Main News Channel

Main News Channel Main news channel for the Download Festival 2009 Website en Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:35:01 GMT Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:35:01 GMT 5 Get up close and personal with Aerosmith at Download this year VIP packages available to meet Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, plus you get a bunch of other Aerosmith goodies too! If you want to purchase this incredible offer, <a href="http://www.aeroforceone.com/index.cfm/pk/view/cd/MAE/cdid/1253903/pid/10784#">Click Here</a> to be taken to Aerosmith’s website where tickets are available to order. (Please note, this offer is only for people who are yet to buy tickets to Downlaod 2010. Unfortunately there is no option to “upgrade” your tickets if you’ve already purchased – sorry!) <a href="http://www.aeroforceone.com/index.cfm/pk/view/cd/MAE/cdid/1253903/pid/10784#">Order now</a> Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:45:00 GMT 2010-03-19T05:45:00 3ecb928f-ba62-4201-8f9e-7f078bb506cc 1 New Them Crooked Vultures YouTube video now online TCV have just uploaded a hilarious in-the-studio-video called Fresh Pots, which reveals a side of Dave Grohl’s personality that you may not have seen before… Ever wondered where <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=bb7ec5cd-da62-4f9d-9bbd-b61401152166&artist=THEM%20CROOKED%20VULTURES">Them Crooked Vultures</a> drummer Dave Grohl gets his energy from? The band have just uploaded a new video that reveals the source of the rock star’s tenacity. And it’s pretty damn funny. It seems that Dave has a bit of a penchant for piping hot caffeine-filled ‘Fresh Pots’ of coffee. And it looks like it is a rather integral part of his life. “He’s got an unsatiable thirst for coffee,” says TCV’s Josh Homme in the video. “If I drank that much coffee I would cry decaff” The clip goes on to show Dave on fine form behind the drum kit, going out of control in the studio and doing some rather energetic dancing throughout – all apparently powered by, um, coffee. You can watch the hilarious video below. Go grab yourself a cuppa whilst you’re at it. Oh, and we’d like to be the first to suggest a new chant for Download this year: “FRESH POT!!!” <object width="360" height="291"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fhdCslFcKFU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fhdCslFcKFU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="360" height="291"></embed></object> Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:30:00 GMT 2010-03-17T01:30:00 cd16c76f-d899-4aa6-af79-d0bc8ea29560 2 Stone Temple Pilots stream a clip of their next single online Listen to a full 21 seconds of ‘Below Empty’ now! Boy, are we excited about the new <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=365199cf-cd4e-416c-949d-647007a81ecf&artist=STONE%20TEMPLE%20PILOTS">Stone Temple Pilots</a> album. It’ll be the first offering from the band since their 2001 masterpiece Shangri-La-Dee-Da, and from what we gather, it could well be their finest work to date. At a recent private hearing, The Pulse of Radio described the album as having “a lot of in-your-face, hard-rocking tracks, plenty of guitar solos and some astounding singing from [Scott] Weiland”. Bring it the hell on! The 12 track album, simply titled Stone Temple Pilots, is due out on May 25th, with the single <a href="http://www.belowempty.com/media/index.html">Below Empty</a> set to be the first of the new material to be aired later this month. To get your ears salivating, the band have released a full 21 seconds of the single for your audio consumption. And whist it is a short sample, it is oh-so-sweet. <a href="http://www.belowempty.com/media/index.html">Click here to listen to it now</a>! Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:45:00 GMT 2010-03-16T05:45:00 fa50004a-5848-4d68-972d-25fc883c9746 3 Singer ZP Theart leaves DragonForce There’s some bad news and some good news for fans of the band… DragonForce fans all over the world will be saddened to hear that singer ZP Theart has parted ways with the band, due to "insurmountable differences of musical opinion". That’s the bad news… The good news is that the search is now on for a replacement singer – and YOU could be the one chosen to front the iconic metal band! “DragonForce have begun a worldwide search for a powerful and melodic singer to help write the next chapter of the band,” says the <a href="http://www.dragonforce.com/audition/">DragonForce website</a>. It goes on to provide instructions on how to audition to be in the band, which you can read <a href="http://www.dragonforce.com/audition/">here</a>. Think what you’ve got what it takes to be their new singer? How cool would it be if a Download Fan ended up fronting the mighty DragonForce?! If you’ve got the lungs (and the hair?!) for the job, go and audition, and do us proud! <a href="http://www.dragonforce.com/audition/">>Visit dragonforce.com</a> Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:15:00 GMT 2010-03-10T05:15:00 f5afa677-4e49-4f67-bdd4-55427a78bbdc 4 Watch the new Bullet For My Valentine video now New single ‘The Last Fight’ ready for your viewing pleasure Welsh rockers <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=ec2d2fe6-fc1e-41b4-8882-57cc4ee7a953&artist=BULLET%20FOR%20MY%20VALENTINE">Bullet For My Valentine</a> have just released the video for forthcoming single The Last Fight on their <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bulletformyvalentine">MySpace</a> – and it’s a corker. Due for release on April 19th, the single comes from the band’s next album Fever, which will hit shelves exactly one week after the single. With an intro that makes your brain shake (in a good way) and an anthemic chorus that includes the band chanting “I will fight / one more fight” and frontman Matt Tuck singing “Are you listening to me / I am not your enemy”, it’s one of B4MV’s best yet. You can watch the new video now – press play and enjoy! <a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=103529106" style="font: Verdana">The Last Fight</a> <object width="360px" height="305px" ><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="movie" value="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=103529106,t=1,mt=video"/><embed src="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=103529106,t=1,mt=video" width="360" height="305" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed></object> <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=7066776" style="font: Verdana">Bullet For My Valentine</a> | <a href="http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=videos" style="font: Verdana">MySpace Music Videos</a> Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:15:00 GMT 2010-03-12T02:15:00 c8a80aa8-6210-4e8e-bdcb-9aac1a37cfa6 1000000 New Iron Man 2 trailer features two killer AC/DC tracks 'Shoot To Thrill' and 'War Machine' make new trailer sound as good as it looks We’re excited about the release of <a href="http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/">Iron Man 2</a> for two reasons; One, because the first film was so damn cool, and two because <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=b4b2e5a1-73ca-4f80-bf4a-8546513eab84&artist=AC/DC">AC/DC</a> have provided a selection of their best tracks for the soundtrack! With the film due out on April 28th, the nice people at Marvel Studios have released a new trailer, and it includes two killer AC/DC anthems. The trailer kicks off with Shoot To Thrill, which sounds perfect against images of main character Tony Stark yelling “It’s good to be back” to a packed arena. But when War Machine kicks in later in the trailer, which is played alongside images of what appears to be an all-out Iron Man battle (OMFG!!), you realize what an awesome collaboration this is. You can watch the new Iron Man 2 trailer below. The film soundtrack, which features 15 classic AC/DC songs selected from ten of the band’s studio albums, is out on April 19th. <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0035WTE2U?ie=UTF8&tag=livnat-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0035WTE2U">Pre-order your copy now</a>. <object width="360" height="291"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oOzuBOefL8I&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_GB&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oOzuBOefL8I&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_GB&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="360" height="291"></embed></object> Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:30:00 GMT 2010-03-09T05:30:00 b381f425-4458-459f-bba3-537d1a56f973 1000000 Lamb of God’s John Campbell speaks! Bassist discusses being in LoG, new album ‘Wrath’ and becoming a dad Yorkshire lass Sophie K from <a href="http://www.totalrock.com/">Total Rock</a> recently had a chat with <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=f28ab147-d948-4c4c-a721-72c389ca1d89&artist=LAMB%20OF%20GOD">Lamb of God</a> bassist John Campbell, who discussed being part of the iconic heavy metal group, their new album Wrath and how becoming a father has changed him. “It’s been pretty amazing that we got this far” says John, looking back on the band’s impressive 16-year career. “We’re just 5 dudes who drink beer, made [sic] heavy metal and play parties” He went on to say that becoming a dad has changed him in “indescribable ways”. “I don’t wanna sit here and say ‘I’m so much cooler ‘cos now I have a kid and I know all of these secrets that no one knew before’, but it changes your perspective. It alters you dramatically” Asked about the religious connotations in Lamb of God’s music, Campbell revealed that he was more cynical about the clash of religious undertones in the genre. “Black Sabbath started heavy metal having religious imagery kind of woven into it,” he said. “Religion to me in general is nonsense” Chris also talks about Wrath, the band’s most recent album that was launched onto the world in February 2009. “We purposefully didn’t polish it up with tricks in the studio,” he admits. “We would leave mistakes in there just as little bits of flavour” “We wanted it to sound like bands playing with microphones” You can watch the full interview below. <object width="360" height="291"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pFK77YNoD_E&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pFK77YNoD_E&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="360" height="291"></embed></object> Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:45:00 GMT 2010-03-08T02:45:00 8d0cddda-d851-4c46-a820-c343cbb1bac2 1000000 Wolfmother reveal special behind-the-scenes pics from their latest video shoot Check out images from forthcoming single ‘Far Away’ now. Life must be hard for <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=ffb07933-a019-416b-8623-9308dfa24fc9&artist=WOLFMOTHER">Wolfmother</a> at the moment. One minute they’re playing headline shows in the UK, the next they’re supporting <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=b4b2e5a1-73ca-4f80-bf4a-8546513eab84&artist=AC/DC">AC/DC</a> on tour. Tough work, but someone’s gotta do it. Ah, who are we kidding?! Things go from strength-to-strength for the band, and the latest rock ‘n roll highlight for the Aussie foursome has been shooting the video for their next single Far Away in Sydney. <img height="274" width="412" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido//publishing/news/h/e/j/Image/wolfmother-pic1.jpg" /> Featuring shots of a rather trimmed Andrew Stockdale on a shiny piano and the band playing beside the sea, it’s an outdoorsy affair to say the least. The track, taken from their incredible second album Cosmic Egg is a good-ol' fashioned get-the-lighters-out rock ballad, complete with delicate piano, acoustic guitars and a relatively subdued vocal track. <img height="274" width="412" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido//publishing/news/h/e/j/Image/wolfmother-pic2.jpg" /> The video is directed by Sam Shepard, who worked on the videos for Passion Pit’s The Reeling and Uprising by Muse – so they’re in safe hands. There are more pictures from the shoot at the band's official website. <a href="http://www.wolfmother.com/photos/far_away_video_shoot">Click Here</a> to see them now! Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:00:00 GMT 2010-03-05T20:00:00 1d57863b-fddb-41e8-a252-12eda85357ff 1000000 Five Finger Death Punch post video for their new single online 'No One Gets Left Behind' due for release next week The ferocious <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=1487bbb1-dd91-4a39-a13e-7adb0fae3966&artist=FIVE%20FINGER%20DEATH%20PUNCH">Five Finger Death Punch</a> have just posted the video for their politically-charged anthem No One Gets Left Behind online. Made with an emotive combination of live shots of the band juxtaposed against clips of politicians and wounded soldiers, the track carries a hard-hitting message. “Have you no backbone, have you no spine?” demands frontman Ivan in his not-so-dulcet tones. “Whatever happened to no one gets left behind?” You can watch the video below. The single is released on digital download and 7” vinyl on Monday (March 8th), and is available exclusively through <a href="http://www.whatrecords.co.uk/">whatrecords.co.uk</a>. <object width="360" height="291"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yAJGz7BotLM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yAJGz7BotLM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="360" height="291"></embed></object> Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT 2010-03-05T06:00:00 343a7318-6236-436f-9293-3256675a2942 1000000 Airbourne stream new album online ‘No Guts No Glory’ available to listen to now! Aussie rockers Airbourne are releasing their third album No Guts No Glory on Monday, but if you can’t wait that long to hear the band’s latest dose of fist-pumping rock ‘n roll anthems, this is the news you’ve been waiting for. Airbourne are currently streaming the entire album online over at their website. <a href="http://www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk/exclusive/airbourne/uk/">Click Here</a> to listen to it now. We’re not sure how long it’s going to be available for, so our advice is head over to their website now, turn your speakers up to 11 and have a jolly good old time waving your hands in the air and rocking out to some good ‘ol fashioned, scream-if-you-wanna-go-louder raucous rock tunes. <a href="http://www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk/exclusive/airbourne/uk/">Listen now</a> Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:45:00 GMT 2010-03-03T07:45:00 a520337e-7f77-420e-81c1-51842aad5916 1000000 Notes from the Fan Forum What was said at our most recent meeting with some of Download’s most active community members… It’s true that without the Fans, Download is nothing. We know how much this festival means to you, and we value your opinion about everything from what bands you want to see on the bill through to what type of soap we use in our toilets. Never is your input more valued than it is at our Fan Forum, a date in the Download diary where by the Festival organizers meet with the community’s most active members and talk all things Download. The most recent meet took place last Friday (February 26th), and as usual a mixed crowd of Download veterans and newbies posted their questions, concerns and comments to <a href="http://twitter.com/jprobyn">Live Nation Chief Operating Officer and Festival Director John Probyn</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Maverick_AC">Vice President of Music and Download Band Booker Andy Copping</a> and the rest of the Download team. “These Forums are incredibly important to us” explained John, kicking off the meeting in London to a room full of about 30 Forum members. The first set of questions asked about the line-up, and why we don’t announce the full list of bands when we initially go on sale with tickets. Andy revealed that it’s a combination of not always having all the bands confirmed by the time we go on sale, and wanting to drip feed information to the Fans so that the Festival maintains and builds in interest. Another advantage is that if a band comes our way to be on the line-up, we have the flexibility to add them in if we can. “There are lots advantages," said Andy. “And I’d like to think that eight years in, you can trust us to deliver.” “2010 is, for me, our strongest line-up”. <img alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido//publishing/news/f/k/l/Image/fanforum-1.jpg" /> In terms of announcing this year’s Download, Andy was quick to explain why we announced in January, several weeks after some other festivals had already revealed their line-ups. “Our plan was always to announce at the end of January,” he admitted. “We’re leaders, not followers”. And with headliners like AC/DC, Rage Against The Machine and Aerosmith up his sleeve, you can understand why he was never in any rush to jump the gun. “It’s a joy to be part of Download,” Andy concluded. “It’s hard work, it keeps me up at night, but I love it”. After Fans had posted all their questions to Andy about the bands, it was over to John to talk about the finer details of the Festival. The following matters were discussed: Information provision • We’ll be installing a lot more screens at Download this year compared to in the past, which will be used to provide information to Festival-goers in between bands • We won’t be providing a mobile phone text information system, as this goes against something fundamental that we believe in – people not bringing their phones in to the Arena, because so many get lost or stolen. • The other problem with a text service is that network coverage at Download is always a problem – having so many people on the site massively reduces the signal. Security • We have over 1,000 stewards at Download. We have to use a number of different security companies, as so many security staff are required • One recent successful idea that came from a previous Fan Forum was to assign numbers to security staff, so that if any of them behaved inappropriately they could be identified and reported. • Similarly, if any security staff were notably good at their jobs, Fans could identify them and commend their hard work to the organizers and security employers. • “Those guys work damn hard,” said John at the Forum. “And they get so much crap thrown at them – physically and verbally.” • John also said that “Ralph was overwhelmed by the level of attention he got last year” (just Google ‘Ralph’ if you don’t know what he’s on about!). <img alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido//publishing/news/f/k/l/Image/fanforum-2.jpg" /> Cashless system • The idea of a cashless system is one that’s been in the works for a couple of years. Basically all your money is contained in an electronic wristband so that you don’t need to carry around your wallet with you at Download – which means you don’t have to worry about it getting lost or stolen at the Festival. • John wants Download to not necessarily be the first to implement this system, but to be the first to do it properly. • This is absolutely not a system for us to make money from – on the contrary, it’s going to cost us a massive £250k to implement! • You’ll be able to get the wristbands topped up with cash by a friend or relative back home whilst you’re at the Festival. So if you run out of cash during your time at Download, you can call up your folks and they can top your wristband up with extra cash! They’ll even be able to assign how much of the money you can spend on food, drink and the like. Genius! • We’ll launch the system when we go on sale with a future Download. Site layout • We’re still working on the layout of this year’s Donington site. It won’t be vastly different from last year, notable changes will be a slight adjustment of the 3rd and 4th stages, plus a few other tweaks. • Andy said that the decision to move out of the race track in 2009 was “inspired”, and that even though he’s been going to Donington since the very first Monsters of Rock Festival back in 1980, he thinks the new layout is “absolutely spot on”. • We were going to show Fans engineering maps of the site layout as we have done at previous Fan Forums, but we decided to not do that at the 11th hour. We’d rather you saw the plans in full once they’ve been finalized, rather than seeing incomplete versions. • We’ve been given permission to open up a section of the Donington race track, which will speed up journey-times to the Arena for people camping in the more distant camp sites. The Village • Once again, The Village at Download 2010 will be a hive of activity, with all sorts of entertainment, food and stalls on offer. • Due to overwhelming popularity, we are going to add another entertainment tent to The Village this year, along with the affectionately Fan-named “Bell Tent” and “End Tent”. • We’re thinking about sectioning off an area in the Arena and creating an additional “Food Village”, complete with features such as picnic areas and café bars, which will be a nice break from the raucousness of the rest of the Arena! There were other things discussed at the Fan Forum including transport to the site, green issues and announcing ‘exclusive’ bands, and you can about these topics and more on <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4454079.aspx">this discussion topic</a>. Keep your eyes peeled across the boards this week for even more bits of juicy information about Download 2010, which will no doubt be posted by Fans who were in attendance at the Forum in the coming days. <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/">Go to the Download Forum now</a> Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:45:00 GMT 2010-03-02T05:45:00 86a7da6d-085e-43dc-9bd6-803c0e393c4d 1000000 On the Forums this week Your weekly update of all the crazy chit-chat going on in the exciting world of the Download Forums What are the Download Fans over on the Forums talking about this week? Well, we had our Fan Forum meeting on Friday night in London and there was plenty of Fan fodder that came out of that. There’s also been posts this week about AC/DC and Aerosmith, as well as all the usual chit-chat about Download, Donington, and all things METAL. Here’s a brief selection – as always, <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/">head over to the forums</a> to join in the fun… <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4447491.aspx">So, what happened at the Fan Forum? </a> “Any news on layout, lineup or anything else from last night or do all the Fan Forum members still have terrible hangovers? ” Started by: ApathyInTheUK | 355 replies | Last post by: Lilith <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4447491.aspx">>Read more</a> <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4162811.aspx">Official Donington book - your stories required! </a> "Do you have any stories that you want to share with the world about your experiences of MOR?" Started by: HullHellHalifax | 60 replies | Last post by: Hevs <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4162811.aspx">>Read more</a> <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4451027.aspx">If you could have a backstage pass for 1 band announced this year, who would it be & why? </a> "My personal choice would be Aerosmith. Would be a great way to end the weekend..." Started by: LyricalJuvenile | 9 replies | Last post by: Metalhed07 <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4451027.aspx">>Read more</a> <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4443809.aspx">What first got you into Download? </a> “I'm actually pretty sure Download is one of the major reasons I'm into Rock Music. ” Started by: LiamJ7X | 102 replies | Last post by: WelshJez <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4443809.aspx">>Read more</a> <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4434724.aspx">Will this be the last time we see ACDC live in the uk? </a> “Does anyone think this will be the last chance we get to see ACDC live in the uk??? ” Started by: carl1973 | 35 replies | Last post by: Little red tricycle <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4434724.aspx">>Read more</a> <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4448666.aspx">Bring the tyre home </a> “I remember looking over my shoulder from the Main Stage and seeing the Dunlop Tyre at Donington. It is one of those iconic images for people before me and since. The setting has moved, but the memory hasn't.” Started by: Lordi | 46 replies | Last post by: defkitty <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/m4448666.aspx">>Read more</a> <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/">Go to the Download Forum now</a> Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:45:00 GMT 2010-03-01T05:45:00 3c070fae-d8d4-4430-b672-7460dfac62b5 1000000 WANTED: Your old Monsters of Rock and Download stuff! Send us your memorabilia from Doningtons gone by and we’ll post it on the website It’s no secret that this year marks the 30th anniversary of rock heritage for the prestigious Donington site – the place where the very first Monsters of Rock Festival took place back in 1980, and a turf that is now home to the mighty Download Festival. To mark the occasion, one of the many things we’re doing is building a very exciting <a href="/history">History</a> page for the website. There’s already some bits and pieces on there, including posters from the past 30 years, a video, information and the like – but we need your help to take it to the next level. We know that there are hundreds and thousands of you out there with all sorts of Donington memorabilia from the past 30 years kicking about in your attics, lying at the bottom of a box somewhere, or perhaps lovingly framed and proudly on display in your front room. We’re talking about posters, tickets stubs, wrist bands, t-shirts and other such stuff, and we want pictures of them to grow our History section into something historic itself. If you’ve got anything like this that you think would looks great on this site, please take a picture or scan it in and email the image to us at <a href="mailto:downloadfestival@livenation.co.uk">downloadfestival@livenation.co.uk</a>. The following image is a picture of the ticket from the 1994 Monsters of Rock Festival, which was headlined by <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=18dbd4a0-3afd-4a24-a792-62f57d44311c&artist=AEROSMITH">Aerosmith</a>. It was sent to us by Dave from Gosport, who has held on to it as a souvenir to remind him of his fourth MoR experience. “Highlight in ’94 was probably Seplutra,” he told us. “Closely followed by Aerosmtih”. <img height="510" width="412" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido//publishing/news/s/b/r/Image/mor1994.jpg" /> So get involved - dig out your old Donington memorabilia and send it to us – it'd be just lovely to hear from you. <a href="mailto:downloadfestival@livenation.co.uk">Email us now</a> Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:15:00 GMT 2010-02-26T12:15:00 142b9d60-4ad7-4079-b365-ce7f591a5638 1000000 Download Fan Forum kicks off in London tonight A unique opportunity for Fans to tell Download Festival organizers how we can make this year’s event even better We love our Fans. We really do. Not only are they relentless with their love of all things Rock, they also happen to be a rather opinionated bunch, which is no bad thing in our book. And so every year in the run up to Download, we take full advantage of their passion and invite a select few of the most active members of the Download Community to our Fan Forum in London, where we discuss all things Download. It’s a chance for the Fans to tell us here at Download HQ, including Festival Director John and Band Booker Andy, how we can make this year’s event even better. Topics of conversation range from entertainment, food, beer prices and stage sound through to security, toilets and site access. And everything in between. It’s literally a smorgasbord of conversation topics, with people from Download’s Production Team, Customer Services department and Website people on hand to answer Fans' barrage of questions. This year’s Fan Forum is taking place tonight (Friday), and <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/">downloadfestival.co.uk</a> will be in attendance taking notes for this ‘ere website. Check back next week for a full write-up of all the night’s shenanigans. We’ll also be doing a bit of Twitter action when we’re down there, so make sure you follow us at <a href="http://twitter.com/DownloadFest">twitter.com/DownloadFest</a> for the inside scoop. Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:45:00 GMT 2010-02-26T05:45:00 c306cec6-199b-4a12-b450-983c2d577e06 1000000 Stone Temple Pilots have finished mastering their latest album! As-yet-untitled sixth album to be released in May It’s been nine long years since <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=365199cf-cd4e-416c-949d-647007a81ecf&artist=STONE%20TEMPLE%20PILOTS">Stone Temple Pilots</a> released their epic album Shangri-La-Dee-Da, and anticipation for new material is reaching fever pitch in the rock world. So it’ll be welcome news to STP’s legion of fans that on a recent ‘blue-carpet’ interview, frontman Scott Weiland revealed that mastering of their as-yet-untitled sixth studio album has just been completed, with the record due out in May. You can watch the interview with Scott and entertainment reporter Nicole Brown, which took place at the recent opening of the Viva Elvis show in Las Vegas, below. Scott also talks about the band’s plans for the summer, with a brief hint at their performance at Download in June. “We’ll be playing South By Southwest in March,” says the singer. “Then we go to Europe to play all the big festivals” <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gA4yQevsJz8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" width="360" height="291" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" scale="ShowAll" loop="loop" menu="menu" wmode="Window" quality="1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed> If you’re wondering what the new material will sound like, in an interview with <a href="http://spin.com/articles/studio-stone-temple-pilots">Spin.com</a>, band bassist Robert DeLeo admitted that the record was “sounding tasty” “Fans are going to get a great STP record,” says the musician. “We know what STP sounds like - we have a sonic blueprint”. “There's a song called Between the Lines, which musically is like Paul Revere and the Raiders, with that '60s sound that I've always been a fan of,” he continues. “It's a '60s rockin' basher!” You can read the full interview <a href="http://spin.com/articles/studio-stone-temple-pilots">here</a>. We’re looking forward to rocking out to some of the new material at Download in June boys – and maybe even a bunch of classics too, please! Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:45:00 GMT 2010-02-23T01:45:00 0e365d20-ec82-4a6f-8ee2-ce6209b637ac 1000000 Deftones announce new album! Latest offering from the alt-metallers will be out in May Seeing as they formed back in 1988, you can always guarantee a plethora of awesome hits at any <a href="/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=33c25eea-8ad5-47d1-8164-8c45c27352dd&artist=DEFTONES">Deftones</a> show. And it looks like their set list is about to get a boost in 2010. Although it’s been a tough year for the Sacramento rockers, with bass player Chi Cheng being involved in a horrific car accident back in November 2008, the good news is that the band are looking onwards and upwards thanks to the announcement of their latest record. The band have revealed that their sixth studio album will be getting released on May 18th 2010, and will be called Diamond Eyes. The first single off the album will be Rocket Skates, and is going to be available to download free from <a href="http://www.deftones.com">deftones.com</a> on February 23rd. But if you can’t wait that long then click play below for a sneak preview… <object width="360" height="291"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V2mt1S7wSP0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V2mt1S7wSP0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="360" height="291"></embed></object> Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:15:00 GMT 2010-02-17T01:15:00 462c4e94-3d44-47e5-ac86-fdc7a170fd91 1000000 Aerosmith and Rage Against The Machine added to the Download 2010 line-up Headliners now confirmed plus more bands announced... You want more headliners? You got it. We can confirm that as well as the already-announced <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=b4b2e5a1-73ca-4f80-bf4a-8546513eab84&artist=AC%252FDC">AC/DC</a>, the other two headliners on the Download 2010 are none other than one of America’s greatest Rock ‘N’ Roll bands <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=18dbd4a0-3afd-4a24-a792-62f57d44311c&artist=Aerosmith">Aerosmith</a> and hip-hop punkers <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=be728c9a-759e-4cee-bcc9-37e95cef991f&artist=Rage+Against+The+Machine">Rage Against The Machine</a>. Celebrating 40 years at the top, Aerosmith will return to the main stage at Donington Park for the first time in 16 years. Last playing as headliners of the Donington Monsters Of Rock Festival in 1990 and 1994, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry et al return with their legendary juggernaut performance, one that has earned them the title of best-selling American rock band of all time. "In the early days of Aerosmith we were infected with the vibe coming out of the UK with The Yardbirds, Blues Breakers, Pretty Things and the Stones, and we wanted what they had bad," says Steven Tyler. "So baby, we¹re coming home. Rock & Roll can be pure sex and we can¹t wait to Download..." Rage Against The Machine, who in a storm of publicity and heavy campaigning scored the UK Christmas No. 1 single last year, will for the very first time bring their sheer power of political alternative, hip-hop, punk rock to the festival’s main stage. To this day, Rage Against The Machine, who were presented the Hall Of Fame Award by Kerrang! Magazine in 2008, remain one of the most popular and influential political bands in contemporary music. "Due to the insane demand for tickets for the free Rage show in Finsbury Park, we have decided to jump on this year's Download Festival as well and spread The Rage Factor around the country a bit," said lead guitarist Tom Morello. "Here we come, muthafuckers!!" The excitement doesn’t end there though, as we’ve also added Jared Leto’s phenomenal <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=4e7d7e29-feb9-4a26-812c-d5bea9cfeae3&artist=Thirty+Seconds+To+Mars">THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS</a>, SlipKnot frontman Corey Taylor’s other band <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=7e1dd08a-02d8-4aa3-a6d4-c82f1aef286c&artist=Stone+Sour">STONE SOUR</a> and iconic punk rocker <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=b705f39c-43af-4871-ac58-f58c3de43171&artist=Billy+Idol">BILLY IDOL</a> to the line-up. Also on the bill are <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=f28ab147-d948-4c4c-a721-72c389ca1d89&artist=Lamb+of+God">LAMB OF GOD</a>, one of rock's most brutal live bands, and the incredible <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?AID=1487bbb1-dd91-4a39-a13e-7adb0fae3966&artist=Five+Finger+Death+Punch">FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH</a>, who were one of the biggest highlights from last year’s festival. Don’t miss your chance to experience these band, plus over a hundred others when Download returns to Donington Park in June, celebrating 30 years of rock heritage at the illustrious site. Tickets to Download 2010 are on sale now - <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/tickets">GET YOURS HERE</a>. Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:15:00 GMT 2010-02-16T00:15:00 caaa2d34-194a-4f83-b22d-77c0fd9a3926 1000000 Download Festival offers emerging bands a chance on the big stage! The search for new bands to play at this year’s festival is on… Download Festival is teaming with Red Bull Bedroom Jam, the weekly live music webcast for young, emerging bands which returns today to give eight bands the chance to play at the legendary festival. This year bands have the chance to play the behemoth of the festival circuit; Download, but they need to impress the panel of judges, which this year will not only include Charlie Simpson of Fightstar but also Andy Copping, Vice President of Music at Live Nation, and Beckie Sugden from The Agency. Recording sessions at Red Bull’s brand new HQ are also on the table plus a UK wide tour in support of a major act…and entering couldn’t be easier. Each week a band will be chosen by a new Buzz Radar system taking into account the level of interest on the Red Bull Bedroom Jam site as well as other social media buzz such as MySpace and Twitter. As with last year, when the likes of Frank Turner, Alexisonfire and Twin Atlantic were guests, Red Bull Bedroom Jam will continue to feature some of the biggest names in alternative music each week. A total of sixteen bands will play live from their bedroom to the world across as many weeks, 8 of them will be chosen to perform at Download and other festivals throughout the summer. Of those bands, three will be chosen by our panel of industry judges as the best Red Bull Bedroom Jam bands of the year. The final three then go up for another viewers’ vote, the winner of which will secure a two week recording session at Red Bull’s brand new, state of the art studio in London with a top producer as well as a UK wide tour! For full details please visit: <a href="http://www.redbullbedroomjam.com">www.redbullbedroomjam.com</a> Tune in at 5pm every Monday from tonight to check out the show. Don’t be late! Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:45:00 GMT 2010-02-15T11:45:00 c60d3f72-18cf-4b5b-a412-192779ba74ac 1000000 Recyclable tents – here at last! Eco-friendly tents available for this year’s Download – and a whole range of other camping surplus too Every year on the Monday when Download closes its gates for another year, the masses depart Donington and the big clean-up begins. One of our biggest problems we face during this daunting operation is removing piles and piles of camping equipment, including tents, sleeping bags, ground mats and more – and a huge majority of it all goes straight in to land fill, clogging up the environment. Not very nice. The good news is that finally some bright spark has come up with something very special in the camping world – the recyclable tent! (what took them so long?!) <a href="http://www.thegreententcompany.co.uk/festivalchoose.asp?mychosenfestival=1">The Green Tent Company</a> offer a huge range of tents from 2 – 6-man options, and a host of other camping equipment, all branded in the sexy new Download logo. Thanks to the way the items have been built, you can recycle every single part in the same bin as all components are made out of the same material. They’re also incredibly stylish, and carry a rather good price-tag. So if you’re going to be buying a tent for this year’s Download, why not be kind to the environment and get yourself one that’s totally recyclable? <a href="http://www.thegreententcompany.co.uk/festivalchoose.asp?mychosenfestival=1">Find out more and order now</a> Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:15:00 GMT 2010-02-15T07:15:00 9d0ccb98-a85e-41db-a0b0-f041ae142217 1000000 Welcome to our brand new website – take a look around New downloadfestival.co.uk website is here, with a bunch of cool new features… Here at Download HQ we’ve been working furiously behind the scenes on the new Download website. And after weeks of design and development we’re proud to unveil it on the world today – we hope you like it! As well as offering loads of <a href="/news">breaking news</a> stories, <a href="/lineup">line-up</a> info and information and links for Download <a href="/tickets">tickets</a>, the new site is packed full of <a href="/info">festival information</a>, a <a href="/community">community</a> section, <a href="/community">Spotify</a> playlists and more. One of our most exciting new features is out <a href="/history">History</a> section, which chronicles Donington’s illustrious affiliation with rock over the past 30 years, with posters, videos, and stories, and there'll be even more content to be added in time. As if that wasn’t enough, we’ve also done a major upgrade to our <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/">forums</a>, which are now jam-packed full of new toys, bells and whistles. We hope you like what you see – happy browsing! Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:45:00 GMT 2010-02-12T01:45:00 e26d91e0-2d8b-4783-9542-cd945436821b 1000000 New Bullet For My Valentine single announced Latest track from the Welsh rockers to debut on US radio in March Bridgend’s brightest stars <a href="/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=ec2d2fe6-fc1e-41b4-8882-57cc4ee7a953&artist=Bullet+for+my+valentine">Bullet For My Valentine</a> have announced their track Your Betrayal will be aired on US radio from March 8th, and will be the first song off their as-yet-untitled forthcoming album. Speaking to <a href="http://www.rocksound.tv/news/article/bullet-for-my-valentine-talk-new-album">Rock Sound</a>, frontman Matt Tuck explained that he’s "pumped" about the new record. "I’m not ashamed to say it: I’m proud as f**k," the singer/guitarist said of the album. "Every time I hear it I get pumped up and want to play it to people." With the new album due out in spring, the boys are set for an awesome summer, and we can’t wait to hear the new material when they take to the Download stage in June. To read the full article, <a href="http://www.rocksound.tv/news/article/bullet-for-my-valentine-talk-new-album">Click Here</a>. <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hmgpL_oT-cc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" width="420" height="340" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" scale="ShowAll" loop="loop" menu="menu" wmode="Window" quality="1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed> Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:30:00 GMT 2010-02-12T00:30:00 7622c750-e10d-4b83-a6f0-23cb6c9d7a5f 1000000 Two reasons to get very excited indeed We’ve just stumbled across these vids online – were you at Donington back in ’91 for this? When <a href="/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=b4b2e5a1-73ca-4f80-bf4a-8546513eab84&artist=AC%252FDC">AC/DC</a> headline Download in 2010, it won’t be the first time the Aussie rockers have graced the Donington stage, having played Download’s predecessor The Monsters of Rock Festival a staggering three times since 1981. We were having a look on that there interweb today, and we stumbled across a couple of videos of the mighty DC from when they played back in 1991. If this doesn’t get you excited about Download this year, we don’t know what will – bring on the summer! <object width="360" height="291"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/X80Qjh9Yivs&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X80Qjh9Yivs&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="360" height="291"></embed></object> <object width="360" height="291"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k816dPQyPAM&hl=en_GB&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k816dPQyPAM&hl=en_GB&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="360" height="291" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:30:00 GMT 2010-02-10T05:30:00 ca2d0309-8de6-4c0d-97c5-e0568f5a3740 1000000 T minus 124 days With the first set of bands announced for Download 2010, the countdown to the UK’s biggest and most exciting Rock & Metal Festival has officially begun… It’s been a busy couple of weeks here at Download HQ, following one of our most exciting announcements ever: AC/DC, a band who, in the words of Download band booker Andy Copping “don’t do festivals” will be headlining Download 2010. The internet is ablaze with excitement, anticipation and adoration, with music lovers all over the world talking about the tantalizing return of one of the world’s greatest bands to the home of rock: Donington Park. As if you didn’t know by now, we’ve also announced Them Crooked Vultures, Deftones, Stone Temple Pilots, Bullet For My Valentine, Megadeth, Motörhead, Wolfmother and Volbeat – and that’s just for starters, with plenty more bands (and TWO MORE HEADLINERS!) to be announced in the coming weeks. Interestingly, one piece of news that’s got everyone’s chins a-wagging has been our decision to ban flags from the Arena at Download this year. “We will be banning flags on sticks in the main arena,” Download boss John Probyn announced this week. “Hope you all understand that this is to ensure that everyone can enjoy what's on stage.” Download fans on the <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/">Forums</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/downloadfest">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/downloadfest">Twitter</a> have been vocal as ever about the ban, and the response to the decision has generally been very positive. Just to be clear, we actively encourage you to bring flags with you to Download to mark your tents, but they should remain at the campsite – if you try to bring them with you in the Arena, they’ll simply be taken away. In other news, we let the Download Dog off his leash the other day, and he dashed off to the first place you’d expect him to – one of London’s finest establishments Spearmint Rhino, where he had a lovely time with some of the girls down there. <A href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195989&id=9875574201">Click Here</A> to see the pictures of what the naughty pup got up to. The countdown has officially begun – 124 days until Download opens its doors once again. Have you bought your ticket yet? <a href="http://www.livenation.co.uk/festival/2/download-festival-tickets">Click Here</a> to get yours now. Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:15:00 GMT 2010-02-05T04:15:00 fc8b9946-926e-403f-a3ad-8e4db19ae154 1000000 Download Dog goes walkies... Looks like the cheeky pup and his four foxy friends must have got lost on their way to school this morning… We took Download Dog off his leash today, and he dashed to the first place you’d expect to him to – one of London’s finest establishments, Spearmint Rhino, where he had a very relaxing time with some of the girls… These lovely ladies go by the names of (from left to right) Charlotte, Kiera and Ariel and that's Katie with the Flying V. Kiera told us that she is a big Download fan, and was thrilled to hear that <a href="/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=b4b2e5a1-73ca-4f80-bf4a-8546513eab84&artist=AC%252FDC">AC/DC</a> were on the bill. "I logged on to the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/downloadfest">Facebook page</a> as soon as I got home from work on the night you announced AC/DC" she told us. Charlotte is a real rocker, and said that she "loves" AC/DC. "They're fantastic - I love all their songs, there's too many to choose from". Katie also loves her rock, and said that she's a fan of "anything by Mark Lanegan". Charlotte told us that having a picture taken with the Download Dog was "fantastic". "The Download Dog was hot" she confessed" Will you see the Spearmint Rhino girls at Download this year? In the words of Katie - "Hell f**king yeah" <a href="http://www.facebook.com/downloadfest#!/album.php?aid=195989&id=9875574201">To see the rest of these photos, head over to our Facebook Fan page now </a> Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:45:00 GMT 2010-02-04T05:45:00 1523b9fe-bdf2-4dc8-a883-df893c673fb5 1000000 We’re back – did you miss us? The hype machine is over-loading, the internet is buckling, and the euphoria is reaching fever pitch. The announcement you’ve all been waiting for is here at last… Yeah, we know: last year’s Download was something special. Over 120 bands provided three solid days of the most eclectic and ferocious rock ever seen at a festival, playing in blistering hot sunshine to hoards of rock-hungry music mentalists. It was one to remember. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, we’re back, in black, with a line-up so smoulderingly hot that it makes your eyes start to ache just reading it. The rumours are true: AC/DC are returning to Donington to play Download 2010, celebrating not only 30 years since the very first Monsters or Rock festival but also 30 years since the release of their iconic album Back in Black, one of the best selling records in history. Joining AC/DC and following two incredible sold out shows at Hammersmith Apollo before Christmas, are supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. If that wasn't enough we've also confirmed Deftones along with Stone Temple Pilots, Bullet For My Valentine, Megadeth, Motörhead, Wolfmother and Volbeat, with plenty more to announce in the coming months. Tickets to this year’s Download are on sale now – <a href="http://www.livenation.co.uk/festival/2/download-festival-tickets">get yours here</a>. AC/DC are back at Donington in June - pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming. See you right down the front in the summer. Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:45:00 GMT 2010-01-22T04:45:00 6ae0f4d3-c04e-4b3b-93f7-2873ec62fb5c 1000000 Planet Rock listeners vote Download as their Festival Of The Year Classic Rock radio station’s end-of-year poll puts us at the top! The dawning of a new year always ushers in a plethora of ‘best-of-the-year’ polls, and last month listeners of top classic rock radio station <A href="http://www.planetrock.com/">Planet Rock</a> were tasked with voting for their favourite festival of 2009. The lines have closed, the votes have been counted and verified, and we’re thrilled to hear that they voted Download 2009 as their Festival Of The Year! “Any festival that is good enough to put Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Journey, ZZ Top and Dream Theater onto the same stage on the same day is doing something right,” said the radio station. “And 33% of you agreed that Download was the best festival of the year for the second year running.” Thanks a lot if you voted for us – we’ll be gunning for a hat trick in 2010 – we’re not gonna let you down! Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:30:00 GMT 2010-01-07T04:30:00 e9ff8d4e-cd04-4985-9e84-ed27dd3ae047 1000000 Download Early Bird offer now over Thanks to everyone who took advantage of our Early Bird offer – stay tuned for more Download 2010 details coming soon… Back in November we announced a very special offer for our Download fans, where we gave you the opportunity to purchase tickets to next year’s Download Festival at 2009 prices. This great deal was only going to be available for a limited amount of time, and ended today, on Xmas Eve. You came in your thousands to take advantage of the offer, and we’d like to say a massive thank you to all of you who bought Early Bird tickets to Download 2010. Details of the general on-sale tickets for anyone who didn’t purchase Early Bird tickets will be announced in the coming weeks. We know you’re hungry for headliners, and lusting after line-up information, and we’ve got some truly incredible news to announce soon. We can’t wait to share these treasures with you in the New Year, and we can promise that you won’t be disappointed with what we’ve got lined up to tell you. From everyone here at Download HQ, we wish you a Merry Christmas and rockin’ New Year. See you in 2010! The Download Team Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:30:00 GMT 2009-12-25T00:30:00 16b31fe4-ca2b-4903-aa29-1afddd30aac3 1000000 Rock legend Ronnie James Dio diagnosed with stomach cancer Star is starting treatment – will be “back on stage where he belongs after he kills this dragon” As some of you may know, rock legend Ronnie James Dio was due to embark out on tour across the UK earlier this month, but at the last minute had to cancel the shows due to illness. We’ve just received word from his management team, who have given us the sad news that Ronnie has been diagnosed with the early stages stomach cancer. In a statement, they said: "We are starting treatment immediately at the Mayo Clinic. After he kills this dragon, Ronnie will be back on stage, where he belongs, doing what he loves best, performing for his fans. "Thanks to all the friends and fans around the world that have sent well wishes. This has really helped to keep his spirit up. "Long Live Rock and Roll, Long Live Ronnie James Dio" Here at Download HQ, all our thoughts are with Ronnie and his family, and on behalf of the world of rock we’d like to say get well soon Dio. We can’t wait to see you back on top where you belong very soon. Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:30:00 GMT 2009-11-26T02:30:00 3f20f192-ece9-4781-a8d9-970b7fbf693b 1000000 Download 2009 wins Event of Year at Classic Rock Awards! More reasons to be cheerful as we walk away with the prestigious gong The mood in Download HQ this morning was a very happy one. Not only because we had a stonking good time at the fifth annual Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards in London last night chilling out with the biggest names in rock royalty like Iggy Pop, Ronnie Wood, Joe Perry and Billy Gibbons, but also because we were privileged enough to walk away with the gong we had our eyes on – the prestigious Event of the Year award. Our very own ‘Maverick’, festival booker Andy Copping went up to accept the award, and found himself in front of the Rockerati, which included members of Led Zeppelin, Queen, Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, The Who, ZZ Top, Iron Maiden amongst many others. Festival Director John Probyn wanted to mention all the hard-working people who made 2009 a year to remember, and upon winning the gong he congratulated “everyone who contributed towards the staging of this fantastic event and the recognition they have obtained through this prestigious award.” A massive thank you to all 80,000 of you who came down to Donington in June to take part in biggest Download yet, as it wouldn’t have been the same without each and every one of you. Also, thanks to everyone who voted for us online to win the award – we’re incredibly grateful for your continual support. THE DOWNLOAD TEAM Related news <A href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=8fe6bfa4-fdac-44db-9411-4a53fd2fdfe3">Download festival scoops ‘Event of the Year’ at 2009 Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards</A> Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:45:00 GMT 2009-11-03T04:45:00 96dffc29-a28e-48b1-8a84-cdcf404333f1 1000000 Four people have won VIP tickets to next year’s Download! Proof that some people who enter our competitions actually go on to win them… Went to Download this year? Did you pick up a programme when you were there? Good. Well when you read it, you hopefully spotted our amazing competition to win a rather special Download prize. Perhaps you even entered?! Well the competition is now closed, and the following four people are our very lucky winners. They all correctly told us that it was in fact Faith No More who were the headline band who once released a cover of The Commodores song Easy. • Shauneen McManus • Rebecca Soar • Annalise Salgado • Philip May They'll all be going to Download 2010 with a pair of VIP tickets, which includes Arena entry, VIP Camping, VIP parking and access to the backstage bar – oh, and a shout out on this ‘ere website - the lucky devils. You see – people actually do win competitions! Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT 2009-08-07T05:00:00 d170eb6f-ab06-41ae-9681-ba0fbdb3fe51 1000000 Boardie Takeover - the FULL review What happened in the Bell Tent the day before Download 2009 officially kicked off.. Ever since the first festival in 2003, Download has grown in leaps and bounds to become one of the biggest rock and metal festivals in Europe, possibly even the world, and this year has been even better with an Epic reunion (I’m sorry, it had to be done) from Faith No More after an 11 year split, Limp Bizkit playing their 1st UK performance with Wes Borland since 2001, Slipknot celebrating the 10th anniversary of their self titled debut album and the biggest crowd turnout in Download history. Throughout the years, the online community has also grown with the festival, giving important feedback which is often used to improve the Download experience. In 2006, the festival organisers gave a little something back in the form of the Boardie BBQ which has run every year since, offering important contributors free beer and burgers. This year they went one step further and let forum dwellers loose in the Bell Tent for the Boardie Takeover and I got the chance to witness it from behind the scenes. Boardie Takeover, which was held on Thursday 11th June, was almost 6 hours of entertainment organised by the moderators of the Download forum and featuring four bands, two solo singers, three DJ’s, a comedian and burlesque dancer. The night was long but it was constant fun. Scumface Returning to Download after their 2007 Boardie BBQ performance and dressed as a pair of Hasidic Jews, Scumface manage to belt out more songs in a 30 minute set than most bands could in an entire evening. Why? Because most of their songs are barely a minute long. If you expect serious songs filled with anti-war sentiments from this punk duo then you’ll be sorely disappointed, Scumface are all about fun. They’re the marmite in a punk sandwich, you either get them or you don’t. Luckily the crowd were all on the same wavelength and a good time was had by all. With fast and furious songs such as my name’s Stephen Lambert and I got made redundant by the RAC and all my cash is in Euros being fired at the crowd one after another, the energy never drops. Even as they leaving the stage, the crowd are still raring to go. <img height="490" alt="" width="740" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/e/r/m/Image/scumface.jpg" /> After an energetic performance, opening Download 2009’s Boardie Takeover evening, I managed to catch up with the Punktastic duo that is Scumface; So, you got a pretty good response here today, how do you think you played? Mike: Well I’ve lost my voice, I’ve just got over a throat infection and thought I did pretty badly but no one seemed to notice, so it’s alright Stephen: I was bloody knackered. I’d been walking round all day in the sun then trying to get our equipment sorted. Then I had to play drums A lot of your songs seem to be true stories. Are they actually true stories or did you make them up? Mike: I’ll have to level with you; most of them aren’t actually true. All My Cash is in Euros is true, I think that might be it Stephen: Fat C*nt is true Mike: Oh yeah, Fat C*nt and Fat Pete are true. Oh you’re probably going to have to censor that, that’s a shame. So yeah, most of them are complete fabrications This is your second time playing Download now, how did you feel it went this year in comparison? Mike: Well last time we were playing on the Tuborg stage and the stage was way over head height, we were about ten feet away from the crowd and we don’t really like that. It was much better this year because we were actually closer to the crowd and it was a lot more fun And finally, what bands are you looking forward to this year at Download? Mike: Faith No More and ZZ Top, absolutely. Oh and Lawnmower Deth, Everyone should watch them Orestea So thousands of people are drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in a field, preparing themselves for a weekend of live music, featuring some of the biggest names in rock and metal but the party has already begun in The Village with The Boardie Takeover show in full swing. Scumface graced the stage with their machine gun fast punk songs but now it’s time for a band that proves not all metal heads look like sweaty grebs. Although Orestea don’t tread any new ground musically, the female fronted metallers are more than competent at what they do. Lisa Avon’s voice is simply amazing, hitting even the highest notes with ease with the rest of the band providing solid, catchy tunes to back it up. The performance was very solid, with the instruments all shining through the mix better than any other band this evening but unfortunately Orestea didn’t pull as big a crowd as they deserved, possibly due to people soaking up the final rays of a perfect summers day fading into sunset, The crowd that were witness to Orestea’s strong performance however were clearly loving it, making them the only band to receive an encore chant. <img height="490" alt="" width="740" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/e/r/m/Image/ortesea3.jpg" /> Unfortunately due to various reasons I didn’t get a chance to speak to Orestea after the show; however I recently managed to get a short email interview with lead singer Lisa on how she thought the band done. You were the only band of the night to get an encore chant, how did it feel to receive such a positive reception? The whole experience was very overwhelming. We really didn't expect our set to go down as well as it did, but obviously we are glad that people enjoyed it! How does it feel being the only female in the band? It’s awesome! I have always gotten on better with guys than I have girls really. I also think it really helps being a girl when we play what is seen as a primarily "masculine" genre. It is always really tough trying to stand out as a band so anything you have which sets you apart from others is always a good thing! Have you had any vocal lessons or did you teach yourself? I used to have vocal lessons, but I stopped when I was about 14/15 years old. I haven’t really had a one on one lesson since then, but I will go back to them in the future. I really strive to get better and better at what I do and I think that getting some more coaching will help that. How does it feel to say you played Download? Just amazing. So many people dream of playing at Download Festival, so to have had the opportunity to do it as our 6th gig was insane. What bands did you see over the weekend and who was the best? I think the only one that the whole band agrees on is Forever Never. I have seen them a few times now and they just get better every time! They are going to be huge! Symphony Cult played a wicked set too! Other favourites included Killswitch Engage, Dream Theater, Slipknot and Journey! Jokkmokk After two bands and two solo acts, Jokkmokk takes to the stage. Then leaves, comes back to tell the crowd to hold on a second and then, with a cheeky breast rub, finally starts, nearly five minutes after he’s introduced to the stage. Mokk isn’t afraid to offend. In fact he seems to quite enjoy it, managing to piss off almost every member of the audience at least once, while leaving the rest begging for more. He even manages to get a chant going. Albeit a chant of “pedo” after a joke concerning the filming of Alfie Patton’s sex tape, but it’s a chant nonetheless. As expected with any comedy performance, especially one with such edgy and borderline disturbing material, there were a few hecklers but Mokk handled them perfectly, shooting them down before they even had time to finish. Although Jokkmokk isn’t anywhere near as refined as some of the comedians playing over at the Bell Tent during the night, he was still entertaining and with a bit more practice could definitely go somewhere. With jokes like his, I’m guessing Hell. After his set I managed to catch up with Jokkmokk for his views on how the show went; Your material is just a little on the offensive side, how did you think it went down with the crowd? It was rather hit and miss to be honest, some of the jokes were really good and others went right over people’s heads but I’m glad I stuck at it and didn’t run off stage. Well I think you done pretty well, some of that material was really good. You did seem to go out on a mix of boos and cheers though, how do you handle the negative reactions? Well I see it sort of as a pantomime, everyone gets booed, even the greats like Bill Bailey, Jason Rouse, Jim Davidson. They’ve all had boos at one point so you just have to learn to say “f*ck you”. How does it feel to play Download? It’s such a big venue and no I can say even if I wasn’t as great as other people, I played download and that’s all that matters. What bands are you looking forward to this year? Hollywood Undead, Parkway Drive, Slipknot, Pendulum and Prodigy. Echovirus As the sun sets, the End Tent is almost packed but the crowd aren’t just here because they can’t bask in the rays anymore, almost every one of them is here for Echovirus. As soon as the intro track starts so do the crowd, whooping and hollering as each member takes to the stage until the Brighton metal heads unleash a barrage of guttural vocals and bowel movingly heavy riffs. Unfortunately from where I was standing, the vocals didn’t stand out particularly well from the instruments but no one in the crowd seemed to care, giving Echovirus riotous applause at the end of their opening song. <img height="490" alt="" width="740" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/e/r/m/Image/echovirus.jpg" /> After a few more songs, it was clear that echovirus had the crowd eating out of their hands only taking a few moments between songs to ask the crowd how their doing, while swinging effortlessly from the momentum of each song to the next. Until their penultimate song that is when a technical difficulty ground the set to a halt. Although the band handled the incident very well, it detracted from the sheer ferocity of the performance. Despite this technical glitch, Echovirus put on one hell of a show, combining the brutality of a train wreck with the energy of a band that clearly love what they play. As Echovirus were finishing up, I managed to grab the ecstatic singer, Dan for a few questions; The tent was absolutely packed for your performance, how do you feel it went? I’m stunned basically; I was not expecting that at all. It was awesome. I’m speechless I’m guessing you enjoyed the gig then... Yeah man, everyone was kicking off for it. There was a massive circle pit in the middle as well that I was not expecting. It’s safe to say that download is an important festival, how does it feel to say you’ve played here? Honoured. It is literally one of my dreams come true What bands are you looking forward to over the weekend? Faith No More. They’re the first band I ever got the discography for. Miss Cherri De Lish After giving a rush of blood to the men in the audience’s...heads, I nabbed a word with burlesque performer Miss Cherri De Lish. After she got dressed of course; <img height="490" alt="" width="740" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/e/r/m/Image/cherri.jpg" /> How does it feel to get your kit off in front of all these people at Download? It feels absolutely fantastic Looks like you’ve got a fan here I think I’ve got a dozen other fans out there now Yeah, you did get a very big cheer when you dropped the corset Oh yes, that normally happens So how does it feel to perform at Download? Well I’m used to playing small venues and private parties. This is the biggest thing I’ve ever done and I want to do it again. Get me on the main stage next year. What got you into burlesque? I got into it about five years ago. A friend of mine used to run a fetish night and I got into it from there. What bands are you most looking forward to? Motley Cr?e, Def Leppard and Whitesnake Silent Descent The night is almost at an end but there’s still one more band left to play. The tent is fully packed, the crowd are eagerly talking amongst themselves and Silent Decent are about to take the stage. “How you doing Download?” And with that the crowd go bloody mental. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a band as energetic on stage as Silent Descent and a very long time since I’ve seen a band who can still hit every note while jumping around like a pack of wild animals. Want synchronised head banging? Silent Descent deliver, want equipment climbing guitarists? Silent Descent delivers. Want half naked ladies? You should’ve come along twenty minutes earlier to watch Miss Cherry De Lish. My point is, near enough everything you could possibly want from a live show is brought to you by the Dartford based techno metallers and the crowd know this, cheering every chance they get. Silent Descent are one of the best live acts of the festival, even holding their own against some of the bands on the Arena stages. In short, if you haven’t seen Silent Descent make sure you do it soon. <img height="490" alt="" width="740" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/e/r/m/Image/silent.jpg" /> After their impressive performance, I managed to grab the still buzzing band for a quick chat. First of all, the big question. What does it feel like to play Download? That was amazing. The best gig we’ve ever played Do you see yourselves maybe playing one of the arena stages in the future? Yeah, Hopefully. We’ve got a few things coming up at the moment so hopefully You’re a very energetic band, is there any sort of pre show warm ups? We practice partying a lot. And getting very, very drunk Any bands that you’re all here for? We’re here for the f*cking lot man And so concludes a night of entertainment organised by the Download forum for the Download masses. It’s been a great night with lots of talent for people to look out for. Every act performed tremendously and proves that there are plenty of unsigned acts bursting with potential. Friday may be the first official night of the festival but tonight kicked off the festivities in an astonishing way. Words by Iain Binder Pictures by Marcus Powell Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:00:00 GMT 2009-07-22T00:00:00 0ec279ee-3eef-48d3-893d-cf934d9c8640 1000000 Download Post Mortem - Sunday June 14th All the action from final night of this year’s festival - Def Leppard, Journey and more... <a href="http://www.kerrang.com"><img height="61" alt="" width="355" border="0" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/p/u/d/Image/kerrang.jpg" /></a> 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. <a href="http://www.kerrang.com">For a full 16-page review of Download 2009, check out the latest issue of Kerrang! - on sale now!</a> Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:15:00 GMT 2009-06-16T20:15:00 6dedcadf-b478-4251-a5ab-25be8d7325fd 1000000 Download Post Mortem - Friday June 12th All the action from first night of this year’s festival - Faith No More, Limp Bizkit, Korn and more... <a href="http://www.kerrang.com/"><img height="61" alt="" width="355" border="0" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/p/u/d/Image/kerrang.jpg" /></a> Friday night at Download was the night that many had been anticipating for over 11 years. Apart from a warm-up show two nights earlier, Faith No More would be performing their first gig since famously calling it a day back in 1998, and by 9pm on Friday, the Main Stage was packed with thousands of fans eager to see if the band who arguably defined the nu-metal genre, still had ‘it’. It’s undeniable that most people are here to see the momentous reunion, and singer, Mike Patton, looks like he’s having the time of his life. An opening cover of Peaches & Herb’s Reunited sets the tone for a set that’s both humorous, leftfield and, hence, brilliant. There were a few other cheeky covers that sounded great, including a quick rendition of Lady GaGa’s Poker Face and Lionel Richie’s Easy, with the crowd going mental for FNM classics including a high-speed rendition of Introduce Yourself, Ashes To Ashes, and closing the set with the mighty We Care A Lot. Ever a band for who the unexpected can be expected, tonight in a drunken field, Faith No More are an absolute delight. Welcome back, gentlemen. ~ Kerrang! Magazine’s TOM BRYANT There were also headline performances from Mötley Crüe over on the Second Stage, who provided a glam-rock alternative for people not interested in the FNM reunion. Earlier in the day, the likes of Korn, Lacuna Coil, Billy Talent, The Blackout and In This Moment entertained fans, and the set Limp Bizkit put on was nothing short of spectacular. There’s more than an element of curiosity when Limp Bizkit arrive for their first UK show in five years, and it seems that 90 per cent of Download’s 80,000 crowd are here to check ‘em out. And within 10 minutes everyone – whether they’re wearing Emperor or Madina Lake T-shirts – is in party mood. There’s an undeniable nostalgic thrill to be had watching the man in that iconic red cap orchestrating the mayhem that accompanies the likes of Rollin’ and Break Stuff, but the venom with which Eat You Alive is spat out suggests that the Jacksonville quintet have a genuine hunger to reassert themselves in the here and now. One of all-time great Download performances. ~ Kerrang! Magazine’s PAUL BRANNIGAN "Was I nervous?" said Fred when he came off stage. "I’m always nervous. It’s not about the size of the crowds but playing the best I can. I’m a perfectionist and in my own world onstage. The Download crowd was amazing. The passion of the fans is a very powerful thing." <a href="http://www.kerrang.com/">For a full 16-page review of Download 2009, check out the latest issue of Kerrang! - on sale now!</a> Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:30:00 GMT 2009-06-16T17:30:00 fb8d4bf2-8cc7-4cde-a9a5-afae20298700 1000000 Download Post Mortem - Saturday June 13th All the action from day two of this year’s festival - Slipknot, The Prodigy, Chris Cornell and more... <a href="http://www.kerrang.com/"><img height="61" alt="" width="355" border="0" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/p/u/d/Image/kerrang.jpg" /></a> It’s not an easy task to up that ante but Slipknot take it, raise it then slap the bejesus out of it. Whatever you think of their masked shenanigans, they’ve probably never played a gig that’s less intense than a train wreck and tonight is no exception. As Spit It Out sees tens of thousands of Downloaders patiently sitting down, waiting for a cue from Corey Taylor to go absolutely mental, then leaping up en masse and making a noise that can be heard all across the Midlands, it’s a rather special end to the evening. ~ Kerrang! Magazine’s PAUL TRAVERS Saturday at Download was a feast of amazing metal, which included stand-out performances from DragonForce, Hatebreed, Anvil, Marilyn Manson and Static-X. The crowds went wild from the moment Ripper Owens kicked off the action on the Main Stage in the morning, promptly followed by a short and brutal set from Five Finger Death Punch. Other highlights included Lawnmower Deth, The Answer, Down and Fightstar, with Chris Cornell keeping the rock flowing over on the Second Stage. "It was very good - very, very good," said Cornell as he left the stage. "And if you take ‘good’ out of the equation, it was great! The only complaint was that I couldn’t play longer. I like that I’m on today with The Prodigy and not on the classic rock day. Give me 10 years before I’m ‘classic rock’!" Saturday was also a good day for those bands on the bill that veered more to the dance genre, such as Pendulum and Second Stage headliners The Prodigy. Both acts were adored by the crowds, playing memorable sets to thousands of screaming fans. Pendulum whipped out sing-along anthems Propane Nightmares and the mighty Slam, whist The Prodigy played an epic set of tracks from their latest album and all the old-skool favourites that got them to where they are today. Quite simply, both were a welcome addition to the line-up at this year’s Download. <a href="http://www.kerrang.com/">For a full 16-page review of Download 2009, check out the latest issue of Kerrang! - on sale now!</a> Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:00:00 GMT 2009-06-16T16:00:00 66797b93-1530-4a55-99ba-49059e6ccab3 1000000 Steel Panther conquer Donington at Download 2009 Glam-rockers amaze the Download crowd on the Tubord Stage, and entertain fans backstage On February 23rd 1945, US Marines raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. On June 14th 2009, Steel Panther raised the Download flag, having conquered Donington with their first appearance at this year’s festival. The extravagant glam-rockers wowed the crowds with some amazing tracks from their debut UK album Feel The Steel, including Fat Girl, Eyes Of A Panther, and the sing-along anthem Death To All But Metal. Before their monumental performance, the band entertained everyone backstage with a <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=583246b7-7e6f-43b3-b4d9-9b89d07a45a3">hilarious press conference</a>, , and talking to fans in the backstage area. With Spinal Tap lined up for a special One-Night-Only-World-Tour at Wembley Arena this month, there’s never been a more apt era for a tongue-in-cheek glam-metal resurgence, and Steel Panther are the men spearheading the movement. photo by Mick Hutson <a href="http://www.mickhutson.com">www.mickhutson.com</a>   <img height="1100" alt="" width="700" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/d/c/x/Image/panther_2.jpg" /> Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:30:00 GMT 2009-06-16T03:30:00 f1318485-ae2a-408a-8663-8979ce3e4aea 1000000 Download festival scoops ‘Event of the Year’ at 2009 Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards We pick up prestigious award less than 24 hours after Def Leppard close the festival in style The Download Festival 2009 has been named ‘Event Of The Year’ at this year’s prestigious Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. The ceremony took place at the Indigo2 at London’s 02 Dome, just 24 hours after Def Leppard closed the Download Festival with a momentous performance on the Main Stage. Download Festival Promoter Andy Copping jointly accepted the award with Sunset Strip legends Steel Panther, who completely owned the Tuborg Stage on Sunday at Download with a crowd 50 deep clamouring to get inside the already rammed tent. Voted for by Metal Hammer, this award comes hot off the back of what has been described as Download’s best ever year. 80,000 die hard rock fans per day descended onto Donington Park throughout the weekend of 12th – 14th June to catch headliners Faith No More, Slipknot and Def Leppard top off what has been an extraordinary three days of music, with non stop sunshine to boot! “The weekend was monumental and confirms that Download has firmly established itself as the world’s premier rock festival,“ commented Andy Copping last night. “80,000 people a day says it all. Even the good Lord has been converted to being a rock fan as once again he gave us three days of sunshine! Without doubt the greatest three days of my life... see you next year!” Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:00:00 GMT 2009-06-16T02:00:00 8fe6bfa4-fdac-44db-9411-4a53fd2fdfe3 1000000 It's not just rock and metal - we love breaking records too... We destroy the record attempt for most people simultaneously performing air guitar at Download At Download this year, we attempted to break the record for the most people simultaneously performing air guitar (if Cheryl Baker host record-breaking attempts, then why can’t we?). Taking place on Saturday, festival goers flocked to the EA Hub to take on the record breaking attempt, which was MC’d by Kerrang FM's Christian Stevenson. We had 440 Download’ers turning up with their air axes, rocking out to Motörhead's classic Ace of Spades. A Guinness Book of World Records official was there to oversee the attempt, and verified the record, which destroyed 2008's maximum of 318. "That was one of the raddest jams I've ever been involved with," said Christian. "The crowd played their air guitars better than Eddie Van Halen! Then they destroyed 'em good and proper. Who cares, right? They can go to the air guitar shop and get another one. Sick to the infinity of sickness! I want a crowd like that at every gig I'm at. Awesometacular – air guitar world records rule!" Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:45:00 GMT 2009-06-15T02:45:00 2366aee8-c5c9-4a33-acc0-a9ed7a9d135a 1000000 Def Leppard speak a few hours before closing Download 2009 Band say that choosing the set list has been one of their hardest decisions 23 years since the first time Def Leppard played at Donington, the band are back, closing Download 2009 with what will be a phenomenal end to our most successful Download ever. The band said that it’s great to be playing on a bill where their fellow headliners have such a diverse fan following. “It’s more fun [to play Download] than if there were six or 7 other bands all like us,” said bassist Rick a few hours before going on stage. “It’s more open-minded – if music can be educational, then it’s a service as well.” The rock legends from Sheffield have been touring hard since the late 70’s, and are now back on top form. With re-releases of hit albums Adrenalise and Pyromania out soon, headlining Download 2009 marks a new mile-stone in the band’s career. “One of the hardest things for us has been working out the set list,” said guitarist Phil Collen ahead of the performance. “People want us to play B sides a lot of the time, but you can’t pander to the minority.” It’s going to be a very special ending to the festival, and we can’t wait to see what tricks Def Leppard have got up their sleeves. Looking back on where they’ve come, the band have got a lot to be happy about. “Whatever we did wrong [in the past], we ended up ok in the end,” said Joe. “You’ve got to follow your heart – cos it knows where it’s going.” Duncan LaBarre General Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:15:00 GMT 2009-06-14T18:15:00 4a1be63b-bfbd-4241-ac86-c12cefd190ac 1000000 One empty cup = 20p. Lots of empty cups = lots of mullah... Punters take cup-collecting to the next level at Download At Download this year, Tuborg are giving punters 20p for every empty beer cup that they bring back to the bar. The small cash incentive means that there’s less rubbish lying around site at the end of the day, which is great for the environment and means there’s (slightly) less for our cleaners to pick up at the end of every night. Cropping up today, we’ve found some die-hard cup collectors hard at work collecting as many empty cups as possible. We bumped into this guy, who has so far managed to get hold of £170 worth of cups, and that’s just today. What a guy! <img height="700" width="300" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/f/e/y/Image/Lots-of-cups.jpg" /> Duncan LaBarre General Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:45:00 GMT 2009-06-14T16:45:00 c832a0ef-0bc4-4076-b73b-e36292e5c270 1000000 Steel Panther “stoked” to be playing Download “You cannot deny the movement – heavy metal is coming back” says the band Glam-rock heavy-metalers Steel Panther will be taking to the Tuborg Stage tonight, and held a press conference at Download a few hours before they were due to go on. The boys landed yesterday, and even though they “haven’t had the chance to fuck any English girls yet”, were hyped to be playing at Donington. “On stage tonight, you can expect to see one of the heaviest metal shows ever,” said lead singer Michael Starr. “Plus, I’m a really good lip-syncer, so the vocals will be spot on – and really in tune”. There’s no denying that hearing Steel Panther talk about their love for “Metal, pussy and drugs” is hilarious to see, and the band who admit that “the looks are always the most important thing – the music comes second” have an infectious sense of humour. But despite the comedy, they’re genuinely thrilled to be playing Download on the same day that Def Leppard and Whitesnake will take to the Main Stage, and in the year where heavy metal is coming back in style. “We’ve been waiting for the opportunity [to play Download] for years,” said Starr. “We’re gonna be cumming all over your face tonight!” They ended by thanking festival booker Andy Copping for having them at this year’s Download. “We wouldn’t be here without Andy,” said drummer Stix. “Yeah,” said bass player Lexxi Foxx. “And we wouldn’t be here without a plane.” Duncan LaBarre General Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:45:00 GMT 2009-06-14T15:45:00 583246b7-7e6f-43b3-b4d9-9b89d07a45a3 1000000 Slipknot close the Main Stage at Download 2009 in style The band put on a ferocious performance to a packed crowd, and to thousands across the world watching online Slipknot just came off the Main Stage, and have left us with a ringing in our ears, and memories that we won’t be forgetting in a long time. That was one of the most outrageous gigs we’ve ever seen. That was chaos. That was history. The band played for over an hour and a half to a crowd of over 60,000, and delivered one of their most epic performances of their career. Sincerely thanking the Donington crowd for all their support over the past ten years, Slipknot were as tight as ever, putting on a show that included classic tracks from all their previous albums, and an incredible set rig that included pneumatic lifts and pyrotechnics. As well as being watching by the live Donington crowd, their performance was streamed across the world on our webcast, much to the delight of the thousands of you who haven’t been able to make it to this year’s festival, and have got in touch with us via Twitter and the Forums. We’re glad you’ve been logging on, and hope you’ve been enjoying Download 2009 as much as we have. They say a picture paints a thousand words – well the one below paints a million to us. This was Slipknot in full motion at the start of their set, playing to a packed out crowd here at Download. When they finished their set they swore to God that they’d be back here soon – we can’t wait to have them. <img height="500" width="750" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/c/x/k/Image/slipknot_far.jpg" /> Duncan LaBarre General Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:00:00 GMT 2009-06-13T23:00:00 d9586536-4a61-4b80-8c29-ce5a893e5399 1000000 Lucha Brittania wrestlers come out and say hello Meet ‘n greet with fans turns ugly, results in slap in the face Walking around the backstage area at Download, we foud the boys and girls from Lucha Britannia meeting a few of their fans and admirers outside the Practice Room. In case you didn’t know, Lucha Britannia is the British and Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling, cabaret comedy show, event and club night, and it’s going down in The village at Download this year. Anyone who’s down at Donington this weekend who hasn’t seen them yet should definitely check them out. Anyway, the Lucha team were talking to our very own Rhodri from The Lowdown, when a dispute in the group about metal music ended up with a slap in the face for one of the wrestling crew, being clothes-lined to the ground, and choke-slammed into submission. As you can see by the look on Rhodri’s face in the pictures below, it all got a bit messy. The lovely Lucha ladies seemed to enjoy themselves though – and we enjoyed seeing them. Make sure you catch Lucha Britannia in The Bell Tent in The Village tonight from midnight. <img height="500" width="700" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/g/d/n/Image/lucha_large1.jpg" /> <img height="500" width="700" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/g/d/n/Image/lucha_large2.jpg" /> Duncan LaBarre General Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT 2009-06-13T17:00:00 76dd37d6-4bdf-4676-8aff-c2d2068c7176 1000000 Anvil hold press conference ahead of Headlining Tuborg stage at Download The band are back at Donington, 27 years after they first played here 27 years ago, rock legends Anvil arrived at Donington to play what was then known as Monsters of Rock festival. Since then, Rob, Glen and Lips have been on the road pretty much non-stop, have been dropped by countless record labels, (and then outlived every one of them), and are now back, headlining the Tuborg Stage at Download 2009. “We always hoped we’d come back to Donington,” said Rob. “Our first memories of here are mud and rain – but playing here back in ’82 was one of the highlights of our career.” “We didn’t choose Download,” said Lips. “Download chose us, and it’s an honour and a privilege to be back.” And Anvil really are back. With new rockumentary Anvil! The Story Of Anvil released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday, and a new album out soon, the band are embarking on a new phase of their career. “The new album we’ve got coming out is called Juggernaut Of Justice,” said Lips. “We’re not sure on a release date, but it’s already been written and recorded. We’ve just been playing all over the US to sold-out crowds, which has been amazing.” Tonight is going to an incredible treat for fans of the heavy-metal rockers. Don’t forget, this is the band that has influenced the likes of Slayer and Metallica, and they’re still rocking hard after over 31 years on the road. Lips says he can “hardly hear a thing anymore”, but his lack of hearing hasn’t compromised the band’s sound. “Expect lots of fun. Loads of old classics, and a few new songs too. Yeah, it’s gonna be a lot of fun…” said Lips. Looking forward to it, boys! Duncan LaBarre General Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:30:00 GMT 2009-06-13T16:30:00 7f377d25-203d-4898-a473-576b7f740707 1000000 Photos from Friday night now live in our Gallery Pics of FNM, Korn and Limp Bizkit now uploaded Last night at Download 2009, Faith No More played one of the most monumental sets Donington has ever seen, and our photographers we were down the front capturing all the action. They also caught performances from Mötley Crüe, Korn, Limb Bizkit - in fact, every single band playing at Download 2009 has been photographed by our hard working photographers, with all the images being uploaded to our <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery">Gallery</a> throughout the weekend. We’ve just added a handful of pictures from last night to our photo gallery. <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery">Click Here</a> to see them now, or take a look at a sample below… <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery/index.aspx?title=Faith%20No%20More"><img height="180" width="275" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/k/r/d/Image/fnm1.jpg" border="0" /></a>  <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery/index.aspx?title=Faith%20No%20More"><img height="180" width="275" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/k/r/d/Image/fnm2.jpg" border="0" /></a>  <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery/index.aspx?title=Faith%20No%20More"><img height="180" width="275" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/k/r/d/Image/fnm3.jpg" border="0" /></a>  <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery/?title=KORN"><img height="180" width="275" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/k/r/d/Image/korn1.jpg" border="0" /></a>  <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery/?title=KORN"><img height="180" width="275" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/k/r/d/Image/korn2.jpg" border="0" /></a>  <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery/?title=KORN"><img height="180" width="275" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/k/r/d/Image/korn3.jpg" border="0" /></a>  <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery/?title=Limp%20Bizkit"><img height="180" width="275" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/k/r/d/Image/limp1.jpg" border="0" /></a>  <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery/?title=Limp%20Bizkit"><img height="180" width="275" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/k/r/d/Image/limp2.jpg" border="0" /></a>  <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/gallery/?title=Limp%20Bizkit"><img height="180" width="275" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/k/r/d/Image/limp3.jpg" border="0" /></a>  Duncan LaBarre General Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:15:00 GMT 2009-06-13T12:15:00 fc51fba6-6d1b-4d93-88a7-3934b0304454 1000000 The Blackout to replace headliners The Ghost Of A Thousand tonight Band have had to pull out of Download 2009 due to "urgent family matters" A few days ago, Saturday Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage headliners The Ghost Of A Thousand sadly had to pull out of Download 2009, “due to unforeseen but urgent family matters”. Well, last night we heard from The Blackout, who said they would be happy to step up and fill the headline slot tonight. Having played a stonking set on the Main Stage yesterday (Friday), we know that the band are going to blow your mind when they play Download 2009 for a second time this evening. A statement from The Ghost Of A Thousand said “We are all very upset and will make it up to everyone that wanted to see the band very soon, thanks for your understanding on this. We'll see you soon”. Our thoughts are with the band, and we hope that everything is ok. Maybe we’ll see you at Download next year! <img height="650" width="400" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/r/h/z/Image/blackout_1.jpg" /></ The Blackout rocking the Main Stage on Friday at Download 2009 Duncan LaBarre General Sat, 13 Jun 2009 09:30:00 GMT 2009-06-13T10:30:00 5ecfa345-9817-47ab-a874-01ec40357967 1000000 We catch up with Korn a few hours before their Download set Rock legends say they love coming back to Donington The last time Korn played Download was in 2007, and front man Jonathan Davis said it was one of the greatest gigs the band has ever played. Having originally been on the line-up back in 2006 before having to pull out at the 11th hour due to health problems, the Californian rockers just keep coming back to Donington. “Download is a special place for us” said Davis ahead of Korn’s appearance on the Main Stage. “We still call it ‘Donington’ actually”, referring to the site’s rock heritage (Monsters of Rock was held here long before the Download Dog could even wag his tail). “Our European fans really mean a lot to us – we love playing here, especially in Britain,” Davis said. The group were holding a press conference just hours before they were due to go on stage, and looked surprisingly laid back. If we were playing the Main Stage at Download, second only to the mighty Faith No More, we reckon we’d be rather more worked up. <img height="400" width="650" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/f/i/e/Image/korn_2.jpg" /> Korn talk at a press conference a few hours before playing at the Main Stage at Download 2009 Korn will be taking to the stage at 19:15 tonight (Friday), with all the action being streamed live on our <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/webcast">webcast</a> – if you’re not here at Download, make sure you catch them live online tonight. Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT 2009-06-12T17:00:00 25ba56bb-4757-4be2-b2d4-90bfe5988e12 1000000 Limp Bizkit performance at Download to be streamed to the world It’s a busy day on the Main Stage today – watch all the action live from wherever you are on the globe This year not only are we broadcasting live action from the Main Stage on our <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/webcast/">webcast</a>, but we’re also broadcasting the best metal and rock music from Donington via <a href="http://www.downloadfestivalradio.com/Home/">Download FM</a>. If you’re at the festival, why not get in touch with us at Download FM and let us know what you think the action so far. Or, if you haven’t been able to make it up to Donington this year but are watching us live on the webcam, we wanna hear from you too! We’re also giving away some cool prizes to people who do get in touch, so drop us a line and let us know what’s on your mind. You can listen to Download FM online <A href="http://www.downloadfestivalradio.com/Home/">right here</A>, or on 87.7 FM in the Donington area. Get in touch with us and let us know your comments and your song requests, either by texting them to 66963, following the <a href="http://twitter.com/RockRadioEditor ">Download FM Twitter</a> channel, or by <a href="http://www.downloadfestivalradio.com/Contact/">emailing us</a> your thoughts. Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:30:00 GMT 2009-06-12T04:30:00 cbb477b6-925d-4f85-9817-ff9ddc5dd75a 1000000 Annual Boardie BBQ goes down with a bang Every year at Download we host a very special event for the people who love Download even more than the rest of you lot. Our lovely Boardies. They are our most active members of the Download community, and have helped to build and improve this festival since day one. Cut them and they bleed green (or whatever colour scheme we decide to go with on our Download artwork!). Yesterday, 24 hours before we opened the Arena to the main Download hoarde, we hosted out annual Boardie BBQ. Organized by Forum gods Phil and Carrie, and hosted by Festival Director John Probyn, it’s our way of welcoming in our die-hard Download lovers to the festival each year. The sun was shining, the drinks were flowing – it was a good day for a barbie. As well as a bit of grub and an inspirational talk from John, awards were handed out for certain members, including Favourite Boardie and Most Sensible Boardie. We also had metal band Attica Rage playing some banging metal, and ending their set with an awesome cover of Motörhead’s Overkill. Keep up the good work Boardies – we love you guys! <img height="320" alt="" width="533" align="middle" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/f/l/f/Image/bbq1.jpg" /> <img height="320" alt="" width="533" align="middle" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/f/l/f/Image/bbq2.jpg" /> <img height="320" alt="" width="533" align="middle" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/f/l/f/Image/bbq3.jpg" /> <img height="320" alt="" width="533" align="middle" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/f/l/f/Image/bbq4.jpg" /> <img height="320" alt="" width="533" align="middle" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/f/l/f/Image/bbq5.jpg" /> <img height="320" alt="" width="533" align="middle" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/f/l/f/Image/bbq6.jpg" /> Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:45:00 GMT 2009-06-12T01:45:00 6dd5c11f-12d3-4474-ac55-f1d3c0cceead 1000000 Tune in to Download FM and let us know what’s on your mind We want your song requests and comments – get in touch! This year not only are we broadcasting live action from the Main Stage on our webcast, but we’re also broadcasting the best metal and rock music, features and interviews from Donington via <a href="http://www.downloadfestivalradio.com/">Download FM</a>. Download FM is broadcasting on 87.7FM in the Donington Park area and streaming online <a href="http://www.downloadfestivalradio.com/">HERE</a>. You'll find the station based in the tin-can studio about 100m left of the main stage. It's powered by Rock Radio and stars RR DJs Tom Russell, Paul Anthony, Father Ted, Hayley and The Crack - all well-known from Rock Radio's own FM stations. It's your live voice on the festival site - and it's a great way to get involved with the party. If you're here with us, why not get in touch and let us know what you think of it so far? Or request a song? You can also keep in touch by checking out <a href="http://www.downloadfestivalradio.com/">www.downloadfestivalradio.com</a> or m.downloadfestivalradio.com on a mobile phone. If you use <a href="http://twitter.com/RockRadioEditor">Twitter</a>, follow @RockRadioEditor and use the hashtag #downloadfestival to make sure you comments appear on our front page. Or you can text 66963 with your requests and comments. (Texts cost 25p plus network charges). Isn't that a great add-on to the Download experience? Come on - let's hear from you! Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:15:00 GMT 2009-06-12T01:15:00 649d193f-2c92-4f13-820b-6663b640e48a 1000000 Faith No More to stream Epic Download set LIVE to the world Plus watch loads more Main Stage performances right here on downloadfestival.co.uk this weekend! We’ve just heard that Faith No More have agreed to let us broadcast their phenomenal Download set live from Donington right here on downloadfestival.co.uk! That means that the band’s first gig since reforming after an 11-year hiatus will be shown across the world via our Webcast. Having listened to them sound-check this afternoon, we can confirm that the performance will be very much worth the wait. Set to be THE festival band of the summer, Faith No More are joined by the likes of STAIND, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, KORN, THE BLACKOUT and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, all going out live on the official Download website throughout Friday. Saturday will see the first ever UK headlining festival appearance from metal monoliths SLIPKNOT going out live, plus performances from DOWN, DEVILDRIVER, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, PENDULUM and RIPPER OWENS. Sunday’s live streaming performances will include STONE GODS, BLACK STONE CHERRY, JOURNEY, DREAM THEATER and SKIN, with more to be confirmed as the weekend goes on. <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/webcast/index.aspx">Click Here</a> from 9pm on Friday 12th June to see the Epic Faith No More as they perform at Download not only to 80,000 festival goers, but also to the entire world online. Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:45:00 GMT 2009-06-11T12:45:00 ad929032-1aa3-4efb-b418-ea8f8df7e39a 1000000 We reveal the secret bands confirmed to play Download 2009 Enter Shikari and Thunder to grace the Tuborg stage at this year’s festival Last week we revealed the <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/index.aspx">stage times</a> for all the acts performing at Download this year, and hopefully you’ve all started to think about what stages you’re gonna be at during at different times during the festival weekend. Well, the good news is that the festival bill got even bigger, as we’ve revealed the final two acts that will play at the festival. Ladies and gentlemen, your secret bands for Download Festival 2009 are none other than hardcore-metal titans ENTER SHIKARI and rock legends THUNDER. Both acts will be playing on the Tuborg Stage, with Enter Shikari playing on Friday at 5.30pm, and Thunder on Saturday at 6.40pm. It’s great to have these two top acts added to the bill – make sure you don’t miss either of them at Download 2009! Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:00:00 GMT 2009-06-09T00:00:00 0c16bc83-54cc-48b4-8ccf-8df09fd6409a 1000000 Thinkin’ about drinkin’ at Download this year? Loads of great info about our on-site off licence, bar tokens and more… Here at Download HQ, we like a drink as much as the next die-hard metal fan, and at the festival this year we’re making sure everyone over the age of 18 can get their mits on whatever alcoholic drink takes their fancy. Here’s some of the things you should bear in mind if you’re planning on treating yourself to a drink at Donington… The Download Offie Drinking beer is good. Drinking warm beer, not so good. This year we’re encouraging anyone planning on having a few bevies at Download not to bring your own beer to the festival, but visit the Download off-licence instead. Get four cold tins of beer for £5, or a slab or 24 cans for £30. That’s some competitive pricing, and will guarantee you a lovely cold tin of the fizzy stuff. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/thevillage/item.aspx?id=2877&cid=311">Click Here</a> for more info. Challenge 21 Our aim is that no one under the age 18 will be served alcohol at Download Festival. To do this, we are implementing the Challenge 21 scheme across the site. If you LOOK younger than 21, you will NOT be served alcohol unless you can show your ID to prove that you are at least 18 years old. However to make sure you have as little hassle as possible when buying alcohol, we’re giving special wristbands to anyone who can rove they’re over 18. Simply bring your ID on your first day on-site to the MAIN CAMPSITE Bar, where you’ll see a counter with the Challenge 21 logo over it. Once you get there show your ID and you will be given a wristband. As soon as you’ve got this, you can go and put your ID in a locker for the weekend so that you don’t worry about it, and can buy drinks hassle-free across the weekend. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/thevillage/item.aspx?id=2876&cid=311">Click Here</a> for more info. Bar tokens All the bars in the Main Arena ONLY TAKE TOKENS. So if you want to buy a drink, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got some tokens with you, because we won’t be accepting cash as payment. You can buy bar tokens at the Main Campsite Bar, and also in the Main Arena – there are places to buy tokens next to every bar in these areas. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/thevillage/item.aspx?id=2881&cid=311">Click Here</a> for more info. The Doghouse The Doghouse is pretty special – it will have seating and also serve cocktails & spirits – remember it’s still a TOKENS ONLY bar, so some drinks may cost 2 tokens instead of 1. We’re going to try waiter service at the Doghouse – we’ve no real way of knowing whether it will work – so here’s hoping you can visit us and enjoy the pleasure of table service. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/thevillage/item.aspx?id=2879&cid=311">Click Here</a> for more info. Bar prices Don’t know how much mullah to take to Download this year? Take a look at our price list so you know how much to expect to pay for everything before you even get to Donington. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/thevillage/item.aspx?id=2878&cid=311">Click Here</a> to see it now. Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:15:00 GMT 2009-06-08T02:15:00 056aabb1-736f-4a0e-a39c-75ca5b371e66 1000000 Red Bull Bedroom Jam winners revealed After The Ordeal to play to Download crowds live from their bedroom For any unsigned metal or rock band, the thought of playing the main stage on Saturday night at Download in front of thousands of people is a distant dream. Well for one band, that dream has come true. Red Bull Bedroom Jam have been running a very special competition where by one lucky band would get the chance to play live at Download 2009. However instead of actually turning up to Donington, the band would play live from their, erm, bedroom. Confused? Read on… The winning band, as voted for by visitors to <a href="http://www.redbullbedroomjam.com/">redbullbedroomjam.com</a>, would perform live from their bedroom, and the performance would be streamed directly on to the stage screens during the Saturday night of the festival, in between Pendulum’s and Marilyn Manson’s sets, making it officially the world's first virtual gig! After weeks of furious competition and thousands of votes, the winners have emerged as Sreamo metal rockers <a href="http://www.myspace.com/aftertheordealuk">After The Ordeal</a>. The 5 piece band from Kent are quickly becoming one of the UK's hottest young talents (young being a key word there as 3 of the bands members are under the legal drinking age!) picking up new fans everywhere they play and gaining a reputation for having one of the tightest live shows on the UK's underground gigging scene. Their music is hard to put into one single genre as their influences and tastes are very varied, and this reflects in the high calibre of different styles they can produce in their music. <a href="http://mail.live-store.com/images/audio/redbull_bedroomjam/After The Ordeal - Fire In My Eyes.mp3">Click Here</a> to listen to the track Fire In My Eyes and see for yourself! “We are really pleased to have won the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Download Competition,” said Gaz from the band. “We have always said we wanted to play Download at some point in our lives and to be the first band ever to do it in this way within our first year as a band is an amazing feeling! Thanks to all our fans who voted and commented our video entry! We couldn't have done it without you guys so Saturday nights set is going out to each and every one of you! Thanks so much!” Don’t miss the live streaming on the main stage on Saturday night. Congratulations After The Ordeal! Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:30:00 GMT 2009-06-08T01:30:00 d04ca52d-c58a-4eaf-96f3-7c8456d3d9ef 1000000 What to bring / What NOT to bring Essential kit to bring with you to Download, and a few things you definitely SHOULDN’T bring... What to bring Welles – it WILL rain at Download this year, it WILL be muddy. Be prepared, bring your wellies. Warm clothes – It’s a good idea to bring a fleece, a woolly hat, warm socks – it gets very cold in your tent at night. Waterproof clothing A tent – if you’re camping, obviously A sleeping bag – as above Torch - for night time peeing Toilet roll Face wipes - invaluable at any festival Deodorant Enough money to get you through the weekend, and/or your cash card. Sun screen and a hat – don’t risk burning at Download, it’ll ruin your weekend. ID – if you look under 21 and want to buy alcohol, you’ll need ID What not to bring Gas canisters or petrol-fuelled cooking devices – these are banned at Download. Illegal drugs – you will get caught, you will be prosecuted. Offensive weapons or anything that may be considered offensive, even if you're planning to use it for camping - it won't be allowed in. Prams or pushchairs - the festival site is not suitable for them or their occupants! Pets – The Download Dog is the only pet allowed at the festival. Laser pens - they are dangerous and may result in eviction without refund. What about Beer? You can bring your own alcohol with you if you are camping, though it will not be permitted in the music arena. However, instead of buying it offsite and letting it get cold and flat, why not buy cold tins of beer from out <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/thevillage/item.aspx?id=2877&cid=311">Download Off License</a>? We’re selling cold tins of Tuborg, Carlsberg, Gaymers Pear Cider or Apple Cider at really competitive prices: 4 tins for just £5, or get a slab of 24 tins for just £30. Duncan LaBarre General Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:00:00 GMT 2009-06-08T00:00:00 73064e9f-5f1a-47e5-8060-f5b0b2ce586c 1000000 EA back @ Download in 2009 The EA Hub returns to the festival, with Rock Band 2, FIFA and more… THE EA HUB will be making a welcome return to Download 2009, offering festival goers the chance to experience all the latest EA video game releases on all the best gaming platforms. This year The EA Hub will be cranking it up to 11 at Download this year as festival goers will be drafted into an Army of Rock with one righteous aim – smashing the Guinness World Record for the Largest Air Guitar Ensemble! Visitors can take to the stage for a Battle of the Bands in their Rock Band 2 tournament, and even slam one into the back of the net with Wayne Rooney on FIFA 09! Exclusive to Download, the EA Hub will be allowing festival goers special pre-release action in Fight Night Round 4, while Mr Jack Black will be recruiting his Army of Rock in their fantastic new BRÜTAL LEGEND game! Plus – guests can literally put themselves into an EA game video in the incredible Get in the Game virtual studio! There’ll be competitions and giveaways galore by signing up for the EA Hub VIP programme with the Hub team for a chance to win a ton of exclusive prizes! Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:45:00 GMT 2009-06-05T09:45:00 1dff9954-139f-4f46-a340-5a62364cb732 1000000 Information about drugs and alcohol abuse at Download Our friends from FRANK have got in touch with friendly advice for festival goers Drugs, hard or soft, are no more legal at festivals than they are anywhere else - the same penalties and risks apply. Festivals and large crowds can be disorientating experiences - this is definitely not the place to start experimenting. And remember, there are film crews, security staff and police throughout the site and surrounding area - it’s not exactly secluded! However, our friends from drugs and alcohol advisor FRANK have got in touch to give YOU the information you need to stay safe at Download this year should you end up in any trouble with alcohol or drugs. There’s some valuable tips below, and loads more information about drugs and alcohol on their website. <a href="http://talktofrank.com/">Click Here</a> to visit talktofrank.com now. Also, while you’re at the festival don't be afraid to tell medical staff or stewards if something is going wrong. There will also be team of Drug and Alcohol Advice workers on site to provide specialist advice on substance misuse and harm reduction to anyone who requires support during the event. Know the facts: Whether you think you'll take drugs or not, you should know about the facts. Check out FRANK's A-Z of drugs, <a href="mailto:frank@talktofrank.com">email them</a> or call FRANK on 0800 77 66 00 for friendly, confidential advice 24 hours a day. Keep your friends close: It’s a good idea to stick together with your mates at festivals. If you do take something, then tell your friends what you’ve taken – if something does go wrong then you’ll need their help. If someone starts to get stressed, take them somewhere quiet, try to calm them down and send for help if needed. And your drinks closer: Drink-spiking can and does happen so don’t accept drinks from strangers. Mixing alcohol and drugs will also make the effects of both far more unpredictable. Expect the unexpected: If you take drugs then you don’t know what you’re getting. Cocaine can be cut with tetramisole (used for worming pets), you won’t know what’s in any pills you buy, and cannabis can be of varying strengths. And the effects can be different in different people. Drive safely: Make sure you know how you are getting home. No one wants to be left behind because they’re too wasted to drive, and drug driving carries the same penalties as drink driving. Make sure you don’t accept a lift from anyone if you think they’ve been taking drugs. Resist peer pressure: Don’t feel under pressure to try drugs if you don’t want to. Drugs are more likely to have a bad effect if you’re feeling disorientated, so it’s not a great idea to take them in unfamiliar settings with large crowds of people. Keep cool: Ecstasy affects the body’s temperature control – so if you take it or other dance drugs and move around a lot, then you risk overheating, dehydration and blackouts. Make sure you take regular breaks from the dance floor to cool down. You should also be careful with fluids as drinking too much can be dangerous or even fatal. Reduce the risks by sipping no more than a pint of water or non-alcoholic fluid every hour. And stay out of trouble: Many drugs are illegal. Cannabis is now a Class B drug, which means it carries more severe penalties for possession. And if you’re caught with a Class A drug like cocaine then you could face seven years in jail. It’s perhaps worth remembering that landing up with a criminal record may limit your career prospects and make it hard to get visas for travel abroad. Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:15:00 GMT 2009-06-05T01:15:00 69ef35c7-a2f1-4e43-889c-fbf44d68ced3 1000000 End is in sight for students working on this year’s Download art project Birmingham City University students will have the sculptures in transit in the next few days! Work has almost finished on the colossal art project for Download 2009, which has been taken on by the hard-work boys and girls on the BA (Hons) Theatre, Performance and Event Design course at Birmingham City University. The students have been building a massive gateway to the Arena based on the Download tattoos. Now almost complete, the 11 sculptures and 2 sets of stocks are in transit and on their way to the festival site! Late nights having been spent painting and varnishing, making sure everything’s complete for rigging on Friday. We’re looking forward to seeing them in all their full glory next week. Archive - <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=8de47edd-36c0-4dc0-8042-d03b9d9936c0">Art sculptures getting first lick of paint</a> - <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=d994d6f5-82ec-4b3c-b5a5-4b4fb3a5b40a">Work on art project at Download continues</a> - <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=39fd6f55-4dda-4088-8473-6bd9b05f47fb">Eco art returns to Download in 2009!</a> Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:30:00 GMT 2009-06-05T00:30:00 acdaaef7-1109-40a3-a69a-dbe39fb0dec1 1000000 Safety and Security at Download Heading up to Donington this week? Here’s a few last-minute reminders… It’s literally just a matter of hours before the Download Festival gates open to the hoards of metal and rock fans ascending on Donington this week, and we’re all looking forward to what is shaping up to the be best ever Download so far. However, if you’re making your merry way up to the site this week, there’s some very important safety and security information you should know when you’re packing your bags. So make sure you have a good read of the below points before you leave your house. Gas Canisters Firstly, there is a widespread ban on gas canisters at Download this year. The risk of having these, or any petrol fuelled cookers is simply too high, and they’re prohibited within the festival walls. The recommended cooking stoves are any solid fuel type such as Disposable BBQ’s or Hexi Stoves with solid fuel block. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=5d6502fa-fc21-4aad-86eb-f3842c689f44">Click Here</a> for more information. Challenge 21 Our aim is that no one under the age 18 will be served alcohol at Download Festival. To do this, we are implementing the Challenge 21 scheme across the site. If you LOOK younger than 21, you will NOT be served alcohol unless you can show your ID to prove that you are at least 18 years old. However to make sure you have as little hassle as possible when buying alcohol, we’re giving special wristbands to anyone who can rove they’re over 18. Simply bring your ID on your first day on-site to the MAIN CAMPSITE Bar, where you’ll see a counter with the Challenge 21 logo over it. Once you get there show your ID and you will be given a wristband. As soon as you’ve got this, you can go and put your ID in a locker for the weekend so that you don’t worry about it, and can buy drinks hassle-free across the weekend. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/thevillage/item.aspx?id=2876&cid=311">Click Here</a> for more info. Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:15:00 GMT 2009-06-05T00:15:00 5d6502fa-fc21-4aad-86eb-f3842c689f44 1000000 Extra camping tickets now totally SOLD OUT Weekend Arena tickets and day tickets still available though... At the start of this week we visited the Download site at Donington and managed to find space for an additional 2,500 weekend camping tickets. These tickets went on <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=2c3a17cb-e68b-4ca7-b8a3-cd9f6a0ad93e">sale on Wednesday</a> morning (yesterday), and now, exactly 24 hours later, they have totally sold out. The good news is that every single blade of grass in the campsite will be occupied by a tent, and Donington is going to be a hive of activity from Wednesday afternoon - the atmosphere at Download 2009 is going to be truly electric. It also means that the Arena at Download is going to be packed, so you’re going to hear your favourite bands playing maxed-out crowds, and Donington is going to be full to the brim with tens of thousands of die-hard metal and rock fans – just like you. If you’re planning on heading up to Download next week but still haven’t got a ticket, don’t give up all hope, as we’ve still got Arena weekend tickets and day tickets on sale. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/tickets/index.aspx">Click Here</a> to get your tickets now. It’s going to be incredible. Only 6 days until the doors open!! Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:45:00 GMT 2009-06-04T00:45:00 2821fcfe-658b-4a2d-8dc8-04c18def9dba 1000000 Weekend camping at Download - MORE TICKETS JUST RELEASED Strictly limited number of extra weekend camping tickets available - order now to avoid disappointment! Due to massive public demand, we've examined the final Donington 2009 site and are delighted to announce that a further 2,500 camping tickets have been made available and are now on sale! Customers who have already purchased weekend arena tickets and haven't been able to buy camping are advised to call Ticketmaster on 08444 999 999. Customers who wish to buy weekend arena tickets and camping are advised to purchase online at www.downloadfestival.co.uk. A limited amount of day tickets are also available. With tickets for this year’s event selling fast, these additional camping tickets will come as good news to festival goers still planning on spending the weekend in the company of legendary artists such as Faith No More, Slipknot and Def Leppard. These extra camping tickets WILL sell out. <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/170040B58D6D4D92?brand=uk_download09">Click Here</a> to book now and avoid disappointment. Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:00:00 GMT 2009-06-03T02:00:00 2c3a17cb-e68b-4ca7-b8a3-cd9f6a0ad93e 1000000 Important information for people travelling to Download by Coach All Big Green Coach customers will now be travelling by National Express – BGC tickets still valid! Coach travel to Download Festival is now being operated by National Express. All Big Green Coach customers will now be travelling direct to the festival with National Express and all current Big Green Coach tickets will be accepted. Departures to this year’s festival will be from your local National Express departure point, which can be found on the National Express departure locations page. <a href="http://www.biggreencoach.co.uk/departure-locations.asp">Click Here</a> to visit now. Festival tickets are being dispatched on Wednesday 3 June 2009 by Special Delivery. Customers who have purchased tickets from overseas should collect their tickets from the Box Office at the Download Festival site. All Big Green Coach Customers should make themselves aware of the National Express' General Conditions of Carriage on <a href="http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/OurService/conditions.cfm">www.nationalexpress.com/coach/OurService/cond itions.cfm</a>. Should you have any problems, please visit <a href="http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/contactus/index.cfm">www.nationalexpress.com/coach/contactus/index.cfm</ a> Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:00:00 GMT 2009-06-03T00:00:00 d8286739-3ff6-420f-9cb2-fc9b6bc157a5 1000000 Keep your skin protected at summer festivals this year Cancer Research UK offer top tips to avoid sunburn and the risk of skin disease ruining your Download If you’ve never been to a summer festival before, you’ll be surprised at how easily you can burn when you’re outside watching bands, even if it’s not a particularly sunny day, or if there are clouds in the sky. If you don’t believe us, just ask someone who has been to a summer festival before, and we’re sure they’ll confirm this. This year at Download, Cancer Research UK’s SunSmart is encouraging festival goers to be safe in the sun this summer. The advice they offer shouldn’t be ignored, especially considering that getting a painful sunburn just once every two years can triple the risk of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. Don’t let sunburn catch you out – use shade, clothing and at least SPF 15 sunscreen to protect yourself from sunburn. To protect your skin - Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm - Cover up with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses - Use sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher and labelled broad spectrum. Use it generously and regularly to get the right amount of protection Check out the UV Index at <a href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">www.metoffice.gov.uk</a> before you leave for Donington. And remember that you can still burn even if it’s cloudy. For more tips on how to enjoy the sun safely this summer, visit <a href="http://www.sunsmart.org.uk/">www.sunsmart.org.uk</a> Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 29 May 2009 04:30:00 GMT 2009-05-29T05:30:00 9f693dca-4358-4b09-b22e-18a30a27be96 1000000 Official Download 2009 poster – order online NOW! Don’t buy it from the festival this year – buy from our store so it doesn’t get damaged when you take it home… You can now buy the Official Download Festival 2009 poster from our <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/store/index.aspx">online store</a>. The posters measure a massive 40 x 60 inches, and cost just £10 (plus postage and packaging). We usually sell a massive amount of these posters every year at Download from the festival itself, but often they get creased or damaged when you take them home with you after the festival. So save yourself the hassle of having to lug your poster back to your humble abode, and order it online instead. Pre-order your poster now and it will be dispatched to your address the Monday after the festival, ensuring you get a mint condition momento to display on your wall, instead of getting the poster destroyed by rain/mud/sun/snow/demons at the festival itself. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/store/index.aspx">Click Here</a> to order your poster now! Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 29 May 2009 00:30:00 GMT 2009-05-29T01:30:00 e7cbbebc-1aec-4dcd-84a8-de09047065cb 1000000 DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL TO GO GLOBAL WITH LIVE STREAMING Majority of performances from the Main Stage are to be streamed LIVE right here on www.downloadfestival.co.uk... This year’s Download has just got even bigger, with the announcement that the majority of performances from the Main Stage are to be streamed LIVE right here on <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk">www.downloadfestival.co.uk</a> throughout the weekend of 12th-14th June. Following on from 2007’s hugely successful live web stream of the festival, including Iron Maiden’s epic main stage performance, this free broadcast means a global audience will be able to enjoy a selection of the incredible performances coming live from this year’s Download Main Stage. In addition to the live performances there will also be exclusive behind the scenes news reports coming live from our reporters Rhodri Thomas and Katie P. Highlights will also be broadcast on VH1 Classic and MTV Palladia as well as a special episode of That Metal Show, the rock talk-show hosted by Eddie Trunk with co-hosts Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 27 May 2009 23:45:00 GMT 2009-05-28T00:45:00 7f57a468-0ad7-4dcd-9389-2cabddd173a1 1000000 Art sculptures getting first lick of paint ...and see yourself as a rock chick Queen of Hearts at Download this year. Students from Birmingham City University have been working tirelessly on various bits of artwork and a selection of sculptures that will be featured across the Download site during the festival weekend. Most of the carving is complete, and the sculptures are taking shape. The studio at Birmingham City University is filling with recognisable Download elements, and Fibre-glassing is underway - some of the Dragon sculptures have already had a first coat of paint! With work on the sculptures coming to a close, keep an eye out for the ‘stocks’ and this year’s festival! At the entrance to The Arena there will be a series of stocks, where you can put your face through the hole and become a rock chick Queen of Hearts. The students on the BA (Hons) Theatre, Performance and Event Design course are busy working to make these come to life, with some steady hands working on the paint job. See next week’s update for pictures of how they are progressing. Archive - <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=d994d6f5-82ec-4b3c-b5a5-4b4fb3a5b40a">Work on art project at Download continues</a> - <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=39fd6f55-4dda-4088-8473-6bd9b05f47fb">Eco art returns to Download in 2009!</a> Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 27 May 2009 03:15:00 GMT 2009-05-27T04:15:00 8de47edd-36c0-4dc0-8042-d03b9d9936c0 1000000 Final Download 2009 lineup revealed! 27 more acts added to the bill The Download Festival line up is now well and truly in place, fully locked and loaded with over 120 bands guaranteed to whet the appetite of every single festival goer. A host of new acts have been confirmed across the four stages. These are, in no particaular order : BLEED FROM WITHIN SLEEPERCURVE NEW DEVICE OUTCRY COLLECTIVE TRIPSWITCH THE INSTIGATORS IN CASE OF FIRE HARDCORE SUPERSTAR SYMPHONY CULT THE CRAVE BLACKHOLE BILLY BOY ON POISON THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN PLANES THE AUTEUR 13 RIOTS FOREVER NEVER THE COMPUTERS SERPICO SABBAT SUICIDE SILENCE FLOOD OF RED ATTACK! ATTACK! LOGAN FEI COMODO JETT BLACK MILLION$ RELOAD RAUCOUS JAYS Jack Gahan General Mon, 25 May 2009 23:15:00 GMT 2009-05-26T00:15:00 b06c1da0-4d49-426d-9291-6152993c765f 1000000 SCUZZ TV DOWNLOAD SPECIAL Tune in to SCUZZ TV at midnight on Monday 25th May for the "Digital Darkside - Download Special" Make sure you tune in to Scuzz TV this Monday (25th May) at midnight for the Digital Darkside Download Special - featuring an in depth interview and fans questions with Download main man Andy Copping about all sorts of topics including booking the bands and backstage vibes.  Catch videos from bands on the bill, all the latest news AND your chance to win a pair of tickets and some Vans merch'. That's MIDNIGHT this MONDAY, 25th May - and repeated all week - on SCUZZ TV, Sky Channel 374... Sophie Crosby General Tue, 19 May 2009 13:30:00 GMT 2009-05-19T14:30:00 5c5e0c05-b2ef-472d-9c04-90ea2e5615fd 1000000 Red Bull Bedroom Jam Playing the Red Bull Bedroom Jam arena across 3 days will be a host of the best hard rock bands, including My Passion, Dissolved In and None The Less… It started in the bedroom, but the neighbours complained, so for the summer Red Bull have had to find a temporary new home for all the sh*t hot bands that they have been working with since it all kicked off in 2007, and hell, the only place they felt that would really fit the bill in June was the UK’s number 1 rock fest!  That’s right ladies and gentlemen, the chaps at Red Bull Bedroom Jam will be hosting their own stage at Download 2009! They're going to be bringing you a selection of Red Bull Bedroom Jam favourites including (but by no means limited to!) My Passion, The Auteur, Dissolved In and None The Less along with a host of other friends to keep your ears bleeding… Playing the Red Bull Bedroom Jam arena across 3 days will be a host of the best hard rock bands from all seasons with headline slots from firm favourites My Passion, Dissolved In and None The Less…but there is one space still to be filled for one very lucky new band. For the first time ever an unknown band will get to play the main stage in a live broadcast from their Bedroom. This world first will see the virtual gig beamed to thousands of rockers ahead of the performance from Marilyn Manson.  If you’ve got the talent, are under 19 years old and are building your fanbase then your upload could get you to Download. Here’s how, in 3 easy steps: - 1. Upload your video to <a href="http://www.redbullbedroomjam.com">www.redbullbedroomjam.com</a>. Don’t worry about the quality, a mobile phone vid of you playing in your bedroom will do…it’s the talent that counts (a good tip would be to check out Don Broco’s video on the homepage!) 2. Get your fans to log on and watch and rate your vid… 3. The most popular artists get selected for a live-streamed performance…on broadcast day, the Red Bull Bedroom Jam crew collect the musicians and selected mates and fans, and the winners rock out in front of the camera! For this one off special, videos will have to be uploaded by Friday 5th of June…The winners will then be informed on Monday 8th, so, get your vid uploaded and your fans a’ voting…   Sophie Crosby General Tue, 19 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT 2009-05-19T14:00:00 b64ee6ed-4144-441a-a521-38d04c34767e 1000000 CAMPING - IT'S A SELL-OUT !!! Camping Tickets Sold Out - Arena Tickets selling fast, book now to avoid disappointment Camping Tickets Sold Out - Arena Tickets selling fast News just in that all camping tickets for Download Festival 2009 have now officially SOLD OUT. This includes all RIP Park Farm packages, including Tipis and Shacks. Please note all combined coach travel & camping tickets have also now sold out. There are a LIMITED number of the RIP "Platinum" hotel packages stll available, book now! Of course, Arena tickets for the full Weekend and Individual Day tickets are still available - but these are also selling fast - don't miss out - <a href="/tickets">book now!</a> Sophie Crosby General Mon, 18 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT 2009-05-18T18:00:00 c0f72d47-d01d-4b56-9a0f-bc22f81f9ec3 1000000 Spinal Tap join Anvil at Download… …well, kind of. We’ll be screening the ultimate rockumentary at our indoor cinema during the Download weekend! The Campsite Entertainment for Download 2009 has just been revved up with the news that an indoor cinema screen will be hosting two of the hottest rock films ever made! Download is proud to announce that a pre DVD release screening of ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL will be shown over the weekend plus a showing of the all time classic ‘rockumentary’ THIS IS SPINAL TAP. ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL is an immensely entertaining one-of-a-kind documentary, directed by Sacha Gervasi (Writer – The Terminal), a former roadie with the band back in the heady days of the 1980’s. Re-visiting lifelong friends Lips and Robb, Sacha joins them 30 years later as Anvil attempt to make it big one last time. THIS IS SPINAL TAP is considered the ultimate in ‘rockumentaries’. The band are about to embark on their biggest world tour to date. Along for the ride is film-maker and fan Marti Di Bergi (Rob Reiner), there to make a behind-the-scenes tribute to his favourite heavy metal band. However instead of a celebrating the genius of the musicians behind such classics as “Big Bottom” and “Hell Hole”, the documentary captures the cracks as they begin to appear for this band whose time has come… and now appears to have gone again. So if you find yourself in need of a break from all the chaos happening on the stages during the Download weekend it’s nice to know that you’ll be able to get a bit of light entertainment in the form of the two finest rock films ever made. Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 14 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT 2009-05-14T11:00:00 9b874b28-c6d7-449e-b024-c7a0307cf8e1 1000000 The green, green grass of Donington Loads of great eco-friendly schemes return to Download 2009, with plenty of incentives for festival goers to stay green Last year, thanks to some excellent on-site initiatives during the Download weekend, we were privileged to be awarded the Greener Festival award by agreenerfestival.com. Well we don’t intend on letting standards slip in 2009, and are ramping-up our eco-friendly activity at this year’s festival. Here’s just some of the cool stuff we’re doing to help the environment at Dnington in June, with much more info coming soon. Maintaining a commitment to OFFSET ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS of travelling to and from the festival, ticket buyers have the opportunity to add 50p to their order, with funds being invested in local environmental projects in schools – this year an orchard and conservation area will be developed at the Castle Donington Community College. THE CUP DEPOSIT SCHEME will continue to run this year, with 20p charged on each cup and £1 returned for 5 cups, which are then recycled, with the ‘BEER CANS FOR RECYCLING’ program. Festival goers will get a free can of beer for every bag of cans, cardboard and plastic returned to the Campsite Hubs. Any unwanted tents and camping equipment at the end of the weekend can be handed to the Campsite Hubs to then go to local scout groups and other charities. Anyone bringing back a recycling bag or donating a tent will be entered into a draw to win VIP tickets for Download 2010! All waste cooking oil from site will be collected and converted into sustainable biodiesel. RECYCLING SYSTEMS will be in place to segregate all cardboard, plastic, paper and cans from back of house and the waste from the audience will be sent through a sorting process to extract recyclable elements. All vendors will be using biodegradable packaging and wooden utensils across the site to avoid plastic packaging especially polystyrene. Various LOCAL AND NATIONAL CHARITIES, including Global Cool, Cancer Research and Terrance Higgins Trust, will be onsite providing small-scale entertainment and interaction that will promote audience action on environmental and social issues. SHUTTLE BUSES will run from Derby and East Midlands Parkway stations regularly from 10 June until 15 June, with a shuttle bus running from the airport at well. BIG GREEN COACH and HAPPY BUS will be running between Download and towns and cities across the UK, running over 60 coaches to and from the site Festival goers are encouraged to share lifts either with friends or through <a www.liftshare.com="">www.liftshare.com</a>, and all cars arriving on site before 2pm on Fri day 12 June with 4 or more people in will be entered into a draw to win instant VIP upgrade tickets for the whole car - bonus! Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 14 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT 2009-05-14T11:00:00 f632fb69-7277-430e-8f56-7e0042961151 1000000 Guitar Hero coming back to Download! AND Metallica will be at the festival too (well, Guitar Hero Metallica will be…) GUITAR HERO is back for Download 20009! Guitar Hero World Tour players can brag that they have played to the same crowds as Faith No More, Slipknot and Def Leppard, as Activision once again brings the hardest-rocking videogame to the hardest-rocking festival. The Guitar Hero World Tour session - running in The Bell Tent every night, will offer fans the opportunity to perform on-stage in front of up to 1,000 fans, and genuinely experience what it’s like to be a rock star. Last year saw some incredible performances, complete with actual moshing, and a storm of water bottles. This year, with the introduction of the full band set-up, it’s hoped that acts will take things to a whole new level. Individuals, double acts or full bands can perform on stage, drawing from a selection of songs from Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero Metallica. Limited spaces will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. For more details and to join in the action, head on down to The Bell Tent when you get to the festival and get ready to rock. Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 14 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT 2009-05-14T11:00:00 22b6be87-59cb-48ff-82c9-9579751c0c53 1000000 Work on art project at Download continues Students at Birmingham City University start work on sculptures for site entrance <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=39fd6f55-4dda-4088-8473-6bd9b05f47fb">Last week we told you</a> about an art project by students from Birmingham City University for Download 2009. Students from their BA(Hons) Theatre, Performance and Event Design course have begun designing and constructing artist elements for the Festival site, with particular emphasis on the Arena entrance. The idea is to be to build the iconic Download tattoos in massive 3D form and using these sculptures to create what will be a dramatic and eye-catching entrance to the Arena. Work is well and truly underway, with students working diligently over the last few weeks transforming 11 images of the Download tattoos and turning them 3D, the constitution of each being totally unique. Each of the sculptures is now almost ready for resin fibreglassing and latexing next week. With some intricate paint and finishing techniques to follow, keep an eye on right here on the Download website for progress and further updates! Archive - <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=39fd6f55-4dda-4088-8473-6bd9b05f47fb">Eco art returns to Download in 2009!</a> Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 13 May 2009 01:15:00 GMT 2009-05-13T02:15:00 d994d6f5-82ec-4b3c-b5a5-4b4fb3a5b40a 1000000 More than just a stage at Download this year Battle of the Bands competition and VIP competition prizes provide reasons why we drink Tuborg… The Leadmill venue in Sheffield in association with Tuborg and Live Nation has been giving bands from across the UK the chance to appear on the bill for Download 2009! Heats will take place on the first four Sundays in May at The Leadmill, with the winner of each going onto the final on Sunday 31st May. With a panel of judges from the music industry, the winning band will then get a 25 minute slot on the Tuborg stage at the Download Festival ’09 on Saturday 13th June. The Leadmill was inundated with requests, listened to hours of demos, received countless bribes, and have now come up with the shortlist – check it out… <ul> <li> HEAT #1 ~ Sunday 3rd May While She Sleeps / Mae's Lost Empire / About A Plane Crash / Time To Leave </li> <li> HEAT #2 ~ Sunday 10th May Jackson Caged / Disarm / Waking Theo / Tytania </li> <li> HEAT #3 ~ Sunday 17th May Acid Drop / Revanance / Darke Horse / With One Last Breath </li> <li> HEAT #4 ~ Sunday 24th May And Their Eyes Were Bloodshot / Art's Got A Gun / Ashes Of Illusion / Kisstrack Comeback </li> <li> *FINAL* ~ Sunday 31st May </li> </ul> Head on down to the Leadmill for these gigs and show your support for some gool ol’ fashioned unsigned bands. Who knows, it might not be the last time the winner plays at Download! Elsewhere at Download this year, Tuborg will be taking pictures of festival goers and giving lucky drinkers the opportunity to experience VIP treatment with some free backstage passes! Not only that, Tuborg is offering festival goers the chance to see their faces on the main stage screens and on their AMP IT UP video wall, giving you the chance to become part of festival history. Full details of AMP IT UP will be available at the AMP IT UP area on the main site. For any info regarding the winner of Battle of the Bands visit the Tuborg Stage during the festival weekend, so get yourself down there when the festival is in full swing to find out more. Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 11 May 2009 03:00:00 GMT 2009-05-11T04:00:00 91b7d17d-7623-47a2-8ec0-d36f23faff81 1000000 Eco art returns to Download in 2009! Students from Birmingham City University to enhance festival site at Donington for third year in a row Download Festival this year sees the welcome return of students from Birmingham City University, who for the third consecutive year, will be bringing students from their BA(Hons) Theatre, Performance and Event Design course to designing and constructing elements for the Download Festival site. This year there’ll be particular emphasis on the campsite entrance, with students creating what promises to be an exciting, raw and engaging work of art for Download fans to enjoy as they make their way through the festival doors. In past years, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design projects have included a misting machine, the main entrance archway, live recycled art on the hillside and various sculptures visually enhancing Donington Park for festival goers. Work will begin following the tattoo imagery theme over the coming weeks – stay posted for more updates in the coming weeks! Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 08 May 2009 03:00:00 GMT 2009-05-08T04:00:00 39fd6f55-4dda-4088-8473-6bd9b05f47fb 1000000 Going to Download this summer? Download our guide and find out what there is to do in Donington outside of the festival walls… Our friends from AboutMyArea DE74 have been in touch, and have made us a handy guide that is packed full of info about the village of Castle Donington, which is right next to the festival site. They’re all getting excited about having us, and want to make sure that you know what there is to do in town if you find yourself outside the festival walls at any time during the Download weekend. <a href="http://mail.live-store.com/images/special_images/download/castle_donington_guide.pdf">CLICK HERE to download your official guide to Castle Donington now!</a> Once you’ve downloaded it, print it off (it’s double sided!), and fold it into A6 size. Don’t forget to take it to Download with you - if you find yourself hankering for a curry, or in desperate need to buy a dress for a special occasion whilst you're at the festival, you’ll be set! Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT 2009-05-07T01:00:00 97eaacc1-7e2c-491b-89f1-c5bac717ed7a 1000000 FAITH NO MORE to play special warm-up gig at O2 Academy Brixton! Special one-off performance announced on Billy Gould’s Twitter channel this morning… As many already know, Faith No More are reforming after 11 years and will be headlining the Friday night of this year's mighty Download Festival. Anticipation amongst fans to see the band back together has reached fever pitch and due to overwhelming demand a very special one-off show at the O2 Brixton Academy in London has just been announced. The gig, taking place on June 10th at the famous venue was announced this morning on FNM bassist <a href="http://twitter.com/MRGOULD">Mr Gould’s Twitter channel</a>. It simply read “Okay, kids, you knew it was gonna happen, and now I'm happy to confirm it: June 10, Brixton Academy!!”. Tickets go on general sale at 9am this Friday, and you’ll be able to get yours by following <a href="http://www.livenation.co.uk/event/getEvent/eventId/342037/">this link</a> to Live Nation. Demand is likely to be massive though, so make sure you get yours while they’re still available! Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 05 May 2009 02:15:00 GMT 2009-05-05T03:15:00 f56125ac-9a4a-47ad-b156-5ef9c14573e7 1000000 Stay safe at Download Our friends from Leicestershire Constabulary with a few words of advice for festival goers… People going to this year’s festival are being reminded to keep their property safe and leave valuable items at home. At Download last year, 314 crimes were reported to the police during the festival, which was a small reduction on the year before, but 73 tents were broken into on the first night alone and incidents of theft made up 80% of all crime committed during last year’s festival. If you don’t bring valuable items with you, or you keep them in the on-site lockers, then crime will fall this year, so the police are urging festival goers to take a few simple steps to avoid becoming a victim of crime. Personal belongings <ul> <li> - Use the on-site lockers for your personal belongings; don’t leave anything in your tent when you are not in it. You can either book a locker in advance through the Download website for just £11, or buy one when you arrive at ther sit efor the same amount. </li> <li> - If you can’t take your valuables with you when you leave the tent, leave them at home. </li> <li> - Put money, tickets, credit cards and mobile phones in a zipped pocket or use a money belt. </li> <li> - Do not bring large sums of cash. Only bring what you need and keep it on you at all times. </li> <li> - Postcode the property you do bring to Download so that it is identifiable. </li> <li> - If you arrive by car, don’t leave anything on display in your vehicle including sat navs, car stereos, CDs or mobile phones. Don’t put items in your glove box or the boot, this is the first place a thief will look. Take everything with you or leave it at home. </li> </ul> Mobile phone security <ul> <li> - Lock: Use the phone's security lock code or pin number. </li> <li> - Mark: Security mark (in permanent form) the ‘phone and battery with your postcode and the number or name of your home. </li> <li> - Register: Register the phone with your operator. If you report the phone stolen, the operator should then be able to bar the SIM card. </li> <li> - Stay Alert: When you use a mobile phone, remain aware of your surroundings. Try not to use in crowded areas or anywhere you feel unsafe. </li> <li> - Hide: Avoid displaying phones in public view. If you must use the phone, be discreet. Keep it with you at all times and never leave it unattended. </li> <li> - Record: Keep a record of the phone’s 15 digit serial or IMEI number, which is unique to each phone. Find it by keying in * # 0 6 # * (star, hash, zero, six, hash, star) or by looking behind the battery. This number could help the police trace ownership quickly. </li> </ul> Inspector Chris Brown, the Commander of North West Leicestershire local policing unit said; “We want everyone who comes to the festival to have a safe and enjoyable time but it is a sad fact that every year people have their wallet, money and mobile phones stolen which ruins an otherwise great weekend. “This year we are urging everyone to think carefully about what they bring to the festival and how they are going to keep their belongings safe when they are there.” <ul> <li> - Security staff and police officers will be patrolling both the camp sites and the car parks and each campsite will have a ‘hub’ with a ‘hub’ manager where people can go to report problems. </li> <li> - A mobile beat bus will be on the site which will be used as a reporting centre if anyone needs to report a crime. </li> <li> - Community volunteers will also be working on the site giving out crime prevention leaflets and post coding property if people have forgotten to do it before you arrive. </li> </ul> For more information about staying safe at Download this year, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leicestershire-Police-and-Download-Festival/65411096853?ref=ts">CLICK HERE</a> to visit the Leicestershire Police and Download Festival official page on Facebook.   Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT 2009-05-05T01:00:00 d8505ddb-89e6-4698-9d7c-81e35fc47210 1000000 17 more bands confirmed to play Download 2009 Hollywood Undead, Lauren Harris, Hexes and many yore added to the bill With just over 5 weeks to go until the UK’s premier rock festival, THE DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL AT DONINGTON PARK opens its doors to tens of thousands of die-hard rock fans, we’re pleased to announce a brand new set of bands confirmed to perform at this year’s event. Sunset Strip glam-rockers STEEL PANTHER, death metallers TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED (who played Download in 2008), Iron Maiden offspring LAUREN HARRIS (who has played Download twice before) and British punk rockers HEXES (who include Radio 1 Rock Show host Daniel P.Carter in their line up) will be joined by HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, HUNTING THE MINOTAUR, JAPANESE VOYEURS, WHITE MAN KAMIKAZE, LOVERMAN, BLACK SPIDERS, GENERAL FIASCO, SACRED MOTHER TONGUE, 69 EYES, DEAR SUPERSTAR, PULLED APART BY HORSES, VIOLENT SOHO and BRIDES. These acts join headliners FAITH NO MORE, SLIPKNOT and DEF LEPPARD in Download’s 7th year in celebrating the true diversity of rock music with all sub-genres catered for, whether you’re into thrash metal, classic rock, prog-metal or nu-metal! <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/index.aspx">CLICK HERE</a> to check out the line-up page now, and see where and when all of these bands will be playing throughout the Download weekend. Don't forget, a limited amount of day and guest area tickets have recently been put on sale for all three days – these can be purchased through <a href="http://downloadfestival.co.uk/tickets/index.aspx">www.downloadfestival.co.uk</a> alongside weekend and RIP tickets and packages. Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 04 May 2009 23:00:00 GMT 2009-05-05T00:00:00 1e71ded4-4e81-4885-bee5-0baab97af8c3 1000000 Day tickets on sale Friday The wait is over – get your day tickets for Download this week Well, you’ve been asking us for a while now, and today we’re really pleased to confirm that a STRICTLY LIMITED NUMBER OF DAY TICKETS for this year’s Download Festival will go on sale on Friday 1 May at 9.00am. You’ll be able to get your hands on them right here from www.downloadfestival.co.uk, priced at £65 (plus booking fee). Following last week’s grand reveal of the day and stage splits, festival goers can now choose whether they want to head up to Donington Park for headliners Faith No More / Motley Crue / Meshuggah on Friday 12 June, Slipknot / The Prodigy / Anvil on Saturday 13 June and Def Leppard / Trivium / Go Audio on Sunday 14 June. So the question is – which day will you go for? Get in touch via our <a href="http://twitter.com/Download2009">Twitter page</a> and let us know! (Don’t forget, weekend tickets are still available – <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/tickets/index.aspx">Click Here</a> to get yours now!) Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT 2009-04-28T09:00:00 d0a9e772-a557-4f93-bd70-fc0cc5b8ed1d 1000000 Download Fan Forum - April 2009 Festival Director John Probyn answers your questions about this year's festival We were down at the Download Fan Forum last week. For those of you who don’t know, this is a chance for some of our most active members from the Download Community to get together with all the people here at Live Nation who make Download ‘happen’ each year, and give us their suggestions about how we can make the festival better, what their concerns are and how we can fix them to make sure everyone has a good time at the festival. So last week we found ourselves in a Central London venue, and were provided with essential consumables (beer, cashew nuts, cake) and spoke to Festival Director John Probyn and Festival Booker Andy Copping about this year’s weekend of mayhem. Here’s what was discussed… The Village This year, The Village will be a mix of food, funfair rides, sponsor stands and more – and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever before. We’re going to have two entertainment tents (twice as many as last year!), one which will include an indoor cinema. You’ll also find the usual stuff that goes on in The Village, including karaoke, classic rock DJs, comedians, Guitar Hero, and much more. It’s going to be a great place to hang around when you fancy a break from the stages. Cinema The benefits of an indoor cinema will be that we can have massively improved sound quality, and we can also screen other things on here during the quieter times throughout the day. We’ll be screening a host of films that we know you’ll love, so if you fancy giving your ears a rest and switching off to a good old movie at this year’s Download, we’re pleased to say that you’ll be able to check out some great films on our ma-hoo-sive screen. For the football fans amongst you that will be arriving at the site on Wednesday 10th June, we know that you’ll be wanting to watch England’s World Cup qualifier with Andorra. Rest assured that this is very much on our agenda, and we’re doing everything we can to get permission show the match on the cinema screen – stay tuned for more info. Alchoshmoll This year we’re pushing to have a full bar at Download – so that you can buy some your favourite spirits at the festival if you want to (in the past, this hasn’t been possible) as well as the usual beers, wine and soft drinks. However, this is still pending on what our drinks supplier will be able to provide – but it’s looking good so far. In other alcohol-related news, John told us about his vision for future Download festivals. His plan is that in the next couple of years there will be a wide-spread ban on people bringing cans of beer on to the site. However, this ban would only come into effect once he can price match supermarkets and off-licences and sell cans on the site at the same price – which is better for all of us at the end of the day. Gas Canisters As you should know, bringing gas canisters with you is strictly prohibited at Download (and all other festivals for that matter). John made it very clear that if you turn up to the site with them, they’ll be removed. This regulation comes from the authorities at the top, and while it’s a bit of a pain in the arse, it’s better than having one of them blow up in your tent at 4am, right? Don’t bring them with you. Branded food stores We know that you all love your KFCs and Subways – so why can’t you enjoy your favourite takeaway at Download? Well, we’ve approached all the major fast food chains and none of them want to set up shop at Donington. The reason being that they’ve all got basic standards of quality that they need to meet, and setting up a tent in a field to run a chain of their business just isn’t feasible for many of them. However, we may have some exciting news to tell you about a particular branded food store in the near future – so keep your ears to the ground for an update from us very soon. Park and Ride Yes, we know, getting in and out of the festival is a bit tricky, especially if you’re driving. So why not introduce a Park and Ride scheme so that you can easily get from a car park to the site with much less hassle I hear you ask? Well, we actually introduced this idea at Download a few years ago, and whilst we had an army of buses primed and ready to get you from A to B, only a few hundred people used the service all weekend. So it won’t be coming back this year – sorry. Sound Bleeding No, that’s not the name of a band – sound bleeding is essentially where noise from one stage carries across the site and can be heard by people watching a band at another stage elsewhere at the festival. Your concern was that with four stages all facing each other at this year’s Download, will the noise from one stage bleed over to another one? Well Download fans, the good news is that we’ve done the maths, we’ve examined the sonographs, we’ve carried out tests and we’re confident that sound bleeding won’t be a problem at the festival – at least not any more of a problem than at any other festival. Even if we turn it up to 11. <hr width="98%"></hr> That was about it – hopefully that clears some things up. If you’ve got any other concerns about this year’s festival why not <a href="http://forums.downloadfestival.co.uk/">head over to the forums</a> where you can find out loads more info, and chat to members of our community who may well be discussing the thing that’s on your mind. <table> <tr> <td width="232"><img src="http://mail.live-store.com/images/special_images/download/downloadFF_pic1.jpg" alt="John Probyn talks to the Download community about this year's festival" width="230" height="150">John Probyn talks to the Download community about this year's festival</td> <td width="232"><img src="http://mail.live-store.com/images/special_images/download/downloadFF_pic2.jpg" alt="The site map for Download 2009 is unveiled!" width="230" height="150">The site map for Download 2009 is unveiled!</td> <td width="232"><img src="http://mail.live-store.com/images/special_images/download/downloadFF_pic3.jpg" alt="All work and no play for some..." width="230" height="150">All work and no play for some...</td> </tr> </table> Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:45:00 GMT 2009-04-24T05:45:00 0d16b11c-34ab-4c0b-af2f-7b7816dc499b 1000000 Download Club nights to hit the UK from April 24th Get in the Download mood at a town near you in April and May… We’re pleased to announce that our annual DOWNLOAD CLUB NIGHT UK TOUR is back this year, and will be hitting 12 cities during April and May. If you’ve never been before, it’s the ideal way to get ready for the hottest rock event of the year! Hosted by local rock clubs, guests will get to move and shake to Download-inspired rock and metal as well as be in with a chance of winning some Download swag! So if you simply can’t wait for June 12th to come around (only 50 days and counting!) then get yourself down to one of the club nights and soak up the hype. See you there… Friday, April 24th 2009 Newcastle, Legends (from 9.00pm) Wolverhampton, Generation@ The Wulfrun (from 7.00pm)* Saturday, April 25th 2009 London, Decadence @ Trash Palace (from 10.30pm) Nottingham, Rock City (from 9.00pm) Manchester, Jilly’s (from 9.00pm) Liverpool, Krazy House (from 9.00pm) Sheffield, Reservoir Rocks @ The Corporation (from 10.00pm) Glasgow, The Cathouse (from 10.30pm) Wolverhampton, Corrosion at Wulfrun (from 9.30pm) Sunday, April 26th 2009 Nottingham Alternative Under 18’s@ The Rig (from 7.00pm) * Saturday, May 2nd 2009 Birmingham, Teen Culture @ The Sanctuary (from 3.30pm) * Birmingham, The Academy (from 9.30pm) Saturday, May 9th 2009 Cardiff, Fuel at Pure Portsmouth, Chaos at the Wedgewood Rooms Friday, May 15th 2009 Bristol, Ramshackle at the O2 Academy Brighton, Deviant at the Engine Rooms Saturday, May 16th 2009 Bournemouth, Syndrome at Soundcircus * under 18's only Duncan LaBarre General Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:45:00 GMT 2009-04-23T03:45:00 e4f2e8fe-fce7-4181-96ae-d4b0222133f8 1000000 Guest Area passes on sale now! Get closer to the Download experience than ever before... You kept asking us, and finally for the first time in DOWNLOAD history, we are making a limited number of general GUEST AREA passes available for purchase. Giving you access to the Guest Area across all three days of the festival, these passes get you closer to Download than ever before. You can buy the full three-day ticket with Guest Area access and Download festival ticket for £210. Or, if you’ve already bought your ticket to the festival, upgrade to a Guest Area pass for just £75. <a href="http://www.livenationexperience.co.uk/category/details.aspx?id=263">CLICK HERE</a> to buy your Guest Area pass now. See you at the bar! FAQs What is the Guest Area? The Guest Area is, well, a secure, exclusive area within the festival site. Where is the Guest Area? Don’t know yet – site plans are still in the making. Who goes there? Guest Area passes are issued to the act’s representatives, record companies, PR agencies, and RIP guests to name a few. Will I meet my favourite act? You might see some acts in the guest area, you might not …we have no control over this and are not making any guarantees. How often can I use the Guest Area? There is no maximum number of visits.  You will be issued with a Guest Area wristband and you are free to come and go at your leisure. Can I bring my mates into the Guest Area with me? One package admits one person. So, um, no, not unless they’ve got a Guest Area pass too. What days and how long is the Guest Area open? Friday: Opens at Midday, closes at 2am  Saturday: Opens at 10.00, closes at 2am  Sunday: Opens at 10.00, closes at 2am  Can I buy a pass for just one day? The Guest Pass entitles you to use the Guest Area on all three days. What’s in the Guest Area and what’s the point? There are undercover facilities, toilet trailers, private cash bars, dining option and strange random occurrences.  It’s a place to hang out and relax over a beer. Are there excluded areas? Your Guest Pass gives you access to all general Guest Area locations.  It does not permit access to any private areas within the main guest area which may be exclusively held by sponsors, Live Nation or third parties. THIS PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE CAMPING Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:45:00 GMT 2009-04-22T04:45:00 4c6e9469-925a-4732-b65e-82c8ff56cc30 1000000 17 more bands added to the line-up... ...AND stage splits finally revealed! With a truly impressive bill of top rock acts from all over the world already in place for this year’s DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL AT DONINGTON PARK, we’re proud to announce another seventeen acts to join the likes of Faith No More, Slipknot, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and Trivium at this year’s event, taking place 12-14 June. Returning to Download are US metal-core outfit HATEBREED, pop-punkers A DAY TO REMEMBER, Century Media darlings IN THIS MOMENT, Northern Irish rockers THERAPY?, US metallers GOD FORBID, Swedish rockers BACKYARD BABIES and new Brit metallers HOSTILE. They are joined by Download first-timers Cali-rockers MIDDLE CLASS RUT, Brit-rockers NO AMERICANA, the Tool-influenced ESOTERICA, deathcore newcomers SUICIDE SILENCE, rock singer TIM ‘RIPPER’ OWENS, Canadian heavy metallers VOIVOD, Nuclear Blast-signed SYLOSIS, electro-rockers TURBOWOLF, and British hardcore outfit WE ARE THE OCEAN. The only musician so far officially playing two slots at Download this year, will be Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen, who in addition to headlining the Sunday night with his main band, will be also performing the day before with his side project MAN RAZE. We can also announce the stage splits for all three days of the festival, which you can view over at the line-up page. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/index.aspx">CLICK HERE</a> to check it out now! Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:00:00 GMT 2009-04-21T00:00:00 7ab60353-78b5-414f-aae8-43779e41a881 1000000 Keep up-to-date with Download Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates from the festival HQ Want to be in the know for all things DOWNLOAD? Perhaps even impress your friends with your cutting edge knowledge of all things Download? Then why not <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/register/index.aspx">sign up</a> to hear all about Download from the source, right here from the festival HQ.    The teams here at Live Nation are currently insanely busy adding a whole load of new bands to the bill, sorting out the stage splits for each day of the festival, working on a revamped website (which is launching in a couple of weeks), and getting our Twitter page beefed. (If you’re not already following us on Twitter, <a href="http://twitter.com/Download2009">CLICK HERE</a> to visit us now, and keep up to date with tweets throughout the day) With loads of new info starting to come through all the time from the hard-working girls and boys in both the product and the promotions department, the best way for you to keep up to date with all the latest news is to sign up for our newsletter. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/register/index.aspx">CLICK HERE</a> to go to our registration page and sign up now, and make sure that your finger remains very much on the pulse… You’ll also get to hear about new rock and metal shows first, and be offered presale tickets to some of you your favourite shows, which is no bad thing. Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT 2009-04-20T13:00:00 45d9956b-d64c-485d-9780-ef64e1e72434 1000000 12 more bands added to line-up We just keep on giving – load of new acts added to Download bill… The latest news from Download HQ is that we’ve just added a whopping twelve new acts to the line-up for this year’s festival, which in our eyes gives us twelve reasons to be very cheerful indeed. Wanna know who they are – well pay attention at the back, and we’ll tell you… THE ANSWER Hot off the back of their 42-date US tour supporting AC/DC, THE ANSWER return to Download for the third time, in support of their brand new album Everyday Demons. Having already supported the likes of The Rolling Stones and Whitesnake in addition to AC/DC, Northern Ireland’s hottest new blues rockers will have no problem playing to the Download crowd. FIGHTSTAR Brit-rockers FIGHTSTAR come back to Download for the third time. Recently added onto the Radio 1 A-List, the post-hardcore outfit fronted by Charlie Simpson are about to release their third album ‘be human’ through their management imprint label Search and Destroy. BRING ME THE HORIZON Sheffield noiseniks BRING ME THE HORIZON also return for the third time, and will be looking to replicate their typically boisterous pit action at this year’s Download. Their latest album Suicide Season, released last year, received 5 K’s from Kerrang! Magazine and the band were also part of Kerrang!’s Relentless Energy Drink Tour earlier this year. Lock up your daughters! STONE GODS STONE GODS return for the second time having wowed the crowds at last year’s Download Festival. The band truly broke through last year with album Silver Spoons and Broken Bones and will be looking forward to joining The Answer and Black Stone Cherry at this year’s Download, having toured with both bands. STAIND Multi million selling US rock act STAIND make their Download debut this year, following the release of their sixth studio album last year. Over the last ten years they have sold more than 12 million albums worldwide and earned their place as one of the most successful rock bands of the new millennium. FACECAGE Des Moines metal exports FACECAGE will visit Donington for the first time at this year’s Download Festival, to promote their as yet unnamed fourth studio album, which like their third, will be produced by Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, who co-founded the Great Big Mouth label with them. Fans will have to turn up on the day to see if Corey joins them on stage for a number or two! GO:AUDIO Techno pop-rockers GO:AUDIO return for the second time having played on the third stage at Download last year. Building their fanbase through MySpace and touring with acts such as Kids in Glass Houses and Hellogoodbye, they are due to release their first album later this year. SHINEDOWN Florida rockers SHINEDOWN make their Download debut this year. They have sold 6 million records worldwide to date and are currently signed to Atlantic Records. Their third album The Sound Of Madness was released in June 2008 and they went on to support Disturbed later that year. STATIC-X LA industrial metal quartet STATIC-X will be looking forward to playing their first Download Festival, particularly after their scheduled appearance at Download 2004 was cancelled due to transport problems! Their sixth studio album Cult of Static was recently released in the UK, which features Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and was produced by John Travis (Kid Rock, Buckcherry). AUGER BANE South East Londoners AUGER BANE are set to perform their first Download Festival, with big rock songs taken from their two EP’s ‘Scream Sessions’ and ‘House Of The Scorpion’ and album Wings Of Fallen Rock. A new album is in the making. VOLBEAT Danish rockers VOLBEAT also make their Download debut following a successful show at London’s Islington Academy last month. Their fusion of metal and rockabilly has given them three albums to date, and various music awards in Denmark. SEVENDUST Joining the nu-metal fraternity at this year’s Download is SEVENDUST, straight from Atlanta. Seven albums on, the band is due to start work on their eighth album due out next year. Having enjoyed commercial success in America, they have worked with the likes of Deftones and toured with acts such as Korn, Staind and Machine Head. Duncan La Barre General Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:00:00 GMT 2009-04-07T00:00:00 0d488e77-4bc6-4ef2-897b-888abae44589 1000000 Catch the Big Green Coach to Download + 8 more acts announced! You Me At Six, Opeth, Meshuggah, Dir En Grey, Duff McKagen's Loaded, Steadlür, Five Finger Death Punch and Lawnmower Deth As eight more incredible rock acts are added to the line up for Download, it has been confirmed that the <a href="http://www.biggreencoach.co.uk/">Big Green Coach Company</a> will be offering festival goers a more environmental way of travelling to this year’s event. With a line up that’s already boasting several exclusive appearances, including <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=bbe529f5-7278-42e1-9ad1-bef4045951d5">Faith No More</a>, <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=f37f1af2-2e7e-4b71-8bf3-cdebeabd5405">ZZ Top</a> and <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=794be4ac-dea4-4989-839e-82aa938052af">Limp Bizkit</a>, its getting bigger and better by the day! Travelling from all corners of the globe to perform at this year’s event are <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=3f0c8917-7928-4101-8728-cc21d4173007">Opeth</a> and <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=0ae2d967-e98c-4d88-bb71-1d315c83b21d">Meshuggah</a> from Sweden, <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=140ec934-9fdf-4eb2-a6ba-87f20cce93e8">Dir En Grey</a> from Japan, US rock acts <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=1487bbb1-dd91-4a39-a13e-7adb0fae3966">Five Finger Death Punch</a>, <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=d594190a-0d2f-421f-91d8-2ab0d6d2456f">Steadlür</a> and the UK acts <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=a79accdd-d322-4c86-9124-c51a632efd8a">You Me At Six</a>, and <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=7e1dd08a-02d8-4aa3-a6d4-c82f1aef286c">Lawnmower Deth</a>. 2009’s Download Festival will also see a very special appearance from ex-Guns ‘N’ Roses bassist <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=b70945ce-90c4-4b2f-afcb-1a225d7c4d8f">Duff McKagan</a>, who brings his latest incarnation <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=b70945ce-90c4-4b2f-afcb-1a225d7c4d8f">Loaded</a> to Download for the very first time. To make travel easier, we have brought the Big Green Coach Company on board to offer those travelling to this year’s festival a way to not only reduce their carbon footprint but also a great way of making new friends on the way to Donington! For more information click <a href="http://www.biggreencoach.co.uk/ShowDetails.asp?id=108">here</a>. Darren James-Thomas General Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT 2009-03-24T00:00:00 5fbeaabc-3ec9-4fa5-9e5d-80d109985b40 1000000 FNM's first live performance in 11 years, PLUS, twelve more bands confirmed Chris Cornell, Down, Papa Roach, Skin, Journey, Tesla, Lacuna Coil, Black Stone Cherry, Clutch, Architects, Karma To Burn, Parkway Drive... Here at DLHQ, we've been getting rather excited about <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=bbe529f5-7278-42e1-9ad1-bef4045951d5">Faith No More</a> at Download; listening to our old copies of ‘The Real Thing’ and ‘Angel Dust’. We've been feeling even more momentous since it was confirmed that Faith No More's Download set will be their first live performance (in 11 years) since reuniting, before heading out across Europe, making this headlining appearance even more exclusive! We are honoured. Moving on....12 more acts have been added to the ever-growing bill: Fresh off the back of his new album ‘Scream’, US rocker <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=4e7d7e29-feb9-4a26-812c-d5bea9cfeae3">Chris Cornell</a> will make his solo Download debut, although played with ex-band Audioslave in 2003. Returning for the second time will be Southern groove metallers <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=4ecff180-7d99-4775-883b-0bb4715eb2d9">Down</a>, in what is to be their first UK show this year, following some incredible shows in 2008. US nu-metallers <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=6fc35e12-18c9-4aaf-94ed-8d7d6b66b62d">Papa Roach</a> have also been added, coming back for their third Download Festival. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=6a0e8546-95f2-4812-b3a1-be7fa5009d37">Skin</a> are reforming especially to play Download, back together after a 12-year hiatus, marking their second performance at Donington since playing Monsters of Rock in 1994. Classic rockers <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=d426976e-3400-4dcc-bb73-c14466d30562">Journey</a>, voted ‘5th best American rock band in history’ by USA Today will make their Download debut, joined by fellow Californians <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=856da1fc-9fd7-4cb5-83f6-24572ea3e757">Tesla</a>. Also added to the bill are Italian rockers <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=cc8973a9-b579-4c48-8688-d81c5f49b963">Lacuna Coil</a>, Kentucky blues-men <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=af8951dc-5a15-48c7-9dc1-e300bb79202f">Black Stone Cherry</a>, live favourites <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=cd61f3cc-4a9c-42cb-9932-6cb1ca85bc3b">Clutch</a> plus <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=5c809fae-12c1-4b65-8cb1-c8276ad9bf9f">Architects</a>, <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=61b11377-42e0-4b00-8dec-5f8c8585a1a2">Karma To Burn</a> and <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=fc6ba728-60b1-4e71-bf21-6a9cc0c1d7ca">Parkway Drive</a>. Sophie Crosby General Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:45:00 GMT 2009-03-16T23:45:00 1abef367-24dc-4ea1-beca-38673e8994cd 1000000 My Heart Belongs to Download Limited Edition, Exclusive 2009 Event Tee unveiled - available now! Want to get your hands on this Tee? - Well be quick, it's just been unveiled in the <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/store/index.aspx">Download store</a> and is an exclusive, limited edition item. On a fetching and, we feel, stylish black background, a design featuring this year's website "tear through" artwork reveals a ribcage, inside... the beating heart is... a pink dog. Yes, him again.  With the tasteful strapline "My Heart Belongs to Download", we feel that this T-shirt would be perfect attire - whether taking tea at the Ritz, or nipping along to Ritzys Rock Club for a midweek night out. Seriously though... it is limited, it's exclusive to Download and it looks great. On the reverse is the blue wings/scrolls design with this year's event logo and dates. <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/store/index.aspx">CHECK IT OUT NOW IN THE STORE</a> Sophie Crosby General Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT 2009-03-16T00:00:00 7221bd95-70c5-4a81-bb5a-e6aa00e17f1c 1000000 Faith No More announcement creates massive traffic on the site With your help, we've broken our personal best with new online user stats... Oh my god, you nearly broke the internet! We've recently seen the highest traffic figures ever in the history of <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk">www.downloadfestival.co.uk</a> !  The highly anticipated and much talked about announcement on Monday 2 March, confirming that Faith No More as one of our 3 headliners, generated 100,000 visits to the website and over 900,000 page impressions throughout the day. This staggering figure is testament to the dedication and loyalty of the Download fanbase, who continue to shape the face of the festival, which now enters its seventh year. Forum activity on the Download Festival website peaked at over 5,700 active users at the time of the <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=bbe529f5-7278-42e1-9ad1-bef4045951d5">Faith No More </a>announcement at 7.45pm,  whilst the main site saw over 20,000 visits between 7pm and 8pm.  As well as the official website and forums, Download is one of the only UK festivals that has a unique and dedicated <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/downloadfestivaluk">You Tube channel</a>. The addition of an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6psK_7r0uMI">EPK</a> at the time of the launch, including exclusive footage from Slipknot, Korn and Mötley Crüe has generated a combined viewing figure of 150,000 just in the last twelve months. We've become renowned for providing fans with the best interactive experience of any UK festival website. Not only is there a dedicated interactive team at LN, but also a group of tireless moderators and admins, working to ensure fans are kept up to date with every announcement. Festival Director John Probyn and Festival Promoter Andy Copping regularly contribute to the forums  - and this is what makes <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk">downloadfestival.co.uk</a> so popular, with key moderators in regular contact with event organisers here at HQ, offering feedback and suggestions of improvement for future events. we were the first festival to launch the ‘Boardies BBQ’, which kicks off each year’s event on site at Donington and is a unique private party for key members of the Download online community. Every interactive platform is key to Download Festival with fans across <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54255530671&ref=ts">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/Download2009">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MID=367137231&MemberId=3759151385">Bebo</a>, <a href="http://www.last.fm/event/814008">Last FM</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/downloadfestival">MySpace</a> all contributing to Download’s interactive success, for example the official Download MySpace site has over 25,000 friends. The awards speak for themselves – the Download Festival website has consistently been honoured at the prestigious BT Digital Music Awards since 2005 and last year was awarded ‘Best Music Community’ for the second consecutive year. "The Download Festival website continues to go from strength to strength, the many years spent working with the grass roots community and fostering their interaction online, the year round community continues to thrive on the busiest rock/metal forums in Europe. With Andy & John taking time out to write their blogs this year, and holding Q&As with the fans, we have added another layer of interaction that continues to push the boundaries for the Festival." - Mark Yovich ( Live Nation EVP & GM, International Digital) We are now urging fans to purchase tickets so to avoid missing out, following what has been the festival’s best launch ever. With tickets selling faster than any other year, and the three headliners of Slipknot, Faith No More and Def Leppard locked in, its set to be a crazy weekend come 12 June. Tickets for Download are <a href="/tickets/">on sale now</a>. Sophie Crosby General Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT 2009-03-10T00:00:00 bf40f4a6-67c8-4e52-8043-1c39b0b71df0 1000000 3rd Headliner Revealed! Coup of the century: Faith No More reform to headline Download 2009! We are ecstatic to be able to confirm that our third and final headliner for this year's festival will be the hugely influential and pioneering American rock band <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=bbe529f5-7278-42e1-9ad1-bef4045951d5">FAITH NO MORE</a>. They join <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=ac4594fe-a993-46f5-89e2-d994d6e77893">Slipknot</a> and <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=f9c19920-3241-4f3c-ac38-2c0d356ab55e">Def Leppard</a> as headliners for Download, taking place 12-14 June. Following a wealth of rumours and speculation, the band confirmed last week that they would be reuniting, 11 years after they famously called it a day in April 1998. Faith No More’s appearance at Download 2009 will be their ONLY UK date this year. A statement from the band confirmed that they are “still young and strong enough to deliver a kickass set, with enthusiasm to not only revisit our past but possibly add something to the present. And so with this we've decided to hold our collective breaths and jump off this cliff.... BACK, GOD FORBID, INTO THE MONKEY CAGE!!!” A favourite of Metallica and Guns ‘N’ Roses, Faith No More are largely responsible for the rap/rock crossover blueprint and for influencing many of the nu-metal bands of the 90s, including Linkin Park, Korn and Limp Bizkit; the latter two will also play this year’s Download.  Live Nation VP of Promotions Andy Copping says of the news, ‘FAITH NO MORE were the band that started the whole alternative music scene. To have them play for the first time in eleven years exclusively at Download is amazing! They had so many huge hits, I can't wait to see the set list - "We Care A Lot", "From Out Of Nowhere", "Epic", "Falling To Pieces", "Midlife Crisis", "A Small Victory", "Digging The Grave"; not forgetting their awesome covers of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" and The Commodores "Easy". They are one of my favourite bands of all time and being able to see them headline at Donington will be unbelievable. This is like the second coming of Christ!’ Kerrang! magazine's editor, Paul Brannigan, echoed these sentiments: ‘Faith No More were not only one of the great rock bands of the ‘90s, but also one of the greatest rock bands ever. A hugely entertaining thorn in the side of mainstream rock throughout their 17 year history, the band’s unique, eclectic and uncategorisable sound has been a massive influence on every forward-thinking rock band of the past 20 years and their return is a huge cause for great celebration. I couldn’t be more thrilled that they’re back.’ Sophie Crosby General Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:00:00 GMT 2009-03-02T20:00:00 5d7ebc36-d278-4f37-8267-3cf9a329f5cc 1000000 Five more acts confirmed for Download 2009! It's shaping up to be a phenomenal year, new additions to the bill include Billy Talent, Dream Theater, The Blackout, Buckcherry and Anvil! Just announced - set to play Download 2009 are: <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=62e0f95a-38d9-48a4-909c-a3a5a0f12248">Billy Talent</a>, <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=f33fa99b-c758-4f9d-94d5-fd86b4e11445">Dream Theater</a>, <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=2d394239-40c0-48d5-aeec-437cea751155">The Blackout</a>, <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=be728c9a-759e-4cee-bcc9-37e95cef991f">Buckcherry</a>, and rock stars of the silver screen <a href="http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=b4b2e5a1-73ca-4f80-bf4a-8546513eab84">Anvil</a> – who played the Monsters of Rock festival back in 1982. These great acts, encompassing punk hardcore, classic rock and prog-metal join a line up that is already boasting a great selection of international rock artists. This includes the previously announced headliners SLIPKNOT and DEF LEPPARD, with the THIRD HEADLINER - which will be announced right here (and on Zane Lowe on Radio 1) on Monday 2 March at 7.45pm. See you at the front  (or maybe in the tent - we just liked this pic, so we thought we'd use it to illustrate the story!) Sophie Crosby General Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT 2009-02-26T19:00:00 e56685f0-6dbf-47ef-a834-8b96190ffa91 1000000 Three more stellar acts announced for Download Sharp dressed men ZZ Top join shock-rocker Marilyn Manson and metalcore phenomenon Killswitch Engage on this year's line up Legendary Texan blues-rockers ZZ Top will play Download 2009. Whilst this is their Download debut, it marks the trio’s third appearance at the historic Donington site, having performed at Monsters of Rock in 1983 and 1985. ZZ Top are joined by controversial shock-rocker Marilyn Manson, who performed in 2003 and in 2007, and American metalcore outfit Killswitch Engage, making their third Download appearance. With Slipknot, Def Leppard, The Prodigy and many more already on the bill, and yet more names to be confirmed between now and June, Download is shaping up to be the rock event of the year. Sophie Crosby General Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:45:00 GMT 2009-02-19T18:45:00 49f9c10c-c28a-4805-b736-2f30376e398f 1000000 Rollin', rollin', rollin... More acts confirmed and tickets onsale We're delighted to announce four more incredible acts to coincide with tickets going on sale 9am, Friday 13th Feb. We're delighted to announce four more incredible acts to coincide with tickets going on sale 9am, Friday 13th Feb. Confirmed as a second main stage headliner alongside masked metallers Slipknot are iconic British rockers DEF LEPPARD, who return to Donington Park after a 23 year gap, having played Monsters of Rock in 1986. Joe Elliott and co. will be joined on the bill by Very Special Guests WHITESNAKE who make their way back to Donington for the fourth time, following a world tour with Def Leppard last year. Also announced are the recently reformed nu-metallers LIMP BIZKIT who will make their Download Festival debut, and Orlando heavy metallers TRIVIUM, making their third Download appearance. These all join Slipknot, Motley Crue. Korn, Pendulum, The Prodigy, Devildriver and DragonForce at this year’s Download Festival, 12-14 June 2009. Sophie Crosby General Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT 2009-02-12T00:00:00 9e6e5bd1-f3a3-4fa8-ac96-6e62cae6e35c 1000000 Slipknot and The Prodigy to perform at legendary Donington site Slipknot, The Prodigy, KoRn and MÖTLEY CRÜE just some of the bands confirmed to feature on this year’s awesome line up… The biggest rock festival in the UK is back. Download Festival will once again be taking place at Donington Park, the spiritual home of all things rock, from June 12th-14th 2009. This year Download will feature the following incredible headline acts, ‘RIP’ camping packages, and much, much more… Slipknot The heavy metal 9-piece will be taking a break from their ‘All Hope Is Gone’ World Tour to play at Download for the third time. Expect more masked mayhem from the controversial headline act. The Prodigy Making their second appearance at Download, The Prodigy will be injecting a dose of fierce electronica and rock-rave beats, promising a performance not to be missed. Mötley Crüe The last time Mötley Crüe came to Download they played to a ram-packed tent of screaming fans, throwing out hits such as ‘Girls Girls Girls’ and ‘Dr. Feelgood’. They’ll be back at Download again this year, so get ready for another round of pandemonium from the lavish LA wildcats. Korn Playing staggeringly for the fifth at Download, Korn have established themselves as a highlight for festivals fans across the globe. Get ready to let Jonathan, Munky and Fieldy rock your tiny socks off one more time. Pendulum 2008’s heroes of drum ‘n’ bass / metal mash ups join the fray after a welcoming reception last year from the Download crowd. Dragonforce Having spent the last couple of years edging their way more and more into the public’s consciousness, young power metallers Dragonforce will be inhumanly rampaging at this year’s Download. Expect to hear such tracks as “Through the Fire and the Flames” and “Heroes of Our Time” from the formidable English six-piece. DevilDriver Hailing from Santa Barbara, California, groove metal band DevilDriver make a welcome return to Donington. The last time the band was at Download, they attempted a Guinness world record for the largest circle pit – before the attempt was rejected by Guinness on the grounds that it’s impossible to “define where any circle/mosh pit starts and ends”. Seven great bands, to get us started... and that really is only the beginning... by the time we get to June we expect to have a line up of over 100 bands - come on!!! See you down the front...   Duncan La Barre General Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:45:00 GMT 2009-02-09T19:45:00 014433fe-8bbf-497f-b4c1-bff720ba906e 1000000 Download fan forum shapes 2009 Festival The use of the ‘fan forum’ has now become an essential tool in shaping and organising Download Festival 2009. Stay safe at Download Our friends from Leicestershire Constabulary with a few words of advice for festival goers… People going to this year’s festival are being reminded to keep their property safe and leave valuable items at home. At Download last year, 314 crimes were reported to the police during the festival, which was a small reduction on the year before, but 73 tents were broken into on the first night alone and incidents of theft made up 80% of all crime committed during last year’s festival. If you don’t bring valuable items with you, or you keep them in the on-site lockers, then crime will fall this year, so the police are urging festival goers to take a few simple steps to avoid becoming a victim of crime. Personal belongings <ul> <li>Use the on-site lockers for your personal belongings; don’t leave anything in your tent when you are not in it. You can either book a locker in advance through your ticket provider or buy one when you arrive for £5. </li> <li>If you can’t take your valuables with you when you leave the tent, leave them at home.</li> <li>Put money, tickets, credit cards and mobile phones in a zipped pocket or use a money belt.</li> <li>Do not bring large sums of cash. Only bring what you need and keep it on you at all times.</li> <li>Postcode the property you do bring to Download so that it is identifiable. </li> <li>If you arrive by car, don’t leave anything on display in your vehicle including sat navs, car stereos, CDs or mobile phones. Don’t put items in your glove box or the boot, this is the first place a thief will look. Take everything with you or leave it at home.</li> </ul> Mobile phone security <ul> <li>Lock: Use the phone's security lock code or pin number. </li> <li>Mark: Security mark (in permanent form) the ‘phone and battery with your postcode and the number or name of your home. </li> <li>Register: Register the phone with your operator. If you report the phone stolen, the operator should then be able to bar the SIM card. </li> <li>Stay Alert: When you use a mobile phone, remain aware of your surroundings. Try not to use in crowded areas or anywhere you feel unsafe. </li> <li>Hide: Avoid displaying phones in public view. If you must use the phone, be discreet. Keep it with you at all times and never leave it unattended. </li> <li>Record: Keep a record of the phone’s 15 digit serial or IMEI number, which is unique to each phone. Find it by keying in * # 0 6 # * (star, hash, zero, six, hash, star) or by looking behind the battery. This number could help the police trace ownership quickly.</li> </ul> Inspector Chris Brown, the Commander of North West Leicestershire local policing unit said; “We want everyone who comes to the festival to have a safe and enjoyable time but it is a sad fact that every year people have their wallet, money and mobile phones stolen which ruins an otherwise great weekend. “This year we are urging everyone to think carefully about what they bring to the festival and how they are going to keep their belongings safe when they are there.” <ul> <li>Security staff and police officers will be patrolling both the camp sites and the car parks and each campsite will have a ‘hub’ with a ‘hub’ manager where people can go to report problems. </li> <li>A mobile beat bus will be on the site which will be used as a reporting centre if anyone needs to report a crime. </li> <li>Community volunteers will also be working on the site giving out crime prevention leaflets and post coding property if people have forgotten to do it before you arrive.</li> </ul> Tom Milway General Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMT 2009-01-13T09:00:00 8824cc19-3bc8-4f7e-9c63-c17c815443fc 1000000