Download 2026

[northernangel]

1 hour ago, Siddey1994 said:

Biffy’s last 2 albums were their best ever and I will die on this hill.

NDR but just getting that out there

 

You can die on that hill but Puzzle and Only Revolutions will never be beaten by them ever.

1 hour ago, FeverDream said:

Yup. And far from pop as northernangel wants us to believe. Progressive, experimental, and still perfectly heavy in places. Anyway I digress 

I don't want you to believe anything. Recent Biffy is as poppy as they have got. Nothing about the these two last Biffy songs are heavy what so ever lol.

[DomDom1984]

I'm kinda annoyed they put no focus on Balance, Not Symmetry which was a delight.

 

A Little Love was definitely about as bland as they've been, but Hunting Season is about what I expect from them post-Puzzle.

[northernangel]

7 minutes ago, DomDom1984 said:

I'm kinda annoyed they put no focus on Balance, Not Symmetry which was a delight.

 

A Little Love was definitely about as bland as they've been, but Hunting Season is about what I expect from them post-Puzzle.

I find A little love much better than Hunting Season. That's not due to heaviness though, that's just liking it more.

[FeverDream]

3 minutes ago, northernangel said:

I find A little love much better than Hunting Season. That's not due to heaviness though, that's just liking it more.

FWIW I do think Hunting Season feels somewhat overproduced. The drums have a weird tone towards the end. Kinda compressed? 

[FeverDream]

38 minutes ago, northernangel said:

 

You can die on that hill but Puzzle and Only Revolutions will never be beaten by them ever.

I don't want you to believe anything. Recent Biffy is as poppy as they have got. Nothing about the these two last Biffy songs are heavy what so ever lol.

It was more in reference to the last two albums which do get pretty heavy at times. Sure, not metal heavy, but some great riffs and breakdowns and some heavier vocals etc. 

[Siddey1994]

There’s a reason TMOTHEA was one of the most universally acclaimed albums of the last few years. And tbh Biffy have always done the odd pop song since Puzzle, anyone who recoils at the idea of them going pop needs to grow up tbh.

[northernangel]

3 minutes ago, Siddey1994 said:

There’s a reason TMOTHEA was one of the most universally acclaimed albums of the last few years. And tbh Biffy have always done the odd pop song since Puzzle, anyone who recoils at the idea of them going pop needs to grow up tbh.

 

Yet still doesn't after 4 years have any accreditation like the period of Puzzle the Opposites being gold to platinum. I'll give you A Hunger in your Haunt.

 

No they don't, it's called having an opinion. Maybe you need to grow up then for not being open to others can see things differently 

[JimMacVeigh]

Biffy will headline Download again. Tickets for the upcoming arena tour are selling really well. 

 

I’d also say they’ve always had pop hooks in their stuff from Blackened Sky to today’s material. 57, Questions and Answers, Glitter and Trauma…those three songs could’ve been big singles if they were released today. 
 

It’s clearly a bit more “streamlined” nowadays but they’re still heavy as f**k when they want to be (slurpy slurpy sleep sleep anyone?!). 

 

 

[Siddey1994]

36 minutes ago, northernangel said:

 

Yet still doesn't after 4 years have any accreditation like the period of Puzzle the Opposites being gold to platinum. I'll give you A Hunger in your Haunt.

 

No they don't, it's called having an opinion. Maybe you need to grow up then for not being open to others can see things differently 

Recognition ≠ quality 

[northernangel]

21 minutes ago, JimMacVeigh said:

Biffy will headline Download again. Tickets for the upcoming arena tour are selling really well. 

 

I’d also say they’ve always had pop hooks in their stuff from Blackened Sky to today’s material. 57, Questions and Answers, Glitter and Trauma…those three songs could’ve been big singles if they were released today. 
 

It’s clearly a bit more “streamlined” nowadays but they’re still heavy as f**k when they want to be (slurpy slurpy sleep sleep anyone?!). 

 

 

 

Who cares what their sales are doing?, Robbie Williams sold BST lol, he can headline Download definitely. 

5 minutes ago, Siddey1994 said:

Recognition ≠ quality 

Accreditation for albums = broader case. No song from that album is in the top 10 most popular songs on Spotify or top 16 of kworb which also runs on Spotify. Yet only Revolutions and Opposites with the odd others is all over it. That's the real case of what people think and want to listen to. Slurp slurp is buts it's just a rubbish song. Their heavy material output nowadays compared the years gone by in quality is terrible.

[JimMacVeigh]

40 minutes ago, northernangel said:

 

Who cares what their sales are doing?, Robbie Williams sold BST lol, he can headline Download definitely. 

Accreditation for albums = broader case. No song from that album is in the top 10 most popular songs on Spotify or top 16 of kworb which also runs on Spotify. Yet only Revolutions and Opposites with the odd others is all over it. That's the real case of what people think and want to listen to. Slurp slurp is buts it's just a rubbish song. Their heavy material output nowadays compared the years gone by in quality is terrible.

Who cares how their sales are doing…followed by pointing out about album sales/song plays. 

 

[DomDom1984]

It's always best to know when to just not bother tbh

[Siddey1994]

Tbh all I’m taking from this is that ACOE/TMOTHEA are the most slept on albums of the last few years.

[northernangel]

27 minutes ago, JimMacVeigh said:

Who cares how their sales are doing…followed by pointing out about album sales/song plays. 

 

 

What does that have to do with anything?

 

Album sales and tour sales are completely different, I dont even know what you're even trying to get across here as the two aren't related at all.

 

Lady Gaga sells stadiums easy so she can headline and be a solid choice for Download. The barrier of selling tickets is purely stupid.

 

Biffy Clyro did a huge 2016 arena tour and headlined Download 2017 to a smaller crowd. They did an arena tour ends of 2022 yet had a small crowd at Download 22 beforehand......its entirely possible when a massive section of the Download crowd don't care or want Biffy Clyro headlining the festival. They also massively messed up having them on the last night.

 

You can see the reality of it or choose to follow the, "it's easier not to bother shite" when it's staring you in the face.

 

13 minutes ago, Siddey1994 said:

Tbh all I’m taking from this is that ACOE/TMOTHEA are the most slept on albums of the last few years.

 

To be honest all you should be taking taking them is through the wider range of listeners no one cares about that content as much as the other stuff they've done. They wouldn't play so much older material at their shows if they could get away with more newer stuff.

[JimMacVeigh]

12 minutes ago, northernangel said:

 

What does that have to do with anything?

 

Album sales and tour sales are completely different, I dont even know what you're even trying to get across here as the two aren't related at all.

 

Lady Gaga sells stadiums easy so she can headline and be a solid choice for Download. The barrier of selling tickets is purely stupid.

 

Biffy Clyro did a huge 2016 arena tour and headlined Download 2017 to a smaller crowd. They did an arena tour ends of 2022 yet had a small crowd at Download 22 beforehand......its entirely possible when a massive section of the Download crowd don't care or want Biffy Clyro headlining the festival. They also massively messed up having them on the last night.

 

You can see the reality of it or choose to follow the, "it's easier not to bother shite" when it's staring you in the face.

 

 

To be honest all you should be taking taking them is through the wider range of listeners no one cares about that content as much as the other stuff they've done. They wouldn't play so much older material at their shows if they could get away with more newer stuff.

You can’t say who cares about ticket sales but bring up album sales and then say they’re completely different. 😂

You joker. 

 

That’s the whole point of ticket sales though right? To justify getting that headliner slot. Biffy sell tickets, they’ll headline download again. 
 

As you’ve pointed out, they do arena tours that sell really well. They cater to an alternative crowd (as well as a mainstream crowd). An alternative crowd who go to Download. And if the majority of the Download crowd don’t want to see them, that’s fine. They’ll go elsewhere, go watch who’s on the other stages. The fans will be there regardless.

Also, Lady Gaga could obviously headline download and she’d probably go down a storm. 

 

End of the day, that’s my view on it, and you’re entitled to yours. 

 

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, JimMacVeigh said:

Biffy will headline Download again. Tickets for the upcoming arena tour are selling really well. 

 

I’d also say they’ve always had pop hooks in their stuff from Blackened Sky to today’s material. 57, Questions and Answers, Glitter and Trauma…those three songs could’ve been big singles if they were released today. 
 

It’s clearly a bit more “streamlined” nowadays but they’re still heavy as f**k when they want to be (slurpy slurpy sleep sleep anyone?!). 

 

 

This. They have had the most poppy hooks since the beginning, there’s just more of them now because they’ve gotten better at them. 
 

Each of the last two albums have proven that they can still be weird and obtuse and heavy when they want to be and this new album will be the same. I think it’s such a massive triumph that we have a band that can release an album that goes straight to #1 and gets tonnes and tonnes of airplay on Radio 1 across various single, yet still closes with a 6 minute plus proggy, angular song with screamed vocals. 
 

They will absolutely headline Download again. They might not be the first choice but how many bands every year are the first choice? All we have to do it look at last year for that. 

[Siddey1994]

Again, nothing you’re saying actually negates the glowing reception those albums received, even if you think it does.

 

You’re allowed to dislike newer Biffy but the fans predominantly liking the older stuff more means basically nothing.

[Spiral_Low]

13 hours ago, JimMacVeigh said:

And if the majority of the Download crowd don’t want to see them, that’s fine. They’ll go elsewhere, go watch who’s on the other stages. The fans will be there regardless.

 

Actually they won’t, because Download don’t put bands on other stages anymore, apart from maybe 20 mins crossover with the dogtooth stage. And that's one of Download's problems tbh. 

[Andre91]

Yeah, it sucks how Download have started making the ‘no clashes with the headliners’ a bit of a thing now. There should always be four choices to end the night unless it’s something that totally doesn’t make sense, such as, I don’t know, having Neck Deep headline the Avalanche against Blink-182 or something. 
 

I blame Iron Maiden for this and their fragile little egos that people won’t go and see them, even though they’re playing on the most home-turf place possible in DL. 

[northernangel]

41 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Yeah, it sucks how Download have started making the ‘no clashes with the headliners’ a bit of a thing now. There should always be four choices to end the night unless it’s something that totally doesn’t make sense, such as, I don’t know, having Neck Deep headline the Avalanche against Blink-182 or something. 
 

I blame Iron Maiden for this and their fragile little egos that people won’t go and see them, even though they’re playing on the most home-turf place possible in DL. 

It's more to do with sound bleed apparently because Download arena setup isn't great lol. They need both main stages opposite sides of the site with the second stage under a big tent to keep sound in

 

[Andre91]

9 minutes ago, northernangel said:

It's more to do with sound bleed apparently because Download arena setup isn't great lol. They need both main stages opposite sides of the site with the second stage under a big tent to keep sound in

 

I know nothing of site planning but I’ve often wondered why the second stage can’t go down where the Avalanche stage is. It’s a massive area down that end. 

[northernangel]

14 hours ago, JimMacVeigh said:

You can’t say who cares about ticket sales but bring up album sales and then say they’re completely different. 😂

You joker. 

 

That’s the whole point of ticket sales though right? To justify getting that headliner slot. Biffy sell tickets, they’ll headline download again. 
 

As you’ve pointed out, they do arena tours that sell really well. They cater to an alternative crowd (as well as a mainstream crowd). An alternative crowd who go to Download. And if the majority of the Download crowd don’t want to see them, that’s fine. They’ll go elsewhere, go watch who’s on the other stages. The fans will be there regardless.

Also, Lady Gaga could obviously headline download and she’d probably go down a storm. 

 

End of the day, that’s my view on it, and you’re entitled to yours. 

 

Lady Gaga would not go down a storm you fool! She's the most pop act going and to put her at a rock and metal fest jesus!

 

Biffy Clyro last arena tour was the easiest to buy ticket for an arena next to Bullets I've known. I didn't say they sold them really well, I said they did an arena tour.

 

As said with the fact that people get in 9/10 cases the dogtooth headliner as the only other alternative there isn't really loads of other options so that conversation point is flawed. 

 

[Andre91]

4 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Lady Gaga would not go down a storm you fool! She's the most pop act going and to put her at a rock and metal fest jesus!

 

Biffy Clyro last arena tour was the easiest to buy ticket for an arena next to Bullets I've known. I didn't say they sold them really well, I said they did an arena tour.

 

As said with the fact that people get in 9/10 cases the dogtooth headliner as the only other alternative there isn't really loads of other options so that conversation point is flawed. 

 

‘YOU FOOL’ 😂

 

I… I don’t think Gaga was a serious suggestion. 
 

What are you going on about re: Biffy? Easy to get a ticket for? What does that even mean? They sold the tour out. Like they have done every arena tour they’ve done ever. Their tour yesterday has sold brilliantly on the first day, just some seats left. It’ll be sold out within a couple of weeks. 

[JimMacVeigh]

8 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Lady Gaga would not go down a storm you fool! She's the most pop act going and to put her at a rock and metal fest jesus!

 

Biffy Clyro last arena tour was the easiest to buy ticket for an arena next to Bullets I've known. I didn't say they sold them really well, I said they did an arena tour.

 

As said with the fact that people get in 9/10 cases the dogtooth headliner as the only other alternative there isn't really loads of other options so that conversation point is flawed. 

 

“you fool!”

 

did I strike a nerve? Jesus man, relax. 
@Andre91 how do you put up with this guy? 😂😂😂

 

Anyway, you brought up lady Gaga and Robbie Williams first, so…you know…lol. 😂

[JimMacVeigh]

2 hours ago, Spiral_Low said:

Actually they won’t, because Download don’t put bands on other stages anymore, apart from maybe 20 mins crossover with the dogtooth stage. And that's one of Download's problems tbh. 

I’ll concede this then. For some reason, I thought Steel Panther went up against them. 
 

That’s still a dumb move.