Download Festival Saturday Day 2 13.06.2015
Ok you know the score music fans. 'Download Festival' is the U.K.'s premier Rock Festival spawned from the "Monsters Of Rock" in Donington now in its 12th Year.
The weather is shit, its not stopped raining so hood up, gripping the barrier I'm ready for battle.
First band on are 'Heart Of A Coward' from Milton Keynes, its absolutely belting it down,they try to keep our spirits up before the next band 'Funeral For A Friend' take to the stage,they've been going since as long as 'Download Festival ' itself,they announced last year that they were wrapping up but have played a couple of dates this year since,they played 'Download Festival' a long time ago and asked the crowd if anyone was there a few signalled they were ,I obviously wasn't but the crowd seemed responsive, but not yet jumpin!! (Not Yet).
At 1' O Clock Cambridge's ' Mallory Knox' take to the stage, they are playing the singles 'Lighthouse' 'Ghost In The Mirror' and 'Shut Out The Moon',singer Mikey is in grey vest and black jeans he utilises the Runway like excitable kid at his first gig,these guys have got quite a following since I last seen them in Leeds back in 2013 I'd been looking forward to hearing them play again despite the rain which kept getting worse,everyone had plastic macs on and wellies of course essential ,Thankfully I packed mine.
Next up 'Hollywood Undead' I wasn't actually looking forward to them as they looked a bit like 'Slipknot' for my liking but they arrived onstage in masks, the drummer has wild fuzzy black hair and a like a tribute to 'kiss' mask on,they were actually quite amusing and the masks came off and they were humanised,the band rap a lot so the walkway was good way to reach the crowd a few other people across the way had come to see them and joined the crowd , they were fun to watch and one of my highlights, the crowd were cool too.
Scrap that notion now 3.00pm still raining, the mood is beginning to change around us, something is occurring as 'Parkway Drive' take to the stage, then it begins
**SHIT**
"I wanna see a circle pit to the left a circle pit to the right, lets go Donington",ok I think reassuring myself its behind us , intense shoving ...no worries 3 songs in I'm hanging on for dear life as legs arms Boots lots of Muddy size 9's dragged over my head, my hood is still up my only saving grace from the mud flying,as my chin hits the barrier and the nerves in the back of my neck prick up and scream "What the Fxxk! are you doing here"! as another guys legs drops on my neck ,the security guys who btw do a great job making sure it dosent happen again, one bloke he kept asking me if I am ok ?? Yes I say and duck again for safety,well what do you say ?? all I was doing now was watching for feet and arms flying over to me without bobbing my head up, I couldn't watch it in peace, it was carnage I originally thought nothing could be worse than the crowd from 'Chase & Status' in 2013, Bad judgement.
T
he singer encouraged more crowdsurfers to come closer "I wanna see legs in the air", I'm exhausted not moved, but now I'm fxxxked If I know how I'm doing this,it feels like duck and hide,finally they finish their set, I just know things are going to get worse for me, but I MUST Not be moved, MUST Not be moved...
Draped across the barrier watching for the boots of security to haul off more crowdsurfers, the crowd ease away not much but a slight gap between my chest and barrier, and at this point I'm angry frantically grabbing at shirts and now helping Showsec to pull out fans to get them off me.
Next up 'Rise Against', still raining, I'm Spent ,Crushed, Wet, Angry, ready for the next round, a guy has come from Orlando Florida to watch 'Rise Against' and if his signs are noticed he tells me he could get vip backstage access from the band,it works they notice him, he's really excitable and 3 songs in it's passable they are ok but its cranked up again already and back to defending myself so Pxxxed off I carry on where I left off as mud flies, I've lost count of how many bodies have come over and people are getting carried off stretchers ...reassuring.
I tell myself only 2 more bands to go...I'm nearly there ,Next up 'A Day To Remember' I know its going to be a day to forget, and just want the next band on, it begins with shooting fireworks its very hot (testing the pyro for the main act) ,it's a rough crowd again, getting really squashed, this guy who was looking like an extra from a 'My Chemical Romance' video dressed in strange animal print suit and fuzzy wig was running around with a pump gun shooting out parcels that are t-shirts wrapped up (everyone wants one so it seems , I didn't).
A bit of respite now at last 7pm turned 'Faith No More' take to stage with a set of pastel coloured flowers all accoss the front of stage it looks bizarre but beautiful, let me explain this band was one of the first rock bands I'd got into after 'Guns N Roses' popular in late 80s-early 90's, their 'Real Thing' album a solid fav of mine, they've all got older and wiser and now dressed all in white, almost Tibetan looking they play new tracks from 'Sol Invictus', 'Superhero' and some classics the massive 'Epic','Mike Patton' sets the scene singing my fav 'FNM' song "You Want It all But You Cant Have It yeah yeah yeah" awesome though I never pictured the more calmer scene of the stage scenario I never dreamed I see this band live they split years ago .
It seems some of the crowd didn't get the legendary status and weren't too fussed as 'Mike' plays 'Midlife Crisis' and 'Ashes To Ashes' he then confuses them more by singing 'The Commodore's 'Easy' as he takes to walkway for a singalong,he finishes the song but he spots a girl in the crowd very young "Hey you cheer up Smile, I'm talking to you" he points the camera zooms in on the screen everyone can see her but shes still oblivious, 90'000 people look on.
My only complaint not enough hits played they should've just gone for it, they played 'We Care a Lot' a really old song their first successful single in US at least it was break from crowdsurfers, and good news it's stopped raining. I'm in triumphant mood ,stood firm it's nearly time its gets squashy dosen't matter anymore flashing lights and dry Ice , waft over the stage, I'm replaced by my alter ego, MUSE TIME !!!!
There are some nifty lights around 'Dom's drumkit, as Morgan, Chris,Dom, and Matt walk on stage to 'Drill Seargent' I'm strapped in ready for take off , they hit us with 'Psycho' on the backdrop a huge screen of the video to it displayed in massive formation.
'Matt' shouts "How you doing Donington as the crowd go wild, we get the first airing of 'The Handler', it's awesome Chris stands over to the right looking serious with his chunky bass bottom heavy noise, the crowd are loving it as they surge on forward 'I'm alive right now' ...I'm almost leaping up totally immersed, Matt walks over to his white 'Akai' piano it can mean only one thing 'New Born' he plays the keys of the intro grabs the Manson and goes for it ' Guess what Donington they've arrived' the crowd is bouncing now they keep the momentum with 'Hysteria'and then my god 'Microcuts' a psychotic rock opera from 'Origin of Symmetry' not played on tour for years.
Then gasps as 'Matt's next venture begins ..ripping into 'Dead Star' (I'm lucky I've heard this many times some haven't and are awestruck) I can hardly believe what riffs I'm hearing tonight I never expected this they said they'd do a heavy set but nothing could prepare me for 'Agitated' I've always wanted them to do that live I lost track if I heard it before in a gig its awesome and I've seen them almost 20 times.
The surprises keep coming with 'Origin' fav 'Citizen Erased', just takes me back, then more 'Drones' tracks 'Dead Inside' sounding like a sequel to 'Undisclosed Desires' lyrics filled with emotional venom, 'Matt' really gets into the delivery of it as he does with 'Mercy', it wouldn't be a 'Muse' show without 'Supermassive Black Hole', before the encore seen the return of the big black balloons of 'Hullabaloo' era, this is followed by 'Time Is Running Out' and the Blistering 'AC:DC' influenced 'Reapers' my fav track from 'Drones' and nicely brought into 'Stockholm Syndrome' nice Riffage.
Sadly on the Encore although we a get teasing of 'JFK' we don't get 'The Defector' which I would so love to hear played live, they pick up pace with 'Uprising' and a special moment involving a conversation from 'Matts Manson guitar which could only lead in onto 'Plug In Baby' as I know every tune up, I must drive people mad being bang on after one string gets played lol, there was the predictable ending of 'Knights Of Cydonia', Red and Grey ticker tape descends................... its all over sob...
What a headline Performance for 'Download' they smashed it all the pain and shit going down was worth it for MUSE they make it all better !!!
However back at the hotel tell that to my legs my back legs have pumped up muscle so much I could be a Marvel character and bruised everywhere but still no broken bones at least lol, cant wait for the tour next year ....Bring it On !!!
LMi xo
assisted by Lady Muse
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