Download Festival 2011 - Donnington Park, England (10-12 June 2011)

Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 06.19.2011

Def Leppard, System of a Down and Linkin Park another weekend of metal mayhem and rock rioting at Donning Park. Over 20 of the band's that performed across the weekend are reviewed here, including two of the headliners, Pendulum, Avenged Sevenfold, Alter Bridge, the Darkness and many more!

Donnington Park is unquestionably one of the most historic venues in music festival history. Any music lover who considers themselves a fan of rock and/or metal should be aware of the Park's heritage and history, beginning with the Monster of Rock events that occurred throughout the eighties and early nineties. The very first event held their in 1980 featured the likes of Rainbow and Judas Priest and as the festival grew bigger and better, more and more legendary acts would play the show. AC/DC, Status Quo, Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, Dio, Metallica, Iron Maiden and KISS are just a few of the iconic names that have played at and headlined the event. The final Monsters of Rock event occurred in Donnington in '96 and featured the likes of Korn, Sepultura and type O Negative playing under headliners KISS and Ozzy Osbourne, but since 2003 the Download Festival has become something of a spiritual successor.

The initial Download Festival was headlined by Iron Maiden and Audioslave, who stepped in after Limp Bizkit had to cancel. Metallica had attempted to fill the void but couldn't due to the fact that they were headlining other festivals that summer, but the band did manage to play a secret slot on the second stage, meaning the festival was off to an historic start already. Metallica headlined the following year with Linkin Park and since then the likes of Black Sabbath, Feeder, System of a Down, Tool, Guns N' Roses, My Chemical Romance, KISS, The Offspring, Lostprophets, Faith No More, Slipknot, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Rage Against the Machine and Aerosmith have all headlined and in doing so have helped to make Download one of the biggest festivals not just in the UK, but the entire world.

Download 2011 was the first year that would be headline by three bands who had all previously topped the bill, with Linkin Park returning after sets in 2004 and 2007, System of a Down back after headlining six years earlier and Def Leppard topping the bill for the second time in three years. The latter was a controversial choice to headline again because it had been just the two years since they last played, but with the likes of Pendulum, Korn, the Darkness, Alter Bridge, Rob Zombie, Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet for my Valentine all playing across the weekend, there was very little that was going to but a damper on mine or anyone else's high hopes for an incredible weekend (although the rain on Sunday came pretty close).


The controversy that always seems to follow the festival around began before the weekend even started, with the massively popular CKY (7/10) apparently not being booked because organizer Andy Copping was pressurized by sponsors Kerrang! not to include them due to a dispute going back several years. But eventually fans got their wish and the band were booked, and they opened up the mainstage on Friday afternoon to an ecstatic crowd. Playing a solid mixture of old and new material including mammoth hit “96 Quite Bitter Beings,” the band did a good job of energizing the crowd, many of which seemed to be nursing hangovers and were probably in severe need of waking up. Puddle of Mudd (5/10) were next up and didn't fare quite so well, only provoking much of reaction for the well-known “She Hates Me” and “Control.” The more recent material in particular was met with a minimalist response from the Donnington faithful.

Over on the third stage, Young Guns (7/10) had attracted quite the crowd for their brand of euphoric pop punk, not so surprising when you see the talent that this band possesses. In the year since I last saw them they seem to have improved their live show immensely as they sounded incredibly tight on stage and now their performance is on par with their songs. Back on mainstage, many people were surprised by just how good Black Stone Cherry (8/10) was. Incredible vocals, riotous guitar work a show-stopping cover of Adele's “Rolling in the Deep” were the highlights of a fantastic set, but having seen them before this was no surprise to me. What was surprising was how impressive Thin Lizzy (7/10) were. While I wouldn't consider myself a fan, their old school rock and roll certainly got people moving and to me they were one of the surprises of the weekend and still a fun band to listen to. A little more powerful and breathtaking were Alter Bridge (9/10), Myles Kennedy proving his vocal is just as outstanding live as it is on record. Opening with “Find the Real” and tearing through the likes of “Rise Today,” “Isolation” and “Metalingus,” every tracks drew a raucous response from the crowd. Perhaps even more pleasing was the announcement that the band would be bringing their US touring partners Black Stone Cherry along with them on their UK tour later this year.

Justin Hawkins had admitted beforehand the he and his band were nervous about their sub-headlining set at Download, but they need not have been. While the drawing power of Korn on the second stage meant that The Darkness (8/10) had a smaller crowd than expected to entertain, those who were there were treated to a blistering set and a marvellous performance complete with costume changes, fire, incredible lighting and an energetic band who looked genuinely pleased to be back together, which is much more than can be said for Saturday night's headliners (more on that later). Stage timings meant that following the Darkness, I was able to catch a good chunk of Korn's (8/10) set on the second stage and I was more than impressed. After I was able to fight my way into a position from which I could actually see the band, I was blown away by their performance and wouldn't hesitate to see them again in the future, although I suspect a show featuring more of their newer material may be a lot less enthralling.


Enthralling would also be the perfect word to describe the headliners on the second stage, Pendulum (9/10). With a captivating light show and a front man who was determined to get the crowd jumping even in the oncoming rain, they played fan favourite after fan favourite and proved the perfect alternative to Def Leppard's tried and trusted tripe that was headlining mainstage yet again. While fans were left disappointed at the lack of “Slam,” the likes of “Propane Nightmares,” “Watercolour” and “Set Me on Fire” all received enormous responses. People were jumping and dancing as far back as the food stalls and were left with little doubt that this is a band that is likely to be second or third from top or even headlining the mainstage at major festivals in the years to come.

Going into Saturday, it was decided that there was little worth getting out of bed for until Skindred (8/10) also probably earned themselves a higher slot in the future with a blistering performance that featured the entire crowd endulging in something the band called the “heavy metal motherfucking Download Festival robot.” There was less roboting and more standing still going on in the Pepsi Max Stage (tent) for VersaEmerge (6/10) who, to be fair to them, were trying their hardest but just couldn't get much out of their audience. They have the songs, and they have the charismatic frontwoman, but they don't yet have the live show that will enable them to progress as a band. Hollywood Undead (6/10) on the other hand had fist-pumping aplenty back on the mainstage, but they probably lack the songs to warrant such a high slot at a festival of this size. “Undead” and “Everywhere I Go” are well received but everything else pretty much sounds the same.

On the second stage Clutch (8/10) bring their smooth blues rock to a seemingly uneducated Donnington audience who are eventually won round by the simplicity with which the band smash out belting riff after belting riff. Dio Disciples (9/10) then provide a phenomenal tribute to Ronnie James Dio, with Toby Jepson and Tim “Ripper” Owens providing vocals for some of Dio's best tracks including “Stand Up and Shout,” “Holy Diver” and “Heaven and Hell.” Just walking by Skunk Anansie's dire sound on the main stage is then enough send me and an absolute ton of other punter to the Jagermeister Acoustic Stage for a headline set by Bowling for Soup 7/10. Despite being drowned out by noise from the main stage, the band are very humorous and their acoustic take on their biggest songs provide a number of fun sing alongs, but the banter made this set all the more entertaining.

Performing their first gig in the UK since the death of drummer The Rev, Avenged Sevenfold (8/10) drew a massive crowd for what was clearly an emotional gig for them. But performing with the upmost professionalism, they blew their audience away with a fantastic set of their biggest and loudest tracks. While I wasn't overly familiar with some of their material, this one performance has pretty much single handedly converted me to A7X fan and again, you would be a fool to bet against this band returning to Download in a few years for a headline slot. They're not to everyone's tastes, but there's no disputing their ability to put on a live show.


And the same could probably be said for System of a Down (10/10), who headlined Download as part of their reunion tour. The arena was packed for this one and rightly so. And although there was no interaction between band members whatsoever, and very little banter with the crowd, Serj and co. put on the best performance of the weekend with a mammoth 26-song set that began with “Prison Song” and concluded with “Sugar.” The crowd went berzerk for the likes of “Chop Suey,” “Cigaro,” “Psycho” and “Bounce” and when they expressed their desire for more rip-roaring rock 'n' roll, the band was more than willing to indulge. Unquestionably one of the best live performances I have ever seen, System provided one of the most memorable moments in Donnington's history and one can only hope that the band's lack of on stage interaction isn't an indication this will be a short lived reunion because let's face it, nobody liked Scars on Broadway.

For anyone who has ever camped at a music festival, you'll know that there is no worse feeling than waking up after a restless night's sleep and hearing the sound of rain outside. Well it was there when I awoke Sunday morning, and it didn't let up all day. For many people the rain proved too much and thousands left Donnington early. I braved the rain for Madina Lake's (5/10) emotional set on the main stage. The band were returning to the festival a year after one of their members was brutally attacked whilst trying to prevent a man battering a woman, leaving him needing emergency surgery to save his life. Unfortunately, the band's performance didn't live up to the emotion of the set and the vocal left a lot to be desired. I wouldn't let that dissuade you from checking these guys out, because on record they're phenomenal.

Bowling for Soup (9/10) then played their second set of the weekend, this time a full set on the mainstage, and they did an incredible job of cheering up and damp and miserable crowd. Their carefree antics, which included taking an inflatable penis from an audience member and inserting into the anus of the giant inflatable sheep that made up part of their stage show, provided many hilarious moments and really helped to cheer up the crowd. Their anthems like “1985,” “My Wena” and of course “Girl All the Bad Guys Want” proved favourites with the crowd who sang along to every word, with the band or without when they needed a break to down some shots. If you don't take music too seriously, this is a band everyone should check out if given the chance.

One woman who does seem to take herself very seriously is Taylor Momsen, who fronts The Pretty Reckless (7/10) This girl has a great band and a good voice, and she doesn't need to try as hard as she does. Something tells me the band's high placing had something to do with her demands, because it was clear that people weren't familiar with much of the material and were only their to see her. And we did see plenty, because when her sideless vest wasn't showing us a healthy dose of side boob, Momsen was allowing us a free look at her humble breasts, which was a pleasant surprise even with the nipple tape. And despite technical difficulties, the band did sound pretty good when they played. I think the apathy of the audience (which clearly annoyed Taylor) and the poor weather really put a downer on what could have been a great performance.


The Gaslight Anthem (6/10) were a surprising booking because they don't really fit in with the hard rock/metal genre that Download is known and the band themselves were concerned about well they would be received, but they needn't have worried because the fans that were there seemed entertained enough. Their music sounds better on record than it does on stage, but otherwise this was nothing more than a serviceable performance. Disturbed (8/10) picked up the pace with a blistering set, a show that will apparently be their final appearance in the UK for a number of years as they go back to the studio to record a new album. While recent records from this band have been poorly received, their live show is still acclaimed and rightly so. The vocal is top notch and the entire band sounded great, while the fans in attendance pretty much lost their minds when they closed with “Down with the Sickness.”

Much like Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for my Valentine (8/10) are future headliners and they showed everyone why that is with a great sub-headlining slot on the mainstage. While I was personally disappointed with their lack of “All These Things I Hate,” fans were generally delighted with their 10-song set, complete with a mammoth firework display and a devastatingly good performance of “Scream, Aim, Fire” that provoked one of the biggest audience responses of the entire weekend.

They served as the perfect lead in to the final act of the weekend, Linkin Park (9/10), who were returning to headline the festival for the third time, the first band to do so. While the set was always going to favour 2010's A Thousand Suns, opening up with “Papercut” delighted the crowd, who were just as pleased that the rain had finally given way to clear skies. Chester Bennington, Mike Shinoda and co. then treated fans to a number of old favourites (“In the End,” “One Step Closer,” “Faint” etc.) and newer releases (the anthemic “When they Come for Me,” “The Catalyst” etc.). Perhaps the most popular cut was “Bleed It Out,” which served as something of a medley featuring the chorus of “Burning in the Skies” and the bridge of “A Place for my Head.” The set seemed to appease young and old fans of the band alike, but for someone who has been a fan from the first album to the last, I can honestly say this was a phenomenal performance and one that did in fact come close to the brilliance of System the night before. Chester's vocal was flawless throughout, as was Shinoda's rapping. The spoken word interludes that feature on A Thousand Suns were made into compelling visual displays that the fans actually seemed to be into and also helped in case a breather was needed in between riotous moshing. If anyone had doubted before that Linkin Park were worthy headliners, then this set would unquestionably have changed their minds.

The 411: While there were one or two disappointing shows, and the rain was an incredible downer for the early part of Sunday, the fact is that Download never disappoints and this year was no exception, with System of a Down and Linkin Park both providing near flawless headline sets. Many bands across the smaller stages put in surprisingly good shows as well and the bands that were expected to deliver did so, some going above and beyond expectations. There are a lot of things about festivals that nobody really looks forward to, like the camping, the travel, the ridiculous prices of food and drink the long waits between bands. But when you leave, you realise it's all been worth because you've just seen some of the best rock acts in the world doing what they do best, and that was my feeling in abundance and the conclusion of Download 2011. Bring on 2012.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]