LIVE REVIEW: Download Festival 2024 – Saturday

The morning after the night before and, as Download Festival 2024 opens for Saturday, the arena sees a fresh coating of straw in an attempt to combat the mud and a full day of music on the horizon. Who soared, who flopped, who did neither? Let’s find out…

HERIOT – Opus Stage

It’s 10:25am on the Opus Stage and, for HERIOT, it’s unfortunately all going wrong. The UK metal bruisers should have started twenty minutes ago, but a late soundcheck from stage headliners PANTERA and early technical issues mean they still haven’t played a note…and they’re due off at half past. A late call from the powers that be give them another ten minutes and they take it gleefully, crashing through four songs like Profound Morality with more vitriol and punch than ever before. They still show just why they’re on everyone’s lips, but it’s a wobbly start all round.

Rating: 6/10

FLORENCE BLACK – Opus Stage

HERIOT playing past their scheduled time means the Opus Stage times are now off-kilter and never fully realign, but it’s not that which dampens Welsh rockers FLORENCE BLACK’s half an hour; it’s more literal than that. Just like THOSE DAMN CROWS the day before, the Merthyr Tydfil trio play in the pouring rain, and whilst they do their absolute damndest – new songs Start Again and Bed Of Nails sound massive – the weather means it’s a less than stellar experience. Oh, and then they’re cut off at the beginning of Sun & Moon due to new time constraints; all rather frustrating.

Rating: 7/10

WARGASM – Apex Stage

WARGASM are another one of those love them or hate them bands, and from their sheer energy as they bound onto stage, it’s clear they have something to prove. They open with Venom, a track that perfectly encapsulates the duo’s dynamic, as they tease each other back and forth and explode into a rage in the chorus. Their style is definitely notable, and while the crowd are freezing in the rain, they dance in almost matching swimsuits, with their backdrop proudly stating, ‘angry songs for sad people.’ Their set is a captivating whirlwind, and as they invite STRAY FROM THE PATH‘s frontman Drew York onto stage for Bang Ya Head, they prove they can hold their own on heavier songs as well as the synth-heavy chaotic style they’re known for. If this hasn’t won you over, it’s at the very least made you remember them.

Rating: 7/10

ALT BLK ERA – The Dogtooth Stage

ALT BLK ERA are still fairly new to the scene, but as the tent fills up in anticipation, it’s clear they’re making an impact already. The duo is made up of sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, and they stun in matching but different romantic gothic style dresses. Their dynamic is so interesting to watch, and as Nyrobi leads the crowd effortlessly, Chaya is more gentle but just as insistent, and they definitely keep everybody engaged. As they power through their blend of nu-metal and punk in a few catchy tracks, they could easily be playing bigger stages in years to come.

Rating: 9/10

THE HUNNA – Apex Stage

While just a few years ago, you’d be more likely to find THE HUNNA on the stages of Reading & Leeds, after a dramatic rebrand to rock, they’ve ended up here, and it seems as though they have to prove themselves. While many of their songs are undeniably catchy, their indie rock sound doesn’t always seem to land on this crowd, who stay fairly still for the most part. This doesn’t knock the bands positive attitude though, and frontman Ryan Potter’s vocals are easily a highlight, as well as a feature from Kelsey Karter. They debut a new song, and by the end of the set, they manage to get people singing along to Trash, a harsh but real critique of the music industry.

Rating: 7/10

BLEED FROM WITHIN – Opus Stage

Have things on the Opus Stage resolved themselves for BLEED FROM WITHIN? The short answer is no – once again, technical difficulties clip the Scottish metallers’ set down to four main songs, but they absolute thunder through those tracks with precision and power; The End Of All We Know is well on its way to becoming a modern metal anthem. There’s also the small matter of comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathen, here filming one of their Rob and Romesh Vs… shows, joining the band for a cover of METALLICA’s Enter Sandman that, thankfully, is far more fun than embarrassing.

Rating: 7/10

BABYMETAL – Apex Stage

After this year, BABYMETAL should be banned from playing on the Apex Stage – in 2016, the heavens opened just before they were due on and delayed their start by 20 minutes; this year, they get through Babymetal Death and are just into Distortion when they’re forced off to allow a passing shower – with thunder and lightning, admittedly – through, another 15-minute delay. They recover well with METAL!! and KARATE before closing with latest rager RATATATA, but the excitement that comes with a BABYMETAL show never reaches the fervour of the beginning. Thanks, Mother Nature.

Rating: 7/10

NE OBLIVISCARIS – The Dogtooth Stage

Oh NE OBLIVISCARIS, how you were let down badly. The neo-classical extreme metallers from Melbourne have some of the most beautiful and destructive music in their back catalogue and it does come through in flashes during Equus and Suspyre, but the sound for their set on The Dogtooth Stage is a disgrace, hitting a nadir when vocalist Marc ‘Xonyr’ Campbell cannot be heard whatsoever, and punters are actually turning round to try and get the sound tech’s attention, roaring with approval when his voice comes through. The final irony? They sound far better outside the tent than in it.

Rating: 5/10

ENTER SHIKARI – Apex Stage 

ENTER SHIKARI are loved by so many, and this is reflected in the size of the crowd and the raucous cheers they get just as they walk onto stage. Beforehand though, they admit online that they were applying pressure to Download Festival about dropping Barclays as a sponsor in support of Palestine, and that because they have, it seems to only add fuel to the fire for the politically charged punks. Straight from the beginning, the hype for this band is next level, and as they charge through a few of their classics with a crazy amount of people singing along, it’s easy to see why.

Whether they have something to prove, or if sets like this just come naturally to them, they take it all in their stride, and songs like Live Outside and Sssnakepit start to feel like anthems. They definitely feel like headliners, and part of this is due to their production. As singer Rou Reynolds jumps into a box and somehow appears on the sound tower, it’s starting to feel more like you’re in a theatre than at Download Festival. He is an extraordinary frontman, and knows how to work the crowd with moments of comedy, like when he throws himself face first into the mud, and moments of sincerity, when he takes the time to condemn the atrocities in Gaza. Ending with the beautiful A Kiss For The Whole World x, there’s an overwhelming sense that ENTER SHIKARI should be headlining by now.

Rating: 9/10

WHILE SHE SLEEPS – Opus Stage

Oh WHILE SHE SLEEPS, how Download Festival needed you. With so many issues, there’s an overriding feeling across Donington of “Will ANY band have a good time of things today?”. Well, it might take until ten minutes past six in the evening, but finally someone does, both in terms of the weather and no technical problems. Sheffield’s finest in metalcore bound onto the Opus Stage straight into Rainbows and proceed to tear everything and everyone apart with a fifty-minute set that injects new life into the punters and the overall atmosphere. With a set mainly focused on their last two records – Self Hell and Sleeps Society – the quintet are on the form of their lives. There are a few choice cuts from older records implemented in the set as well and these are just as excellent, SLEEPS thundering through Anti-Social and a sensational Four Walls with total domination, backed by pyro and a sea of crowd surfers at all times. It’s performances like this that are conclusive proof of why WHILE SHE SLEEPS have headlined the legendary Alexandra Palace; continue on this sort of trajectory and it’ll be a matter of months, not years, before they play rooms of that size again.

Rating: 9/10

HOLDING ABSENCE – Avalanche Stage

HOLDING ABSENCE are one of the fastest growing bands in rock right now, and this is reflected in the way The Avalanche Stage fills up before they come on. As they open with Like A Shadow, a clear fan favourite, the crowd echoes the words straight back to them, and immediately it’s easy to picture them playing way bigger stages with way bigger crowds. This is an energy that continues for their whole set, and as always, Lucas Woodland’s vocals are phenomenal, and notably, so are the screams from guitarist Scott Carey. As ALPHA WOLF‘s Lochie Keough joins them for Aching Longing, the excitement is palpable. While some of my personal favourite songs were sorely missed from the setlist, emotions were running high in the tent, and it’s clear that HOLDING ABSENCE are only going to skyrocket from here.

Rating: 10/10

DYING FETUS – The Dogtooth Stage

A full decade has passed since a single Facebook comment saw DYING FETUS open Download Festival on the Apex Stage (after all, why NOT DYING FETUS?), and the death metal legends prove two things on The Dogtooth Stage – one, that a good mix is more than achievable when the sound tech knows what they’re doing and two, DYING FETUS are as feral and savage as ever. Given conditions, the now-aptly titled In The Trenches is an all-out barrage and Subjected To A Beating does just that. You know what to get with DYING FETUS, and they’re always happy to provide it.

Rating: 8/10

CASSYETTE – The Dogtooth Stage

CASSYETTE was a last-minute addition to the Download Festival lineup, a decision that was met with much excitement from fans, and this is reflected in the way that you can barely get into the tent to see her. Her debut album isn’t yet out, so her impact is impressive, and she certainly exudes confidence as she enters the stage in a white Victorian style shirt and matching bloomers. Her vocals are as incredible as always, and with little encouragement, she has the entire audience singing along, and even starting the odd mini mosh pit. She ends with Dear Goth, which is met with deafening cheers as she announces it, and she has a surprising amount of crowd surfers as she screams.

Rating: 8/10

FALL OUT BOY – Apex Stage

While FALL OUT BOY have proved time and time again that they are the perfect festival headliners, Download Festival definitely seems like an odd choice for them, and the crowd is hesitant as they wait for them to begin. We couldn’t help thinking that we really hoped they would switch things up a bit from their usual set, and switch things up they definitely did. As the big screens turn on, they depict singer Patrick Stump in full hospital outfit, singing the fan favourite Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes, and where half of the crowd seems somewhat confused, the other half erupts. They quickly enter the stage, and as they play two of their oldest songs back-to-back, it becomes clear that they are performing their version of TAYLOR SWIFT‘s Eras Tour. It definitely seems as though they are playing favourites, with four songs each from From Under The Cork Tree and Infinity On High, which is nothing short of immaculate.

After a long career, FALL OUT BOY have got performing down perfectly, and they sound just as good as they always do. Their production is always impressive, but it’s especially entertaining tonight, with backdrops representing each album, and dancers to only elevate everything. Playing The Kids Aren’t Alright and XO are the perfect choices, and they take a little break for Pete to do somebodies gender reveal, which is surprisingly wholesome. As the end with Saturday, the obvious celebratory choice for a Saturday night, and Pete flies with some balloons, it’s evident that they are the perfect headliners, whatever the festival.

Rating: 10/10

Words: Elliot Leaver, Millie Warwick

And that rounds up our coverage of the Saturday of Download Festival 2024! Keep posted to Distorted Sound we we bring our our coverage of Sunday of this year’s festival soon, and check out our Friday review roundup action here.

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