Download Festival 2007 - Friday
8 June 2007
Donington Park
The expansive layout and bottle necks around the Download site meant nipping from one stage to another was a non-starter. Also, factoring in occasional detours to the far flung toilets resulted in quick resignation that I'd basically see what I could and not stress about it. As a result this review consists of what was my route around Download 2007, however I`ve included as much as I know of setlists. Johan meanwhile possessed a pit pass to the Dimebag & Tuburg stages, with occasional concessions on the main stage, hence his photos vary from the bands I have covered.
The Zico Chain appear to be getting a lot of breaks lately and had the honour of opening the Download mainstage. With a viewing point in a long beer token queue, the band appeared to be doing admirably with a crowd of campers, many of whom had been here two days starved of live music. The Nirvana-esque Rohypnol and simplicity of The Lonely Ones lend themselves to an outdoor P.A. and Download was off to a good start.
The Zico Chain set list included:
Rohypnol / Food / Where Would You Rather Be / Rollover / The Lonely Ones
Josh Todd's trademark cry of 'Are we doing this shit?' Followed by 'Time to go to work', signalled the arrival of Buckcherry. The sun was out and Todd stripped down to bare chest as he led his band through Broken Glass. The thing that really strikes you about Buckcherry is their cohesiveness as a unit and their sheer hunger. Although he was disappointed with the response, Todd's question 'Who got fucked in the tent last night?', could only signal the arrival of Crazy Bitch. There was something not right about singing along to that song and indeed the cocaine fuelled Lit Up with a child of about 10 stood nearby. However, much like everyone else around us, father and young son loved this performance by Buckcherry.
Buckcherry set list:
So Far / Broken Glass / Everything / Crazy Bitch / Next To You / Lit Up
Time for a switch of stage and the first realization that nipping to the Dimebag Stage wasn't so easy. Norwegian oddballs Turbonegro were towards the end of their set, ripping through Prince Of The Rodeo, with frontman Hank Von Helvete's belly bouncing around on the big screens. Surely the only band to have a guitarist wearing a pith helmet this weekend, Turbonegro's rock'n'roll was highly infectious and came to life in the live environment. Certainly a band I`d like to check out again, though not at too close quarters!
Turbonegro set list included:
All My Friends Are Dead / The Age Of Pamparius / Are You Ready? (For Some Darkness) / Sailor Man / Back To Dngaree High / Prince Of The Rodeo / Do You Dig Destruction
I`ve seen Megadeth over a dozen times so, as much as I like them, watching them trot out the hits again didn`t excite me, though I appreciated they were unlikely to delve into the vault on this occasion. However, with his latest line-up well settled, there seems to be a fire in Dave Mustaine`s belly today with the band putting in one of the most energetic performances I`ve seen from them in recent years. For starters, they`d really gone to town with the United Abominations themed backdrop and stage design which gave the feeling of an event. There was more onstage movement than usual and, most importantly, where Mustaine`s live guitar sound is often paper thin, today it was roaring.
Megadeth set list:
Sleepwalker / Take No Prisoners / Washington Is Next / Hangar 18 / Gears Of War / Peace Sells / Symphony of Destruction / Holy Wars / Mechanix
Knowing Dragonforce would be back round on the Black Crusade tour later this year,
Porcupine Tree won my attention in my first clash of the weekend.
At the Dimebag stage there was a flurry of activity with roadies setting the stage for Porcupine Tree. Squeezing down to the front, in a much younger audience than I`m used to for the Tree, I couldn`t help noticing a mic stand was missing. Sure enough as Steve Wilson & co filed onto the stage, guitarist Jon Wesley was absent. However, as the band started with Open Car, the power of Wilson`s guitar dispelled any doubts that the band were not going to be heavy enough at this metal festival. "Anyone thinking who the f**k are these geeks?" quipped Wilson following Hatesong, then informing us "I`ve been told to say f**k and how you doing a lot, so how you f**king doing?".
Wilson may have been joking about the band`s presence at Download, but Porcupine Tree appeared far from a fish out of water. The band seemed to feed of the energetic response to Blackest Eyes with Wilson indulging in a fair amount of headbanging and bassist Colin Edwin even moving around onstage.
With only 40 minutes allotted stage time, Anesthetize was slimmed down, though without losing its impact, before the band leave us with the instrumental Mother & Child Divided. Any doubts about Porcupine Tree pulling this off were wiped away with one of the performances of the weekend.
Porcupine Tree set list:
Open Car / Hatesong / Blackest Eyes / Anesthetize (extract) / Mother & Child Divided
Wolfmother are leaping around the mainstage to Dimension by the time I make it over. The afro-haired Andrew Stockdale may be the media focal point, but Wolfmother are a very solid three piece. Bassist Chris Ross switches to keyboards during Woman, dragging them around the stage and knocking them over without dropping a note. The middle section of the song is extended into a jam with Stockdale getting so carried away at the end, he tossed away his guitar and proceeded to dance around whilst Ross and drummer Myles Heskett wrapped up the song. New material is overdue from the Australians and today Pleased To Meet You is unveiled, seeing little deviation from the band`s trademark 70s sound.
Wolfmother set list:
Colossal / Pyramid / Apple Tree / White Unicorn / Dimension / Woman / Pleased To Meet You / Joker & The Thief
Such was the power of Buckcherry`s set earlier in the day, the opening of Velvet Revolver`s set seemed a bit pedestrian in comparison. Just as I was starting to think that these multi-platinum rockers had last their bite, a cover of Stone Temple Pilot`s Vaseline seems to spark them to life. In a Lazarus like turn around, from here on in the show is essential. Fall To Pieces sees lighters raised, It`s So Easy causes a rush towards the stage and She Builds Quick Machines showed good signs for the band`s new record Libertad. Slash, looking very little different to when I saw him here in 1988, maybe the guitar icon on stage, but the traded solos during Set Me Free show Dave Kushner is no slouch on the six string. Velvet Revolver have hinted that they may drop songs from their former bands going forward. However, two each from Guns ‘n` Roses and Stone Temple Pilots raise the temperature today and a run through of the Taking Head`s Psycho Killer, with Scott Weiland prancing about in a fur coat, added to the covers tally.
Velvet Revolver set list:
Let it Roll / Do it For the Kids / Sucker Train Blues / She Mine / Vasoline / Fall to Pieces / It's So Easy / She Builds Quick Machines / Sex Type Thing / Set Me Free / Psycho Killer / Mr. Brownstone / Slither
Over on the smallest stage, The Tuburg stage, Hayseed Dixie are entertaining a large crowd in their hillbilly style. Original composition She Was Skinny When I Met Her and Queen`s Fat Bottom Girls followed an obvious theme whilst the arm swaying the Keeping Your Poop was somewhat surreal. Green Day`s Holiday picked up the pace before Dueling Banjos had us squealing like pigs with delight. Of course the band who`s name Hayseed Dixie`s name is a play on could not be ignored and Highway To Hell closed what was a very refreshing diversion to the day.
Hayseed Dixie set list included:
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap / Ace of Spades / Walk This Way / Breaking the Law / She Was Skinny When I Met Her / Fat Bottom Girls / I`m Keeping Your Poop / Holiday / Dueling Banjos / Highway To Hell
All weekend the mere glimpse of My Chemical Romance`s Gerard Way on the big screens was met with boo`s, and whilst they may shift cds they were an odd selection to headline the first day. Sure enough, a quick look on my way back to the Tuborg Stage revealed a packed crowd of youngster`s close to the stage, who greet each song with a high pitch scream, but there`s wide open areas of space behind them. The odd bottle is hurled stage wards, but it`s telling that My Chemical Romance were apparently rushed of stage before the crowd from Korn`s second stage appearance had time to make it back to the mainstage.
My Chemical Romance set list:
Dead! / This Is How I Disappear / I'm Not Okay, I Promise / The Sharpest Lives / Welcome To The Black Parade / I Don't Love You / Give 'Em Hell Kid / House Of Wolves / Teenagers / You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison / Sleep / Mama / Famous Last Words / Cancer / Helena
Of the three headliners, my choice to view tonight was Suicidal Tendencies on the Tuborg stage. Frontman Mike Muir may have added a few pounds over the years, but he seems to have lost none of his energy to bound backwards and forwards across the stage, nor to deliver between song diatribes, which for the most part are impossible to follow. The band only venture twice to their, relatively, recent history with Ain`t Gonna Take It and We Are Family from 1999`s Freedumb. Otherwise, the rest of the set is a pick of the classics from the band`s first four albums. It`s bassist Steve Brunner`s birthday and Muir isn`t going to let it pass quietly announcing to the crowd that Brunner is going to dance for us to ST`s new cover of Wham`s Wake Me Up Before You Go Go. Whilst the song isn`t played Brunner does rather sheepishly pull some moves. Current Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo left some rather large show`s to fill, but Brunner fit`s them comfortably with some impressive playing. Likewise lead guitarist Dean Pleasants cover`s Rocky George`s solos and adds his own stamp. For the finale of Pledge Your Allegiance, Muir invites the crowd to join him on stage, which is swamped with bouncing fans chanting S-T.
Suicidal Tendencies set list:
You Can`t Bring Me Down / Trip At The Brain / War Inside My Head / Subliminally / Ain`t Gonna Take It / Send Me Your Money / We Are Family / Possessed To Skate / I Saw Your Mommy / How Will I Laugh Tomorrow… / Pledge Your Allegiance
LINKS:
Download Festival
Suicidal Tendencies
My Chemical Romance
Hayseed Dixie
Velvet Revolver
Wolfmother
Porcupine Tree
Megadeth
Turbonegro
Buckcherry
The Zico Chain
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