Every year there is a festival that you go to which makes you stop and realise how important music is and how we are all united by an annual moment, having the time of our lives. Ladies and gentlemen, for those of you who weren't at Download Festival this year, prepare yourselves for what was possibly the best year since its existence.
This was my second year of attending Download after I went in 2013. It was safe to say that last year's showing was one of the best moments of my life. Everything about the festival made me want to go every year from then on, whether it was the spectacular performances from (most of) the bands or just the general atmosphere of the crowd. 2014 managed to somehow exceed all expectations I had.
I arrived at the mighty Donington Park in the heart of Derbyshire on the Wednesday, the first time I've ever been to a festival for five days. It was the best choice I've ever made. For the sake of an extra tenner, those two days proved vital as part of my enjoyment of the festival. It was the perfect opportunity to camp in a decent spot, soak up the atmosphere and relax before the music. Think of it as the calm before the storm, just without the calm. I would thoroughly recommend attending any festival as early as you can, especially if you live far away. Enjoy every moment you possibly can.
Now for the important bit. How good were the bands?
Friday:
Every metalhead was ready for what was about to be a weekend jam packed with great bands ready to prove themselves on the grand stages in front of a hundred thousand people. It is no easy task no matter who you are. Miss May I opened on the main stage and provided one of the best opening sets I have seen at Download. You could tell they grabbed the opportunity with both hands and gave a show full of energy and riffs. Lots of riffs. They set the bar high for the rest of the day (8).
Next up were Japanese metallers Crossfaith. They are a sort of metalcore band with dance/dub tendencies. Think Enter Shikari on speed. Crossfaith displayed a stunning performance equal to the standards of predecessors Miss May I and you could tell they were extremely grateful for the opportunity. The highlight was their cover of The Prodigy's "Omen" which had everyone bouncing (8).
Afterwards came the only lull of the day. Powerman 5000 came onto the stage looking like they were stuck in 1999. The music seemed outdated and their crowd weren't reciprocating the amount of effort that the band tried to put in. Plus following the two bands that they did, they had an uphill battle regardless (4).
Now one of the highlights of my weekend and a band I had been dying to see for a while were reggae/metal infused nut jobs, Skindred. The Welsh act are notorious for their on-stage banter and their crushing, yet joyful music. They were completely deserving of their place on the main stage and played banger after banger. Frontman Benji Webbe is one of the best in the industry and had the crowd at the palm of his hand. Also the Newport Helicopter came out to play which was such a great experience to be part of. Skindred are ready for big, big things in the future (9).
Black Label Society came out next and were sonically good but lacked the presence that Skindred had. Zakk Wylde's guitar solos were probably the best part of their set (6).
The next band I saw were in the Pepsi Max tent, which soon packed out when this band arrived. Letlive have a lot of hype around them and their stage presence which consists of them destroying everything in sight, whilst still delivering incredible music. It was truly a spectacle and main man Jason Butler was on great form, despite having a leg injury, which didn't stop him scaling the stage. His speech was emotional which reflected in the band's music. It was the best moment in the tent all weekend (8).
I didn't catch a lot of Rob Zombie but from what I saw it seemed decent, however I was more excited for what was to follow.
Although I have seen this band before and they blew my mind and nearly set the arena alight, Cali legends, Avenged Sevenfold had finally been given the opportunity of a lifetime to headline the most prestigious rock/metal festival in the UK, possibly even in Europe. Just when I thought I would never see an Avenged performance greater than the one in Wembley in December, I was proven wrong. Every element of this show was fine tuned to perfection. Avenged knew they had a massive weight on their shoulders, competing with fellow headliners Linkin Park and Aerosmith. Also they had to prove critics wrong and that they were ready for the headline spot. When the eerie bells of "Shepherd of Fire" began, the crowd erupted. We all knew we were in for an amazing show.
(Picture courtesy of Mike Burnell)Musically, Avenged sounded the best they have been post-Rev, and seemed completely fluent not only separately but as a unit too. M Shadow's voice and presence is unlike anyone else out there. The band really brought it to Download. The stage set was amazing, with the skull king backdrop and more pyro and fireworks than any other band that weekend. They delved more into the depths of their older material and played classics such as "Second Heartbeat", "Burn It Down" and "Beast and the Harlot" which they left out of their previous tour. The inclusion of "So Far Away" was electrifying, with the crowd sobbing to its performance. However, the greatest surprise came when during their second encore (back by popular demand) they played "A Little Piece of Heaven" which is a fan favourite and had the biggest sing-along of their set. Overall Avenged knew what they had to do, and for my money it was by far the best set at Download this year. The only criticism was that their crowd was the smallest one out of the three headliners, but that was expected anyway. It was not only the best show at Download this year, but for me the best show of my life, and I have plenty of bruises from the circle pit to prove that (10).
Part 2 to follow!
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