Saturday at Download definitely felt like a nostalgia fuelled line up sprinkled with some of our favourites from the underground scene and whilst we weren’t able to catch Guns N’ Roses fully (or luckily) we still made the most of what day two had to offer.
Thornhill – Apex Stage – 11am
A calmer start to the Apex Stage with Thornhill’s lyrical poetry waking everyone up a bit from last night’s antics with Dick and Dom. Good thing the crowd’s arms were still working though as their set featured clap alongs and arm waving. Energy levels definitely rose with their most popular song ‘Obsession’ aiding a few budding pits to help get the day going. (BO)
Tropic Gold – Dogtooth Stage – 11.40am
For a band that you’ve probably seen on a few festival line ups recently, you may be wondering what all the Tropic Gold hype is about. Their set on the Dogtooth stage demonstrated it perfectly, with unwavering vocals and chugging riffs. The energy was further elevated when they brought out Harpy for ‘Witch House’ and with their final minutes they conducted a scream along to the bridge of ‘HOLY HORROR’ with “I fucking love that”. (BO)
As Everything Unfolds – Opus Stage – 12.45pm
In an unexpected twist of fate, we found As Everything Unfolds on the second stage, and to say it suited them would be an understatement. With singalong’s louder than the sound system, there was only love for this band. Although for those expecting to see Drowning Pool, the disappointment would have been short lived as frontwoman, Charlie Rolfe, barked out the verses of ‘WHAT YOU WANTED’ with a devastation akin to ‘Bodies’. There wasn’t much time to recover however with a growing pit for the bridge of ‘POINT OF VIEW’ then going straight into ‘GASOLINE’ and ‘Ultraviolet’ the crowd was left trying to catch their breath. (BO)
Landmvrks – Apex Stage – 1.15pm
With this being the first time Landmvrks had ventured to Donington, a main stage debut was quite a flex. This slot wasn’t given undeservingly however with their most recent UK/EU tour being mostly sold out, and they made sure you knew why. Churning out a bassline so heavy even the mainstage cameras were quivering and playing host to every type of pit imaginable. Just the opening of the ‘Sulfur’ circle pit was generating enough energy it could power a small town. Whilst their latest track ‘A Line in the Dust’ didn’t have as much energy from the crowd, which was to be expected, ‘Lost in a Wave’ seemingly sent people into a frenzy before their set wrapped up with ‘Self-Made Black Hole’. (BO)
Black Veil Brides – Apex Stage – 2.30pm
Like many in the crowd who’s inner 13-year-old-self insisted they went along to Black Veil Brides, a new perspective was found after watching their set. For a band that has received an excessing amount of hate over the years, it seems like the fog is finally starting to lift. Of course, they still whipped out some of their oldest and most iconic songs, that of ‘Knives and Pens’ and ‘In The End’, but it was their most recent releases that helped to shine a light on the heavier and less emo side to this band. ‘Bleeders’ saw the crowd surfers start with the breakdown of ‘Vindicate’ provoking banana-led chaos. Even the younger generation were up on shoulders to fully immerse themselves in all the antics. (BO)
Mouth Culture – Avalanche Stage – 2.35pm
One of the brightest lights in British music right now are Leicester-based Mouth Culture and this was reflected in a tent that was overflowing with fans. Frontman Jack Voss is a modern day rock star already and never seems to have an ‘off’ day when he’s on stage. Here he wasn’t just about the insane vocals and dynamic stage presence. He got the crowd moving from the off, spoke to those squished into the tent in a heartfelt manner and seemingly removed a layer of clothing as if he were losing at a game of strip ‘play a song’. ‘Ratbag’ and ‘Sharkbait’ are made for festivals, with energy that seeps into those new to the band, but it’s ‘Everyday’ where the set peaks, with the introspective track just hitting the right spot on a Saturday afternoon. This is a band that is going to absolutely explode in the next 18 months. (DH)
Melrose Avenue – Avalanche Stage – 3.30pm
Now it might have taken a minute or two for the crowd to catch the vibe at Melrose Avenue but they got the gist after frontman, Vlado Saric, demanded a pit. Dancing across the stage also seemed to help the non moshers lower their guards and by the end of the set movement was a common sight. Between their performance and the on-screen visuals that felt like you were being pulled towards the stage, the whole set felt like gravity but there were no complaints about its weight. (BO)
Marmozets – Avalanche Stage – 5.20pm
This has been a long time coming. Marmozets finally made it back to Download Festival and it was glorious. A new album under their wings, granted with one less band member, but the tent was heaving and Becca Macintyre’s vocals seem to somehow be even better. Neither she nor the rest of the band needed any warming up as they launched into ‘Kiss From A Mother’, the full-throttled lead single from their latest album CO.WAR.DICE.. What followed was a delightful blend of all of their albums with ‘Love You Good’ producing the most explosive reaction from a crowd that would revelled in a 3 hour set here. Download Festival, and hell the entire damn world, is a better place with Marmozets as the soundtrack. (DH)
Hot Milk – Avalanche Stage – 6.30pm
If you’ve been to a Hot Milk gig before, you know what to expect, but for those newbies hearing about a “big fat fucking hole” several times during a set must have been somewhat bewildering. Although it is clearly an effective statement, especially straight out of the gate as the space opened for a pit almost immediately. Now this is one of those sets where if you didn’t come to party, well tough, because you’re gonna; because it is nigh on impossible to stand still in a Hot Milk crowd. Even some of their newer and lesser known tracks like ’90 Seconds To Midnight’ getting the same reaction as their biggest song ‘BREATHING UNDERWATER’. (BO)
The All American Rejects – Avalanche Stage – 7.40pm
A band’s name might not always make sense until you see them live sometimes, witnessing the pure uniqueness of a character and understanding why The All American Rejects just makes sense. Introducing Tyson Ritter, the Mika of the pop-punk world. Between hijacking a stick from the crowd and pole dancing around it and offering to be a third after a proposal in the crowd, there was never a dull moment. Not to mention the overwhelming number of throwbacks they played from ‘Swing Swing’ and ‘My Paper Heart’ to ‘It Ends Tonight’ and ‘Gives You Hell’. Seeing this band was definitely an experience ticked off many people’s bucket lists, and if you weren’t there, get AAR your list. (BO)
Check out the day 1 review here