16th June 2024

Selina and I vistited the Download 2024 Festival. This year we had a RIP (Rest in Peace) tickets for the campsite. This gave us a camping space with car parked next to it, showers, somewhere nice to eat, and access to an area where we could hang out with seats. We also had early access to the Arena and the Old Sarum Tattoo and Piercing area.

We took Morrison the van, and arrived Thursday at around 13.00. There were no queues this year, no traffic hold ups, sailed straignt into reception and then parked the van in the field on a large slope. Spent the afternoon tasting the various beers they have on sale in the farmhouse. There were bands also playing at the farmhouse, some of these playing the arena on the following day. We also heard how many bands had pulled out from playing the Doghouse stage in protest of Barclays sponsorship and their ties with the arms suppliers who were suppliing Isreal.

Download Friday

Very cloudy start to the day which turned into torrential rain. We started off at the Apex stage (main stage), migrated over to the Avalanche stage to escape the rain, and finished at the Apex stage for the Queens of the Stone Age.

• The Blue Stones, a Canadian three pice band. Quite an enjoyable band.
• Those Damn Crows:, it started to pour with rain. This did not dampen the apluase from the crowd. An Excellant performance from this Welsh Band.
• The Struts: It stopped raining for the Struts, the sun even came out for this Derby band.
• Polyphia: prog rock band from Texas, their virtuosic guitar playing was too complex.
• Vukovi: The rain was still coming down, so we headed to the Avalanche stage which is undercover. We were met by the Scottish band, Vukovi, a blonde vocalist, guitarist and drummer. Balance was not good, she could have done with some extra volume.
• Bayside: American punk band from New York. Enjoyable
• Wheatus: Wheatus is an American rock band from Northport, New York and ended their set playing Teenage Dirtbag
• Busted: Very crowded. English pop-punk band from Southend
• Queens of the Stone Age: Back to the pyramid stage for The Queens Of The Stone Age. (now my third time seeing them)

Download Saturday

Slight delay in the opening of the arena, spreading of woodchips infront of the main stage. Yes there was mud, but not like Glastonbury mud, The ground was still very firm, but there was a layer of mud. It was yet again a wet day, with hot blue sun and rainbows. Check some of the early sections of the videos where you can see the rain bouncing off the stage. Yep is was a wet start to the day, the mud grew deeper, and the sun came out on occaisions to brighten up the day.

• Bambi Thug Robinson is the first openly non-binary artist to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest,
• Wargasm are a British electronic rock duo from London, Sam Matlock,and Milkie Way.
• Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
• Baby Metal
• Tom Morello
• The Offspring
• Fall Out Boy

Download Sunday

Another delay in opening the Arena, where wood chips were spread in front of the stage. The mud was getting more gloopier and deeper. Don’t think is rained today, and there was plenty of blue sky. It was the wet gloopy mud which made for a hard day walking around. I don’t think Sunday was a particularily good day music wise.

• Alien Weaponry is a New Zealand metal band from Waipu, formed in Auckland. Some of the band members have Māori ancestry and some songs sung in same language.
• Creeper: an English rock band from Southampton.
• Royal Republic is a Swedish rock band from Malmö. We saw them at Bloodstock last year.
• Bowling for Soup is an American rock band formed in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994
• Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida
• Avenged Sevenfold: (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999.

Impressions

As usual, the beer is expensive and crap, The beer in the RIP Farmhouse is good, but it is geared up for Wednesday and Thursday, after then it starts to run out and it is a long walk from the festival site. I wish there was more some choice.

With the mud, it was hard work on the Sunday, but nowhere as bad as Glastonbury mud. Quite a few choices of food, with many Veggie and Vegan options. Yes, I tend to avoid meat at these places, I have had some of the most disgusting burgers and hotdogs. There was also Bunnymans, and their hot Bunny Chow is hot.