Download 2019 Festival Review

Overview & arrival

The signs are not good. It’s Wednesday night and I’m eying up the weather forecasts whilst the rain beats heavily against the window. Torrential rain it says, and whoever wrote the report is depressingly on the mark. Still, it’s been two years since the last really wet Download and, since then, a good deal of new drainage has gone in so, with a sigh, it’s a case of packing the waterproofs and hoping for the best. Thursday arrives and, as if to prove that memory is short, the tawdry tabloids are once again having a field day with the band weather (it must have been a slow news day). Not that they actually send a reporter onto the site (tabloids rarely bother with anything as dull as actual reporting), but they have managed to unearth tweets from the odd disaffected customer, demonstrating once again how quickly rumour can become fact when twisted by the media. Interestingly, our friends on site seem to be having a great time so we arrive on the Friday morning, ominous clouds notwithstanding, in high spirits.

After what must have been a soul-destroying start for the organisers, things are pretty much on point on the Friday morning. Whilst there is a fairly substantial queue into the South Car Park (the West, unfortunately, having become unusable), the stewards appear to be doing as good a job as possible of getting everybody parked up and on their way. It is a long walk from the South Car Park, but then it always has been, and with the level of rain that flooded, not just Download but the entire country, the biggest surprise is how much has been done to stem the rise of the mud. That’s not to say the site isn’t pretty damn soggy in places. Blue campsite has taken one hell of a pounding, with glutinous mud sucking at the soles of the boots but, for those willing to make the trek, Yellow campsite is not only a hell of a lot more comfortable, but it’s also close to a fantastic café (located on the quiet campsite), that offers tea, cake and hot food at pretty much all hours. It’s up one heck of a hill, but it’s calm, comfortable and well worth the walk.

Thinking back to 2016, the year of the mini-monsoon, it’s clear that the new drainage system is actually remarkably effective. Although not able to directly withstand the torrential downpours of Wednesday and Thursday, it’s notable that, given a little time, the mud rarely gets above ankle-deep and the trouble points (the pathway to the Avalanche stage for example) are far clearer than I remember from previous wet years. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of mud around to slow the progress, but the site is in far better shape; particularly given the sheer scale of the rainfall; than might be expected, the tales of a watery apocalypse having been grotesquely exaggerated. Indeed, the download team have done a remarkable job of keeping things working during a period of unprecedented rainfall that was impossible for anyone to have predicted.

Weather management and lightning-quick reactions to the biggest issues have had knock-on effects, however. Bars, in particular, feel short staffed, with not enough people actually pouring drinks – as a result the front line staff are left to take an order and then wait for the drinks to appear on the line, with the result that substantial queues build up throughout the weekend. Toilet queues are also an issue and it’s arguable the newly segregated-by-sex blocks cause more congestion than they solve, the male blocks being almost permanently over-subscribed. That said, whilst the bar issues need addressing, the management of festival toilets at an event of this scale is a thorny issue unresolved at pretty much every major event and the Download team should be commended for trying something new, with the caveat that the idea needs refinement.

Overall, it’s nothing short of a minor miracle, not to mention a testament to the organisation and hard work of the festival staff that, come Friday, pretty much everything and everyone is on site and working. That’s not to discount the experiences of those who had issues early on, but given the sheer complexities of operating an event on this scale, Download has done as well, if not better, than comparably-sized events such as Reading and Glastonbury and deserve considerable credit for their good humour in adversity.

Friday

Having set up our camp, our first port of call is to head to the village to meet our merry band of miscreants. In its new central location, the village is definitely easier to access than previous years although evidence of the weather-related issues can be seen, especially in the quagmire that surrounds the bar. Nonetheless, a healthy selection of ales awaits and, having found our companions, it’s off to the arena to catch the day’s varied line-up.

Sadly, we don’t catch as much of southern rockers Blackberry smoke as we’d have liked, but what we do catch sounds fantastic. Flesh and bone (from recent album find a light) sounds even better in the live environment than it does on record, whilst ain’t much left of me is interpolated with when the levee breaks much to the delight of the crowd.

I’m not sure it’s possible for Clutch to put on a bad show, their utter conviction providing a rock-solid backbone upon which their impressive career hangs. With new album the book of bad decisions another classic in waiting, the band sensibly build the bulk of their set around it, offering up tracks such as ghoul wrangler, in walks Barbarella and gimme the keys as if they’re sermons. However, as much as the new album is pretty damned good, there’s no escaping the brilliance of set closer x ray visions, as timeless a slab of blues-infused hard rock as the band have ever put their name to.

There are few bands better qualified to fly the classic rock flag than Whitesnake and their place at Donnington is assured for life. With new album flesh and blood proving wildly popular and David Coverdale in fine voice, the band take to the stage and do what they do best, blasting out swaggering anthems with gusto. Hitting hard and hitting often, David and his crew give us bad boys (the unofficial Whitesnake anthem), slide it in, love ain’t no stranger and then up the ante still further with a closing salvo of give me all your love, here I go again and still of the night, the latter giving David the opportunity to show that his voice can still cut glass when the mood takes him. Throw in the twin guitar work of Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra and the insane drumming skills of Tommy Aldridge (whose solo remains a highlight of any Whitesnake set) and you’ve got one hell of a satisfying performance.

A touch of food (from a particularly good vegetarian place near the merch stand) and we’re off to the Zippo Encore Stage for something rather different. Despite their increasingly progressive leanings, Opeth offer a varied set that takes in a number of highlights from across the band’s career. Opening with a phenomenal sorceress, the band grab the attention from the off, whilst the roar that greets ghost of perdition suggests that time has done little to dim the appeal of one of Opeth’s most well-known moments. However, as enigmatic as the all-too-short set is, nothing can beat the relentless, churning onslaught that is deliverance. With crystalline sound, typically self-deprecating stage raps and a rare sliver of sunlight beaming down upon the field, Opeth deliver a flawless set that serves as the perfect soundtrack to the setting sun.

There’s a brief interlude as we take a wander to catch Twelve Foot Ninja on the Dogtooth stage, Unfortunately, everybody else at Download seems to have had the same idea (predominantly attributed to the band’s popularity and augmented by a mercifully brief downpour) and we fail to get inside the tent. Technical problems, which lead to the band starting late, result in an unfortunately truncated set, which is a shame because the band have a truly original sound going on.

Next, it’s off to the main stage for Slash, the ultimate rock icon and back at Donnington after last year’s brilliant showing with Guns ‘n’ Roses. With an increasingly excellent back catalogue of his own, Slash no longer needs to rely on Guns’ standards and, although the band throw out nightrain as a sop to the fans, the emphasis is very much on Slash originals. Of course, a huge part of the Slash equation is Myles Kennedy, whose powerful voice does full justice to each and every song that the band unleash, with highlights including back from Cali, serve you right and mind your manners, not to mention a typically explosive Doctor Alibi (with Todd kerns providing the vocals). It’s a great rock ‘n’ roll show scaled up to arena-sized proportions and the crowd are well and truly on board from start to finish.

On the Zippo Encore stage, something evil stirs as Rob Zombie takes to the stage. Although shorn of pyro, Zombie and his technicolour wrecking crew still deliver a fiery show with huge video screens backing the stage, and they race through a set that contains more than a few curveballs, not least a brutal cover of helter skelter (the Beatles) that ramps up the savage riffing of the original, even if Rob Zombie’s scarified rasp can’t quite match the original vocal delivery.

Cheeky plug for his new movie aside, the set packs in plenty of classics including White Zombie standards Thunderkiss ’65 and more human than human, whilst a crazed cover of blitzkrieg bop never did anyone any harm. Although it’s a mite disappointing that no encore is forthcoming, there is at least time to wander over to the main stage to check out the headliners there…

A band who thoroughly deserve their headline slot, Def Leppard draw a huge crowd, no doubt enhanced by the fact that they’re playing fan favourite hysteria in its entirety. Missing the start of the set does, unfortunately, also mean missing the ever-green pour some sugar on me, not to mention love bites, but when the band offer up a hits-packed encore that includes let’s get rocked and photograph, it’s hard not to get swept up in the sheer, denim-clad joie de vivre of it all. As hard-working as they come, there’s a feeling that Def leppard have never quite got the recognition they deserve and their set at Donnington, the hallowed ground of rock shows, feels like a celebration of a truly impressive career.

And so the curtain goes down on a tremendously successful first day, leaving tired fans to head back to the camp site in search of late night shenanigans in the village.

Saturday

Getting the day off to a flying start, New Zealanders Alien Weaponry pair harmony vocals and thrash tropes to great effect and the crowd lap it up. Employing elements of Maori culture, Alien weaponry sound refreshingly different and, for a young band, their confident performance is impressive indeed. Ones to watch in the coming year, Alien Weaponry earned their mainstage slot and are liable to be higher up the billing next time around.

In stark contrast, the Zippo Encore Stage offers up a rare dud in Elvana. The phenomenon of tribute bands is one with which I have no sympathy and, if the average tribute band represents a nadir in creativity, then the only thing to fall below it is the novelty tribute band. Elvana, who gleefully combine the music of Nirvana and Elvis, represent one of the most grotesque examples of this desperation to trade on nostalgia and their mangling of Nirvana standards is about as welcome as a kick to the knackers from a man wearing steel toe caps.

Thankfully, back on the main stage, hardcore / thrash outfit Power trip deliver the bludgeoning the audience needs, drawing on (relatively) new album nightmare logic to deliver a sonic kicking that leaves the crowd reeling. Vocalist Riley Gale is a human dynamo, charging around the stage with unstoppable energy, and his rabid enthusiasm cannot help but fire up the audience. Short, sharp and furiously exciting, Power Trip’s set promised much and fully delivers.

It seems that some someone forgot to tell Behemoth that they’re not headlining the festival, because they turn up bearing a fuck ton of pyrotechnics and a conquer-all attitude that sweeps everything before it. As Nergal points out, Behemoth are flying the flag for extreme metal in front of a gargantuan crowd and they rightly make the most of an opportunity that is extremely well-deserved.

Drawing from new album I loved you at your darkest, Download is treated to an explosive set, with the band delivering a focused and powerful set. From the new album, Bartzabel proves particularly impressive, although it’s when the band plough into a devastating ov fire and the void that Behemoth’s stratospheric ambitions are laid fully bare. A remarkable achievement from a remarkable band, Behemoth deliver an extreme metal masterclass.

Worlds apart from Behemoth, Skindred are a dayglo explosion of ragga metal that always lights up a festival crowd. Led by the insanely effervescent Benji Webb, the band know how to get a party going and, when they get the vast majority of the crowd to remove their shirts and perform an arcane ritual known as ‘the Newport Windmill’, the overhead shots from the crane camera are nothing short of astonishing. In between such good-natured shenanigans we get machine (with a sweet guest appearance from Reef’s Gary Stringer), the evergreen pressure (complete with cheeky, back in black excerpt), that’s my jam and, of course, nobody, which still sounds like nothing else out there. It’s a super-charged, gloriously over-the-top performance form a band who never disappoint.

Very much a love them or hate them band, Trivium have more than enough anthems to fire up the main stage, but today’s performance feels a little flat for reasons that aren’t entirely clear. Perhaps it’s the band’s insistence on playing a selection of hits that, when played together, feel somewhat monotone, but there’s a lack of dynamic and, although the circle pit goes crazy, Trivium don’t really seem to ignite until the closing blast of in waves seems to shake things up a bit. Live, Trivium are typically ferocious and, although enjoyable, today they don’t hit the standard of which they’re typically capable.

It’s hard to know quite what to say about the choice and placement of Die Antwoord, with even the band seeming surprised to be on the bill. Before talking about the band’s set, I’d like to say that I like the fact that there’s something a bit leftfield on the bill. It’s the same mentality that saw bands like the Prodigy (deservedly) become a part of the rock festival experience and I’d like to see Download continue to push boundaries in this manner.

That said, Die Antwoord are not a good choice. From their novelty sounds (overused in almost every regard) to their repetitive beats and tawdry, sex-sells stage demeanour, the band outstay their welcome by a considerable margin with even those prepared to give the band a chance clearly finding it too hard a slog long before their hour-long assault grinds to a halt. Moreover, the set (much like the band’s tawdry video clips) feels calculated to shock, but there’s no depth or meaning behind it all, with the result that it veers between annoying and profoundly dull. It’s a shame because there are a number of interesting bands who bridge the divide between the worlds of electronica and metal far more worthy of a slot and it’s tempting to conclude that Download banned single-use bottles from the arena predominantly to avoid Die Antwoord from being bottled to oblivion.

From their explosive Roadrunner debut, slipknot have gone on to become one of the largest metal bands on the planet and deservedly so. Working from a blueprint that has been refined and expanded but never abandoned, the band’s rare ability to combine the extreme and the accessible has seen them receive praise and opprobrium in roughly equal measure. Whether you love or hate them, there’s no questioning the band’s attention to their craft and their performances at Download have rightly become the stuff of legend. 2019 sees a defiant Slipknot, wounded in the wake of the widely-publicised issues with Chris Fehn and the tragic death of Shaun Crahan’s daughter. In the circumstances, no one would blame the band from taking a break from their commitments, but the band have always valued their fans and they take to the stage to deliver an absolutely breath-taking performance.

With an opening salvo of people = shit, (sic) and get this, Slipknot deftly capture the vast crowd’s attention, which gives them the space to deliver a rousing unsainted, which sounds even better live than on record. From there Cory takes the audience on a tour of the Slipknot back catalogue, with heavy hitters such as Psychosocial and duality butting heads with rarer tracks such as vermilion and (yeeeesss!) prosthetics. With DJ Sid Wilson making sure that the stage never falls silent, Slipknot are consummate professionals and they are an absolute highlight of the weekend to this point.

Inevitably, with such a back catalogue, the band can’t hit every track the audience would like to hear (wait and bleed and kill pop are sadly absent), but the set is so well-paced that the loss is only felt when the band have left the stage and the euphoria of the moment has abated. Explosive, with the entire crowd leaping in unison to spit it out and enough pyro to supply a small army, Slipknot once again prove themselves masters of their violent art, bringing the day to a thunderous close.

Sunday

With a powerful new album out and an impressive new singer in Kaan Tasan, Heart of a Coward take to a packed Avalanche stage and deliver a short, bristling set of smart metal that does not let up for an instant. New tracks like collapse fit perfectly alongside older numbers such as deadweight and Kaan has the chops to deliver it all with searing power. A welcome return from a band who are destined for bigger things, Heart of a Coward are the perfect start to a packed day.

A band who took their name from an Alice in Chains track and who have built a surprisingly efficient career out of milking load-era Metallica, Godsmack do little to fire up the mainstage. Whilst no one could doubt Sully Erna’s sincerity and the band’s musicianship is impressive, the material fails to ignite and, whilst I stand alone is a suitably bombastic set closer, new number unforgettable belies its own title, leaving the performance somewhat flat.

In contrast, Amon Amarth are pretty much the perfect festival band and know exactly how to put on a show. Like Behemoth, Amon Amarth play every show like it’s a headline slot and the ever-genial Johan Hegg is the ideal ring master for the onstage antics. With the band flanked with Viking imagery (all the better for the random sword fights that pepper the set) and replete with pyrotechnics, Amon Amarth seem incapable of playing at anything less than full-pelt and, with the set heavily peppered with highlights from new album Berserker, the allotted hour flies by in what feels like a mere matter of minutes. Of particular note is a coruscating shield wall (complete with on stage battle) which sees the band find the sweet spot between death and groove metal, but the whole set is a violent delight.

With the day flying past, it’s time for a wander over to the Zippo Encore stage for Anthrax. Arguably the most fun of the ‘big 4’, the band have been on a roll ever since the effusive Joey Belladonna returned to the fold, and they know exactly what the audience wants. Gold-plated thrash classics like caught in a mosh, I am the law and antisocial are delivered with frenetic energy, although the sound suffers a little bit as the wind starts to get up, causing the audience to edge ever closer to the centre of the stage. The highlight, however, is the emotional in the end, in which Joey shows off his Dio-esque vocal range on a mid-paced epic that is as poignant as it is powerful. A tribute to fallen heroes Ronnie James Dio and Dimebag Darrell, it shows the heart amidst the humour and Joey simply sings the hell out of it.

Heavier and stonier of face then Anthrax, Lamb of god set out to reduce the mainstage to rubble. In all honesty, it’s an unfortunate clash as the audience for both bands crosses over considerably and it would have made more sense, if not to have them on the same stage, then to at least have them at different times, but that’s the risk of festival line-up lottery. Sounding typically monstrous, Lamb of God bring their blistering groove to Donnington and hearing tracks like laid this to rest and redneck can never a band thing be, the mosh pit whirling form start to finish as Randy takes his troops on the offensive.

You never quite know which Billy Corgan you’re going to get with a Smashing Pumpkins show. The ever mercurial frontman can be mad, sad, or just plain bad as the whim takes him, but today we get Billy the Rockstar and the band are on fire for a performance that, frankly, could have gone on for another two hours and not grown stale.

Not that Billy, or the newly reformed and revitalised band, are any less contrary. They do play the hits (well, some at least) and they play them straighter than I’ve heard in years, with tracks like zero, bullet with butterfly wings and cherub rock all played with blistering precision. However, alongside that, they also play a selection of highlights from the fantastic oh so shiny and oh so bright, with album highlight solara, in particular, sounding utterly monstrous. The three-guitar line up gives considerable metallic weight to the sound and Jimmy anchors it all with grace and power, whilst Billy sings better than ever.

Then there are the wildcards – a sludgy cover of snowblind with Myrkur’s Amalie guesting on vocals and, an absolute highlight for me, the unleashing of eight-minute b-side the airplane flies high as a typically contrary set closer that pays off brilliantly. Somewhere along the way, Billy even get to try out his Dave-Gahan-via-Uncle-Fester stage moves on a wonderfully straight Ava Adore. A fantastic reaffirmation of the Pumpkins’ power and, alongside the enduring brilliance of their back catalogue, their continuing relevance. Very nearly the highlight of the festival (in the event it’s a tie), Smashing Pumpkins are quite simply astounding.

In all honesty, I find it remarkable, albeit in a life-affirming way, that the magical, mystical Tool retain the commercial appeal to headline a major festival, despite being one of the most wilfully obtuse and enigmatic bands ever to grace the stage. Their staunch adherence to the precision of their art in the face of an unprecedented exodus to the bottom is commendable and the fact that they’ve managed to retain their fanbase in spite of it all is grounds for hope for all aspiring artists.

With the screens showing meticulously-prepared visuals (no band shots at any point) and the barest minimum of stage chatter, Tool weave a dense sonic net around the audience, transporting them far away from the mud and allowing the imagination to roam free. It’s an emotional and powerful set from one of the most unique bands out there.

Tool open with Aenema and, despite having opened with the track across their European trek, it still feels like Maynard’s sense of humour has come into play bearing in mind the climactic conditions we’ve experienced all weekend. From the off, the band sound unutterably huge, aweing the audience into submission with a crystal clear mix that, miraculously holds up even in the face of the cold winds that whip across the arena.

From there, tool’s set is a dense, hypnotic beast that ebbs and flows across their history. Highlights from 10,000 days such as the pot and vicarious rub shoulders with material from the still-perfect lateralus (sadly no grudge, but you can’t have everything) and the band even throw in a surprise part of me from opiate, which only goes to show how forward thinking the band were from their very first release. Highlights include a devastating forty six & 2 and a closing encore of stinkfist, which is delivered with a fervent metallic might that places a firm full stop at the end of Download 2019 and leaves the audience shattered and drained.

Heading home

From the moment we arrived to the moment we leave, the atmosphere at Download 2019 is fantastic. The vast majority of festival goers, only too aware of the vagaries of the weather, are armed with a mix of waterproofs and good humour, happily sloshing through the mud to the arena with a minimum of fuss. Whilst there are lessons to be learned with regard the queues at the bar and the merch stand, the staff remain amazingly friendly throughout the event, happily tolerating our queries whatever the weather or hour, and the stages (for the most part) run like clockwork.

Boasting a varied line up that runs the gamut from southern and classic rock all the way to extreme metal, the line up this year truly has something for everyone and whilst a few clashes cause the eyes to water (Slayer’s final show vs Tool’s first tour in thirteen years… come on!) that’s the nature of a festival and there is so much going on that it is quite impossible to feel bored.

Yet, for all that the line up is immense, it’s the atmosphere that keeps us returning year on year. Whilst no one in their right mind would wish for torrential rain, it does little to dampen the experience and what sticks in the mind is the sheer friendliness of the vast majority of attendees and staff. Indeed, across the weekend, it’s notable how many bands refer to Download as “home”, and it’s a view shared by a good number of the audience. Roll on Download 2020 because, whoever the headliners are, we’ll be there for sure.