Download Festival 2013

(photo: http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk) 

It's been over two weeks now since we attended Download Festival 2013. I was about to write this post before, but I have been waiting all this time for first proshot videos on Youtube. It's so annoying, because so far you can find only a few, and at the same time you can enjoy full sets from Rock Am Ring or Hellfest which took place around Download's time. I want to see full concerts from this year, like it was in past, but I won't be surprised if it doesn't happen. I am a bit sceptical about it and the whole event as well, but I gonna explain my doubts below.

Firstly, I can not complain at all, because I won these tickets!! :) It's the second time in my life when I have won tickets and what's really funny, the first one was exactly about Slipknot tickets too hah :D I mean - if Slipknot is a headliner, my chances to win suddenly increase! ;) But I couldn't use my first ticket - it was in 2002, if was only 15 years old and my genius brother showed "Left behind" video our mum, and because I come from a catholic family, you can imagine her reaction then... In a few words: "NO FUCKING WAY". So I was forced to stay at home and missed (I am sure of it) the best concert Slipknot have ever played in Poland. Two years later I managed to see their second gig in Poland, as they played an opening show for Metallica in Chorzow, but it wasn't the same. They weren't that star of the evening. So it took me 9 years to see them again and I am glad that I had this chance.

I won two tickets, but Royal Mail was so messy this time, so I received my tickets twice = I ended up with four tickets, all for the whole weekend access :D And I sold those extra two in 5 minutes on Gumtree, earning 250 pounds extra ;) Then I found a really lovely host on Couchsurfing website, living just 40 minutes of walk from the festival area - it was definitely a cherry on the top! We couldn't be more lucky about this event (not to mention that I had an interview on the first day of Download - it turned out that I got this job and I am starting next week!).

Download was my first festival in England and abroad generally. Before it I was only at two Off Festivals in Poland that took place in Myslowice, not Katowice as nowadays. I personally prefer normal concerts in small venues where I can focus on my favourite band and enjoy music without any strange things you can experience at festivals. And I saw a lot of weirdness at Download ;)

We arrived to Castle Donington lately, because our bus in Nottingham was delayed and when we finally reached festival area, we couldn't find a point where they were giving wristbands :/ Some staff workers were so clueless and unhelpful that we missed 'Blind', 'Twist' and 'Falling Away From Me'. Of course, we stood far away from the main stage and didn't enjoy the show as we could. Korn used to be my ultimate favourite band for many, many years. I stopped listening to them after 'Take A Look In Mirror' album, because they changed for worse. So after all these years of true love followed by hate I was curious to see them live for the first time in my life. And it was a blast!! Jonathan has lost a lot of weight and he was full of energy. His voice is still amazing after all. It was also so nice to see whole band reunited with Head, unfortunately David Silviera was still missing. A new drummer is good, but David stole my teenager heart long time ago, as well as Joey Jordison (drummers are always the best). I promised myself that I must see them again at their own concert in normal venue, because my love for them is still alive :) They were perfect despite of short set (I wish they had played 'Thoughtless'), but singing aloud all these lyrics after 10 years was precious. And bagpipes during 'Shoots and Ladders' - something I have always dreamt about.

After our favourite band from the past we went to see our present favourites - Converge. I am a die-hard fan of these guys and even it was the fifth time we saw them, they were brilliant again. They never disappoint and they never will. Such an intense show, but the band didn't hide the fact that they felt a bit strange in this place, the same as we did. Converge sharing the stage with HIM and other mainstream bands is really  unusual, but they always prove what is important in music. And other bands should learn from them how to write, produce and perform music. There are only few honest bands these days and Converge is one of them. I felt guilty that we had to leave before the end of their gig in order to get a good place at upcoming Slipknot show on the main stage. This is one of drawbacks of every festival - rushing from one place to another, missing songs of your beloved bands.

Converge followed by a 'beer' break with stupid faces ;) I must apologize for quality of my pictures, but Samsung Galaxy Ace is definitely not a master of photographs. I wish I had a better camera in my phone :/

After squeezing with 90 000 people, fighting for best possible view on the right side of main stage, the time of Slipknot came. They started with 'Disasterpiece' and finished with 'Surfacing'. Everything in between was a pure madness except 'Dead Memories' which I personally found as the weakest point of whole set. But of course, the rest of crowd liked it ;). Don't get me wrong, but I dislike people who pretend to be true fans, but only know the newest, usually milder songs and have more fun at 'Dead Momories' than during such an evergreen as '(sic)' or 'People=Shit'. Maybe it was only a part of crowd around us, because our friends from Spain experienced something different on the left side. Anyway I really enjoyed old songs and heard others for the first time. It was a great show, but I didn't like all these pauses between songs made by Corey talking and talking. Ok, two breaks were necessary, because we smashed barriers in the front, but I am not a fan of this small talk all the time. They should have destroyed us without mercy, leaving no time for rest at least for a few songs. After all, they were a perfect headliner of Download and it was amazing to see them again.

Our shoes after first evening at Download ;) 

As people who don't like both english weather and fashion, we don't have wellies ;)

Saturday started with a downpour and we were totally soaked after 10 minutes. It was more 'classic rock' day with Mastodon, Alice in Chains, Motorhead, Queens Of The Stone Age and Iron Maiden on the list. Mastodon is the most boring band I have ever seen, sorry. I am not surprised why they only play on festivals instead of organizing their own tour. Peter likes them, but he was also very dissapointed. They played only new album and one good old song. I shouldn't say this, but I was yawning all their set. On the other hand, Alice In Chains were excellent. Their new vocalist reminds me Layne Staley in the way he sings. After all these years the band still sounds fresh and their perfomance was a pleasure to see. The next ones, gentlemen from Motörhead were also nice. I have never listened to their music, but I am aware that they are already rock icons. We really looked forward to see Queens Of The Stone Age that day. This is one of these bands that I must know better. I didn't even realize that vocalist's name is Josh until a woman next to me started shouting "Josh!!!!!!! I looooove you!!", "Josh, take your clothes off!!!!!!!!!". I wondered if she mistook the concert with some boysband's like One Direction ;) Luckily, Josh didn't hear her and gave wonderful performance with his bandmates. Their new album '...Like Clockwork' is superb and they give me extra chills playing new songs. Definitely one of the biggest highlights of the weekend.

The main star of the evening were Iron Maiden. I like some of their songs, especially 'Brave New World' album, but I couldn't expect any bits from this record in Castle Donington. From last year the band has undertaken the Maiden England World Tour, which is largely based around video & live album recorded during the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son world tour and released in 1989. The setlist and stage design are surely a great present for older fans who attended Iron Maiden concerts over 20 years ago. For many people is a real chance to go back in time and listen to all these songs from past. I really would like to see Deftones or Korn using this idea. It would be fantastic to take part in 'White Pony' tour :) Iron Maiden played a classic set, consisting of 'Run To The Hills', 'Wasted Years', 'Fear Of The Dark', 'Running Free' etc., but I really regret they didn't play 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' and it's not only my opinion. I am not the biggest fan of their music, but I enjoyed 2 hours with them. I have to mention that today they has played in Gdansk, Poland ;)

Iron Maiden started the concert with a Spitfire flying around us! Awesome!

This post is already too long... I will split it in two parts and write the rest tomorrow ;)