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home » festivals » Download » Download Festival 2003
Sunday ReviewDownload Festival 2003Wednesday 4th June 2003 Download ended in a downpour. There was much drama and surprise to come before that. Sunday was skateboard punk day in the Scuzz tent. All girl band Fabulous Disaster and the eccentric Randy kicked off proceedings. First highlight on the main stage was the excellent The Darkness. Lead singer Justin Hawkins didn't make good on his promise to be fired out of a cannon. He did treat us to an eccentric, accomplished performance which make them a good proposition to see as the opening act on the Pyramid at Glastonbury. Eighties Matchbox B- Line Disaster bought the crowds to the Scuzz stage. Their set was interrupted by the news from our people backstage that Metallica were in the building, so to speak. The next band due on the Scuzz stage were Metallica cover band Apocolyptica. The organisers had vehemently denied their appearance earlier in the week. Quite how the news reached the grapevine, I'm not sure, but excited faces were bounding towards the Scuzz stage, and in no time it was packed to the rafters. The first positive signs that this was actually taken place came from diehard fans recognising the way the equipment was set up. As the first chords struck up, the people remaining outside realised what was actually taking place. There then followed the amazing site of flocks of people running as fast as they could towards the Scuzz tent. Security formed a line whose sole job was to tell people to stop running!! I have never before witnessed such a frenzy at a festival. The band stayed over their allocated 45 minutes, and the event was all that people were talking about long into the night. You had to feel for Evanessence and Stone Sour who played to a depleted and muted main stage. By the time Disturbed hit the main stage, normal service was resumed and they took advantage of punters still on a high after their big surprise.  Less Than Jake whipped up some frenetic energy into the crowd who formed two large circle pits on either side of the mixing desk. To prove that Apocalyptica did actually exist, they turned up on the main stage at this time. Playing Metallica tunes on cellos and double bases is a really bizaare concept but it was perfect for today.  Prodigy’s Keith Flint brought his side project to the mon stage to play their first major gig. Flint carried on the frenetic energy started by Less than Jake, and performed a surprising excellent set.  Zwan appeared to be the only band to have a miserable time. They were greeted, for some inexplicable reason, by a barrage of bottles. They were then further greeted by a downpour of Noah-like proportions. They still performed admirably against the odds, but they it looked like they left prematurely after Was hit on the head by a bottle.  As Zwan scurried off the stage, the crowd scurried off too. Some scurried to the dry sanctuary of the Scuzz where Boysetfire and NOFX were waiting. Others scurried home, safe in the knowledge that with Metallica’s intimate performance they had seen something truly special. Others, like me, scurried to their cars to get coats or a full change of dry clothes and then returned to wait for the night’s headliners, Audioslave.  Audioslave were perfect headliners who made Limp Bizkits no show a distant memory. Chris Cornell seemed to be genuinely enjoying the experience. The only criticism was that it could perhaps have done with being a bit louder. They finished the night with the already classic Cochise. Although it was that song ringing n the ears of people as they left, for many of them it was that Metallica moment that was the indelible memory. review by Paul Heyes photos by Luke Seagrave
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