Download 2024

[Spiral_Low]

23 minutes ago, OKMess said:

Who exactly would you book who would be both refreshing and satisfy the Hard Rock and Metal crowd? 

I'm starting to land on The Prodigy, Green Day and A7X for this year's download. RATM still loom a bit like a spectre, but until we get more announcements (of tours or by other fests) we won't know. A7X being independently confirmed by various leakers aside the only headline sized band we know might are touring are BMTH who won't do DL because they did this year. 

Well one of the things I think Download needs to do better is promote bands who have potential onto the mainstage in good spots. I'd have Spiritbox 4th down and Gojira sub headline for example.

Then get bands like Tesseract and Svalbard on mainstage slots to give them more exposure. They probably aren't gonna get to headline level but it would help the scene alot. 

Though this year they did better in that department, for example Halestorm on mainstage, they are a band I think definitely have the ability to be a headliner if they can get a few more 'hits' and keep growing.

In terms of headliners...well Korn should be bumped up to headline. Then try for Pearl Jam and NIN as a new headliners, get RATM back. Options are limited though which is why they keep going for bands like Slipknot. Hence the need to better build up bands.

Ghost obviously are one that's breaking through to that level but there is a big need to help other bands get there. Chances like with Machine Head were wasted, I mean their last album (of kingdom and crown) was absolutely brilliant but doesn't get the attention it deserves. But a big part of that is that's it's become popular to hate on things. See it across all forms of media. A significant amount of people would rather hate on bands then give them a chance and it really damages the scene. 

Edited October 18, 2023 by Spiral_Low

[Nice to Michu]

If Download had any balls they’d be putting successful British artists like Enter Shikari and Don Broco in decent slots on the main stage for once.

[Keese46uk]

FYI The announcement of the announcement was Wednesday 19th October last year with tickets on sale Monday 7th November.

Should be due the announcement date any day now. 

[Nice to Michu]

Blinks date have officially been announced for August 2024 now, so looks like they are definitely R&L bound unfortunately.

My final stab at my headliner predictions will be: 

A7X

Green Day

Rage Against The Machine 

 

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

I’ll take a guess at: A7X, Fall Out Boy, Pearl Jam

[Nice to Michu]

Just now, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

I’ll take a guess at: A7X, Fall Out Boy, Pearl Jam

The thick 2024 logo for Download looks very Pearl Jam style 👀

[RedJosh]

1 hour ago, Spiral_Low said:

Well one of the things I think Download needs to do better is promote bands who have potential onto the mainstage in good spots. I'd have Spiritbox 4th down and Gojira sub headline for example.

Then get bands like Tesseract and Svalbard on mainstage slots to give them more exposure. They probably aren't gonna get to headline level but it would help the scene alot. 

Though this year they did better in that department, for example Halestorm on mainstage, they are a band I think definitely have the ability to be a headliner if they can get a few more 'hits' and keep growing.

Agree with most of this, but think Halestorm are a ways off. I think they did well on the mainstage with booking Architects and Parkway as subs. Putting Lorna Shore on main and I Prevail 3rd down (not that they are that heavy and were boring).

Spiritbox, Bad Omens, Turnstile, Sleep Token, Code Orange, Knocked Loose, Loathe, Holding Absence, Polaris etc. are the bands they need to push.

1 hour ago, Spiral_Low said:

Ghost obviously are one that's breaking through to that level but there is a big need to help other bands get there. Chances like with Machine Head were wasted, I mean their last album (of kingdom and crown) was absolutely brilliant but doesn't get the attention it deserves. But a big part of that is that's it's become popular to hate on things. See it across all forms of media. A significant amount of people would rather hate on bands then give them a chance and it really damages the scene. 

I think the bumps Download can do of traditional Download bands at the moment are Ghost, Evanescence and Parkway

I think the other bands they can bump are Fall Out Boy, Paramore and Queens of the Stone Age

Then you are looking at medium term options like: Architects dependent on how Bloodstock and their next UK tour goes; 5FDP, Gojira and Sabaton depending on how their next big slot at Download goes; the perennial subs Alter Bridge, Deftones and KoRn, who are unlikely to get the bump (though I'd be down for KoRn and agree they are the best case to make); and Within Temptation if they sell their solo arena run well and the festival really wants a female headliner.

After that you are looking at Sleep Token, Spiritbox and Bad Omens (not that they count as a bump, but I assume DL gets them this year or next) as the in demand acts that might do it.

After that you are looking at Blink, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam and RHCP as well established headliners who haven't wanted to do it for whatever reason and then NIN because of the rarity and The Cure if they went really outside the box.

My outside bet for a headline slot that would be the bump ups of bump ups is Trivium. They are on fire.

Current headliner pool is what Avenged, Maiden, System, Tool, Bring Me, Slipknot, Metallica, Rammstein, MCR, Muse, AC/DC (doubt they do it again), RATM, Biffy, GnR and Def Leppard. A lot of them have one maybe two slots left. By the end of the decade it will probably be Avenged, System, Bring Me, Slipknot, MCR, Muse and Biffy. Maybe Metallica, Maiden and Tool might have one more left, but that would be it.

They really need to cultivate new headliners, but to do that they need to diversify into a more general alternative festival by getting a less metal or classic rock headliner like Green Day, Blink, MCR or FOB on everyone of the next few bills, promote Ghost and Parkway each between 2025-2027 and generally book a more contemporary modern alternative and metal line-up with some big Download favourites.

[Andre91]

I think we’re getting Fall Out Boy headlining. Tickets wise, they’re more than big enough (upwards of 100k tickets sold) and their recent set lists have been far more focused on older material, mostly from the first 4 albums which were ever presents on Kerrang etc. Their stage show is really big now and their tour finishes early November, which is when we are expecting the lineup to drop. There will be a lot of moaners for sure but it’ll be something new.
 

Plus, I’ve searching for months for a ticket to their Leeds show and just when they release extra standing tickets and I go to buy one, I realise it’s the same day I’m doing to see Fear Factory with all of my mates from back home and we’ve got hotels and travel etc booked, so I’d love to see this FOB setlist and show get announced for DL, selfishly 😂

Edited October 18, 2023 by Andre91

[Spiral_Low]

So I'm guessing...

A7X - RATM - Pearl Jam.

Pearl Jam new album out next year and seem rumours on their fan sites about European summer tour. Plus first band Copping named when asked about he wanted to book in future. 

RATM cuz they will hopefully resume touring now Zach is back to full health and hopefully will come to Europe to make up for dropping out before.

 

[Andre91]

Fall Out Boy, Green Day & Avenged Sevenfold is my guess for now. Might whack a lineup prediction together. 

[callum97]

4 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Fall Out Boy, Green Day & Avenged Sevenfold is my guess for now. Might whack a lineup prediction together. 

That’s my guess too 

Shikari, Bizkit and Korn as subs 

[FloorFiller]

43 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

I think we’re getting Fall Out Boy headlining. Tickets wise, they’re more than big enough (upwards of 100k tickets sold) and their recent set lists have been far more focused on older material, mostly from the first 4 albums which were ever presents on Kerrang etc. Their stage show is really big now and their tour finishes early November, which is when we are expecting the lineup to drop. There will be a lot of moaners for sure but it’ll be something new.
 

Plus, I’ve searching for months for a ticket to their Leeds show and just when they release extra standing tickets and I go to buy one, I realise it’s the same day I’m doing to see Fear Factory with all of my mates from back home and we’ve got hotels and travel etc booked, so I’d love to see this FOB setlist and show get announced for DL, selfishly 😂

On the contrary, I really don’t see it being Fall Out Boy. Even for a festival that should probably be leaning a little further in to the pop/punk side of things, they veer a bit too much on to the pop side imo and would just be a little at odds with what Download is usually about.

Not to say that they couldn’t be the act to open the door to Download’s much needed change-up, but as it stands they seem like a strange fit to me, although I’d be happy to be proven wrong if only to show that the festival is finally willing to stray outwards a little. 

[FloorFiller]

Also definitely don’t see it being both FOB and Green Day - one of the two maybe, but both in the same year (and with A7X as the third who are hardly a top tier headliner) just seems like a long shot and asking for uproar.

[callum97]

2 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

Also definitely don’t see it being both FOB and Green Day - one of the two maybe, but both in the same year (and with A7X as the third who are hardly a top tier headliner) just seems like a long shot and asking for uproar.

It would cause uproar but would sell very well and the festival needs the shake up 

[Andre91]

The setlist is banging and very heavily weighted towards their older material than the stuff they’ve put out since they came back: 

1. Love From The Other Side 

2. The Phoenix 

3. Sugar, We’re Goin Down 

4. Uma Thurman 

5. A Little Less Sixteen Candles 

6. Dead On Arrival 

7. Grand Theft Autumn 

8. Calm Before The Storm 

9. This Ain’t A Scene 

10. Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes 

11. Heaven, IOWA

12. Hum Hallelujah 

13. Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown 

14. Fake Out 

15. Golden 

16. Don’t Stop Believing (Journey cover) 

17. Save Rock and Roll

18. Baby Annihilation 

19. Crazy Train (Ozzy Cover) 

20. Dance, Dance 

21. Hold Me Like a Grudge 

22. Bang The Doldrums 

23. My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark

24. Thnks fr th Mmrs 

25. Centuries 

26. Saturday 

 

[FloorFiller]

10 minutes ago, callum97 said:

It would cause uproar but would sell very well and the festival needs the shake up 

For a festival that has been so reluctant to move away from its metal roots I just can’t see them booking two pop/punk acts to headline in the same year out of nowhere, although booking one would definitely be a good idea both to broaden their headliner pool and capitalise on the resurgence it’s been having these last few years. If they manage to finally book Green Day then they’ve pulled a blinder.

[Keese46uk]

28 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Fall Out Boy, Green Day & Avenged Sevenfold is my guess for now. Might whack a lineup prediction together. 

Do you not think Green Day will go to BST instead? 

[Muppetmark]

Fob so much better this tour than in 2015 and 2013. Would be a really good headliner

[Spiral_Low]

4 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

For a festival that has been so reluctant to move away from its metal roots I just can’t see them booking two pop/punk acts to headline in the same year out of nowhere, although booking one would definitely be a good idea both to broaden their headliner pool and capitalise on the resurgence it’s been having these last few years. If they manage to finally book Green Day then they’ve pulled a blinder.

Thing is, if they do move away from their metal roots then another Sonisphere type fest would come along and then they have competition for the crowd again. I mean Id love Sonisphere to come back personally but from a business viewpoint would livenation risk it? 

It wouldn't be actual Sonisphere, that's dead. But probably an AEG run fest, they are livenations main competitor afterall.

Don't forget Download came about because of the gap in the market that the off ozzfest wasn't filling.

[FloorFiller]

1 minute ago, Spiral_Low said:

Thing is, if they do move away from their metal roots then another Sonisphere type fest would come along and then they have competition for the crowd again. I mean Id love Sonisphere to come back personally but from a business viewpoint would livenation risk it? 

It wouldn't be actual Sonisphere, that's dead. But probably an AEG run fest, they are livenations main competitor afterall.

Don't forget Download came about because of the gap in the market that the off ozzfest wasn't filling.

Eh, if anything Sonisphere showed that there truly aren’t enough metal headliners to go around and any festival that tried to muscle in again would inevitably meet the same fate as Download has the name recognition.

Download having one of Green Day/Blink/FOB as a headliner every once in a while isn’t gonna damage the festival imo, and it opens up the headliner pool without resorting to bumping up acts who are too small to do so which they clearly don’t want to do - even Ghost, who seem like the best chance of a step-up at this time, still seem a way off in comparison to the size of act Download usually has headline. 

[Andre91]

Let’s have a bash at this one… 
 

APEX: Fall Out Boy / Enter Shikari / While She Sleeps / Bad Omens / Creeper / Wargasm / Static Dress 

OPUS: Five Finger Death Punch / Arch Enemy 

AVALANCHE: The Menzingers 

DOGTOOTH: Sick Of It All 

 

APEX: Green Day / Limp Bizkit / The Offspring / The Pretty Reckless / The Interrupters / Feeder / Cassyette 

OPUS: Sabaton / Bruce Dickinson 

AVALANCHE: Bury Tomorrow 

DOGTOOTH: Thy Art Is Murder 

 

APEX: Avenged Sevenfold / Machine Head / Killswitch Engage / Spiritbox / Babymetal / Bleed From Within / Employed To Serve 

OPUS: Sum 41 / Turnstile 

AVALANCHE: Yellowcard 

DOGTOOTH: Periphery 

Edited October 18, 2023 by Andre91

[Spiral_Low]

14 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

Eh, if anything Sonisphere showed that there truly aren’t enough metal headliners to go around and any festival that tried to muscle in again would inevitably meet the same fate as Download has the name recognition.

Download having one of Green Day/Blink/FOB as a headliner every once in a while isn’t gonna damage the festival imo, and it opens up the headliner pool without resorting to bumping up acts who are too small to do so which they clearly don’t want to do - even Ghost, who seem like the best chance of a step-up at this time, still seem a way off in comparison to the size of act Download usually has headline. 

I didn't say having a band like that headline would damage it, I was just commenting on the idea of it moving away from its metal roots on a more regula/permanent basis. 

[Joe Mama]

It would be great to mix it up and either go with one classic act, one return act and one first timer; or even do one metal, one rock and one pop-punk such as:

 

A7X / AC/DC / MCR

 

for example. 

[northernangel]

2 hours ago, Andre91 said:

Fall Out Boy, Green Day & Avenged Sevenfold is my guess for now. Might whack a lineup prediction together. 

 

2 hours ago, FloorFiller said:

Also definitely don’t see it being both FOB and Green Day - one of the two maybe, but both in the same year (and with A7X as the third who are hardly a top tier headliner) just seems like a long shot and asking for uproar.

I agree with this, FOB and Green Day in the same year is just not a Download thing. I think it's going to be FOB.

[Keese46uk]

Found a link to the new Blink album. 
 

Just listened to Anthem part 3 and got literal goosebumps. My favourite band is back!