Sunday at Download Festival was billed as 'Classic Rock Sunday' and for an ageing rocker like myself, this was sure to be the best day of the weekend. The only problem was that there were too many good bands on the bill, so there was a lot of running between stages and a few sets missed that I would have liked to have seen. One band that I missed who would have been high on my list was Papa Roach, but fortunately I had tickets to see them the next day in Bristol, so wasn't too concerned. For the record, their performance in Bristol was one of the best shows i've seen in a small venue in a very long time. Anyway, here goes with my review on Sunday's bands.
STONE GODS
Had to get up early to be in the arena and standing on the front barrier for Stone Gods (my daughter's favourite band at the moment, and one of mine also) and despite a relatively short set (25-30 minutes) they didn't disapoint. Their experience from thei Darkness days have taught singer/guitarist Richie Edwards how to work a crowd. A good performance from a band who seemed to have plenty of fans in the crowd.
TESLA
Although I remember Tesla from the past, I don't actually remember any of their songs, enjoyable to watch however and entertained well.
SKIN
I didn't know much about Skin, and didn't know any of their songs, or that's what I thought. It turned out that I knew quite a few of their tunes without realising who it was. Considering the band have just reformed, a very tight set. The band looked to be loving it and were welcomed warmly by the crowd.
BLACK STONE CHERRY
Another of my favourite bands, and despite being a relatively new band (2 albums under their belts now) they fit in well with the Classic Rock theme of the Sunday. Energetic as always, their young blonde guitarist spent the entire set running and jumping around the stage like a maniac. A great set, opening with Rain Wizard and wrapping up with a cover of Hendrix's Voodoo Child, with all 3 guitarists (including the bassist) playing their instruments behind their heads. The crowd loved them, and hopefully in years to come BSC will find themselves moving higher up the lineup.
JOURNEY
One of the great Classic Rock bands and a band I was looking forward to seeing for the first time. After the departure of original lead singer Steve Perry the band carried on with a new singer who is rumoured to have been discovered by the band on YouTube. To listen to them, you would never guess that it was not the original singer as the new fella sounds almost exactly the same. An enjoyable set wrapped up with probably their two biggest hits Don't Stop Believing and Anyway you Want it.
SHINEDOWN
Relatively new band on the UK scene, although they have released 2 albums in the US, some good songs, some of which are already fairly well known to those who watch any of the UK's rock video TV channels. They were joined on stage by Black Stone Cherry's lead singer for their second song. A good set from a band who are well worth checking out.
STEEL PANTHER
Every year, tyhe organisers of download seem to make a mistake of putting a band on the wrong stage. This year it was Steel Panther. The 3rd stage tent was absolutely rammed, with the crowd 20+ deep outside the tent just listening to them. I'm not sure if Steel Panther are a spoof band or not, buty they sound good, and are good fun live. Sounding like a cross between Whitesnake, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi with a large slice of Motley Crue thrown in, they sound brilliant although their lyrics all revolve around sex. A great entertaining band.
BUCKCHERRY
A band that I have recently discovered, through their brilliant 'Black Butterfly' aibum. Only had time to check a few songs from this band due to clashes, and as they were to be supporting Papa Roach in Bristol, wasn't too concerned about missing most of their set. Loved what I saw and they proved to be really good the next night in Bristol.
WHITESNAKE
Much as David Coverdale has denied it, it does seem that he is now heavily 'assisted' with his vocals. I saw Whitesnake last year supporting Def Leppard at Wembley Arena and thought they were very good, however at Download they were a big disapointment. Didn't hang around to watch too much as they helped solve one of the days clashes by being a bit rubbish.
THERAPY?
This band have been going almost 20 years now, and I have been a big fan for most of them. A packed tent was there to witness what was possibly one of the best performances of the weekend. A mixture of old and new songs with an explosive finish of 'Screamager' and 'Nowhere' from their 1994 'Troublegum' album. A fantastic set from a great band.
DEF LEPPARD
Fantastic! Personally I couldn't think of a better band to headline the main stage on this day. Missed the first two songs due to Therapy being way better than expected, but they played a set stuffed full of hits, with a few songs from last year's 'Welcome to the Sparkle Lounge' album thrown in for good measure. The massive crowd all seemed to be loving this set. They may be getting on a bit but they are still great entertainers and Joe Elliot's voice has stood the test of time. Finishing their encore with 'Let's Get Rocked' which had the whole crowd singing along. A fitting end to a fantastic festival.
STONE GODS
Had to get up early to be in the arena and standing on the front barrier for Stone Gods (my daughter's favourite band at the moment, and one of mine also) and despite a relatively short set (25-30 minutes) they didn't disapoint. Their experience from thei Darkness days have taught singer/guitarist Richie Edwards how to work a crowd. A good performance from a band who seemed to have plenty of fans in the crowd.
TESLA
Although I remember Tesla from the past, I don't actually remember any of their songs, enjoyable to watch however and entertained well.
SKIN
I didn't know much about Skin, and didn't know any of their songs, or that's what I thought. It turned out that I knew quite a few of their tunes without realising who it was. Considering the band have just reformed, a very tight set. The band looked to be loving it and were welcomed warmly by the crowd.
BLACK STONE CHERRY
Another of my favourite bands, and despite being a relatively new band (2 albums under their belts now) they fit in well with the Classic Rock theme of the Sunday. Energetic as always, their young blonde guitarist spent the entire set running and jumping around the stage like a maniac. A great set, opening with Rain Wizard and wrapping up with a cover of Hendrix's Voodoo Child, with all 3 guitarists (including the bassist) playing their instruments behind their heads. The crowd loved them, and hopefully in years to come BSC will find themselves moving higher up the lineup.
JOURNEY
One of the great Classic Rock bands and a band I was looking forward to seeing for the first time. After the departure of original lead singer Steve Perry the band carried on with a new singer who is rumoured to have been discovered by the band on YouTube. To listen to them, you would never guess that it was not the original singer as the new fella sounds almost exactly the same. An enjoyable set wrapped up with probably their two biggest hits Don't Stop Believing and Anyway you Want it.
SHINEDOWN
Relatively new band on the UK scene, although they have released 2 albums in the US, some good songs, some of which are already fairly well known to those who watch any of the UK's rock video TV channels. They were joined on stage by Black Stone Cherry's lead singer for their second song. A good set from a band who are well worth checking out.
STEEL PANTHER
Every year, tyhe organisers of download seem to make a mistake of putting a band on the wrong stage. This year it was Steel Panther. The 3rd stage tent was absolutely rammed, with the crowd 20+ deep outside the tent just listening to them. I'm not sure if Steel Panther are a spoof band or not, buty they sound good, and are good fun live. Sounding like a cross between Whitesnake, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi with a large slice of Motley Crue thrown in, they sound brilliant although their lyrics all revolve around sex. A great entertaining band.
BUCKCHERRY
A band that I have recently discovered, through their brilliant 'Black Butterfly' aibum. Only had time to check a few songs from this band due to clashes, and as they were to be supporting Papa Roach in Bristol, wasn't too concerned about missing most of their set. Loved what I saw and they proved to be really good the next night in Bristol.
WHITESNAKE
Much as David Coverdale has denied it, it does seem that he is now heavily 'assisted' with his vocals. I saw Whitesnake last year supporting Def Leppard at Wembley Arena and thought they were very good, however at Download they were a big disapointment. Didn't hang around to watch too much as they helped solve one of the days clashes by being a bit rubbish.
THERAPY?
This band have been going almost 20 years now, and I have been a big fan for most of them. A packed tent was there to witness what was possibly one of the best performances of the weekend. A mixture of old and new songs with an explosive finish of 'Screamager' and 'Nowhere' from their 1994 'Troublegum' album. A fantastic set from a great band.
DEF LEPPARD
Fantastic! Personally I couldn't think of a better band to headline the main stage on this day. Missed the first two songs due to Therapy being way better than expected, but they played a set stuffed full of hits, with a few songs from last year's 'Welcome to the Sparkle Lounge' album thrown in for good measure. The massive crowd all seemed to be loving this set. They may be getting on a bit but they are still great entertainers and Joe Elliot's voice has stood the test of time. Finishing their encore with 'Let's Get Rocked' which had the whole crowd singing along. A fitting end to a fantastic festival.
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