Festival Preview - Download Festival 2017
If you’re into Metal, Rock or Punk and any sub-genre that is filed under these then for 3 days of every year Castle Donnington becomes a mecca as it plays home to Download Festival. Dubbed to be the UK’s most popular festival for Rock and Metal and hosting some absolute legends such as AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Black Sabbath and a ton of others, it’s easy to see as to why this is classed as a pinnacle to some that get to play one of the 3 days.
With so many big hitters taking to the stage it goes without saying that some of the best up and comers can get over looked so below is our top 5 (in no particular) Not to miss bands from the “Avalanche” and “Dogtooth” stages. Let’s hear it for the under dogs!
Quite possibly one of the biggest under dogs of the weekend are Welsh boys Holding Absence. Despite having only two singles out and never putting on a headline tour of their own these guys take to the “dogtooth” stage on Friday. Lucas brings a great mix of heavy screams and clean vocals to the mix of melodic instrumentals which has huge and ever growing following.
These guys definitely should be more recognised and hopefully playing to the massive numbers at Download will pave the way.
Either love them or hate them, but there is no denying that Astroid Boys deliver a killer show. Mixing punk and grime is not an easy task but the guys manage to pull it off. With more acts like Hacktivist, Grove Street Families and Atroid Boys bridging the gap between grime and metal they are clearly holding their own.
Be sure to catch their biggest track “Dusted” with the heavy dirty riffs it’s sure to leave a lasting impression and if you’re in the pit definitely some bruises.
Solidly fitting in the Rock genre are The Fallen State. Ben’s soulful vocals are a great accompaniment to the hard rock/groove instrumentals, giving the band a sound that could easily be mistaken for a group that’s been established for a lot longer than 5 years.
Opening the Dogtooth Stage on Sunday isn’t the best stage time for anyone, but this is an underestimate of Fallen State’s ability to draw in a crowd and deliver a performance not worth missing out on (even with a hangover.)
Wallflower had a huge year in 2016 with some huge tours across the UK and Europe which obviously caught Mr Copping’s eye. The South London 5 Piece have a psychedelic grunge vibe to their music with the occasional growl thrown for good measure.
With a lot of time being put in to writing Download is the perfect opportunity to showcase where the hard work has gone.
Lastly no list would be complete without a decent Pop Punk addition. Junior are more than worth of a mention. Hailing from Cardiff and being the 3 piece are steering clear of the Neck Deep comparisons and edging more toward a classic Blink-182 sound.
With Mark Andrews not only being the lead vocalist but also a pro wrestler, you can expect a high energy performance full of jumps, spins and possibly a few moonsaults.
With the 5 already mentioned and a ton more on the line up, Download as always is set to be one hell of a festival. If you haven’t already got a ticket yet we cannot recommend the festival enough, this isn’t a gathering of fans it’s a family reunion!
Feature written by Anthony Hunt