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home » festivals » Download » Download Festival 2008
Sunday music reviewDownload 2008Thursday 19th June 2008 One of the first acts of the final day of the festival also proves to be one of the most bizarre as Animal Alpha bring their freaky industrialised sound to the second stage. Frontwoman Agnete's penchant for theatrics is evident, and the group's set is, at the very least, an interesting distraction ahead of the arrival of US thrashers Municipal Waste. The uncrowned kings of the New Wave Of Pretty Fucking Awesome Thrash Metal (you heard it here first) tear Donington a new back passage, as their unstoppable barrage of 80’s-inspired party metal creates havoc for the hapless members of security who are forced to deal with the endless waves of crowd surfers.  Pints, beer bongs, cowboy hats, rubber dinghies, surf boards and a man in a shark costume are just some of the things to be seen flying around the circle pits that open up throughout each and every song, and the sheer scale of silliness on display sets some standard for the rest of the day. A standard that is met, perhaps, by the arrival of arguably the most controversial act of the weekend in Lethal Bizzle. His MC has barely had a chance to introduce the upcoming UK grime rapper before a bottling of Spartan proportions commences, and ceases to let up for the first half of his lively set. "I'm not scared of you motherfuckers!" screams Bizzle on numerous occasions, and whilst the loss of his expensive jacket to some unholy yoghurt attacks is a blow, there is an overwhelming sense that he isn't kidding – something that is only compounded as he jumps into the front row of the volatile audience. 
By the end of his performance the bottles have mostly ceased and there are even chants for him to continue, resulting in an improvised version of Gallows number 'Staring At The Rude Bois' for a delighted core of Bizzle fans. Fair play to the guy, he lasted a hell of a lot longer than 50 Cent at Reading, although having said that, he is a hell of a lot better than 50 Cent in the first place. No such anarchy can possibly be expected during the Aussie double whammy of Rose Tattoo and Airbourne, though there is at least some ridiculous spontaneity in the case of the latter. First though come the veterans, and what they lack in energy they more than make up for in hard-rocking tunes, resulting in a well-received set that puts a smile on the face in everyone in attendance – even if legendary rocker Angry Anderson's "brothers and sisters" spiel is a tad cheesy at times. Airbourne go straight for the jugular as they launch into album opener 'Stand Up For Rock 'N' Roll', and it isn't too long before frontman Joel O' Keefe attempts to make his mark on the weekend by grabbing an Australian flag from the crowd and scaling the side of the stage to wave it high.  Some 20 foot-high soloing and a careful climb back down later and Airbourne are allowed to continue their show in a more conventional fashion, though it is far from boring as they leave their crowd well and truly rocked. They'll be back, and on the main stage if there is any justice in the world. And speaking of which, 'Runnin' Wild's final few notes have barely died down when symphonic metal favourites Within Temptation take to the main stage amidst one of the most impressive stage sets of the weekend. Stone gargoyles, flaming torches and billowing smoke aplenty are all present and correct as the Dutch crew plough through a set which recalls classics and newer cuts alike.  Sultry frontwoman Sharon Del Adel is on stunning form and leaves many begging for more by the time Gothenburg legends In Flames arrive. The originators of the melodic death metal sound have their performance plagued by sound difficulties for the opening few songs, and the frustration of the band members themselves begins to leave a sour air hanging over the set. Luckily, things soon turn around with the unbearably catchy intro to 'Only For The Weak', which soon causes pandemonium in the crowd and sing-alongs galore. Singer Anders Friden soon returns to his usual jovial self, and the rest of the set is a blinder, with the crowd surfer-friendly 'My Sweet Shadow' being a particular highlight.  Not long after, hairy prog peddlers Coheed And Cambria put on a master class in no-frills rock heroics, with the crowd interaction kept to a minimum in order to fit in as much of their impressive back catalogue as possible. 'Welcome Home' inevitably receives the biggest reaction of their set, but every song played is enjoyed by the flattering crowd they draw, and the presence of two new female backing singers is a well thought-out – if distracting – addition. No such chance of harmonious vocal interplay from Children Of Bodom, whose impressively-sized audience suggests that the Finnish metal stalwarts' debut is long overdue. You wouldn't have thought it from the confidence shining from the band themselves though, as they deliver a crushing performance that is heavy on keyboards and high on aggression and over the top swearing. Diminutive frontman Alexi Laiho does a sterling job in organising the crowd into a chaotic sea of circle pits, and one can only imagine that it won't be nearly so long until they make their return to Donington. On the subject of returns, third stage headliner Jonathan Davis makes his own only a year after Korn last rocked Download into a bloody pulp on the (then roofed) second stage. This however is a totally different affair, as the nu metal god provides a stripped down set that recalls Korn rarities, songs from the 'Queen Of The Damned' soundtrack and covers amongst others. The level of frenzy that surrounds his presence on stage is terrifying, but well-deserved, as Davis plays some of the most fascinating and heart-rendering reworks of popular songs that Donington has ever seen. It sounds slightly absurd to say such things in reference to a man who is chiefly associated with angry, spiky-haired youths from the 90's, but with such beautifully presented versions of tunes such as 'Redeemer', 'Falling Away From Me' and 'Got The Life' never failing to get the crowd going, it is difficult to see this performance as anything other than a complete triumph for the bagpipe-playing nutter. A somewhat unusual, but nonetheless exhilarating end to a festival which has provided some fantastic moments in light of the criticism that its line-up has received this year. review by Merlin Alderslade photos by Luke Seagrave / Chris Perowne 
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