Download Festival 2009 (Part 2) - Live Music Reviews at ChrisOnline.biz

Whilst the organizers might have predicted downpours (silly, really), this year’s

Part 1 - Friday

Download was a sun-lover’s haven, giving weather to the East Midlands region that it’s probably not all very familiar with.

Facilities in and around the festival (Kid Rock said it needed improving) are also gradually doing so. Long gone are the terrible memories of Download 2003 which became a virtual scum bath after Saturday’s opening night, the surrounding area being covered in all sorts of plastic waste.

There are several shops onsite (both within the Arena and the Campsite [including RIP] parts) that sell virtually all that you could need, at an inflated price. There is also a Tuborg tent which sells fairly reasonable cases of lager and six-packs (the other choice is Carling...), which is an improvement. With any festival situated pretty far from the marks of civilization, you have to prepare and the organizers certainly have it at a good place. Some of the toilets were perhaps not emptied as regularly as they should have been, but in general (apart from the obvious layout inadequacies), this festival has improved, just don’t ever be naive enough to think it will ever rain here!

Chris Cornell (Other Stage 19:00 – 20:10)

Former Soundgarden and Audioslave legend, Chris Cornell took to the Donnington stage for the first time without his aforementioned super group backing. Cornell of course was meant to play last year, but cancelled everything to start working with Timbaland on his R and B focussed second record. This, somewhat unsurprisingly, was in short supply and in fact, the only tracks from ‘Scream’ that made an appearance were the title-track, ‘Time’ and ‘Part of Me’. Though considering Cornell was only offered an hour to showcase his talents, this is maybe not too surprising. Cornell also treated those not gawping at Marilyn Manson a brief cycle through Soundgarden and Audioslave’s illustrious back catalogue with ‘Cochise’, ‘Like a Stone’ and closing with the epic ‘Black Hole Sun’. The latter in particular was repeated again and again with a festival-like reprise, which actually went down very well. A lot of eyes were on Cornell with his new musical direction and the rock legend put in a typically emotive and piercing set. 9/10

Marilyn Manson (Main Stage 19:10 – 20:25)

For those that like their tunes rather more expletive and foundation-rocking, the self-proclaimed ‘God of Fuck’ adorned

the Main Stage in his usual array of colour, though with some rather unexpected guests. Manson, forever the metal diva, brought a vast array of wardrobe assistants, intent on preening and poking him until he most-resembled the ‘Anti-Christ Superstar’ that we know and love. It was hard not to notice Manson, he somewhat has a gift of centring attention, but even though his vocals and stage presence were all intact, there was somewhat of a strange taste after this set, not least the constant delays between songs and the rather dramatic exit afforded by his ‘Beautiful People’ exit anthem. Manson played several tracks from his new record, ‘The High End of Low’ including ‘Pretty like a Swastika’ and ‘Leave a Scar’, as well as favourite tracks from his back catalogue like ‘Sweet Dreams’, ‘Disposable Teens’, ‘The Dope Show’ and ‘Irresponsible Hate Anthem’. For anyone that had seen Manson before, this will go down as one of his worst gigs, considering his billing - he just didn’t live up to the hype. 5/10

The Prodigy (Other Stage 20:35 – 21:45)

They said they could never do it, what they didn’t understand that the average age of the Download festival goer was old enough to remember the dance soundtrack to their youth. Essex ravers, The Prodigy flew devotedly from the Isle of Wight Festival headline slot they had completed on Friday to bring some much-needed rave atmosphere to Download and they didn’t disappoint. The crowd bobbed up and down, somewhat differently to the usual required head-banging stance of Download in a sea of movement. Even billed against the mighty Slipknot, Prodigy had a respectable following transfixed by the mad sounds emanating. Hits such as ‘Smack My Bitch Up’, ‘Firestarter’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Out of Space’, ‘Poison’, ‘Everybody in the Place’ and ‘Out of Space’ joined with the stand-out moments of the new record, including ‘Take Me to the Hospital’, ‘Invaders Must Die’ and ‘Thunder’. In what was a truly exhilarating set, Keith, Liam and Maxim proved that these fellas know how to rock a crowd wherever they go, no matter how hardcore they may be. 10/10

Slipknot (Main Stage 21:05 – 22:30)

Iowa has given few things to the world, though one of its most notable exports is a nine-piece group of almost cult-like influence, brandishing heavy metal guitars, outrageous beat boxing and unforgiving venomous tracks. Of course, we all know them from their rather defined style of boiler suits, horror-movie-influenced masks and the marks on your speaker

system after the onslaught is over. Yes, the mighty Slipknot returned to their maggots and metal-appreciators alike to headline in the sunshine the second day of Download. After Manson’s chaotic set there was a just delay as a buzz of anticipation and delight surfed through the crowd faster than Swine Flu.

And finally, there they were, starting emphatically with ‘(sic)’ and jumping into many of their old classics initially, such as ‘Before I Forget’, ‘Duality’ and ‘My Plague’. Though it was probably during venom-laden anthem ‘Wait & Bleed’ that a past observer was probably more aware of the fact there was something missing from the performance. Sure there were more pyrotechnic-driven explosions, a whole host of electronic beauty and props from yesteryear like The Clown’s revolving elevated “drum-kit”, but there was just a touch too much sentiment from Corey.

When I first saw Slipknot live it was at Reading in 2001, as they played a rather peculiar-placed warm-up headliner set to Welsh warblers, Stereophonics. I didn’t know an awful lot about them, save the anarchic videos and media reaction, but I certainly did when they ransacked the stage. Anarchic, chaotic and just damn right scary, they forever etched a place in my subconscious as the most brutal act I’d witnessed. Unfortunately, organized fear is the only incarnation of it you’re likely to experience with them these days. Even the old-fashioned “Get the Fuck Up” element of closer, ‘Spit It Out’ wasn’t anywhere near as thrill-inducing as past performances. Quite mediocre and disappointing are not adjectives I could ever have envisaged applying to the former metal deities, but make no mistake, Slipknot at Download 2009 was nothing but a live disappointment – they’ve simply lost their mojo. 4/10

If Day 2 at Download was hit-and-miss, Day 3, traditionally billed, “The Oldies Day” was a washout, with notable exception to Trivium. Def Leppard and ZZ Top’s performances can really have only captured the heart of the true fans as they defied their advancing years to bring their acquired taste of metal to the Main Stage. It’s sad that Sunday does seem to be traditionally devoted to the older metal fan with some of the billing, though certainly good for representation – everyone gets to have their moment in the rather overwhelming sun. A quieter day, waking up on Sunday morning gave one a sense of disorder as many tents that may have been closely situated by yours had dramatically vanished – certainly not good for those who had their minds on other more pressing matters whilst pitching up. Still this year’s Download proved one thing – only perform if you still really want it and many of the best performances caught around the expanding festival site were from bands that clearly had a desire and hunger to give it their all and with not just eyes for the fat pay cheque.

What Rocked – Sunshine, Atmosphere, Safe Environment, Prodigy, Chris Cornell, Steel Panther (+ many other less-known artists)

What Sucked – Campsite/Car Park/Arena proximity, established names not delivering (Slipknot, Manson)