LethalLegacy
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Posts posted by LethalLegacy
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I followed that storm on Facebook as I was on holiday last week. After hearing the initial 4 bands, I felt quite positive about Download 2011, but following the confirmation of Def Leppard as headliner again, so soon after 2009, I really felt this was the final straw as far as me going to this year's Download goes. The pretty poor announcement the day after didn't exactly help either. Cheap Trick, Ghost and Bowling For Soup pretty much the only bands I'd wish to go see from that large chunk.
My gripe isn't necessarily that I don't like the bands, although it does seem as though Andy Copping is taking most of his cues from Kerrang and Radio 1 these days. The fact is, as someone who's been to every Download since 2004, the festival has changed considerably. It's got more and more mainstream, which in some ways was necessarily - but it seems to have saturated the actual nature of the festival itself. It's hard to explain without coming across like I'm simply hating, but it really doesn't have that old Monsters of Rock feel that it used to replicate so well, particularly 2006 and indeed 2009.
During 2010's festival I definitely felt as though as was going through the motions on occasion, just simply through the same bands appearing again. And I can't help that a higher than necessary proportion of 2011's bands have that 'flavour of the week' feel about them. I seriously worry for the longevity of the festival if they're really the future to look to.
As far as Def Leppard goes, I personally don't mind them, but their sudden reappearance suggests something went very wrong behind the scenes. Andy Copping promised 3 new headliners, but has come up with Linkin Park, SOAD and Def Leppard, all of whom have headlined before. It looks as though as lot of people bought that big sell, which makes him about as trustworthy as Nick Clegg. If you add to that my previous point, all it really adds to is a real feeling of being let down by constant white hype and white lies.
I followed and commented on the Facebook and Twitter storms, and yes, there's always going to be haters, but at the same time, some people made very reasonable points. Unfortunately, AC didn't seem to handle this criticism very well. For that reason, maybe he should resign and hand over the reins to someone who might put a bit of spark and inspiration into this festival.
For me personally, I'll save my £400+ this year. It's not going to another fest - my own personal circumstances are changing and so priorities lie elsewhere. I'm just happy it's not going to end up in his bloody cowboy hat. As a Download veteran, I'm disappointed that the festival has come to this - that he's actually got into a slanging match to defend the festival. But something is obviously not right behind the scenes and maybe something needs to be changed. Download definitely doesn't have the upper hand any more.
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Weezer before Biffy sounds like a good shout and I hope it happens. Only saw them once in 2002 at Leeds Festival, which was immense. Their albums ain't too cracking nowadays, really didn't like 'Raditude' and not keen on what I've heard of 'Hurley'. But they've still got a back catalogue to die for and I'd love to see them again.
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I've given up trying to guess who the 3rd headliner is given how drawn out the whole process is. That said, it's really going to swing where I'm headed this summer. I just found out I can't have the Friday off for Soni so that's buggered any chance of catching the Big 4 there.
I really hope at the very least there's a few positive surprises and maybe even one or two acts I'd never expect to play. The line-up doesn't kick enough ass for me at present. Hopefully that will change with this announcement.
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9 bands who were announced last night have never played download before. Maybe you don't like those acts but how can you moan about repeat bookings, yes Bullet and Pendulum have recently have had high slots as well as Korn [which you don't mind] but they're very popular acts. Linkin park haven't played Download for 4 years, System of a Down haven't played for 6 years and haven't played a show in the UK for 5 years, Rob Zombie has never done a UK festival before, and before his UK tour in Feb hasn't played the UK in 12 years, Danzig has never played a UK festival before.
I think he's done a good job, just seems that no matter what he does people are gunna moan, and you have the right to, if you don't like the line up, yes you don't have to go, but to moan saying too many repeat and no new acts, well clearly is wrong. As about half of whats been announced have never been at Download before
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Slowly but surely, my non-presence at this year's Download is becoming more and more of a possibility. I've been to each fest since 2004 and to be honest, not had too much to complain about. However, I truly think this is currently the worst line-up in its history (so far). Yeah, I'd normally be thrilled with Alice Cooper, GWAR, Masters of Reality, The Gaslight Anthem. All bands I'd like to see. Good to see The Cult, Clutch and Korn there as well - though I've seen them all before.
The rest of them can honestly go swivel. Its just a mish-mash of repeat bookings, bands well past their best, and those that are generally awful. I've a perfectly open mind to music but this just comes across as really uninspiring. Especially Pendulum and Bullet For My Valentine - they may as well be permanently plastered on the line-up page, year in, year out. I have to question Andy Copping's nous in this aspect. Sure, he's managed to pull some cracking headliners in the past, but this line-up isn't going to shift tickets in the same way as 2009 and 2010.
I wish the festivals would take a few more gambles instead of bringing back the same old bands, time and time again. Give us someone like Primus or Big Business, I don't know...just something a little bit different, someone who's not on the circuit year in, year out.
In any event, I've not got high hopes for this other headliner now. Whoever it is, I think Download has a lot of catching up to do. The fests as a whole this summer really need to pull something out of the bag. None of them are making me want to commit £400+ to them right now. And Download currently looks to be among the weakest.
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Oh well, 6 out of 7 for me. I'm not a major fan of Buckcherry, and as I'm undecided on Download or Sonisphere, Download is now looking more unappealing for their addition. They're not terrible, just not that great either.
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Download have booked risky headliners before, Tool, My Chemical Romance, Feeder, Lost Prohpets etc.
Download were after Rammstein for years but they never said yes and I expect the only reason Rammstein headlined in the UK was it was because of clause saying if you want to play the other euro shows you have to play play UK too.
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I'm personally more impressed with Sonisphere so far. They seem willing to take more risks. Biffy Clyro as a headliner is a step in the right direction - the pool of headline acts within the rock/metal arena is definitely set to decline, and is in need of some new blood. Biffy fit that description perfectly, their stock is definitely rising, and its as big a step for Sonisphere as it was to book Rammstein the year before.
As for Metallica and the Big Four - if you're looking at it at how many times they've played fests in the UK recently, then yes, it is a bit repetitive. But this will be the first time the Big Four thrash bands have all played together on UK soil, something not seen before, and for any dedicated metal fan, that's a huge draw. I for one am hooked, despite the numerous times I've seen them, and I really can't pass this up.
Download seems to have the short straw. SOAD is huge, no mistake, and Rob Zombie is a great booking as well. But overall it really feels a bit weak compared to the last few years, if you're taking it on headliners alone. Even Bloodstock and High Voltage have really solid acts lined up so far, and Download doesn't seem as stellar, although its not exactly bad in its own right.
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I'm most likely going to switch allegiance from Download to Sonisphere this year. I've seen each festival's headline acts before, although I saw Biffy Clyro way back in 2003 at the Leeds Festival, where I sat eating a Pot Noodle, not taking much interest in them. I've always felt Download had the edge for headliners in the last couple of years - for me, seeing Faith No More and AC/DC was a once in a lifetime opportunity I couldn't pass up. I felt I could afford to miss Metallica again, and indeed I was less fussed about missing Rammstein than I would have been about AC/DC.
But this year, Sonisphere blows Download completely out of the water. They've got 6 bands I'm happy with already and the draw of the Big Four to a true thrash fan like myself is too big to turn down, even though I've seen them all individually several times. It's going to be a monumental moment.
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Rammstein are a bigger draw to the metal audience, but Biffy's popularity at the moment is soaring, and though they don't have pyro or stage props or anything like that, their own live shows prove how effective and powerful they are as a live band - as evidenced by their set at Reading 2010.
As for 'Many of Horror', that's their song, nobody does it better than them. They should play it live - its better than that soulless rubbish for a supposed cover version.
Yes, Biffy as a headliner is a risk, but they've been knocking on the door for a while and for me, its the right decision for Sonisphere to make. They've just done an arena tour and sold that out, so why can't they take on Sonisphere and rock it to the core?
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I remember chuckling about that gazebo in the tree, thinking it was some drunken prank by a number of lads who would have grouped together and flung the gazebo high into the tree. I only found out on the final night it was actually a mini-tornado!
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Awesome: AC/DC, Aerosmith, Lawnmower Deth, Deftones
Great: Reckless Love, RATM, Napalm Death, STP, Billy Idol
Good: Sybreed, 3 Inches of Blood, Saxon, Slash, Motorhead
OK: Unearth, Killswitch Engage, TCV, Cancer Bats, LoG, Megadeth
Only band that bored me as such was Imicus on the Red Bull stage. Never got me going and in hindsight, I'd have been better off watching Danny Vaughn on the acoustic stage.
Those bands such as Unearth et al really didn't get me in the mood at all. I was quite disappointed in those bands as they seemed quite generic - even Megadeth didn't really get me going. 'We're going to play you SOME of the songs from 'Rust In Peace' - if they'd left out some of the driftwood in their set they could've played the two or three tracks they missed out and played the thing in full.
I understand Download needs to book such bands to retain commercial appeal but it'd be great if there'd been somebody with something different to offer. I still remember 2006 when they had Strapping Young Lad and Soulfly on the Main Stage - those two bands really crushed a few skulls that day. There's only so many times you can watch the bands like KsE use the same gimmick (ie. Adam D's stage banter), or LoG playing what felt like the same song over and over.
Still, can't complain too much, I had a good time, despite the rain scuppering any chance I had of catching Steel Panther and Ginger - my trainers didn't come home with me after the trip through the mud!
The organisation at the festival seemed much better to me, didn't have too many problems aside from a problem with my tickets when I got there. Was camped in White and didn't notice any trouble or anything like that. And walking to and from the arena, for me, has never been an issue.
Food price jump is definitely noticeable though. The quality Aberdeen Angus burger I had last year for £4.00 jumped up by a quid! That said, the tea stall in the campsite doing tea for a quid with 50p per mug deposit was quality.
All in all, a great experience again, me and my (now) wife had a blast on what was our honeymoon, and that rain and a broken phone was worth it for a soggy mosh to STP's 'Dead and Bloated', and a cracking view for Aerosmith!
Roll on 2011!
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I'm not going to be online now for a while now. I'm going to be finishing preparing for my wedding, then getting married, getting my shit together for Download, and getting drunk inbetween! I'll be back on when I return to work.
With that in mind, here five bands who I think will rock Download the most, or if you like, the five bands I'm most looking forward to:
1. AC/DC
2. Deftones
3. 3 Inches of Blood
4. Lawnmower Deth
5. Unearth
Who's yours?
See you later everyone, have a great one!
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I don't like the looks of that. Looks like the good weather is going to get used up for my wedding! Oh well. At least the volcano's cooled off a bit.
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Finally got mine at the weekend. Can look forward to it now!
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Real beer. Something like Hobgoblin or Spitfire, hell, whatever I can get in cans. 'Tis always the best way.
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Egg well and truly on face regarding my previous comment - however, despite being well happy that the mighty Ginger is playing, the fact he's starting at 7:00pm means a clash with STP. Ouch.
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So far, my list has got:
3 Inches of Blood
AC/DC
Aerosmith
Airbourne
As I Lay Dying
Breed 77
Crime In Stereo
Deftones
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Ginger
Jim Jones Revue
Killswitch Engage
HIM
Lamb of God
Lawnmower Deth
Megadeth
Napalm Death
Nonpoint
Rage Against The Machine
I'm going through A-Z so there's still a few bands to add, as well as a few I've only got on CD. And there's going to be much more besides.
My campsite will shred!!!
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Yeah, I can't imagine Taylor Hawkins would be doing the Red Bull stage.
And if that's the announcement (Anathema, Trigger The Bloodshed, My Passion), well there's nothing there to get me excited, varied as that is.
Also, Anathema have 40 mins but ADTR only get 35? Hmmm....
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I'm pretty sure Panic Cell are headlining the 4th stage - I'm sure I've heard/read that from the band themselves. So I imagine it'll be Friday for DSHS.
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I'm well happy that Unearth are on main - there's gonna be some seeeeerious moshpit action going on when they hit the stage! Still not bothered by 36 CF. Also hoping the announcement doesn't change my plans too much - I don't want any clashes with Lawnmower Deth!
Surely the Red Bull stage is gonna get beefed up as well? They're all looking a little light compared to last year so far.
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My tickets have arrived at the shop where I ordered them, so I expect they'll be out in the next day or two. I really hope its not tomorrow - I'll be working, and I don't want to traipse all the way down to my local Post Office depot again. Still, good times!
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This is excellent news - though I really hope it doesn't muck up my plans. Steel Panther vs Lawnmower Deth, for example, would be horrible, at least for me personally.
That said, I'm very intrigued as to who it might be. I would have been happier to have two completely new bands, rather than a rejig of the line-up, but at least it fills out the day a bit more.
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R.I.P. Paul, cheers for the amazing performances with Slipknot over the years.
Def Leppard confirmed
in Download Festival
Posted
This whole thing is simply out of control. Copping and the Download media team really aren't handling this very well, are they?
I cottoned onto the Dom Lawson Metal Hammer article yesterday and was announced on Download's Facebook page as 'This man speaks the truth!'. I know they're trying to hype up the fest and whip up positivity but, with the way things are on the forums and social networking sites, combined with the way Copping handling of the whole situation, including the numerous statements he keeps putting out, it's almost car crash entertainment. Metallica 'boring'? You could say the same thing for bands like Pendulum and Bullet For My Valentine, who are both frequently at either Download or Sonisphere as well.
That's not a potshot at any band, regardless of my personal opinion, but surely that argument could have been constructed slightly better. But I can't help but feel he's taking another shot at Sonisphere in this instance, and if the rumours are true that he tried (and failed) to book Metallica for this year's festival, it all looks a little bit hypocritical.
There seems to be a lot of people who are genuinely unhappy and putting across reasonable arguments as to why they're not going. I'm not going this year, not because I'm off to Sonisphere instead, but rather because it's just not a worthwhile investment to me anymore. The organisers seemed to have overlooked the constructive and reasonable negative criticism, and instead focused some ire on the people who just turn up to profanely rubbish the bands, big up rival festivals, suggest who should be on the bill, etc. It's very well suggesting that it's their loss, but what about those who genuinely feel the festival is decreasing in quality?
It's putting them across as ignorant and perhaps a little bit disrespectful, and I honestly think that if they're going to be putting themselves in the spotlight like this, they need to learn to take the rough with the smooth, and more importantly, listen - something they don't appear to be doing very well at the moment.