FESTIVAL REVIEW: Download Pilot 2021
It’s been a long sixteen months, hasn’t it? Sixteen months that have upended the world as we knew it, imposing new restrictions on the way people go about their lives from the more mundane like face masks when shopping, to shutting down live music in its entirety. No-one expected festivals to go ahead last year, but there was some hope they could go ahead in 2021. Determined to help open up live music again, Download Festival organisers Festival Republic took part in the government Events Research Programme, announcing a three-day Download Pilot event; attendees had to test before and after, as well as providing a negative test result for entry. Once in, masks and social distancing were a thing of the past and some semblance of pre-pandemic normality could set in. The Donington faithful that descended on the arena last weekend were rewarded with a weekend of revelry and a showcase of British rock and metal excellence – and we were on hand to document it.
FRIDAY – June 18
DEATH BLOOMS – Second Stage
Landed with the unenviable task of being the very first band to grace either stage, Liverpudlian nu-metallers DEATH BLOOMS waste no time in getting the ball rolling on the Second Stage with their blend of bouncing riffs, synths and vocalist Paul Barrow’s acerbic roars. There’s elements of KORN, LINKIN PARK and more from nu-metal’s heyday but rather than sounding derivative, it’s updating for the modern day with the crunching guitars of modern metalcore and some serious fists-in-the-air inducing energy. Tearing through a setlist heavy on their latest EP Fuck Everything, they’re clearly a band relishing being back on stage where they belong and the raucous energy of the album is magnified tenfold. Perhaps it’s a symptom of live music having been gone so long but it’s clear from a glance round the swelling crowd that there’s a few tears being shed despite the rage and vitriol emanating from the stage. The band themselves are clearly elated to be back, soaking in the moment on a few occasions, relishing being on stage again and sharing that with a gig-starved crowd who lap up every word and note.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Will Marshall
HOT MILK – Main Stage
Immediately following them and opening the Download Pilot Main Stage are a very different prospect; Manchester troupe HOT MILK blend electronic elements with pop punk to energetic effect. Opening with latest single I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead followed by California’s Burning for both songs’ live debuts, the band co-fronted by Han and Jim take a minute to warm up and it seems there’s a bit of ring rust that’s soon dusted off. The crowd are less immediate too, but are soon eating out of the palms of their hands as they both stalk the stage. The power pop group clearly aren’t to everyone’s liking but their energy and glee to be back on stage is palpable and infectious. Even dropping in a mid-set ballad in Wide Awake, that ordinarily could derail any momentum, sticks the landing and the band soon pick up the pace again with Candy Coated Lies. Their earworm melodies and sheer enthusiasm is more than enough to win them new fans and even the rain can’t dampen spirits today.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Will Marshall
MALEVOLENCE – Second Stage
MALEVOLENCE bought the first taste of beatdowns to Donington in two years, causing absolute mayhem from the word go. It was a short, six song set, but that didn’t stop the Sheffield crew from absolutely dominating the tent. Featuring the live debut of Remain Unbeaten and The Other Side from their 2020 EP of the same name, this was essentially a greatest hits set – with a whole crowd singalong to Slave to Satisfaction. MALEVOLENCE were here to take no prisoners, and left the crowd swiftly wanting more than their half hour set allowed. However they well and truly woke the Download Pilot crowd up, reminding everyone of the sheer electricity that live music can spark. Even the normally gruff northern lads acknowledged the emotion of this show, proclaiming how good it was to be back and how much they missed the crowd, before swiftly launching into closer Keep Your Distance. MALEVOLENCE are always a superb live band, and perhaps it was the time away, but they felt better than ever at the Download Pilot. They’ve been a band tipped to be the next big thing in hardcore, and from this set, it looks like they’re well on their way.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Sean Hubbard
HOLDING ABSENCE – Second Stage
The Download Pilot was a weekend full of emotion, and who better to really get the tears flowing than nu-emo heavyweights HOLDING ABSENCE. Robbed of the ability to tour their new album The Greatest Mistake Of My Life by the pandemic, this was the first time that anything from that record was performed live to a crowd, and by god was it worth the wait. Opener Celebration Song really set the tone for the evening, as the crowd belted back every line at vocalist Lucas Woodland, but it was Afterlife that cemented this as one of the best sets of the weekend. A track made for enormous festival crowds, it was incredibly cathartic to hear it performed as it was supposed to be – with 10,000 people performing backing vocals for Lucas. HOLDING ABSENCE have always been one of those bands who are incredibly close to their fans and thrive on their energy, and to witness this reunion was truly something special to see. There was barely a dry eye in the house after this set, as HOLDING ABSENCE have become masters of tugging on their audience’s heartstrings.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Sean Hubbard
NECK DEEP – Main Stage
Wrexham’s pop-punk princes NECK DEEP have been through a lot, and it shows when a weary-eyed Ben Barlow barks “if we’re the experiment for Boris and his mates, then let’s give him some stats”. Shooting out of the gate with the swirling alt-rock attack of Sonderland and Fall, there’s a sense of celebration from a band who haven’t been able to share the sounds of their latest album All Distortions Are Intentional with anyone but themselves until now. However, NECK DEEP have never been a band to back down from a party, so opt for playing the hits, picking a set almost entirely from 2015’s Life’s Not Out To Get You and 2017’s The Peace And The Panic.
It’s Seb Barlow’s first show with NECK DEEP, but you’d have never guessed. The bassist brings the bangers to another level, the chemistry between him and vocalist brother Ben radiating. Maybe it’s the personnel changes, or maybe it’s being held prisoner in their bedrooms for a year and a half, but the big-room bangers like Gold Steps and December slap like earthquakes. A teary-eyed In Bloom brings their set to a close as Ben Barlow emphatically cries “please, I need your help, make me cry…I want to fucking cry right now!”
Rating: 8/10
Words: Jack Press
SLEEP TOKEN – Second Stage
Contrary to a lot of the bands – if not all of them – performing today at Download Pilot, anonymous collective SLEEP TOKEN say nothing to the crowd at all. There’s no drinking in the atmosphere – not obviously, at least – or speeches about how great it is to be back. Instead and as always, frontman Vessel and co let their music do the talking as they headline the Second Stage. The stage starts shrouded in fog and Vessel moves gracefully but erratically across it. Opening with Thread The Needle, the crowd are enraptured from the very first note. The heavier moments are deliriously so, with the crowd spellbound to moving and headbanging along. The Night Does Not Belong To God and its followup The Offering are simply sublime and new single Alkaline sees its live debut and a rapturous response.
Similarly, the crowd goes wild for one of the many fan favourite songs tonight, Dark Signs. Listening to the older material on stage next to the new, it’s clear how the band are continuing to evolve and grow. Truly, it seems this band can do no wrong tonight, with Sugar and closer Higher seeing some of the biggest crowd pops of the night. The atmosphere and sheer charisma flowing from the stage is impossible not to be swept up in and throughout their set, SLEEP TOKEN demonstrate exactly why their cult is growing ever stronger. The staging is equally mesmerising, with the anonymous band members moving erratically, moshing or in the case of their drummer, switching quickly between kit setups. If you needed any convincing, this Friday evening set was proof of why SLEEP TOKEN are so revered and heralded as one of the most exciting new bands to emerge from the UK’s burgeoning alternative scene. Worship.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Will Marshall
FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES – Main Stage
It feels like Frank Carter has spent forever dreaming of this moment; of stepping out as a headliner on the hallowed grounds of Donington Park. Armed with an hour and ten minutes, the punk rock renegade leads the charge with the RATTLESNAKES firmly in tow, taking the Friday lineup of the Download Pilot to town on how you headline a festival.
Whether it’s bringing out IDLES’ Joe Talbot for a raucous, riotous rendition of new single My Town or causing chaos aplenty with a cover of MOTORHEAD’s Ace of Spades, you can’t help but feel like FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES are adrenaline junkies high on life. Mosh-pit-inducing madness comes courtesy of early-era RATTLESNAKES cuts Trouble and Fangs, whilst the more radio-friendly Heartbreaker and Kitty Sucker send the sing-alongs echoing across the arena.
For someone so outspoken, Frank Carter keeps the complexities to a minimum, simply sharing his and guitar-wizard Dean Richardson’s delight at finally being back on a stage. However, as the frontman hints at who that one person we all hate just might be, hearing 10,000 chant “I hate you, and I wish you would die” in unison highlights just how happy we all truly are to be back to normal for a minute, in the most metal of ways. No matter which era of the RATTLESNAKES you prefer, the real highlights here are the guest-heavy first-airings of new material. Pop provocateur LYNKS hints at yet another new direction for Frank and co. on Go Get A Tattoo whilst Off With His Head is a hint at what’s to come from CASSYETTE’s set on Sunday. As the almighty Crowbar brings the evening to a triumphant end, it’s impossible not to imagine FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES headlining the hallowed grounds once again one day.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Jack Press
SATURDAY – June 19th
LOTUS EATER – Second Stage
Glasgow’s LOTUS EATER combine pulverising beatdown hardcore with modern-day metalcore. They’re the kind of band who show up and cause chaos. And that’s exactly what they aim to do during their early doors outing. A lot can happen in eighteen months, so it’s somewhat surprising that LOTUS EATER sounds more furious than ever even with half their lineup playing their first ever shows with the band. New vocalist Peter Collins is a man possessed, his piercing eyes punching every single person in attendance in the throat, and they’re all the better for it. Even when he takes the time to dedicate a song to his late father, the pace never peters out. There’s so much potential packed into LOTUS EATER’s set. Obliterate does what it says on the tin, whilst new song All Of A Sudden shocks like a bee sting. By the time Vermin closes proceedings, there’s mosh pits, and there’s slam-dancing, and everything in between. It’s not even midday and it’s mayhem – that’s their mission accomplished.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Jack Press
CONJURER – Main Stage
Opening the Download Pilot Main Stage on Saturday morning are the riff connoisseurs themselves, CONJURER. Widely touted as one of the best and most exciting bands in the UK’s metal scene, 2018’s Mire continues to stand tall as a towering achievement but it’s the tantalising prospect of new material being aired, coupled with their live reputation, has anticipation sky high today. True to form, they have the sheer audacity to open with an entirely new song they don’t even name. From there, they tear through the remainder of a five-song set with crushing renditions of Scorn, Retch, Choke and Hadal. It might be midday on Saturday, only the first full day of the first festival for about 18 months, but there’s no sign of any reticence from the faithful at the front of the crowd or rust onstage. Every song sounds titanic and it’s arguably one of the heaviest and most intense sets of the weekend despite the early time. Opening the Main Stage is a huge deal for CONJURER and they prove themselves to be more than up to the task with an incendiary live performance culminating in *that* bass drop in Hadal, with bassist Connor Marshall disappearing into the crowd and playing in the middle of a circle pit and the band leaving it all on stage.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Will Marshall
AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS – Second Stage
Over on the Second Stage and making their festival debut are post-hardcore newcomers AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS. Hot on the release of their debut album Within Each Lies The Other, the band are clearly ecstatic to be playing their first show back in so long, never mind their first ever festival. Vocalist Charlie Rolfe is as phenomenal on stage as on record, her soaring cleans and vicious screams commanding attention throughout. It’s understandable that they’d be feeling the pressure, especially as their entire setlist has never been played live before, but it doesn’t show at all. Tearing through cuts like Stranger In The Mirror and Hiding From Myself, the latter of which gets a solid singalong going, before closing with a rousing performance of viral single On The Inside, they’re rewarded with the crowd opening more pits than you can shake a stick at. As if releasing their stellar debut earlier this year wasn’t enough, the reception they receive today is a huge vote of confidence for the young band.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Will Marshall
BLEED FROM WITHIN – Main Stage
Gracing the Download Pilot Main Stage for an early afternoon set are the Glaswegian quintet BLEED FROM WITHIN, whose rousing metalcore goes down a storm. The crowd loves it and the band are clearly having a blast – though at points it seems the excitement and adrenaline might get a bit too much for them. Latest album Fracture hasn’t had an opportunity to be aired in the live environment before now but it’s clear songs like Pathfinder and The End Of All We Know belong on a stage like this with their massive arena-ready stylings. There’s even flourishes of pyro – something rare this weekend – that’s just one more reminder of how great metal can be on these grander stages. Older songs like Alive and Afterlife are clearly fan favourites – and for good reason – but the newer material shows a band unafraid to evolve and one that’s more than ready to take over the main stage today. A bit of wind can’t derail their sound and it stays tight without anything being lost to the weather.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Will Marshall
THE HARA – Second Stage
Another first-ever festival appearance gets underway when THE HARA take to the Download Pilot Second Stage with frontman Josh Taylor clad in little else than a black leather dress and black tape Xs over his nipples. He confesses it’s both their first festival and their largest ever show and though he professes nerves, it’s not at all obvious. Crawling round the stage, dancing and acting every lyric out, he’s the epitome of a modern rock frontman and their grungy rock ’n’ roll ensnares existing fans and wins them plenty more. His complaints towards the end of their set of the leather dress being too tight prompts cries of “take it off” which he’s all too happy to oblige, finishing the set in just his boxers. Clearly a crowd pleaser, it’s perhaps a good thing the set ended when it did with Animals before he could remove anything else if it would please the fans. Overall it’s a very entertaining set that proves the transgressive edge of rock is alive and well with bands like THE HARA in its vanguard.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Will Marshall
WARGASM – Main Stage
You’d be forgiven for thinking WARGASM were arena-headlining rockstars with their limitless bag of bonafide bangers and punk rock bravado. It’s ridiculous to think this is their first ever festival appearance, as the nu-metal renegades – featuring vocalist and bassist Milkie Way and vocalist and guitarist Sam Matlock – tear the Download Pilot a new one. A little bit like a nu-metal DIE ANTWOORD, seismic slabs of synths go to war with their horror-punk screams as they erupt on stage to Rage All Over like bulls in a china shop. Pyro Pyro is the kerosene-fuelled party starter, whilst new single Your Patron Saint is a chaotic cross between CROSSFAITH, POPPY and THE PRODIGY that cements their status as metal’s most dangerous duo.
Whilst Milkie and Sam cause chaos up front, inciting circle pits to envy the heavy hitters higher up the bill like WHILE SHE SLEEPS, their touring band make their own mark on the set. It says something about the absolute chaos WARGASM create when you realise that drummer Ryan Cornall is battering the bass drum with a broken leg, and still banging every beat out. Closing with their chaotic cover of N*E*R*D’s Lapdance and a quickfire edition of METALLICA’s Fuel, all your left thinking is that WARGASM came, WARGASM saw, and WARGASM conquered.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Jack Press
TIGERCUB – Second Stage
Later on in the day, the second stage sees a total change of pace to the fare that’s been so far this weekend with TIGERCUB. Clearly they didn’t check the forecast as they’re here rocking sharp suits, but outside of that they’re a natural fit for Download Pilot. Airy vocals reminiscent of latter day MURSE and some seriously groovy basslines are the order of the day here, from opener As Blue As Indigo right the way through to closer Beauty. It’s certainly a contrast to many of the other bands appearing this weekend in sound but their groove, lumbering bass and entrancing songs like Stop Beating On My Heart (Like A Bass Drum) are readily embraced by the faithful festivallers here. It’s not a setlist designed to convert masses of new fans to their spacey, fuzzy rock but it does showcase their sound and surely there’ll be some here that appeals to as a welcome change of pace from the often much heavier acts of the day.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Will Marshall
A – Main Stage
If anyone had told you Leed’s long-serving princes of pop-punk A were going to be the surprise success of the Download Pilot, you’d have likely laughed. Yet that’s exactly what the veterans Main Stage set was. As vocalist Jason Perry arrives on-stage dressed up as a Deliveroo driver, there’s a sense of summer silliness that slips into the air. As the sun shines across Saturday afternoon, they run through all the hits you know and love from 1999’s A Vs Monkey Kong and 2002’s Hi-Fi Serious. To put it simply, the smiles and the sing-alongs don’t stop throughout. There’s plenty of comic relief peppered throughout as they keep the hits coming. At one point, they ask “who’s had two vaccines?” – when it’s met with a massive cheer, they cry out “fuck, this is an old crowd”. There’s even a slice of self-deprecation, as they hold tight to being the Download mainstays on their eighth appearance at Donington. No matter how long they’ve been around, the likes of Starbucks, If It AIn’t Broke Fix It Anyway, and super-hit Nothing are exactly the sort of silly fun that’s needed after a year and a half without live music.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Jack Press
VUKOVI – Second Stage
On a bill filled with some of the heaviest bands that the UK has to offer, VUKOVI initially looked a bit out of place, but less than two minutes into their set they laid any reservations anyone had to rest. Filling the Download Pilot Second Stage with joyous energy, frontwoman Janine Shilstone was an absolute machine on stage, energising a Saturday crowd still nursing hangovers from the night before. Launching into Fall Better opener Violent Minds, Janine had the crowd bouncing from the very first note. The entire band couldn’t stop grinning throughout their set, obviously ecstatic to be back on stage in front of a real live audience again – with Janine announcing that just before coming out she was “absolutely shiteing myself” to be back in front of so many people again. But those nerves never came through on stage, instead chucking herself about the stage with reckless abandon, well and truly making up for the last year and a half of not dancing. Finishing with a three song barrage of Animal, La Di Da and Run/Hide, VUKOVI well and truly proved why they belonged on the hallowed grounds of Donington, putting on a better show with their brand of pop-rock than many of their contemporaries who would be more traditional Download fare. Nothing can top their sheer enthusiasm.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Sean Hubbard
YONAKA – Main Stage
Brighton’s YONAKA aren’t afraid of strutting across the main stage like the alt-pop up-and-comers they’ve been hyped up as. Vocalist Theresa Jarvis dresses like a popstar, and rallies the crowd like a rockstar; it’s the best of both worlds at a festival who’s bill is as likely to start mosh pits as it is finger-pointing sing-alongs. Unfortunately, the live debuts of new singles Call Me A Saint and Ordinary are lost in a labyrinth of technical issues that muddy their electro pop-rock throughout. Whilst these songs aren’t affected directly, their confidence gets hit and they come off shaky. Punch Bag is an inaudible experience, so when they give it a second try, they have to cut out other songs. It leaves George Edwards, Alex Crosby and Ryan Mason looking lost as Theresa tries to save the day. Early-era cut F.W.T.B sees them crawl across the finish line, just about recovering from the technical terrors that trouble a handful of bands across the weekend.
Rating: 6/10
Words: Jack Press
THOSE DAMN CROWS – Second Stage
Hard-rock heavy-hitters THOSE DAMN CROWS have quickly climbed the ladders of success. They’re only on their second album – 2020’s subliminal Point Of No Return – yet they’ve already gatecrashed the UK Top Twenty and are locked in for a set on the main stage at Download 2022. Across their thirty-five minute set, they show once and for all why their success is well deserved.
Opener Who Did It lands like a tonne of bricks, the first of many from their bag of sing-along setpieces. The back-to-back blast of newbies Set In Stone and Sin On Skin suggest a band ready to rock stadiums and give the likes of SHINEDOWN and HALESTORM a run for their money, whilst the emphatic Rock ‘n’ Roll Ain’t Dead delivers the final blow to bring their set to an electrifying end. Sure, there’s a slew of technical tidbits that threaten to derail their rock and roll nightrain yet it never once phases them. On a bill that boasts a lot of big-name Welsh bands, THOSE DAMN CROWS set the bar high.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Jack Press
TWIN ATLANTIC – Main Stage
Showing up on stage in Scottish football shirts the night after a home nations derby ends in a draw at a festival in England is a bold move. But Glasgow’s TWIN ATLANTIC have never been one to shy away from striking out on their own. Whilst the unusually charming Sam McTrusty makes jokes aplenty, mostly about the football, it’s the music that does the talking throughout their triumphant set. They mess about with early offerings of newer material like Gold Elephant: Cherry Alligator and Novocaine, but it’s when they break off into a five song-strong run of back catalogue bangers that they really hit the ground running. A post-pandemic rendition of Free hits far harder than usual, whilst the hit-and-run alt-rock attack of Edit Me gets the crowd moving in all the right ways. A sensational sing-along takes closer Heart & Soul out of their hands, leaving TWIN ATLANTIC with yet another win under their belts, even if they couldn’t win the football.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Jack Press
WHILE SHE SLEEPS – Main Stage
Just like BRING ME THE HORIZON and ARCHITECTS before them, Sheffield’s WHILE SHE SLEEPS are on the fast-track to becoming metalcore’s resident flag bearers. There’s a few sets in Download history that hold true to the magic of the festival, that elevate bands from midcarders to main eventers; this is one of them. Opener Sleeps Society ushers in the era of the Sheffield massive as the crowd chants “Yorkshire! Yorkshire! Yorkshire!” in unison; circle pits erupt on either side whilst there’s not a single foot on the ground for longer than a second. Crowd surfing and shoulder-standing is as infectious as the synth-pounding GUILTY PARTY and YOU ARE ALL YOU NEED.
The true highlight of their set is the sheer superstardom vocalist Loz Taylor showcases. There’s a sense of Mad Hatter madness to the frontman, who often dives in and out of the crowd, and eventually ends up at the top of the sound tower sitting comfortably as the rest of the arena crowd surfs the other way. Older cuts Four Walls and Brainwashed are fierce reminders of SLEEPS ability to slide between the heaviness of hardcore and the catchiness of their melodies. But it’s the closing duo of NERVOUS and SYSTEMATIC that put across WHILE SHE SLEEPS’ proposition as future headliners.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Jack Press
CREEPER – Second Stage
If there was a single set all weekend that threatened to throttle the heavy metal hierarchy, it’s CREEPER’s headline set on the Download Pilot Second Stage. In just over an hour, Southampton’s theatrical punks put on a display that’ll go down in Download history, and showcase why they’re future headliners of the main event. Arriving on stage shrouded in the American flag as sparks fly in the background, vocalist Will Gould channels mid-nineties Jarvis Cocker for a show stopping performance. Hiding With Boys sees the band dive straight in as they curate a set that’s like a cliffnotes of their entire discography.
Whilst CREEPER have made a name for themselves as a band that throws more curveballs than a major league pitcher, the set never feels like filler once. The proto-punk of Eternity, In Your Arms’ Black Rain and Poison Pens goes perfectly hand-in-hand with the gothic britpop of newer cuts Born Cold and Napalm Girls. Whether this is your first or fiftieth time seeing CREEPER, the surprises keep coming. Hannah Greenwood’s haunting rendition of Crickets is dramatised as she dons the wedding dress from their recent single Midnight, whilst a rare airing of deep cut Astral Projection – dedicated to their manager Ian Dickinson, no less – gets the diehards dishing out extra bursts of energy.
If this set is proof of anything, it’s that this is a band on form, on fire, and most of all, high on fun. The chemistry between longtime bassist Sean Scott and newbies Jake Fogarty and Lawrie Pattison is contagious, whilst there’s no denying that Hannah Greenwood, Ian Miles, and Will Gould were made to make music together. There are certain moments that you simply can’t make up. Moments you have to be there for. Misery is one of them. The 10,000-strong tent sings nearly the entire song word-for-word, leaving Will and co. visually stunned, stopping midway to simply take it all in. As Annabelle closes the curtains on their set, there’s no denying that CREEPER are one of Britain’s brightest stars and they should be worshipped as such.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Jack Press
ENTER SHIKARI – Main Stage
Their extravagant light setup has hung overhead of every band on the main stage so far today but at last it came time for ENTER SHIKARI to take to the stage themselves. The crowd are already putty in their (still offstage) hands when a trumpet version of Live Outside heralds their arrival; when THE GREAT UNKNOWN starts, the crowd goes apeshit. Rou Reynolds and co are elated to be here, stopping on several occasions through their set just to drink it in but the set never loses its momentum. Finally, one of the most exciting bands of British rock are headlining Download and boy, do they make every second count. Their set is a tour de force of their greatest hits, taking in new material (THE GREAT UNKNOWN) through to Mothership, Sorry You’re Not A Winner and other much-loved hits like Arguing With Thermometers and Anaesthetist, that they dedicate to the NHS and healthcare workers for their efforts during the pandemic.
Not merely content with a setlist chock-full of bangers that flit between fury and hope, their stage show is dazzling. Confetti cannons (though they do grumble with the wind that a good amount of this ends up stuck around the staging itself), a full-on light show that’s both spectacle and paired perfectly with their setlist including a full rainbow during satellites** as the chorus declares “I think it could be love”. It’s a technicolour, dance rock rave that’s arguably one of the highlights of the day, if not the entire weekend that shows ENTER SHIKARI know exactly how to bring the party and that they’ve more than earned headliner status.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Will Marshall
SUNDAY – June 20th
SAINT AGNES – Main Stage
Sometimes you’ve just got to show up and kick the shit out of your set. That’s what Kitty Austin of East Londoners SAINT AGNES does at Sunday lunchtime. Why chow down on a roast-filled yorkshire pud, when you can be getting down to their groovy nu-metal stomp. The heavens have opened, and they’ve not got the biggest crowd to begin with, but they put the pedal to the metal to prove they’re here to stay. The highlights are easily the new cuts taken from their recently released Vampire EP. Repent is a rollicking riff-and-roll burst of 90’s grunge and nu-metal pomp, whilst This World Ain’t Big Enough is the sound of setting rock and roll as we know it on fire. In just 30 minutes, guitars get smashed, bandmates get covered in blood, and there’s empowering cries of “I’ve got a bigger dick than you” – if they were worrying no one was paying attention, they certainly are now.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Jack Press
CASSYETTE – Second Stage
The anticipation on the Download Pilot Second Stage is at boiling point before CASSYETTE, joined by a bondage clad guitarist, even takes to the stage. Sure, the hype for her pop-metal parade shot up during her guest spot during FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKE’s Friday night headliner, but CASSYETTE takes all the steps to come off a champion. New singles Dear Goth and Prison Purse pack in pop-rock choruses that AVRIL LAVIGNE and POPPY would be envious of in their primes. The songs themselves are only part of the puzzle; there’s the sheer energy that erupts through every movement. The pits open up at CASSYETTE’s command, and there’s a feeling that pop, post-hardcore and grunge can finally co-exist. This is yet another reminder of just how healthy British alternative music is right now, and how bright the future to come will be.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Jack Press
EMPLOYED TO SERVE – Main Stage
It’s 1pm on a Sunday afternoon, which means it’s the perfect time for Woking bruisers EMPLOYED TO SERVE‘s metallic hardcore to level the place; opening with the furious title track from 2019’s Eternal Forward Motion the band waste no time in tearing those in attendance at the main stage a new one. There’s drizzle setting in and doubtless more than a few people here are nursing severe hangovers but the racket emanating from the stage surely blasts a few of those away with their raucous, visceral racket. Sammy Urwin’s riffs are titanic, jagged beasts and Justine Jones’ barbed roar makes not opening circle pits a no-go. Despite lukewarm enthusiasm on one side of the stage, the other explodes with limbs flying and pits galore throughout their criminally short thirty minute set. Not content to bring out the big guns from Eternal Forward Motion and The Warmth Of A Dying Sun, the band debut brand new song Exist from their forthcoming album they spent lockdown working on and it’s a surefire rager. Sammy is in the crowd by the end of the set, roaring his lungs out as the band annihilate onlookers from the stage and it’s a bruising, violent reminder of just how incredible EMPLOYED TO SERVE are.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Will Marshall
LOATHE – Main Stage
What to say about LOATHE that hasn’t already been said by critics across Britain? Heralded as one of the best young bands around by everyone from the NME to DEFTONES, LOATHE had barely toured their sophomore masterpiece I Let It In And It Took Everything before the pandemic engulfed the world, cruelly ripping their coronation as the next big thing away. It was on the Download Pilot Main Stage then that LOATHE were able to truly reveal to the world at large quite what they were capable of. Their seven song set was almost entirely taken from that 2020 record, with only White Hot from 2017’s split with HOLDING ABSENCE as the only track not off I Let It In And It Took Everything. Showcasing the live debut of Screaming which fans had been clamouring for all year, LOATHE were tighter than ever, interspersing segments from ambient companion piece The Things They Believe throughout their set. And whilst closer Two-Way Mirror was interrupted by technical difficulties, the band rolled with the punches better than veterans of the genre would have done, with vocalist Kadeem France completing the set acapella, with an eager Download Pilot crowd singing their hearts out right back at him. LOATHE managed to transform a technical issue into a magical moment, and it is that skill that made them one of the best sets of the whole weekend.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Sean Hubbard
HIGHER POWER – Second Stage
Yorkshire punks HIGER POWER have come a long way from their scrappy hardcore origins. Managing to infuse grunge with hardcore energy has elevated them to tours with the likes of BEARTOOTH, and follow-up album 27 Miles Underwater received critical acclaim when it released in early 2020. However despite their musical evolution, they’ve still retained that chaotic energy of their hardcore origins, and their Sunday afternoon set at the Download Pilot demonstrated why they are still a formidable live force. There were spin-kicks galore as frontman Jimmy Wizard crooned over Shedding Skin and Low Season, whilst lead single and set closer Seamless received some incredible singalongs to it’s incredibly catchy chorus. Wizard himself was constantly on the move, never staying in one place on stage, and on several occasions launched himself into the crowd. HIGHER POWER have always been one of those bands who feed off of the crowd’s energy, and the energy at the Download Pilot was almost overwhelming. At one point the whole band just stood still and drank everything in, before another riff dropped and the tent became a sea of movement again. Perhaps beforehand there was apprehension about how well their stage presence would translate from DIY venues into the 10,000 Download Pilot tent, but by the end of their set HIGHER POWER had well and truly converted the Donington faithful.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Sean Hubbard
LONELY THE BRAVE – Main Stage
Believe it or not, there was a place in time when Cambridgeshire alt-rockers LONELY THE BRAVE were touted as the next big thing. Hell, they even managed the UK top twenty on 2014 debut The Day’s War. Of course, it’s been five long years between albums, and alt-rock has simply moved on. It’s not to say their set is bad, it’s simply lagging behind the rest of the best of British on the lineup. New vocalist Jack Bennett looks lost, as if he’s somehow shown up for the wrong band. Elsewhere, his bandmates Mark Trotter, Gavin Edgeley, Andrew Bushen, and Ross Smithwick fail to muster up much movement. Naturally, they’re mostly playing songs from new album The Hope List, however it’s their older cuts that hit hardest. Closing with Black Saucers feels like a riotous return to their glory days, leaving the stage on some kind of high.
Rating: 6/10
Words: Jack Press
JAMIE LENMAN – Second Stage
JAMIE LENMAN is a consummate performer in every sense of the word. From his consistent look ever since he took up a solo career, to the banter between each song, he knows how to work a crowd better than almost anyone else on this bill. Having played a handful of sat-down acoustic shows over the past 18 months, he now comes armed fully electric, with ammunition provided by nine of the hardest songs he’s ever written. Opening with Summer of Discontent (The Future Is Dead) from recent mini-album King Of Clubs, helped out by WARGASM, he sets the tone for a set that is non-stop riffs, and an incredible sonic bludgeoning. Singalongs come courtesy of All of England Is a City from Devolver, whilst Popeye from Shuffle is a fantastic moment. Of course as a performer, LENMAN always knows to leave the crowd on a high note, which he does after announcing “I’ll always remember where I come from,” and launching into REUBEN’s Stuck In My Throat. The REUBEN faithful of course go absolutely mental for it, and it is astounding that a band that broke up in 2008 can still have so many fans 13 years later, but it is undoubtedly the high point of the set.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Sean Hubbard
ELVANA – Main Stage
If you’ve ever wondered what it would’ve been like if the King of Rock and Roll had fronted NIRVANA, ELVANA’s Download Pilot Main Stage moment in the sun is as close as you’ll get. It’s the silliest set of the weekend, yet it’s one of the best – who wouldn’t want to circle pit to Blue Suede Shoes, after all? As far as tribute bands go, ELVANA are one of the craziest. Taking some of NIRVANA’s deeper cuts and throwing them up with some of the hits and a couple of Elvis staples for good measure, they get the Download faithful boogying, moshing, and everything in between for forty-five minutes without fail. Whilst it’s certainly fun hearing Scentless Apprentice and Negative Creep, you can’t help but feel like they’d have been better picking out some more notable NIRVANA cuts. It’s only when the big ones like In Bloom and Smells Like Teen Spirit set everyone off that you realise there’s occasional lulls elsewhere. If you’re happy leaving your sensibility at the door for a second, ELVANA are the perfect Sunday afternoon amusement.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Jack Press
MASSIVE WAGONS – Second Stage
If MASSIVE WAGONS can teach us anything, it’s that the hard rock revival is alive and kicking. Storming on stage to the feel-good rhythm and blues of Pressure, they trailblaze their way through a set showcasing almost exclusively their last two albums: 2018’s Full Nelson and 2020’s House of Noise. The STATUS QUO-adoring Back To The Stack is nothing less than a triumphant tribute to the late Rick Parfitt, whilst the audaciously amusing Curry Song is the only time you’ll ever hear a crowd of metalheads chanting the names of different curries. On a day that’s had the heaviness dialled up with the likes of EMPLOYED TO SERVE and LOATHE, MASSIVE WAGONS are the perfect palette cleanser.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Jack Press
THE WILDHEARTS – Main Stage
Ah, THE WILDHEARTS. They were easily one of the most anticipated sets of the day, and deservedly so. They’re one of those bands that bring out the best of a festival crowd: the clapping, the pitting, the singing. However, they’re also heavy metal’s biggest hit and missers. At Download, it’s a miss. To the crowd, the opening sounds of Diagnosis and Suckerpunch sound fantastic. To Ginger and the gang, it apparently sounds atrocious. On stage, frustrations are flying high as CJ Wildheart looks visibly upset and Ginger practically goes to war with their technician. Before breaking into Everlone, everything seems back on track with the charismatically chaotic frontman jesting “I hope you don’t mind us sounding like shit, and if you do, fuck ya’s!” However, the problems on stage persist and Ginger laboriously drives home Dislocated before packing up and leaving with more than a quarter of their set left. For a band who’ve been around for over thirty years, it’s disappointing to see them deal with technical issues so poorly, considering the likes of YONAKA and LOATHE rode on through theirs triumphantly.
Rating: 5/10
Words: Jack Press
TRASH BOAT – Second Stage
TRASH BOAT frontman Tobi Duncan admits to feeling more than a little apprehensive about their later set on the Download Pilot Second Stage, concerned people will either be too drunk or simply too moshed out after three days to give much more. Those fears are unfounded, as the crowd seem to have a surplus of energy and are only too happy to sing back every word of their set from opener Silence Is Golden to closer Don’t You Feel Amazing, the title track of their upcoming album. For some reason today the sound doesn’t seem to be quite there for them; it’s missing a punchiness that robs them of some of their impact but this doesn’t deter the crowd from lapping up every note and hanging off Duncan’s every word. The climax of the set is also undoubtedly their cover of LINKIN PARK’s Given Up and their tribute to Chester Bennington. Unfortunately past that they don’t quite reach the same heights and they’re only halfway through the set at this point, but they’re still clearly having a great time, as are their devoted fans.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Will Marshall
SKINDRED – Main Stage
What is there to say about a SKINDRED live show that hasn’t been said before? They are the masters of performing, and if someone was to design the perfect frontman, he would probably come out looking and acting exactly like Benji Webbe. There is absolutely no rust on the Welsh ragga-metallers after 18 months off, and their set feels exactly like they always do – a massive party! Performing what is essentially a greatest hits set, Benji has the Download Pilot crowd in the palm of his hand as always, with call and replies and some fantastic hand waves, this man was born to dominate stages. It is a great big bounce on a Sunday evening, with the crowd responding to Benji’s every command. Of course it wouldn’t be a SKINDRED show without the Newport Helicopter, and after “ringing up Boris Johnson” by yelling “oi cunt,” the band launched into Warning, before the first Newport Helicopter in 18 months. The sight of thousands of shirts spinning round in the air after so long was an incredible moment, and really for a minute brought back a sense of community to a group who had spent the last 18 months socially distanced. There is no one you want more at the first festival back than SKINDRED, who were built to bring the party on days like Sunday.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Sean Hubbard
FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS – Second Stage
Perhaps the first ever folk artist to ever play Download, FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS headlined the Second Stage on the Sunday night, and whilst they may not be a traditional Download act, the crowd embraced them with aplomb. Raising up his acoustic, Turner asked the Download Pilot crowd “have you ever seen one of these before?” before launching into a set that spanned his entire career. Opening with Get Better, the crowd roared back the lines “We’re Not Dead Yet,” before dancing non-stop for the best part of an hour. Turner took several breaks to tell the crowd how much this meant to him and the band, alongside reassuring the audience that he was raised on a diet of BLACK SABBATH and IRON MAIDEN – so he wasn’t too out of place at Download – before leaving the crowd happy and exhausted with one of the most enthusiastic renditions of Four Simple Words of his entire career. FRANK TURNER was in fact a well-timed act on the Sunday of Download Pilot, full of exhausted revellers it wasn’t so much a moshy set as it was a gigantic singalong, with embraces all round. Leaving almost everyone with sore throats and a lack of voice before the end of the night, and before a return to COVID restrictions – it was one last joyous moment of community.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Sean Hubbard
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – Main Stage
It feels like BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE have been waiting for what feels like forever to finally headline Download. Out of all of the headliners this weekend, their set is a little like a last-chance saloon. It’s funny that the album that took them on a downward spiral, 2013’s thrash-pop Temper Temper is notably missing from tonight’s setlist, and only 2018’s Gravity gets more time than their career-best trilogy – The Poison, Scream Aim Fire, and Fever. It shows that BULLET have listened, and they’re learning. Opening with the throat-punch throttle of Don’t Need You, they up the ante with new single Knives. They haven’t sounded this heavy in thirteen years, and the Download Pilot crowd lap it up.
Matt Tuck and Padge are no strangers to festival setlists, and it shows. It’s circle pit and crowd surf galore when Your Betrayal and 4 Words (To Choke Upon) bring back-to-back chaos, whilst Gravity’s Over It sounds stellar against the backdrop of their mesmerising light show. All in all, every song feels meticulously planned and carefully curated to pack the maximum punch possible. It’s safe to say they’ve never sounded so good, either. The difference Jamie Mathias and Jason Bowld continue to make on their live show is critical to their success tonight. The bleeding between Mathias’ screams and Tuck’s melodies make all the difference. Surprises at festivals are a dime a dozen, but fellow Welshman Benji Webbe storming the stage for a cover of IRON MAIDEN’s Run To The Hills is something nobody saw coming. Sure, the SKINDRED master spends the song holding the lyrics in his hand, even getting some of them wrong, it’s the kind of ludicrous thing that makes metal so fun, and really sets BULLET apart.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE are the only band to play a proper encore, and they absolutely own it. Tears Don’t Fall is a strong candidate for sing-along of the weekend, whilst deep cut Hand Of Blood shows they’ve not forgotten their longtime fans. Waking The Demon is a fitting finale for a band who sound reborn – as if they’re about to make a comeback we won’t see coming.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Jack Press