Download/Donington Festival

scudzilla

How about a discussion on one of the most legendary metal festivals of all time, it's history, what it's now become and you're experiences of it.

Do you think Download is better than the old 'Monster of Rock' format?

Personally i feel that the Download Festival has ruined what was once an awesome festival, i went every year from 1985, when ZZ Top headlined, thorugh to 2006 which was a Download headlined by Metallica, Guns 'n' Roses & Tool.

Favourite was probably 1988, which was headlined by Iron Maiden, with Kiss, Dave Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns 'n' Roses & Helloween, was marred with tragedy though when 2 fans were killed in the crush at the front during GnR's set. 110,000 attended that year, GnR were booked in the Feb and at the time were given a decent second band of the day slot, by the time the August came round Appetite was No 1 album and Sweet Child o Mine was on every radio station every hour.

Just wish i'd have gone the year earlier, line up was AC/DC, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Y&T, Accept & Motley Crue

I think the Download Festival has ruined it because it's just got too fcukin big, over 100 bands now, clashes all over the place of bands you want to see, a huge trek between stages and repepative headliners every other year.

This years Download will struggle to sell 45,000, yet the old Monsters of Rock hit it's capacity of 72,500 most years apart from the first few.

It used to be that you had to be a true 'Monster of Rock' to get on the bill, now it seems anybody who can make an album has a chance of playing.

What would you like to see changed? If anything

I know it was only a 1 day event in the old days, but we always used to arrive Thursday Afternoon, camp out with the thousands of others, even though it clearly said 'No Camping' on the tickets they still provided generators, toilets & Showers, and we'd leave Sunday Afternoon.

To me going to see a Festival is all about chilling out and watching the bands, was great just crashing with yer mates at a certain spot, getting hammered and not missing any band at all.

I've loads of fcuked up stories that i may get to later in this thread, i'll also post some pics of the young me at them

So what are your thoughts/opinions of it?

Just Like Heaven

I don't have a problem with all the stages/bands, I just wish it wasn't soooo expensive. I can still Count 35 bands from this years line up that I would wanna see.

Even though this years headliners were poor, they were also much cheaper than last years so there is good music on all day and the 2nd and 3rd stage headliners are much bigger than last years. But yeah main complaint is just the price.

scudzilla

fewtinsoffroth wrote: »

I don't have a problem with all the stages/bands, I just wish it wasn't soooo expensive. I can still Count 35 bands from this years line up that I would wanna see.

Even though this years headliners were poor, they were also much cheaper than last years so there is good music on all day and the 2nd and 3rd stage headliners are much bigger than last years. But yeah main complaint is just the price.

But out of those 35 bands you want to see I'd put money on that over 15 would clash, and you'd be like a blue arsed fly running around between stages.

Elmidena

I thought the lineup this year was better than recent years, or at least wasn't the same few bands where you could pretty much know who was playing and when before tickets even went on sale. I've been three times to it in the past and had a laugh, but the passage around the arenas are ridiculous. Campsites were too far and you really had to leave ridiculously early to try and get to a stage before the band you wanted to see was on.

I think Download's gone way too expensive in the last couple of years, yes I know it's for insurance, and the post GnR riots of 2006 are most likely an influence on it, but if they want to charge a lot they should at least give the festival-goer their money's worth.

Dublin Spur

Definately prefer the old MOR format
I have 2 main memories

Aerosmith 1hr cameo in 1990 was awesome.
They were bang on top of their game at the time.
Brought out Jimmy Page for Train Kept a Rollin at the end.
Totally Pissed on Headliners Whitesnake.

AC/DC in their Razors Edge tour were amazing.
That DVD still gives me goosebumps

scudzilla

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Definately prefer the old MOR format
I have 2 main memories

Aerosmith 1hr cameo in 1990 was awesome.
They were bang on top of their game at the time.
Brought out Jimmy Page for Train Kept a Rollin at the end.
Totally Pissed on Headliners Whitesnake.

AC/DC in their Razors Edge tour were amazing.
That DVD still gives me goosebumps

Wasn't entirely a cameo as they were announced, I remember half way through there set Concorde took off from the airport and flew over, talk about great timing.

As for the cost, I'm sure it deters a lit of people, why not make it a 2 day event with 2 stages, side by side, continually be a band playing so ya wouldn't miss a thing, and over 2 days on 2 stages ya could have 30 quality bands rather than the 100 plus now, but that 30 would be quality, no fillers. And by having 70 less bands prices could be reduced quite some bit.

slavetothegrind

1990 was class.
Hopefully as the numbers get smaller the event will get more about value for the fans.
Def leppard the other night was amazing value for a gig and fairmplay to them for the lineup for the money.

I do wonder have things just gotten so far away from being about the music, as early monsters of rock was, to this huge corporate business where profit now is more important than the integrity of, and future of, the event itself.

I would hope that as the numbers fall off we will see a better setup

I haven't been for years, is there still a good atmosphere there or is the mix now more mainstream and the old metal camaraderie semi gone?

jack presley

I remember sitting by the radio in 1992 recording all the acts off BBC Radio 1's Rock Show. It was supposed to be live but I think there was a 15 minute delay to take out the naughty words!

Just Like Heaven

scudzilla wrote: »

But out of those 35 bands you want to see I'd put money on that over 15 would clash, and you'd be like a blue arsed fly running around between stages.

Oh I didn't say there wouldn't be, but on the whole the festival makes some effort for the bands of similar interest to not clash. I would still rather have 5 stages over 1 or 2 and me nothing to watch for a couple of hours.

Kess73

Much preferred the old MOR format. It just felt unique and more of a special gig than what is around nowadays.

One day, huge bands, rock out from start to finish.


Nowadays it is split between days and you end up missing bands due to them clashing with other bands you want to see.


1988 was the first MOR that I went to and it was bloody awesome (exept for the **** that is known as Kiss) Maiden were on form with Seventh Son out that year. GNR had Appetite out, Megadeth were touring So Far, So Good...., Helloween were touring Keeper part 2.


It just made for a day with loads of great albums being toured and a massive crowd.

And almost as good as the music was the stuff you got up to with your mates, and the new mates you met that day. Used to love coming down from Liverpool and having banter with other metalheads heading the same direction from other parts.

Richard Hillman

Went last year and had a great time. Didnt fancy the line up this year so chose Sonisphere.

rossie1977

Sunshine! wrote: »

I thought the lineup this year was better than recent years

really :eek: last year had ac/dc, them crooked vultures, ratm, deftones, megadeth, aerosmith, stone temple pilots, motorhead and slash ALL on the mainstage alone

bullet for my valentine was on the second stage last year and second on the main-stage this year, def leppard headlining again after headlining in 2009

anyways on topic i was there last year and thought it was great, the amount of walking is a pain simply because the place is so big, its a loooooooooong walk just from the entrance to the stage. the set up is alot better than outdoor gigs in this country, i had been waiting 20 years to visit the festival and wasnt disappointed in the slightest (outside the lashing rain and freezing cold on the final day), i had no interest in going this year though because of the lineup

TerrorFirmer

Had a phenominal time there this year. System of a Down, Disturbed, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold and Turisas in particular were seriously on top of their game. Linkin Park were good too though as a preference I'm not a huge fan... anymore. Plenty of other bands I thought were solid performances too, Bullet for my Valentine, the Pretty Reckless, Pendulum, Cheap Trick, and so on. Definitely felt I got value for money by all means. I hate when performances clash though, as it worked out it wasn't too bad for me this time but I did have to skip a few things begrudgingly on the second/pepsi stage.

Pain in the ass about Sundays weather too. Such a massive contrast to the weather up to that point, and did sap my energy somewhat trapsing around in the quagmire all day in a poncho.

Bluefoam

Was there in '95. Metallica headlined, which was a big deal as they hadn't played live in 5 years + they hadn't begun releasing ****e albums at that stage. Megadeath, Machine Head, Slayer, Therapy? (one of my all time favorites), White Zombie, Slash's Snakepit.

Slept in the airport that night and bumped into Slayer the next morning...

thebourke

I was there in 1992....it was my first time seeing iron maiden live...
I still remember getting hit with the plastic bottles of beer/piss during the maiden set...the almighty,slayer,skid row, and thunder also played that day
seb back fell flat on his arse when he came onstage....
first time seeing slayer also..they had the video dead skin mak from donnington on headbangers ball soon afterwards...
i also went in 1995 to the escape from the studio metallica bash...
it was a good day out also..apart from the bus driver getting lost...so missed the first band corrosion of conformity.....

hellyeah

was there last year and had a great time. didnt bother this year as i felt the lineup at sonisphere was better. Didnt mind the trek between stages. didnt think it was that bad. Weather on the sunday was a killer and it looks like it was the same this year. What was the attendance like this year? great crowd last.:cool:

Skintwin

Wow. Just Wow. Avenged Sevenfold blew me away. I turned into a demon girlie during their set :P
Rock Sugar kicked ass too, as did Alice Cooper!

Welsh Megaman

Monsters Of Rock 1991

How's this for a line-up:-

AC/DC - worth the entrance fee alone
Metallica - the week before they released the 'Black' album
Motley Crue - can't go wrong with a bit of glam-metal
Queensryche - great, but a bit concerned about Geoff Tate's stage attire
Black Crowes - mostly stuff from 'Shake Your Moneymaker'

Oral Slang

Yeah I miss the old formats, the craic was great back then. Wasn't at the very early MOR, but went to Donington 95, 96 & Ozzfest 98. Have to say the best fun about them was the bus trip with Sound Cellar.

Hard to believe now, that the East Midlands plane gets you to Donington now in 50 minutes, whereas we spent hours on a bus, ferry & bus again!

Haven't been to Download or Sonisphere though as they are just too expensive. Usually go to either a European festival or Bloodstock, but this year I'm going to try High Voltage out, as it's a going to be a real trip down memory lane - loads of old bands. Can't wait

Skintwin

Oral Slang wrote: »

Hard to believe now, that the East Midlands plane gets you to Donington now in 50 minutes, whereas we spent hours on a bus, ferry & bus again!

Well in fairness, it took me and my OH 12 hours to get to our hotel from Limerick...now that's what you call dragging the hole out of it!