Download Headliners

[Sinner Boy]

AC/DC

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

AEROSMITH (Steven Tyler has rejoined!!)

Don't get me wrong, I love Glastonbury (as a place) as much as everyone else, it is without doubt the best festival atmosphere around, and last year the acts who perfomed were unbelievable. I've been to a lot of festivals and live music events in general and Glasto really does take the biscuit for an actual place, which will no doubt come in handy this year given the (fairly poor) standard of headliners, in my opinion, with the exception of Stevie Wonder.

I don't want to get in to all the Muse/u2 bashing which has occured on these forums, it's all been done, and I can sort of see why the headliners for this years festival got booked ... however, Download festival... never once occured to me, I went to Leeds 2008 to watch Metallica, and also watched Rage, whom i was not really a fan of at the time but put on an electric performance and i really enjoyed them - and this year we see that Download has completely destroyed Glastonbury's major headliners by booking AC/DC and Aerosmith, with a newly reformed Steven Tyler on vocals!!

Plus, Rage against the machine, who are huge band and will no doubt please a lot of ears, including myself if i were to go.

Of course, Download doesn't have 1/10'th of the atmosphere of Glasto, it is pretty much just a field, much like Leeds was, and by the last day of these kind of festival's your really wishing to go home, whereas at Glasto we're all wishing we could stay till next year.

But you can't escape the fact that Music is the main reason these festivals are put on, and I think personally that Download has outdone itself, and Glastonbury, by booking these major rock legends (and RATM) - having said that I still won't be going, and I still will be going to Glastonbury, no doubt i'll get my moneys worth on other stages.

But looking purely on a headliner's basis, i think Glastonbury's anniversary will be completely outshined by Download's... and would much prefere it if the headliners swapped places. ( with the exception of rage for stevie wonder ... i can't wait to watch him and i doubt he'd go down too great with all the metal heads)

[ninja-style]

Stevie > All three of those

Plus the rest of the Gllasto line up will be much better than downloads, as will the atmosphere.

Its a no contest really.

[Paul ™]

Am not a fan of U2 or Stevie.. but I would go out my way to watch them if nothing else takes my fancy. Would not have one bit of interest in seeing any of Downloads headliners.. I seen 10 mins of RATM at T a couple years ago.. and left to go see Interpol.

It's all down to taste..

[Joshuwarr]

IMO btw:

RAGE > U2 > STEVIE > MUSE > AC/DC > AEROSMITH

Not musically but on who I'd want to see live. Aerosmith kind of repulse me. I like AC/DC and recognise their importance in music but I just don't get excited enough by them.

[glastofreak]

Music is all about taste if you like rock then Download would be a great festival. Where as Glasto has to cater for a much wider audience. Usually if you get one headliner you really want to see you are lucky. If you look at the price it is about the same as Glastonbury with less choice in music but if that is what you want, as a lot of people do, good for you. I might try and get a day pass for the Friday as the last time I went to Donington my tent got run over by one of the groups of vans tearing round the camp site. Oh and two people died 50yards from me. Sure it's all different now thought puts Glaso 2000 in to perspective.

[drewsstrat]

I'd see AC/DC (Never seen them but their monsters of rock Donnington dvd looks superb~~),, seen Aerosmith at Donnington 1990 - and atmosphere wise those days it was up there with glasto -

Although in the strict sense at the time it wasn't a 'festival' as much as an all day rock show.. we didn't camp for most of them, and in the early days it was only one stage - perhaps thats why the atmosphere seemed better as the focus was on bands at all times, whereas its a bit more diverse now, and you have a multi stage/multi day proper festival.

Back to aerosmith - Would pay just to see them do 'dream on'

all time classic

[geztival_09]

AC/DC

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

AEROSMITH (Steven Tyler has rejoined!!)

[5co77ie]

over 800 acts playing on over 40 stages > over 120 acts playing on 4 stages

Edited February 15, 2010 by 5co77ie
grr

[future_shock]

You can't really compare the two. Download is great but it really depends on the line up. Obviously Glastonbury is a better festival but the point raised was the headliners and out of all six I'd still only make the effort to go see aerosmith. Would maybe swing by ac/dc if nothing else was on but that would be about it.

Download is really good though if you enjoy the heavier side of music.

[MikeyB37]

AC/DC yes, a great headliner. The other two i really couldn't care less about. Just personal taste & opinion at the end of the day.

[MEGABOWL]

Meh.Hope the other two are better than Rage going through the motions at TITP 08.Better than Reading Leeds headliners I reckon

[Langdale Wolf]

AC/DC

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

AEROSMITH (Steven Tyler has rejoined!!)

[thelizardking]

i see where you're coming from, but I think that's all opinion, personally Stevie Wonder > Rage, Aerosmith, AC/DC.

edit: save sweet emotion

Edited February 16, 2010 by thelizardking

[zeppelin]

the bands there are more likely to go for big money offers which DL & R/L can offer

glastonbury cannot

well that's partly what i reckon it's down to

[Zacko]

Rage for Glastonbury? I'm not too sure if Eavis would actually book them but I think they would be an excellent alternative to U2 if they were to headline the Other Stage on the Friday.

Stevie Wonder shits over all 3 of their headliners I think but I would probably rather have AC/DC than U2.

[MrMac]

Out of the six headliners I'd only go out of my way to see Stevie Wonder & AC/DC. If I had to watch a 3rd it'd be U2 so I guess overall I'd have to say Glastonbury's suit me better...

[metallimuse]

Of course, Download doesn't have 1/10'th of the atmosphere of Glasto, it is pretty much just a field, much like Leeds was, and by the last day of these kind of festival's your really wishing to go home, whereas at Glasto we're all wishing we could stay till next year.

[Kyelo]

At the end of the day I don't particulary care, they don't have the stone circle, the brothers bar, the hippys etc etc

[metallimuse]

At the end of the day I don't particulary care, they don't have the stone circle, the brothers bar, the hippys etc etc

[zeppelin]

Download has the iconic half tyre!

[popcornmaster]

I'd have to disagree with the OP, I saw Rage when they reformed in Leeds and whilst I had an amazing time there, and I really did. As a band I thought they were quite boring live it was the hype, the crowd and the songs themselves that carried them, sadly I fear a soundsystem could have produced the same effects. I'd rather have Wonder over the Download 3 on musical merit I have no idea what to expect live, and I'd rather have Muse (though I probably won't see them this time round) on the merit of their live performances over the download 3. I'd happily swap U2 for ACDC though, I'd like to catch those croakey Aussie bastards before they cark it or zimmer around the stage.

Having seen some of the other acts announced for Download I do think they are good especially compared to the last few years of dire download lineups but I have no doubt that Glastonbury's other acts will be fantastic so I worry not.

[Laura_Babs]

Wouldn't mind Aerosmith or Rage to be honest but so far we have such a small amount of Glastonbury's line up. I know that Glastonbury full line up + Glastonbury in general = way better than any other festival or in fact any other place in the world!

[Poleski]

Rage Against the Machine, AC/DC and Aerosmith are very impressive.

But personally for me Muse headlining the Pyramid Stage on the 40th Anniversary of the festival laying don tracks like:

Feeling good

Time is Running out

Plug in Baby

Undisclosed desires

Knights of Cydonia

Hysteria

It is going to be a magical and breathtaking set.

Don't get me wrong Big Stevie will get it done too. But my god will Muse's set be something for the memory.

[VCK]

RATM are fantastic live and one of my favourite bands of all time. Would love to see them again.

AC/DC, I've been meaning to see for ages.

And I can imagine Aerosmith being a laugh to watch.

[FunkyDenz]

Download have got two good acts there, not so sure about RATM.

However Michael Eavis has been after booking U2 for a long time, they have never played a festival, and are a major coup. Muse are rated as the best British live band at the moment, so are another great booking. Stevie, as has been previously said, is a legend who is far superior to anything Download have to offer.

The two festivals are not in direct competition. Download is a Rock Festival, Glastonbury is a Contemporary Arts Festival.