FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Download Festival 2018 – Saturday
Distorted Sound‘s coverage of Download Festival continues! As we continue our preview for this year’s massive festival (check out our preview of the Friday here), our attention now turns to day two of the festival. With some truly massive bands billed for the Saturday alongside with some very exciting new names in rock, there’s plenty on offer to check out! So, read on for our lowdown of the Saturday of Download Festival 2018!
Main Stage
Donington may not exactly be a Paradise City but on Saturday at this years Download Festival, GUNS N’ ROSES will be bringing a mammoth three-hour set. The legendary band will give everything you have ever dreamed about witnessing at a classic GNR set. Southern blues rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY will be returning to Download once more at the highest slot they’ve ever had, and iconic hard rock band THUNDER will deliver anthems ready to get anyone ready for a good night. THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT will bring sweet bluesy grooves, THE STRUTS will ignite everyone’s party animal, and MONSTER TRUCK will show Donington what Rock n’ Roll really looks like. Offering something slightly lighter but oozing with soul is southern country group WHISKEY MYERS, easy listening for those Friday hangovers. Opening the main stage on Saturday will be THE PINK SLIPS, they’ll be giving Download a taste of some fresh sounds and giving one of the most alive performances you’ll see for some time to come. The main stage will be filled with some of the finest rock we’ve been offered through the years, blues rock and genres alike are making a resurgence and Saturday will show you exactly why.
Words: Jessica Howkins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U5IhEAFGwQ
Zippo Encore Stage
Sure, the attention for the majority of people at Download Festival on the Saturday is obviously directed towards the eagerly-awaited headlining show from GUNS N’ ROSES but to disregard the rest of the day’s billing would be doing the bands in question a disservice. And over on the Zippo Encore Stage, the Saturday’s lineup bolsters an arsenal of killer bands that definitely warrant your attention. PARKWAY DRIVE are one of heavy music’s titans after 2015’s Ire cemented the Aussie metallers in the big leagues. Arriving to headline Download Festival‘s second stage on the back of the storming Reverence, PARKWAY DRIVE very much have the wind in their sales and will deliver a up-tempo and uplifting show, one which will surely kickstart the next stage of their illustrious career. Prior to the much anticipated stage headliner though, Japanese sensations BABYMETAL land the sub-headlining slot whilst sets from British metal stalwarts BURY TOMORROW and American riff masters CORROSION OF CONFORMITY will bring the riffs in abundance. Throw in the crossover nature of metal and rap outfit POWERFLO, whacky thrashers LAWNMOWER DETH or grunge rockers L7 and you’ve got plenty on offer to check out.
Words: James Weaver
The Avalanche Stage
Friday’s billing for The Avalanche Stage may have brought riffs in neck-snapping fashion, but Saturday’s billing at this year’s Download Festival is a much more lighthearted affair. Catering more to the pop punk side of rock music, the majority of bands billed for the festival’s third stage this year offer a much more tame experience. NECK DEEP are one of the biggest names in UK pop punk and they grace the day’s headlining slot, one which represents their substantial pull in the genre. Elsewhere, MAYDAY PARADE will trigger nostalgia to days gone by whilst the billing of WSTR, TIGRESS and THE BOTTOM LINE offers people an insight into the latest names to make a ripple in the UK’s pop punk scene. There are a handful of wildcards on the day’s billing; BEING AS AN OCEAN and ROLO TOMASSI. BAAO will deliver a set with emotions dialled up to eleven as the band’s melodic post-hardcore will surely resonate with countless people whilst ROLO TOMASSI is a different beast entirely. Certainly the heaviest band on Saturday’s The Avalanche Stage, the genre-bending rockers arrive to Download on the back off the phenomenal Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It and will surely give a performance that will bolster their already stellar reputation.
Words: James Weaver
The Dogtooth Stage
Friday’s billing for The Dogtooth Stage may have boasted a bountiful offering of varying bands, Saturday’s lineup is a much more straightforward, but equally neck-snapping affair. After reuniting with prolific frontman CJ McMahon and releasing the devastatingly heavy Dear Desolation last year, Aussie bruisers THY ART IS MURDER return to Download Festival for what will be a storming headlining set on the festival’s smallest stage. Prior to this though, expect a bucket load of whiplash-inducing riffs and earth-shattering breakdowns. MALEVOLENCE will incite carnage, KNOCKED LOOSE will bring sheer chaos, SHVPES will have the tent bouncing with their brand of no-nonsense metalcore and rising UK mob HIGHER POWER will surely enhance their budding reputation. There are a few curveballs to the mayhem however. Australian progressive metal maestro PLINI takes to Download Festival in what will be a chilled and impressive affair however, the crème de la crème of interesting acts has to go to SLEEP TOKEN. The mysterious collective have been exploding in popularity thanks to their expansive soundscape and illusive live shows. Expect their set to be something truly special indeed.
Words: James Weaver
So that brings our lowdown of the Saturday of this year’s Download Festival to a close. Stay tuned to Distorted Sound as we bring you our preview for the final day of this year’s festival and check out our preview of the Friday!
Download Festival takes place on 8-10 June 2018 at Donington Park. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
For more information on the festival like their official page on Facebook.
