It’s difficult to explain to someone who has never been but, for regulars, Download Festival is home – Donnington Park transformed for five magical days in the year into the ultimate rock and metal party. Of course, it’s not so much the place as the people, with Download having gained a solid reputation for being one of the friendliest festivals the UK has to offer.
The place is important, however and, over the years, the festival has continually evolved, with this year seeing a wealth of improvements to the site that serve to make it even more enjoyable, both for day ticket holders and for campers.
The Village
Last year, we noted a considerable number of improvements across The village, with more bars, food outlets, and a cool, outdoor cinema space. We also noted that the site was ill-prepared for poor weather, with relatively few covered spaces for people to just sit the festival out for a bit.
This year, all that has changed. Real thought has clearly gone into The Village, and it is not only bigger than in previous years, but it also offers a whole host of new elements, making it the fantastic space it always promised to be.
The main part of The Village, which sensibly moved to hard standing a few years ago, remains broadly the same, only with the addition of a larger bar area for post-gig drinkers, and a covered space packed with benches helping to protect festival goers from the elements. Alongside the usual array of stalls (selling everything from hippy clothing to camping essentials); food outlets, bars, and fairground rides all nestle together, giving the place a carnival atmosphere. It can be quite the assault on the senses for the uninitiated, but this is absolutely the place to be if you want to continue partying late into the night.
The real revelation, however, is the section next to the Black campsite. Now expanded, this area features a large, covered space (with stage) that serves as a chill out space by day and a silent disco by night. So far, so much the same. However, alongside the long-serving shisha tent, there’s now a covered bar with plenty of seating and a fantastic selection of ales; a new cinema tent with films running late into the night; a small, covered area in which to chill out; a Blink tent with opportunities for the overwhelmed to take a breather; a number of food outlets; and open air tables. For those seeking a place to relax, this area is just perfect, and top marks to the organisers for putting so much effort and thought into it.
And there’s more. Hiding away in a quiet corner, Camden-based Raven Records have their own black metal space, compete with bar and DJ, providing the darker of spirit with a cool space to hang out. Further evidence, as if any were needed, that Raven Records is one of the coolest shops on the planet – this festival outreach endeavour is fucking awesome!
All these elements make The Village the best it’s ever been and the covered spaces, while thankfully not tested for their water proofing, offer a perfect refuge from the blistering sun.
The Arena
The improvements don’t stop at The Village. I know this isn’t the sort of thing we normally talk about in respectable music sites… but then we’re not terribly respectable, and this shit matters, so…
…This year, the arena boasts a whole new toilet system which improves on previous arrangements in every conceivable way. Not only do toilets now feature a vacuum flush (which, thankfully, does not backfire…), but they have hand washing facilities next to each run of cubicles, as well as dedicated attendants who keep things clean, working, and stocked with toilet paper across the event- not the job you may want, but these people are fucking heroes and perform their role with a smile. While the water in the cubicles is often reduced to a dribble, thanks to the overwhelming and constant demand, they broadly do their job, and it means the drinking water points are left for exactly that. Even the queues are well managed by and large and, providing you don’t try to go to the closest facilities to where an act has just finished, you never have to wait for long.
The bars and food stalls also run smoothly, and while there are inevitably queues at peak times, it just feels as if everything is better managed this year. The food outlets are also notable for being of a much higher quality. It’s a given that festival food can be pricey but, when the quality is good, it feels much less of hardship to hand over the cash, and there are any number of great stalls from which to choose this year.
Last, but surely not least, the layout of the stage, screens, and speakers mean a decent view from pretty much anywhere. OK, OK I know I’m coming over as the biggest Download fanboy ever here [Yep – Ed.], but it really feels like a lot of effort went into making this year more comfortable, more convenient, and simply more fun than ever before and the organisers deserve a round of applause for their efforts. As far as facilities go, this might just be the best Download to date.
Friday
And so, to the real reason we have gathered here – the music! As ever, this year’s line-up saw any number of curmudgeonly individuals take to the internet to bemoan the fact that this year’s line-up is not metal enough and that Monsters of Rock would never have allowed such a travesty to take place.
Given that Monsters of Rock featured such hallowed metal icons as Ratt, Poison, Extreme, and [checks notes] Bon Jovi, I can’t say I entirely agree with that assessment, but it is true to say that this year features a diverse range of talent. While there is surely a good deal of mainstream entertainment on offer, to dismiss the likes of Alcest, Windhand, Kittie, Opeth, Korn, Municipal Waste, and Cradle of Filth (to name but few) as lacking in metal credentials does strain credibility somewhat and, over the course of the weekend, we have the opportunity to take in a huge number of acts, ranging from the uber-independent to the gazillion-selling mainstream. While not all may be to our tastes, there’s no denying the quality on offer and, with the arena packed across the weekend, it’s clear that we’re not alone in this assessment.
The first band for us is Dirty Honey, who roll all the 7s with their solid rock ‘n’ roll vibes and old school attitude. Despite the soaring temperatures, the band pull a decent crowd to the Opus stage, kicking out a number of tasty jams including the AC/DC-esque Don’t Put Out The Fire and the slinky When I’m Gone. Let’s be honest, Dirty Honey may not be trying to reinvent the wheel but they’re damn good at what they do, and there’s something about the band’s good-time rock that just suits a sunny field at Donnington.
Next up, Blackpool-based alt rockers Boston Manor light up the Apex stage with their bouncy, fun material. Led from the front by enthusiastic singer Henry Cox, the band offer good melodies and get the pit going nicely. Certainly, tracks like Container bring a bright Bring Me The Horizon vibe while, with the sun fully overhead and a dust cloud swirling around the stage, the band enjoy unleashing the heaviest song in their catalogue – the excellent Sliding Doors – which hits hard with a vibrant, nu metal pulse that recalls early Deftones. With a long history and four albums already to their name, Boston Manor earned their place on the main stage today, and they did their fans justice with an impressive performance.
Over on the Avalanche stage, meanwhile, British duo The Meffs flatten the field with a number of high energy garage anthems, including the aptly tiled Broken Britain and Stand Up, Speak Out. A refreshingly raw act who sound like Elastica channelling the Sleaford Mods, The Meffs have been making no small amount of headway this year, and deservedly so.
One of our top picks for this year, Richmond Virginia doomsters Windhand bring their darkly ethereal doom to the Dogtooth tent – this year home to the heaviest bands gracing the festival. With airy vocals and giant, Sabbath-infused riffs, they may not have the biggest crowd, but the faithful have turned out in force and they sound crushingly epic. It’s too short, of course, but what a delight to catch some truly brutal doom at Download.
Emerging from the eerie world of Windhand, we are greeted by the strains of Jimmy Eat World drifting across the field from the Apex Stage. It’s hard to believe that the band are now well into their third decade, but the crowd have turned out in force for a set that includes tracks like 2022 single Something Loud and a crunchy My Best Theory (from Invented). A good fit for the main stage, their punky anthems help to keep the dusty, sweaty crowd on their feet and vocal in their appreciation. However, we’re on our way to something a little darker…
With a stunning new album, The Last Will And Testament, in the racks, Opeth have amassed a sizeable crowd before a note is played. Which is a shame because the band turn up nearly twenty minutes late, “I’m not being a diva…” Mikael quips. It’s a shame because, even in truncated form, the band’s set is a masterclass in dynamic progressive metal.
Airing just four songs, Opeth captivate the crowd with a cut from the new album – a dizzying §1 and, despite the initially lacklustre sound, the band soon find their footing, unleashing a doom-laden Master’s Apprentice that does an impressive job of banishing the scorching sun from the minds of all present. “We are Opeth, we play songs about beer and the royal family” intones Mikeal, before leading the band through a lovely In My Time Of Need, before wrapping up the set with an absolutely blistering Ghost Of Perdition. It may have been a short set, but with Opeth continuing to evolve their sound and their stage presence, it stands as one of Friday’s most memorable outings, with the only mystery being why the band aren’t higher up the bill.
Back over on the Apex stage, Weezer kick their set into gear with the awesome Hash Pipe – arguably the perfect feel-good rocker for a glorious sunny evening. It’s wonderful to see Rivers (celebrating his birthday) enjoying himself, and the band follow suit, racing through a setlist packed with hits.
Where once Weezer seemed to recoil from the limelight that the ubiquitous Blue Album brought down upon them, these days they seem much more comfortable in their own skin and the crowd respond in kind.
You want hits? Weezer have them and the setlist today includes Undone – Sweater Song, Say It Ain’t So, Beverly Hills (complete with neat lyric change) and, of course, the evergreen Buddy Holly. With a fair portion of the crowd singing along, Weezer are a great choice for Donnington, and they more than deliver.
Meanwhile, in the Dogtooth tent, a passionate audience has formed for the wonderful Vola. While the sound is unfortunately a little bit boxy, the band give it their all – unleashing a short, powerful set that includes a mesmerising 24 Light Years, a gloriously punchy Cannibal and, of course, a majestically dynamic Straight Lines – the latter even getting a pit going as the band unleash some of their most contorted riffing.
Honestly, with Vola just getting better from album to album, they deserve to be on a bigger stage and it’s easy to imagine the band returning to dominate the festival if they continue to deliver albums of the quality of Friend Of A Phantom. With gorgeous melodies, brilliantly heavy guitars, and an otherworldly quality to their music that stands the band apart from the pack, Vola are something special – a longer set next time please!
It’s back to the Opus stage next. With an epic stage set that looks like a destroyed church, Within temptation are no strangers to delivering when it comes to festivals like Donington, and the band come out swinging with We Go To War and Bleed Out delivered back-to-back. While the keyboard heavy mix can be a little frustrating during the opening song, the sound soon settles, leaving the band to deliver a mix of new cuts (from 2023’s Bleed Out) and old standards, including Stand My Ground and set highlight Our Solemn Hour.
It can get a bit one-note at times, with the band sticking fairly rigidly to the bombastic formula established early in their career, but there’s no doubting the quality of Sharon’s still-awe-inspiring voice, nor the obvious love the band have of playing, and the huge crowd lap it up. With the band’s continued upward trajectory, it’s easy to imagine them headlining the second stage down the line – they surely have the presence – but it really would be good to see them trade the backing tapes for a backing vocalist or two (Therion were always masters of this sort of thing), if only to free themselves from the shackles of the ever-present click track.
And so, to the first headliners of the weekend – Green day. It’s hard to believe it’s the band’s first time headlining Download but Green Day are seasoned hands at this sort of thing, having headlined the Milton Keynes Bowl and Reading Festival in years gone by, and they make it look natural.
Actually, they make it look easy.
From the moment they explode onto the stage – the clenched fist of American Idiot dominating the set – to play the title track of that album; the crowd goes off, singing, shouting, and punching the air with an energy you would not have expected after so long a day.
Clearly a moment for which Green Day have been waiting, they don’t let the opportunity pass them by, and the set is simply stuffed with hits. American Idiot and Holiday get things started with a bang, before Know Your Enemy sees a screaming fan hoisted from the audience to help Billy out on vocals. Everything sounds immense. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams is a giant singalong, One Eyed Bastard – a highlight of Saviors, sounds even bigger in the live arena, while Revolution Radio takes on a new poignancy in light of the febrile political situation currently faced by the US.
There is so much to enjoy that the band, to coin a phrase, are simply awesome as fuck, delivering a near-perfect blend of punk rock fury and arena rock pomp over the course of two blink-and-you’ll-miss-them hours.
With a heart-stopping run through of old favourites (including Longview, Basket Case, and Brain Stew) sending the crowd into a frenzy, even the rain can’t stop Green Day as they power through Wake Me Up When September Ends and the epic-length Jesus Of Suburbia with infectious energy levels that belie their age.
It’s the coda that really seals the deal. With just Billy Joe left on stage, he quietens chants of “you fat bastard” with a heartfelt, acoustic take on Time Of Your Life. It’s the perfect end to the set and it is such a joy to see Green Day lay waste to an absolutely huge audience. If anyone had doubts about Green Day headlining Download, they’re clearly not in this field, because the whole place is buzzing throughout.
And still we’re not quite done for, over on the Dogtooth stage, Apocalyptica are keeping the metal faithful on their feet with their cello renditions of Metallica songs. With the Green Day crowd streaming past, we catch a bruising Master Of Puppets (with the packed tent cheerily singing along to the memorable solo) and a ferocious Seek And Destroy, which has the whole tent singing front to back. While I have to admit that I’ve never particularly felt the need to listen to Apocalytica’s covers on record, there’s no denying the band’s live power, passion, and energy and it’s impossible not to feel impressed as we watch them giving their all in front of a packed and steaming tent.
Saturday
Arriving in the arena for day two of Download, we find American metalcore mob Currents packing out the second stage. Strongly reminiscent of as I lay dying, the well-worn formula of clean vocal / screamed vocal becomes a little bit too familiar over the course of the set but they’re solid musicians and seem to be having a great time. With singer Brian Wille declaring the experience “unreal”, the band tear through the likes of Beyond This Road and Remember Me, although it’s the full-tilt delivery of The Death We Seek that really hits home, being all the better for its more direct approach. With Better Days providing the set with a melodic end, Currents delight their fans and make a fair few friends in the process.
Over on the mainstage, singer and YouTube sensation Poppy gets the crowd going with a handful of songs that combine elements of Bring Me The Horizon with Evanescence and hints of djent. It’s not really for us, but it’s a slick performance and there’s no doubting Poppy’s stage presence on the likes of industrially charged opening track Have You Had Enough? and schizophrenic pop-metal belter BLOODMONEY. However, it feels rather more performance than concert – a common theme across the Saturday – and we head off in search of something a little more rock ‘n’ roll in spirit.
Back over on the Opus stage and following Currents, AWOLNATION bring their strange sounds to a large and vocal crowd. Deftly mixing a range of genres, the band sound like Sparks playing metal covers and, as they launch into synth-heavy Run the field goes off. Better still is the high-energy Burn It Down, which adds a pinch of EMF into the mix, the band keeping a party atmosphere to the fore across their short set. Very much more alternative rock, as opposed to metal, AWOLNATION nevertheless keep the crowd on their feet delivering an impress, if brief, set.
Speaking of a party atmosphere, no one does it better than old-school rock ‘n’ rollers Eagles Of Death Metal, who take to the stage to the strains of Sister Sledge’s We Are Family. From there, it just gets sillier, with ecstatic frontman Jessie Hughes doing his best to wind up the audience.
With a compelling mixture of original tracks and gnarly covers, the latter including a fantastic Save A Prayer (Duran Duran) and a blistering Moonage Daydream, it’s so cool just to see a band on stage and rocking, free from the constraints of vocal processors, click tracks, and all the other trappings apparently necessary to a modern production. It gets a great reaction, and Jessie expresses his delight best when he says he feels like “a solid god erection covered in diamonds”. Eagles of Death Metal are a whole heap of fun and arguably the perfect band for this time of day at a major festival.
Of course, not everyone is in the party mood and, for those wishing to bathe in the icy waters of misanthropy, Anaal Nathrakh are doing a suitable job of banishing the daylight in front of an absolutely rammed Dogtooth Tent.
With a sound not unlike that of Satan crawling to the earth’s surface, Anaal Nathrakh easily stake a claim for being the day’s heaviest band. They wrap up with Endarkenment, a filthy track that’s as brutal as metal comes, urgently highlighting the desire within the field for something authentically heavy.
It’s back to the Apex Stage for a quick blast of Shinedown who draw the crowds with their super shiny take on alt rock. Always popular, but rather more Nickelback than Nirvana, Shinedown are one of those bands who write for arenas, their clean-cut anthems as carefully polished on the stage as they are in the studio.
And therein lies the rub for, while the likes of Cut The Cord and Devil have a certain energy to them, and there’s no denying Brett Smith’s stage presence, the band overall feel too neutered by their own production to hit home with the force of something a little more raw.
Fortunately, lurking in the Dogtooth Stage, Kittie are poised to burst some eardrums. Recently reformed, the band have lost none of the power with which they rose to prominence and their set is delivered with breathless panache to a heaving audience.
Very heavy with a certain breathiness associated with nu metal, the band’s influences take in everything from Sepultura and Drain to My Ruin and Lamb of God and, honestly, I think they may have gotten heavier over the years.
Despite a slightly patchy sound that mars opening number Vultures, the band lock into an evil groove on Eyes Wide Open, which has a gnarly Territory vibe to it. It’s hard to believe it’s been fifteen years since Kittie last graced us with their presence, but let’s hope the strength of the reaction brings them back to Donnington (and to a bigger stage) soon. They are awesome.
The same cannot be said for The Darkness who, while inexplicably popular (they literally pack the Opus stage from front to back), remain irredeemably bland. We arrive to catch I Believe In A Thing Called Love – a song marginally more irritating than a tropical skin condition – with only a brief snippet of Van Halen’s Jump tempering the band’s vaguely sardonic rock posturing.
Still, the pain is worth it for, headlining the Opus stage (and a band most thought never to see again), are the Sex Pistols. While there are those who will never countenance the band with anyone other than Johnny Rotten behind the mic, Frank Carter makes for an engaging frontman and he takes to the stage with wolfish glee, clearly intent on causing as much carnage as possible. It’s mildly unfortunate for the band that a grey cloud takes up residence directly over the stage for the duration of the band’s performance, drenching the faithful, but it is so worth it. From the moment they detonate on stage with Holidays In The Sun, the years roll back as the pistols tear into the music with undisputed attitude.
It’s all here (and let’s face it, with only one album from which to choose, you’d imagine it would be), and Frank Carter nails his part. Things go completely off the deep end when he marches into the crowd with the intention of creating the weekend’s biggest pit during Pretty Vacant. It goes tits up, of course – “it turns out that trying to have a massive circle pit, on a slope, in the rain, doesn’t work… lesson learned” – but the band have the grace to play the song again, with a bunch of smaller pits doing the work and steam rising from the newly soaked throng.
There is so much that is good about this performance. The Pistols know their songs inside out and clearly love playing them, while Frank is a whirlwind of activity, waxing lyrical about Bodies and clearly having fun with the band’s berserk cover of My Way. It finishes, of course, with Anarchy In The UK rendered as an all-crowd singalong, leaving the audience to stagger away looking slightly dazed.
The Pistols came, they saw, they conquered, and they were fucking awesome.
Meanwhile, over on the Dogtooth Stage, Cradle Of Filth are delivering one hell of a performance. One of those bands that can struggle on a festival stage, their music requiring strong onstage monitoring and clear offstage sound, tonight the band have it nailed, with the only complaint being that the set is too damn short by half.
Still, it’s not quantity but quality that counts and Dani leads his troops through a one-hour shock ’n’ awe set that includes Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, Nymphetamine (Fix), Death Magick For Adepts and, of course, Her Ghost In The Fog. Maybe it’s the brief interlude that finds Dani proposing on stage to his long-time girlfriend that leaves the diminutive singer all starry-eyed and spellbound, but it’s the best festival performance I’ve yet seen from Cradle and, with the whole band giving a great performance that’s full of energy, they end up being a Download highlight.
And finally, we get to Sleep Token. I’ll be honest, the band are simply not my thing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate their existence. They brought new blood to the festival, packed the arena, and came armed with an epic show. For that, they both deserve praise and vindicate the organisers’ decision to give them the coveted headline slot.
For me, however, the problem lies in the heavily choreographed nature of it all. It feels slick to the point of a theatre performance as opposed to a rock ‘n’ roll show – something placed into even sharper relief by the Sex Pistol’s resolutely old-school showing. With no interaction and a sound that feels processed to an almost inhuman degree, it’s just too slick for my tastes, for all that the likes of Vore hint at heaviness.
However, that’s very much my preference, and it’s fantastic to see a packed download enjoying the set. Whether the band will continue their current ascent remains to be seen – for me, they feel just a touch overhyped – but let’s face it, this is hardly the first time a rising star had headlined a major festival and, for those who don’t dig the band, it’s not like there’s a shortage of stuff to do!
Sunday
For those seeking a toxic blast of old school death/thrash, here comes Texan mob Power Trip. With the Saturday having proved somewhat more polite in terms of production, Power Trip are here to bring the goods, which they do in gloriously brutal and unpretentious style, the band simply battering the listener with a compelling mix of Obituary, Pantera, and old school Metallica.
Yet, it’s not all bludgeon. The band have a deft grasp of dynamic, for all their ferocious riffing, and the likes of Executioner’s Tax, Firing Squad (which sees the circle pit go fucking mental) and Crucifixation are pristine examples of full-on metal delivered with both precision and attitude. The band’s too-short set leaves us both dusty and disoriented, and it makes for one hell of a punishing wake-up call!
Not to be outdone, Virginian mob Municipal Waste are here to fuck up the Opus stage, and they waste little time in doing just that. Despite the best efforts of other bands, for Municipal Waste a circle pit is mandatory, and the stage is soon enveloped in a broiling cloud of choking dust.
All the band’s best anthems are here – Breathe Grease, Slime And Punishment, Sadistic Magician and, of course, The Art Of Partying. With frontman Tony Foresta warning that, if you don’t mosh you support Donald Trump (to wild choruses of boos), the band take no prisoners and, like Power Trip before them, they lay waste to everyone in their orbit. Municipal Waste are going to fuck you up? Damn straight.
Meanwhile, over on the Apex stage, Ukrainian metallers Jinjer make an emotional return to Download. The band seem to be getting better each and every time they make an appearance and, by the time they conclude their set with Someone’s Daughter and new track Pisces, they have neatly cemented their reputation as a powerful and capable outfit.
Next on the Apex stage is a band who need no introduction – the legendary Meshuggah. With a hyperactive pit seemingly oblivious to the rhythmic contortions of Rational Gaze, the band simply drop their heads and plough into a set that draws its overriding approach from the name of the second track – Combustion.
Almost unbelievably oppressive, especially in the merciless midday sun, Meshuggah have nonetheless found a way of making the must unendurable metal accessible to a surprisingly wide audience, and they have more than earned their place on the mainstage today. With the passionate crowd roaring their approval as the band unleash God He Sees In Mirrors, we are left to once more stand in awe at Meshuggah’s unstoppable fury.
Given the number of Alice in Chains t shirts on display, you’d expect the Opus stage to be absolutely packed for Jerry Cantrell. However, the faithful have turned out and they are rewarded with something very special indeed. It’s an odd start though. Although Psychotic Break is a mesmerising opener to sophomore effort Degradation Trip, it makes for a curiously muted set opener, for all its wonderful melodies. Fortunately, a splenetic Them Bones pushes the tempo, laying the ground for the excellent Vilified and I Want Blood – both impressive cuts from Jerry’s most recent effort.
A powerful singalong takes place during Would? but the real highlight is an unexpected Cut You In from Jerry’s Boggy Depot debut album. A highlight of that record, and of today’s show, it crackles with energy.
The show ends, and all too soon, with a spirited Rooster and we are left to marvel at just how captivating five musicians can make a stage. With no pyrotechnics, backing tapes or special effects, Jerry rules Download with stunning musicianship and songcraft alone and damn near carries the day as a result.
Over on the mainstage, modern metal titans Bullet For My Valentine set the moshpit (and the stage) alight with a devastating performance that has the faithful in raptures. With the band surely making a claim for the headline spot down the line, they race through their catalogue, with the likes of Hands Of Blood, Knives, and Walking The Demon highlighting the power and precision of their delivery. The perfect warm up for Korn, the band play to a packed arena, with circle pits going off with alarming regularity.
We’re after something rather heavier, however, so we head to Fit For An Autopsy, who seem to be on a mission to bulldoze the Dogtooth Tent into the ground. This they achieve with a skull-crushing selection of tracks including Warfare – all stabbing, djentish horror, Hostage, and Pandora.
Not a band comfortable with the notion of taking prisoners, they eschew the more nuanced aspects of their recorded work to simply unload upon a crowd who, by the end, have started to develop the glassy eyed look of people who have been under fire. One of the weekend’s heaviest bands, Fit For An Autopsy really need to move up to a bigger stage on their next visit to Donington.
And so it is that we arrive at the last band for the weekend. For fans, it is a moment of vindication as Korn take their rightful place as Download headliners and oh my god, do they deliver. If the audience have been waiting for this moment, times that by thirty-something years for the band and you have an idea of how keenly they are feeling this show. With a setlist that packs in all the hits, over the course of some ninety minutes, they absolutely slay – taking all 80,000 souls in the arena with them.
It starts, as you might imagine, with the astringent guitars of Blind ringing out across the field. The audience is huge – packed to the very back of the arena – and a drop cloth hides the smoke drenched stage. We’re all waiting, of course, for one thing – the clarion call of “are you ready?” to set things off and, when it arrives, the pit surges into life. Whatever its individual members were doing up to now – whether moshing all day or conserving their energy – it really doesn’t matter, because Donington goes off and the band respond with one of the best shows of their existence.
Eschewing gimmicks (the impressive lighting notwithstanding) for a setlist packed with metal anthems and singalong moments, Korn deliver a dream setlist, pulling out the likes of Here To Stay (unleashed surprisingly early on), Shoots And Ladders (complete with a touch of Metallica’s One), Twisted Transistor, A.D.I.D.A.S and Somebody Someone. It’s one of those sets where every song is so embedded into your consciousness that the whole thing is done and dusted before you’ve fully got a chance to register just how awesome it is, the band wrapping up with a ferocious Y’All Want A Single.
Not that they can resist an encore. With the stage dimply lit, we get a surprise 4 U, which segues neatly into Falling Away from Me. This crashing start is followed by Divine and, to wrap things up, Freak On A Leash. It’s one hell of a finale and, as the crowd streams away from Donington for the final time, you still catch snippets of people singing their favourite moments from the show.
For too many years now, Korn have doggedly shown up to Download, often playing second fiddle to bands with half their catalogue. Today, it all came good, and the band absolutely crushed all expectations. One can only imagine how Jonathan Davis and co. felt seeing the absolutely packed crowd who turned out to see them but, for us, it’s a moment that has been a long time coming and the band deserve to go down as one of the very best headliners the festival has fielded.
Back to reality
Download XXII was truly one hell of an event. While any number of people may spend their time online bemoaning everything from the lineup to the weather, it’s hard to equate the chatter with the absolute joy exuded by everyone you meet at the festival. It’s so friendly, so chilled, and there’s so much to do that, over the course of three days, it’s not a case of what to do, but what to miss so we can pack it all in.
Necessarily, with so much on offer, our review reflects our tastes and, simply speaking to a few folk back at the campsite, it’s clear our Download was very different from theirs – musically at least – and therein lies the joy of this festival. With four massive stages and hundreds of bands, ranging from the biggest names in rock and metal to truly underground legends, you curate your own experience. On one point, however, we are all agreed, and that is just how fucking fantastic it all is.
Download XXII proved to be another triumph and, with better facilities, a huge array of bands, and near-perfect weather, we can’t wait to return home in 2026!
