From Donington To Download

by Ian Carroll

  It was remarkable the numbers that were there. You don’t realise it as you are concentrating on what’s going on, on stage. That day they gave us a DVD and the crowd started at one side and went right over to the other and there were people as far as you could see.

  It’s just such a great opportunity to come from Wichita Falls, Texas and then 13 years later to be able to play to something like that, it’s absolutely amazing. It’s one of those moments that you go back home and tell your friends about it, but they wouldn’t be able to understand it unless they were there.

  We try to watch as many bands as you can. My biggest moment this year was watching Damone, so it was a real thrill to get to see them. The night before Kai from Army of Freshmen and I went to see Suicidal Tendancies.

  It was an amazing experience to be on the mainstage again, very few people get to do the things that we do, so it was very cool.”

  Eric Chandler (Bowling For Soup – Bass)

  “We had the best stage prop ever. Blow up sheep that were 15 feet tall, you can’t beat that ever in the history of stage props; that beat the hell out of Spinal Tap’s 2 foot tall Stonehenge.

  Just being there was so cool.

  We also got stuck on a ferry, but that sometimes happens, you get stuck on a ferry in life!”

  Chris Burney (Bowling For Soup – Guitar)

  “It was a strange one because it was the first time that we realised that our band meant something to people. Further to the few tours that we had done prior to Download nothing had really ‘kicked off’. We were still trying to tell people that we were here and we had an important message to say.

  We got to Download and it fucking really freaked me out to be honest with you; playing a tent, close to 10,000 people, that had just come to check you out, but the first 150 rows of people all knew the words and were all singing along.

  I was looking out over a sea of people and I couldn’t even see the end of the tent. It was really shocking for us because you can’t comprehend how it’s going to be until you get up there on the stage and look out and all you can see are people singing back at you, expecting so much from you.

  It was the first gig that I had really been hounded by people for photos and autographs; I couldn’t walk around without being spotted by people which was really strange and messed my head up a bit, but it comes with the territory if you’re in a band and that’s what you’re going to get eventually.

  It was a great show, everyone had a blast and I called my mum and got everyone to say hello to her. I called her when we had just finished and she was still crying; it was wicked. It was the first time that we realised that things were really going to happen with our band. Playing a show for about 9,000 people at four in the afternoon really blows your mind, it’s crazy; especially when we come from the backrooms of pubs where there are about 20 hard core kids all smashing each other faces in and then you come and see that and it’s like ‘what the fuck is going on???’

  I’m not going to complain though, it’s amazing.

  I watched Cancer Bats, who were wicked and Turbonegro, who are one of my favourite bands. I got to sing with Kid In Glass Houses on the last day. We stood up on the hill and watched My Chemical Romance and there were hundreds of people walking off to see Korn.

  I also got to see Iron Maiden, which of course is what people go to Donington for really. You got to Donington to see new bands but you GO for Maiden and it was just unbelievable, everyone there was just there for them! A few bands got big crowds, but everyone went to see Maiden, where does that happen? How many other bands could do that? I would not want to a band up against that at Donington.”

  Frank Carter (Gallows – Vocals)

  “The first time we played we were completely in awe. We came into the track in a van and we couldn’t believe how expansive just the sheer ‘real estate’ of the place was.

  Being an American band, Donington has such mythic properties over their for us and knowing that the G’N’R video for ‘Paradise City’ was shot there and listening to stuff like that as a kid, it just made Donington even more legendary.

  Actually being there the first time it came and went so fast; our heads were spinning the whole time that we were there and we didn’t really get to take it all in. We played at 11 o’clock and we got a half an hour, it just went so fast and then we had to get out of there and fly back to the States for a gig, as we had to be in Kansas City the next night.”

  Keith Nelson (Buckcherry – Guitar)

  “I had been building up to this since seeing it on MTV when I was a little kid in Norway. I saw all the bands like Motorhead and Ozzy and I would have loved to have come, but England was a long way to travel from Norway.

  When I grew up we did Rosklide, but it’s nothing compaired to what this has been, total fuckin’ rock ‘n’ roll hardcore all the way.

  It is a great honour to be a part of rock ‘n’ roll history here now!

  I watched Slayer and had hoped to see Devildriver.

  I also loved Iron Maiden as a kid, I had posters all over the walls of my room and I looked forward to seeing them.”

  I.C.S. Vortex (Dimmu Borgir – Bass)

  “It was our first time on the mainstage and it was pretty scary! I’m not going to lie; it was definitely the biggest crowd that we have ever played in front of.

  It was a bit nerve wracking getting up on stage; you plan what to do your whole life when playing a show like that and it I went over it a million times in my head the night before, but nothing ever works out.

  It took about two songs to find my stride, in my ‘comfort zone’ where I wanted to be I guess.

  It was hard to utilise all the space, we’re just not used to it; the ‘warm up’ show the night before, we had about 2 inches of space.

  But I heard afterwards, that they were still chanting our name at the mainstage, a couple of bands after us.”

  Mark Hunter (Chimaira – Vocals)

  “My experience of Donington was the not the best experience in the world, I was a little disappointed; we had a bad equipment day. But, I was absolutely astounded by the size of the venue, the amount of people and organisation that had to go into it. It was the first time that I had actually driven in a van to a stage.

  The crowd were very good, because Fastway a more ‘blues based’ band and the crowd are there mostly for the hard-core heavy metal, so we were a little worried about our reception, but I have to say that they were a great fucking crowd. I think that the Donington crowd is a good crowd and they were really good to us.

  So all I have really are fond memories of Donington. As I never played it with Motorhead, I’m glad that I’ve played it now and crossed it off my list of things to do before I die!”

  Fast Eddie Clarke (Fastway - Guitar)

  “It was awesome! The crowd was really big; there were quite a few people there and all of our friends said that it went over really well.

  The food was amazing, lots of beer and lots of Jagermeister. It is so organised which rules and I got to see Billy Talent later, which I was happy with.”

  Jason Bailey (Cancer Bats – Bass)

  “Download was amazing for us; I had been hearing about Donington and Monsters of Rock since I was a kid, bands like Metallica, Panter and Guns ‘n’ Roses, reading about all these amazing bands playing here and then getting our own chance to play is something else.

  I kicked off the jet lag and threw up in the toilet and then felt a lot better and was ready to play.A small band from Canada getting to play there to thousands of people is always an incredible time and I had a lot of fun.

  We checked out Napalm Death, Billy Talent and Iron Maiden, it’s an amazing experience. I would be happy to play anywhere again.”

  Scott Middleton (Cancer Bats – Guitar)

  “Our return to Download was in 2007 on the now named "Dimebag Darrell Stage" and the show actually topped the fan reaction and amount of people watching us from the last time we played the same stage. Again that same
adrenaline rushed through our bodies and created another timeless memory.

  Unfortunately we had to leave almost immediately after our set because we had to go to another show in a different country, so the enjoying of the other bands and consumption of good times and alcohol failed to happen for us on that go around. We do hope to have many more chances to hit the stages at Download and be sure to never book a show far away directly after it again.”

  Trevor Phipps (Unearth – Vocals)

  “Donington festival was amazing; as always when we do a big festival like that usually we don’t have crew. We just roll off a plane, show up, put it together the best we can and just go out there and do it.

  I remember slugging back a couple beers fairly quickly to take the edge off of getting off the plane and trying to get in the ‘game’.

  It was an awesome show, half hung-over and half jetlagged, but it was a great time.”

  John "Slo" Maggard (Unearth – Bass)

  “We had never played such a huge event before, especially the mainstage it was very busy!

  We were in the backstage area because all the make-up takes a lot of time, so we were there at 8 o’clock and it was quite quiet there, Motley Crue or Slayer weren’t there I can tell you!

  We played at 11 o’clock, really, really early and it was the second day so people had been out partying and drinking all night, so we were a bit worried about how many would show up at that hour, because in Finland nobody would be up before 2pm to see any band.

  There were a lot of people there at 11 o’clock and I was really amazed and it was very cool.

  We came the night before, so we didn’t see anything on the Friday, but we stayed until Sunday evening to check out Maiden and then left right after, as we were playing the Metal Hammer Golden Gods show on the Monday.

  Playing at 11am on the Saturday and being finished by 11:30am, we had a lot of press going on; we were very busy, but it was good to spend the Sunday just doing nothing.

  There were a lot of people who had never heard of this band before and as the opening band, I think the reaction we got was really, really good.

  We’ve been playing in the UK a lot since and there are always people who come up to us now and say “I saw you at Download, I’d never heard of you before, but I love you now.”

  Mathias "Warlord" Nygård – (Turisas - Vocals/Percussion)

  “In ’07 we were very drunk because it was the first year we had played Download and we were quite young, walking around getting quite star struck; it was the biggest show we’d ever done.

  So we were hanging around in the backstage area and I could see Tommy Lee’s dressing room and there was a queue outside of it and all this music coming out, so I thought ‘I’ve got to go and try to get in there’. So I walked up to the door and a security guard opened it and came outside and stood there. I said ‘I’m here for Tommy Lee’s thing, I should be on the list’, the security guard said ‘No you’re not on the list’, so I said ‘get Tommy he’ll remember me’; so the guard opened the door, Tommy looked out and said ‘no’ and I was then asked to leave. So, I can happily say that I got denied entry to Tommy Lee’s party, by Tommy Lee; it was probably awful anyway, tiny little room, didn’t want to be there.

  Dan our drummer sat on Hayley from Paramore’s lap.

  Everyone was walking around trying to talk to Korn. I got my hair cut with Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach.”

  It was fun, a lot of people didn’t know who we were, but we played to a lot of people and they seemed to enjoy it.

  I had a good time, I felt nervous, it was only about my 8th show with Architects. But it was a lot of fun and we stayed all weekend.”

  Sam Carter (Architects – Vocals)

  “When played Download it was an honour as it has so much history going back to Monsters Of Rock.

  We had an amazing time and we drank a lot of alcohol; probably too much.

  It wasn’t just amazing playing, it was amazing being there and we had such a great time; probably one of the best times that we have ever had as a band.

  We stayed all weekend partying; we camped up and did it the way you’re supposed to do it, I guess.

  An awesome experience.”

  Dan Searle (Architects – Drums)

  “Download was fun; 50% getting drunk and pissing off people, let’s call them ‘rock celebrities’, we gave some respect to Iron Maiden, but I’m not sure I take it very seriously.

  We walked around and saw bands like Korn walking around; we felt like kids in a playground, you don’t think that those people are real.

  Playing the show was awesome.

  We missed a lot of our friends bands, Gallows, Bring Me The Horizon and Enter Shikari, because of our stage times, it would have been good to see how they went down; but I’m sure it was insane.”

  Tom Searle (Architects – Guitar)

  “Mastodon on the mainstage were good as were Lamb Of God, but I wish that they were playing smaller stages, because I prefer watching them there.

  I even watched bands like Linkin Park and Marilyn Manson, who I would normally not bother going to see.”

  Alex "Ali Dino" Dean (Architects – Bass)

  “We may have been the first band to have played the Cambridge Folk Festival and Download; we have that distinct honour.

  Why it took is so long to get booked at Download I’m not sure, because we’d wanted to do it every year, but I think that when we changed booking agents, he had a little more clout.

  When we first got there we wondered why we were playing the 3rd stage? Not because we think we are the ‘Mack daddies’ of all rock ‘n’ roll or anything, but we just thought that we were going to have a big crowd at this thing and sure enough we did.

  The whole tent was completely packed out and I think that it was one of the best crowds we’d play to all year. I think that people really misjudge us sometimes, because we really are a rock ‘n’ roll band, we’re just playing instruments that people think of as ‘Hillbilly instruments’, but the attitude, the energy behind it, is very much of a rock ‘n’ roll band.

  Me and Jake and come more from a rock ‘n’ roll background and Don and Dale, who play the banjo and the mandolin are more from the bluegrass side of things. But, that again is just a slight slant, as we all grew up listening to everything and they’re quite rock ‘n’ roll at heart really, especially Dale; anyone with ‘Keep on rockin’ in the free world’ tattooed on his shoulder, really means it.

  It really was one of the best crowd responses that we had all year. I didn’t really get to see that much of the festival proper, but apparently I was the only one who showed up on a motorbike, the security told me that.

  We saw Slash and his stripper lookin’ wife pull the baby carriage out and she was yellin’ at him. She was bitchin’ at him incessantly and he was just looking ‘hen pecked’.

  I didn’t see any other bands actually. We got there, got something to eat, did the soundcheck, played the gig and then had to leave to get to Europe the next day on the ferry.

  We played like six festivals in a row and we were all travelling together, which is kind of comforting.

  I did see one band, I saw Turbonegro between the soundcheck and our set and they were a lot better than I expected them to be.

  The guy from Suicidal Tendencies walked out on stage and got a lack lustre response. He started yelling at them ‘Is this how you fuckin’ do it? Is this how you fuckin’ do it?’

  Me and Jake were saying to each other that contempt for the audience is not really the kind of thing you want to have! Me personally, I’m darned glad they gave me a job!

  Download was a very well laid out festival, Glastonbury though was probably the worst festival that we have done from a purely logistical point of view, possibly because we had to play 3 shows on the same day.”

  Barley Scotch (Hayseed Dixie - Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Violin)

  “It’s like doing a travelling circus when you do these festivals as you keep see
ing the same acts at every one.

  They had free tattoos as well.

  I remember that the band after us didn’t have the quite invitational welcome that we did. But, maybe after that many years you become quite jaded.

  We are a tribute to drinkin’, cheatin’ and killin’.” Jake "Bakesnake" Byers – (Hayseed Dixie - Acoustic Bass Guitar)

  “It was one of those final pieces in the jigsaw of my career playing at Download, because when I was in Little Angels we never got to play; we always wanted to do Donington but never did; we did Milton Keynes, Wembley Stadium and most of the big rock venues but we never got to Monsters of Rock. It was fucking ridiculous, we always wanted to, but it was just one of those ‘wrong place, wrong time’.

  When I got the call to take part in Fastway and found out that we would be doing Download, it was absolutely great.

  We stayed for the day, caught some of Maiden. It’s not the Donington that I remember, it’s huge and sprawling, but it’s on THE site!

  I was really surprised how our performance went, as we were in a bill of very young bands and it was good to see how Download is very ‘inclusive’ of many different types of rock and metal and the band that played before us in the tent were very extreme, with guitars down to ‘C’ or something like that, chugging around ad I thought ‘what the hell are we going to do?’ But, Lauren Harris had been on previously, so there were some bands playing of a similar ilk. But the tent filled up and there was a great reaction and we all a bit nervous as it was Donington and only the 2nd show out of the blocks after 18 years away, but I don’t think that we could have wanted it any better.

  I think Donington Park is one of those ‘iconic’ festival sites that every band, particularly of the period mid ‘80’s to mid ‘90’s, had a desire to play there. When you saw the videos of the interviews backstage every year, you could guarantee that there would be a band who’d say ‘well it’s Donington and we had to play it’, it’s just great to take part in it and be part of the history. An old mate of mine Andy Copping runs it and he was instrumental in helping Little Angels in their early career.”