
2024 Download XXI Review

Where has the time gone since last year’s Download festival epic four day event to celebrate its 20 year anniversary? Festival managing director Andy Copping revealed late last year that the Download team had to approach 21 bands to find suitable headliners. Issues were further compounded when a number of bands pulled out of the Download festival bill in protest against Barclaycard’s role as official payment partner. The high-profile pushback was related to allegations made regarding Barclays’ links to companies supplying Israel. Subsequently Barclays have stepped back as sponsors of all Live Nation festivals. On top of all this, an ominous weather forecast for the week looms large as the darkening skies above threaten.
DAY 1 – FRIDAY

Those Damn Crows who hail from Bridgend in Wales come onstage on the Apex stage. The set opens with the new single ‘Let’s Go Psycho’. Then unfortunately the weather takes a turn for the worse as the black clouds roll in and the rain starts. Shane Greenhall introduces 2023 single ‘Takedown’ as the rain belts down but the band still bang out a cracking performance.

The Struts are a British rock band formed in Derby in 2012. The band consists of lead vocalist Luke Spiller, guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott, and drummer Gethin Davies. Today’s set opens with ‘Primadonna Like Me’ and Spiller introduces ‘Body Talks’ as a Rock n roll song.

There is an infectious groove to this band which gets the crowd clapping and singing along. The most recent album ‘Pretty Vicious’ was launched in November 2023. Today’s set includes 2014 single ‘Kiss This’ and closes to rapturous applause with ‘Could Have Been Me’.

Heilung is a folk band comprising members from Denmark, Norway, and Germany. Their music is a mix of pre-Christian music originating from the north part of Europe and some other ancient musical styles. Heilung, which means healing in German, suggests that their music is intended to induce relaxation by bringing the audience on a magical musical journey.

The curtain falls on a forest scene where a shaman enters wafting incense with some leafy branches before the drums start and the performance begins in earnest. What ensues is a truly unique and evocative recreation of rituals that mesmerize those in attendance. This is an experience not to be missed and an intriguing exploration of our ancient heritage.

Queens Of The Stone Age are our first night’s headliners on the Apex stage. Josh Homme admits during the set he celebrated the Download festival headliner slot occasion by getting “stoned and fucked up.” Tonight’s performance includes older singles like ‘Little Sister’, ‘Burn The Witch’ alongside more recent ditties like ‘Carnavoyeur’, ‘Paper Machete’ and ‘Emotion Sickness’. The finale for tonight is a storming version of the classic ‘A Song For The Dead’. Tonight Queens Of The Stone Age silenced the headline slot debate with a formidable set as festival headliners.
DAY 2 – SATURDAY
Ireland’s own Bambie Thug opens day two on the Apex stage and may have somewhat under dressed for the inclement weather, wearing a plastic fetish style bikini, devilish hair, and makeup that includes the word witch craftily inscribed across their brow.

The set is playful yet risqué broaching subjects like oral sex amongst other things. Mid set Bambie Thug takes a moment to adjust their minute wardrobe as their socks fall down before continuing. Later a masked dancer arrives onstage pushing an unlikely prop, a wheelie bin from which Bambie Thug slowly emerges.

The highlight of the set is a poignant cover of The Cranberries ‘Zombie’. During the song flags of nations including Ukraine, Congo, Palestine, and Yemen, along with flags of the LGBTQ+ and Transgender community are paraded onto stage.

The finale of the performance is ‘Doomsday Blue’ which is of course met with a rapturous reception.

A meteoric rise to fame since last year’s appearance on the Dogtooth stage followed by a credible Eurovision performance and an upcoming tour, Bambie Thug goes from strength to strength.

Australia’s Ne Obliviscaris are delayed substantially coming onstage at the Dogtooth stage and are plagued with sound issues throughout their set. Consequently their time is limited but these progressive rockers are not daunted by this.

Band members laugh in the face of adversity when forced to share a microphone at one point.

The resilience, delivery and musical prowess of this band is obvious from the off and the crowd are enthralled with this impeccably performed set.
It has been over 20 years since Pantera played together but today the Download punters are treated to a much anticipated reunion. Vocalist Phil Anselmo dedicates the third song in the set “Strength beyond strength” to Darrel and Vince replaced today by Zakk Wylde on guitar and Charlie Benante on drums. The set is great epic with favourites like ‘Walk’, ‘This Love’, ‘Cowboys From Hell’ and the finale ‘Fucking Hostile’ whisking the audience back in time. It is great to hear Pantera play live again. Don’t panic if you missed them though, as they play Barcelona Rock Fest before heading stateside then next year return to the U.K. and Ireland for another raft of dates.

Fallout boy are tonight’s headliner on the Apex stage. As the show starts Patrick Stump appears on the big screens in a hospital bed complete with gown accompanied by the sound of a heart monitor. However his malaise doesn’t last as he jumps out of bed as the band explode into life for ‘Disloyal Order Of Water Buffalos’.

Tonight the set list delves into the archives to give us a taster from most of their back catalogue in almost chronological order. The performance is not without theatrics either with flaming bass guitars, cheerleaders, and flying sheep.
DAY 3 – SUNDAY

After a night of rain Code Orange from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania stride onstage as if they owned it. As they launch into their set vocalist Jami Morgan smashes his own forehead with the microphone and blood flows as he encourages the crowd to “wake the f*** up.”

Due to inclement weather set times are being squeezed and as the Code Orange set comes to an abrupt end, the defiant band try to continue playing resulting in their sound being cut. Anger issues surface as vocalist Morgan hurls his microphone across the stage and guitarist Reba Meyers attempts to trash the drum riser.

Goth rockers Creeper, this year move up the bill to main stage. The band arrive looking like they have just left a vampire feast accompanied by talented dance troupe in ghoulish make up.

Today’s set includes ‘Cry To Heaven’ and ‘Teenage Sacrifice’ both lifted off the 2023 album ‘Sanguivore’. Vocalist Gould gets a crowd chant going before launching into ‘Down Below’ and the finale is ‘Lovers Led Astray’ featuring a guest appearance from Dan Jacobs of Atreyu.

A polished performance from an accomplished band with great things yet to come.

Kerry King returns to Download Festival with his band which include former Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph, bassist Kyle Sanders from Hellyeah Vocalist, Phil Demmel formerly of Machine Head and Mark Osegueda, of Death Angel fame.

Osegueda thanks the audience for sharing the aggression before kicking off ‘Idle Hands’ A blistering set including two Slayer tracks ‘Raining Blood’ and ‘Black Magic’ closing with the single ‘From Hell I Rise’. Another titan of thrash has returned in glory…..Hail to the King.

The rumoured secret set is revealed Parkway Drive and they pack the Dogtooth stage to capacity well in advance of show time. The short but intense set opens with ‘Glitch’ from the 2022 ‘Darker Still’ album and older material like ‘Vice Grip’ and ‘Bottom Feeder’ from 2015 album ‘Ire’.

Sum 41 on the main stage have attracted a massive crowd for their last ever UK festival performance. The tour aptly named ‘Tour of the Setting Sum’ is set to finish with two shows at Scotiabank arena in Toronto in January 2025. Tonight Sum 41 are truly on fire as favourites like ‘Motivation’, ‘The Hell Song’ and ‘Walking Disaster’ are rolled out. A cover of Queen mega-hit ‘We Will Rock You’ is also included. Deryck Whibley hints there may still be a chance to see them later this year. The show reaches a crescendo with closing songs ‘Fat Lip’ and ‘Still Waiting’.

Avenged Sevenfold are the final headliner. M.Shadows arrives on stage sporting a balaclava on and kicks off proceedings with ‘Game Over’ and ‘Mattel’ from the most recent ‘Life Is But A Dream’ album. This is the second time Avenged Sevenfold have headlined Download.

Massive favourite ‘Hail To The King’ is dedicated to all the fathers in the audience as it is Father’s Day. ‘Nightmare’ goes down a treat until the sound system fails after the solo forcing the crowd finish the song. Once resolved, Avenged Sevenfold come back out fighting with ‘Unholy Confessions’.

The set is a mix of old and new which holds true to M. Shadows admission “We are going to play all kinds of shit for you.”. He also tells the crowd that Avenged Sevenfold may return to these shores in 2025.
And so another Download Festival comes to an end…

Despite the difficulties with headliner availability, geopolitical issues, torrential rain, rivers of mud, technical issues, set delays and even reports of food poisoning at two food stalls, Download still rocked! We got through it as always with smiles on our faces and had a weekend full of great music and great memories. Isn’t that what it’s all about? 2025 tickets are already on sale, so what are you waiting for?
Download Festival | Donington Park, 13 – 15 June 2025
Pictures by Enda Madden. Review by Howard Keogh.