To partially steal a joke from Iron Maidens Bruce Dickinson, this weekend I was at the “Downpour Festival”. Holy f@ck folks it was wet. Disappointing as the weekend started off well, no wives coming, everyone was on time, we made good time down (due to my awesome driving skills), the weather was great on the way down and carried on right through Thursday. Here’s how it panned out……………….
Thursday 9/6
Reach car park, I attempt to play catch up with everyone. Bad f@cking move……………
Friday 10/6
Wake up in tent, wonder where my new Cheap Trick was bought/borrowed/stolen from.
As there wasn’t much on in the earlier part of the day Friday was made up of banter and a few pints taking in a bit of sun with bands playing as a backdrop without really concentrating on them. I was waiting for the Wildhearts on the 3rd stage. That’s what Friday was all about for me.
Alien Ant Farm (Unfortunatley in the vicinty at the time)
Remember those tw@ts, they are still shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii@te
Baby Metal (Even more unfortuanate to be in the Vicinity)
What the f@ck is that digusting sh@t about, ive never heard such crap. Going by the crowd it appeals to kids, utter utter tripe
The Wildhearts
So from two of the worst bands in the world to the greatest band ever. Earlier in the day the heavens opened and ruined the place with a biblical storm of golf ball sized raindrops making conditions hairy, and yeah you guessed I took a tumble and got clarted in dubs prior to the start of the Wildhearts, despite my best efforts to stay on my feet. Wasn’t going to miss them for anything and im glad I didn’t. No banter from Ginger just tunes due to the short festival set, “I Wanna Go Where The People Go”, “Sick of Drugs”, “My Baby Is A Headf@ck”, “Nita Nitro” ,“Vanilla Radio”, “Love U Till I Don’t”, all the catchy sing alongs in there. A great festival sing along set from a great band
I had been suffering with a sore back since the rain came on so left for my tent after the Wildhearts leaving everyone in the arena. Bad move, as I got back to the Campsite I went to a water trough bit to clean some of the dubs off from my earlier tumble and I was greeted with a “what are you looking at you big dick” followed by a crack to the jaw bursting my lip. F@cking great.
Saturday 11/6
Clean dubless garb on and off we set, place was a f@cking quagmire
Santa Cruz
A total surprise, really good with more than a hint of the 80s Sunset Strip about them. Steel Panther without booby gags
Inglorious
Had read about them in Classic Rock, decent watch, heavy bluesy riff based tunes, good for an early day viewing.
Danko Jones
I saw this rock n roll preacher on my first ever trip to the holy land that is Donington back in 2002 and knew exactly what to expect. That balls ball too the wall rock n roll complete with ridiculous preaching. A very confident man with a very good band (His new albums great by the way)
Lawnmower Deth
First thrash of the weekend for me as I buggered off early on Friday and missed Savage Messiah. Comedy Lyrics check, 10 second songs check, quality stage banter check, bizarrest moment of the weekend check. “We have a special guest for you, Mr Dave Grohl, no is it f@ck, but it is Kim Wilde” Crowd reply with “Nah”, then out walks Kim Wilde to sing a thrash metal rendition of “Kids In America” WYOWYN, aye min I would be in there.
Rival Sons (In the Vacinity)
Beer time and couldn’t see the band but saw the big screens. Good band some heavy as f@ck blues riffs. Dress like ponces though.
Megadeth
Megadeth are great, there is no two ways about it. They are a well oiled machine who never have a bad day(take note Metallica). A few from new album Dystopia but the usuals that you would expect, “Symphony of Destruction”, “Peace Sells….” “Sweating Bullets” and also Welcoming Nikki Sixx on stage to play “Anarchy In The UK”, big thing considering the Thrash bands hated the Hair bands back in the day. Once the set was over there was a guest appearance on stage from wrestler Triple H to award Dave Mustaine the “Spirit Of Lemmy” award from Metal Hammer Magazine. Random
Neck Deep
Sometimes at festivals you have to enter a tent and put up with a band that you have never heard of so you can get a good place for the next band who you want to see. This was one of those moments and holy f@ck they were god awful
Pennywise
My main draw for the weekend. I had a list of 5 bands to see before I die. If I manage to see them all I will have seen everyone I have ever wanted to see. The list is now 4. What a band, what a show. All I expected and more, “Perfect People”, “Fight till You Die”, “Same Old Story”, “Pennywise”, the fantastic “Bro Hymm” complete with tent wide sing along. F@ck yeah. Special mention to their drummer Byron McMackin, he is as good as I thought and is like Animal from the muppets.
Black Sabbath
I know Ozzy Osbourne doesn’t have the greatest voice in the world, far from it infact but on Saturday he sounded like a burst bag pipe. Totally past it and should give up. Musically great with the riff and bass combo of Geezer and Tony but the singing was terrible, watched half then decided to beat the crowd back to the campsite, plus I was f@cking sick of the rain and sinking feeling. Anyway god knows how much they will cost at the Hydro in January, but just dinna if you are thinking about it.
Sunday 12/6
Amon Amarth
Swedens heavy metal Vikings, never really put me up nor down but it was definatley an up. I thought they were great. Their stage set up was rigged up with fire breathing dragons, tons of fireworks and a hammer of Thor that singer Johan hit the stage with which triggered an explosion with fireworks and pyro which was the loudest thing of the weekend. So loud that pacbro heard it over another band at the second stage, boom, so cheesy it was brilliant
Grand Magus
More Swedes. Nae really up to date with them, but decent doomy riffing, definatley a good band. Will have to give them more of a listen.
The Temperance Movemennt
Quite like these guys, didn’t realise the were even playing if im honest, watched half of their set and got sh@t done while they were on (Coffee and food etc). Good band but would be better suited to the sun beating down and enjoying a nice cold beer chilling out, nae mud water falls, lightning and Noahs Ark type rain
Periphery
A band with potential totally ruined by their singer
Tremonti
Another get a space in the tent for the next band moment. Wasn’t that bad to be fair
Electric Wizard
The funny smelling fags ignite all around, the tent fills with smoke, cue one of the most stoner doom bands ive ever seen
Gojira
The best band of the weekend by a country mile and maybe of the last few Doningtons. F@cking sublime. I cant think of many bands that hail from France but with these guys kicking about we don’t need any more. A tight, brutal, kick in the s****s, perfect performance by a highly skilled group of musicians. Their drummer Mario Duplainter is quite possibly the best drummer I have ever seen, he was doing stuff I cant even describe. In lamens terms he is a f@cking machine. I have the albums but had never seen them and I didn’t to be in so much awe of them. A career spanning setlist with each and every one played to perfection, with my favourite being “From The Sky”. I hope the play every f@cking year.
Ghost
Pulled out at last minute
Janes Addiction
Finally got to see them after failing at the Leeds festival one year due to them pulling out. All thje big hits, scantily clad dancer, women swining from the rafters by piercings in their back skin. Great to see “Stop and ”Been Caught Stealing” live but the highlight was “Jane Says”, I forgot how fantastic of a song that is. Really enjoyed them and it seemed to be over in a flash. One slight disappointment, Perry Farrell was far to quiet. And props where they are due, I knew Dave Navaro was a good guitarist but I didn’t realise how good, well played sir and as my pal said, “that boy has got real chops”. Canna disagree with that
Iron Maiden
Boring, one song doesn’t need two solos from each of your three guitarists. Im not and never have been a huge Maiden fan. Give me a set of the old classics and ill enjoy it, give me a set of new tunes and im going to f@ck of to my tent, which is exactly what I did after 40 minutes when Bruce uttered the words “Happy Birthday Your Majesty”
Good weekend overall but challenging the elements does get tiresome. Having to bin shoes and clothes and tents shows it was bad. If you think im just having a moan see below