of Gin. It’s cold and the fire is welcome and son returns and joins us. We talk about the day and other things basically drinking and being merry. Another 2 logs are placed on and the fire is going well until security turn up en masse to tell us to put it out as open fires are not allowed. We tell them it’s a BBQ, I think someone has complained as you can’t see if from the cabin security inhabit, but they’re insistent and we quash the fire.
Bands of the day (alphabetic order)
Alien Weaponry
Batushka
Elvana
Slipknot
The Hu
raptureeffect.wordpress.com 
One comment