general review

Looking back over the weekend at Download a number of memories pop into my brain, so to recap for all you people that got totally rocked over the weekend, here is some of my personal favourite and worst bits from Download.

Firstly when I try to think of the best bands, there are lots that immediately spring to mind and funnily enough Black Sabbath is not one of them. Sure, they were good but they are one of those bands that once you have seen them once you don’t need to see them again as they do exactly the same thing year in year out.

Billy Idol was truly amazing, and I hope he comes back to do a full UK tour soon. Bowling For Soup were so entertaining that it is hard to imagine a festival not inviting them to play - they are rumoured to be coming back to the UK in October, so catch them then. Therapy? were just faultless as always. Velvet Revolver were absolutely amazing and should have been headlining instead of the mighty predictable Sabbath.

I think the biggest disappointment with regards to bands was Megadeth, they just lacked any real passion or enthusiasm considering it was their last ever UK gig.

Apart from the disappointment from Megadeth, this years Download was incredible, out of all the bands I managed to catch, they weren’t any bands that I disliked, and that is quite unique in itself. Obviously people have different tastes and I think that is where Download excelled this year - as there was so much diversity that there was something for everyone.

The weather in general was hot enough to cause plenty of red necks and faces.

The other thing that Download had managed to do so well this year was to organise the set times of bands to be slightly staggered - so that it was possible to see most of the bands playing if you could be arsed to walk to each stage.

There were numerous street entertainers roaming around the arena all day, and there was even a little market where you could buy all sorts of crazy clothing.

The only downside to this years Download was once again the security team, they just seem to have no manners or any idea how to treat people properly, constantly closing exits and diverting people so that they have to walk the longest possible distance to get to either the stage or car parks and what made it even worse is that when you ask them why is the path that you have been using all day is closed they respond with ‘Because it is, ok’ - it is only natural that people will take offence considering if they had not have blocked a certain path off I would have been at my car park and out of the arena in ten minutes flat, but thanks to the bright sparks known as security I had an extra 1 hour added to my exit time because they directed me into the on coming people!!

Anyway apart from security, Download is one of the best-organised festivals in the festival calendar - fantastic line-up, fantastic music, lots of entertainment, in short a brilliant weekend. Bring on Download 2006...

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