Festival News: New Year, new Download announcement
New Year, new Download announcement. With the first 82 bands being announced back in November, and less than five (!!) months to go until Donnington descends once more into chaos, it was time for the lineup poster to get heftier.
With some festivals only just getting started with their announcements for later in the year, Download’s decided to raise the ante by unveiling some more names of their vaunted visitors. 21 new artists have been announced, creeping the grand total just past the three figures mark, and with them come the long-awaited day splits.
Let’s start with the Friday. Joining the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age, Royal Blood, Bad Omens and Heilung, Donnington has the privilege of welcoming the fellow blues rockers of both Black Stone Cherry and The Struts, as well as the eclectic Mr. Bungle, and the mighty Of Mice & Men; elsewhere, UK legends Busted have the pleasure of headlining the Avalanche Stage, preceded by both emo favourites Escape The Fate, and the iconic Wheatus, as well as the Australian alt-rocker Aviva, and the Dogtooth stage gets to welcome American outfit Health, who have picked up a legion of new fans after being over here supporting Sleep Token.
Saturday is off to a hell of a start in its own right: as well as Fall Out Boy, The Offspring, Pantera and While She Sleeps, the Saturday plays host to some true heavyweights: both Enter Shikari and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes return to the main stage, having headlined the Pilot edition together, along with the fantastic The Hunna. The Opus Stage gets the genuine honour of guitar legend Tom Morello, whose solo work is as revered as his work with the somehow-no-longer-touring heavyweights Rage Against The Machine. Volbeat’s Michael Poulson also promises some death metal mayhem with his outfit, Asinhell. Rounding out the new-comers for the Saturday are Manchester-based, hardcore rising stars of Guilt Trip, as well as Australian prog-metallers Ne Obliviscaris, both destined to destroy the Dogtooth stage in short order.
Finally, the Sunday. Back to being just a three-day festival, Download had to maximise bang-per-buck: so, joining the already announced Avenged Sevenfold, Limp Bizkit, Sum 41, Machine Head and Corey Taylor, comes everyone’s favourite German export in Electric Callboy. Having headlined the Avalanche Stage last year — allegedly requesting the slot in the smaller stage for the sake of their frankly bat-shit crazy stage show — it’s only right that they’re up on the Opus stage. Competing with them for funnest band of the day, though, come the frantic Zebrahead, also on the Opus stage, as well as the Swedish rockers of Royal Republic. Amongst the other additions of the day, scattered throughout the remaining three stages, Download’s Apex stage promises Code Orange, returning after their triumphant set at Outbreak festival, and, finally, Cemetery Sun on the Avalanche stage help round out the announcement.
21 new bands, bringing the total to 103, and enough of a glimpse of days and set times to get your blood boiling over clashes — what’s not to like?
Words by James O’Sullivan
