Download Post Mortem - Sunday June 14th

All the action from final night of this year’s festival - Def Leppard, Journey and more...

80,000 people woke up on Sunday morning still buzzing from an electric day of rock they had experienced just a few hours earlier. Could the last day of Download 2009 really top the tenacious and unforgettable moments of the night before? We’d soon be finding out…

Dubbed the ‘Classic Rock Day’, Sunday saw performances from old-school legends including Dream Theatre, ZZ Top, Skin and Whitesnake, a bill that was headlined by Def Leppard who would be closing Download on the Main Stage this year.

The headliners last played Donington 23 years ago, celebrating the truly heroic return of drummer Rick Allen following the loss of his arm in a horrific car accident. It was a triumph then and, as Download quakes under the Sheffield quintet’s might, tonight is another victory. This is how good you get when you spend literally decades rocking arenas, but this is more than just another gig, and the look on Joe Elliott’s face as he salutes his drummer is every bit as powerful as Photograph, Rock Of Ages and Let’s Get Rocked. Gentlemen, you did yourselves proud. ~ Kerrang! Magazine’s NICK RUSKELL

"It’s been a really hectic week," Joe Elliot from the band said after the performance. "We’ve been rehearsing all week. We had a gig in Dublin, then the Mojo awards. Last time we played Donington it was Rick’s (Allen, drummer) first gig after his accident. It was like an emotional comeback. Almost like having a spiritual rebirth, playing this place. I can’t believe it’s been 23 years!"

One other classic rock band at Download on Sunday were Journey, who showed no sign of slowing down despite being on the road for over 35 years. They played an incredible set to a mixture of fans young and old, and there wasn’t a single person watching who didn’t go crazy when they played Don’t Stop Believin' immediately followed Any Way You Want It. Can’t ask for much more than that.

For a full 16-page review of Download 2009, check out the latest issue of Kerrang! - on sale now!