Thursday: The night before Dad chose to tell me he may not be able to pick me up when I came home because he could be in hospital as he just found out he has skin cancer, it felt like it was a dream and I couldn't believe he actually just said that, I faintly said "fuck!" and he said he wasn't going to die, it was in the early stages and it could be cut out, the doctors are just waiting for an operating room to be free to do it. Hardy managed much sleep between worrying about my Dad and the excitement of leaving. Got up before the alarm, showered drank, coffee, shaved then headed for the bus stop, got the bus to Rochester (travel cost so far, 1.70), got the train to Victoria (about 13 so far), got the underground to St. Pancreas (17), got a train to Derby (80!) return ticket for the shuttle bus to Download (86). Phoned Ollie to find out where he was, he hadn't got there yet, said Ed was in Yellow so I had a quick look around, couldn't find him so I put my tent up in Orange.
Surveyed the campsite
Went into town for BBQ provisions, came back and had Vegan burgers. More people filled up Orange.
Spent most of the time in a maudlin state, fucked up because of my Dad and happy that I was away from home. Had a walk about, found Ollie and his mates moving their tents around, later I found Ed and found out he was actually in Blue, felt better after engaging in human contact. Went to watch Shaun Of The Dead but the sound and picture kept going so I went back to my tent to sleep.
Friday: Went into town for a litre bottle of water, came back and had Vegan burgers for breakfast. Went into the arena for bands.
Zico Chain: I couldn't help but look at their guitarist wearing lipstick and a see through shirt and think of Rik Mayall in More Bad News, went over to the Dimebag Darrell Stage and suffered through Ill Nino.
Turbonegro: Good Homoerotic, Death Punk fun.
Had a look round the Village then went back to my tent for a rest before going back in the arena.
Job For A Cowboy: Just to see what the fuss was about, they weren't that bad, sounded like a Death Metal band, behaved like a Hardcore band, could get very bored with them though. Went away and came back to Your Code Name Is: Milo playing to a tent that wasn't even an eighth full.
Hayseed Dixie: One of the best bands I saw all weekend, played country versions of AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Queen and Green Day (?!?) and was surprised that they wrote their own songs too (although they weren't that good). "How many guys out there think their woman has gotten bigger since you met her?" big cheer "Now before you say I'm being sexy" "What's wrong with being sexy?" (an obvious nod to Bad News) "How many women out there think their man has gotten bigger since you met him?" quiet cheer "Is there only but five women who can cook out there?" Later they told us that they were the only band to play Download and the Cambridge folk festival. Went off to see in My Chemical Romance would get bottled off stage, their were plenty of people throwing stuff but not hard enough that I reached to stage, went to watch Suicidal Tendancies but they were shit so I just went back to my tent.
Saturday: Got up early went into town for cash, got stopped by a lady handing out leaflets for a church up the road, she made it seem like the church was their for a clean toilet and something to eat, but you know that you'd be lectured on Jesus if you went. Came back to my tent then went into the arena.
Hellyeah: Vinne Paul is a great drummer, it a shame he can't seem to assemble a group of competent musicians around him.
Bloodsimple: I hated them when I first heard them but seeing as I now found I can stomach the last Vision Of Disorder album when they moved into Nu Metal territory I may as well give them a shot. They are a lot more Metal sounding than VOD but Tim is still doing those great vocals, I'll have to look into getting their stuff.
Bring Me The Horizon came on and I went to the toilet in disgust.
As I Lay Dying: Not really what I'm into but they are good live. Anathema came on and bored me.
Gallows: Felt like they completely validated my coming here. A few people were throwing stuff, including pants and socks as they requested in a MySpace bulletin as Stuart had changed his since they started their current tour and now stinks because of it.
Frank called his Mum and got everyone to say hello to her before they played Six Years, Frank went crowd suffering leaving his brother who plays guitar to finish singing the song.
Frank got back onstage and had a temper tantrum, smashing all the mic stands, when the song finished he said it was because someone threw an apple at Stuart, Stuart said it was a good shot (seemed more for Franks benefit to calm him down). They played a cover of Nervous Breakdown by Black Flag and Frank said he would be DJing in the Duracell tent later playing stuff like Black Flag, Circle Jerks and Minor Threat. They ended with Orchestra Of Wolves and got joined onstage by a female singer of some band I can't remember the name of. When they finished I saw the other guitarist walk past me, he went crowd surfing and couldn't get back over the barrier.
Watched the rest of Machine Head's set, they were cool, it was funny to see girls on guys shoulders see themselves on the big screens, try to get their tits out then the cameras cut away from them and the crowd moan because they didn't get to see tities.
Slayer: I saw them twice before but I was always a bit disappointed, this time they were as tight as a Nun's chuff, a pit opened up really near me, took a picture
and a video on my phone which I'll ty and put up on Dailymotion (not Youtube, Youtube are cunts).
Went to my tent for a rest, went out for a coffee then headed for the Duracell tent. Saw Frank get ready behind the decks, then he fucked off with a girl and didn't come back, the resident DJ's played some good Punk and Hardcore (especially impressed they squeezed Scissorfight into the mix), then some bad Metalcore, then bad commercial Metal, got a double Espresso walked to watch Hot Fuzz thinking "this is so much fun, why did I ever switch to decaff), laughed my arse off, then went back to my tent and tried to sleep.
Sunday: If you drink enough coffee you can get a hangover. Went into town for cash then went to the arena. Decided that I'd try to get home on the afternoon, called home, Dad answered the phone, his operation is booked Wednesday week (that put my mind to rest).
Eye Lash: Not really my kind of thing but I liked them, got a badge from someone walking around hading them out, their was also someone else handing out CDs but I didn't get one. Grabbed something to eat and ran into Nick that writes for Kerrang, had a chat, he was off to see some band called After Forever to "get my Goth fix then I have to do some work"
Cancer Bats: Basically they were Metal kids who got into Hardcore Punk through Rob Zombie saying he was influence by Bad Brains, and they did just sound like a heavy Punk band, bought their album on my way back to my tent to begin packing, came back to the arena.
Mastodon: Cool as always had to miss the end of their set as I felt like I was going to piss myself.
Orange Goblin: Missed the beginning of their set but I heard them start before I got there, they rocked, they rocked hard, like motherfuckers. Suffered through Paradise Lost.
Napalm Death: Again third time I've seen this band, not that great the previous two times, tight as hell this time.
Packed up my tent
Left for the shuttle bus, used my return ticket. Got to Darby station and had to wait over an hour for what seemed to be the last train to London that day (43), couldn't get a seat, tried to get change for the underground by buying a coffee but the guy was out of change so he just gave me the coffee for free. Bought an Espresso as soon as I got off the train, went to the underground for Victoria (47), bought a single to Chatham (58), had tofu and rice from the Japanese place while I waited, when I got to Chatham the taxi guy asked if I was going to Brompton Barracks, I must have looked like a Squadie with my cropped off hair, boots and big bags, got home (65), unpacked and went through the stuff that came for me while I was away.
Surveyed the campsite
Went into town for BBQ provisions, came back and had Vegan burgers. More people filled up Orange.
Spent most of the time in a maudlin state, fucked up because of my Dad and happy that I was away from home. Had a walk about, found Ollie and his mates moving their tents around, later I found Ed and found out he was actually in Blue, felt better after engaging in human contact. Went to watch Shaun Of The Dead but the sound and picture kept going so I went back to my tent to sleep.
Friday: Went into town for a litre bottle of water, came back and had Vegan burgers for breakfast. Went into the arena for bands.
Zico Chain: I couldn't help but look at their guitarist wearing lipstick and a see through shirt and think of Rik Mayall in More Bad News, went over to the Dimebag Darrell Stage and suffered through Ill Nino.
Turbonegro: Good Homoerotic, Death Punk fun.
Had a look round the Village then went back to my tent for a rest before going back in the arena.
Job For A Cowboy: Just to see what the fuss was about, they weren't that bad, sounded like a Death Metal band, behaved like a Hardcore band, could get very bored with them though. Went away and came back to Your Code Name Is: Milo playing to a tent that wasn't even an eighth full.
Hayseed Dixie: One of the best bands I saw all weekend, played country versions of AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Queen and Green Day (?!?) and was surprised that they wrote their own songs too (although they weren't that good). "How many guys out there think their woman has gotten bigger since you met her?" big cheer "Now before you say I'm being sexy" "What's wrong with being sexy?" (an obvious nod to Bad News) "How many women out there think their man has gotten bigger since you met him?" quiet cheer "Is there only but five women who can cook out there?" Later they told us that they were the only band to play Download and the Cambridge folk festival. Went off to see in My Chemical Romance would get bottled off stage, their were plenty of people throwing stuff but not hard enough that I reached to stage, went to watch Suicidal Tendancies but they were shit so I just went back to my tent.
Saturday: Got up early went into town for cash, got stopped by a lady handing out leaflets for a church up the road, she made it seem like the church was their for a clean toilet and something to eat, but you know that you'd be lectured on Jesus if you went. Came back to my tent then went into the arena.
Hellyeah: Vinne Paul is a great drummer, it a shame he can't seem to assemble a group of competent musicians around him.
Bloodsimple: I hated them when I first heard them but seeing as I now found I can stomach the last Vision Of Disorder album when they moved into Nu Metal territory I may as well give them a shot. They are a lot more Metal sounding than VOD but Tim is still doing those great vocals, I'll have to look into getting their stuff.
Bring Me The Horizon came on and I went to the toilet in disgust.
As I Lay Dying: Not really what I'm into but they are good live. Anathema came on and bored me.
Gallows: Felt like they completely validated my coming here. A few people were throwing stuff, including pants and socks as they requested in a MySpace bulletin as Stuart had changed his since they started their current tour and now stinks because of it.
Frank called his Mum and got everyone to say hello to her before they played Six Years, Frank went crowd suffering leaving his brother who plays guitar to finish singing the song.
Frank got back onstage and had a temper tantrum, smashing all the mic stands, when the song finished he said it was because someone threw an apple at Stuart, Stuart said it was a good shot (seemed more for Franks benefit to calm him down). They played a cover of Nervous Breakdown by Black Flag and Frank said he would be DJing in the Duracell tent later playing stuff like Black Flag, Circle Jerks and Minor Threat. They ended with Orchestra Of Wolves and got joined onstage by a female singer of some band I can't remember the name of. When they finished I saw the other guitarist walk past me, he went crowd surfing and couldn't get back over the barrier.
Watched the rest of Machine Head's set, they were cool, it was funny to see girls on guys shoulders see themselves on the big screens, try to get their tits out then the cameras cut away from them and the crowd moan because they didn't get to see tities.
Slayer: I saw them twice before but I was always a bit disappointed, this time they were as tight as a Nun's chuff, a pit opened up really near me, took a picture
and a video on my phone which I'll ty and put up on Dailymotion (not Youtube, Youtube are cunts).
Went to my tent for a rest, went out for a coffee then headed for the Duracell tent. Saw Frank get ready behind the decks, then he fucked off with a girl and didn't come back, the resident DJ's played some good Punk and Hardcore (especially impressed they squeezed Scissorfight into the mix), then some bad Metalcore, then bad commercial Metal, got a double Espresso walked to watch Hot Fuzz thinking "this is so much fun, why did I ever switch to decaff), laughed my arse off, then went back to my tent and tried to sleep.
Sunday: If you drink enough coffee you can get a hangover. Went into town for cash then went to the arena. Decided that I'd try to get home on the afternoon, called home, Dad answered the phone, his operation is booked Wednesday week (that put my mind to rest).
Eye Lash: Not really my kind of thing but I liked them, got a badge from someone walking around hading them out, their was also someone else handing out CDs but I didn't get one. Grabbed something to eat and ran into Nick that writes for Kerrang, had a chat, he was off to see some band called After Forever to "get my Goth fix then I have to do some work"
Cancer Bats: Basically they were Metal kids who got into Hardcore Punk through Rob Zombie saying he was influence by Bad Brains, and they did just sound like a heavy Punk band, bought their album on my way back to my tent to begin packing, came back to the arena.
Mastodon: Cool as always had to miss the end of their set as I felt like I was going to piss myself.
Orange Goblin: Missed the beginning of their set but I heard them start before I got there, they rocked, they rocked hard, like motherfuckers. Suffered through Paradise Lost.
Napalm Death: Again third time I've seen this band, not that great the previous two times, tight as hell this time.
Packed up my tent
Left for the shuttle bus, used my return ticket. Got to Darby station and had to wait over an hour for what seemed to be the last train to London that day (43), couldn't get a seat, tried to get change for the underground by buying a coffee but the guy was out of change so he just gave me the coffee for free. Bought an Espresso as soon as I got off the train, went to the underground for Victoria (47), bought a single to Chatham (58), had tofu and rice from the Japanese place while I waited, when I got to Chatham the taxi guy asked if I was going to Brompton Barracks, I must have looked like a Squadie with my cropped off hair, boots and big bags, got home (65), unpacked and went through the stuff that came for me while I was away.
poopy:
great pics! 