Sunday Overview

The final day of Download 2006 starts to mercifully feel a little cooler than the preceding two days, and I drag myself out of my tent in time to take in Winterville in the Gibson / MySpace tent. They are making great waves in the north east, and I really wanted to see what the fuss was about. They are a young, tight, heavy blues band who took the Sunday morning crowd by storm. Tearing through a short set, they started the day off in the best way possible, and I am certain we will hear more of this fantastic band.

Lauren Harris fronts a riot grrl metal act of the same name, and although I really wanted to like it, they simply struck me as bland and formulaic. When done the right way, female fronted metal can be amazing, but here it was just dull, so I went in search of a band that could do it properly.

That band was Lacuna Coil. The Italians showed just how good girl metal can be, and it was perfect for mid-afternoon on the main stage. Frontwoman Cristina Scabbia can scream with the best of them, but it is the melodic, downbeat moments which make you realise just how good Lacuna Coil are. ‘Our Truth’ stands out as the highlight of this excellent set.

I arrive late for Hundred Reasons over at the Snickers Stage, but if what I did see was anything to go by, I really should have got there earlier. The tent was bouncing from front to back, and the band were clearly enjoying the opportunity to showcase their own brand of indie metal to a very receptive crowd.

Despite having to suffer the worst one way system ever, the walk was worth it when we got back to the main stage for Bullet For My Valentine. The new-goth rockers tore through the majority of their hot cakes-esque debut album. This band continue to gain fans at a tremendous pace, and with performances like this, it is not hard to see why.

Funeral For A Friend were up next, and despite the small main stage crowd, the Welsh hardcore masters simply did what they do best – rock from start to finish. ‘Juneau’ was stunning, ‘Escape Artists Never Die’ got the whole crowd dancing, and every time I hear ‘History’ played live, it gets more and more beautiful. This is a band that always look like they enjoy playing live, and that enthusiasm is contagious. The energy never dips, and by the time they leave the stage, the small but dedicated crowd would gladly have sacrificed Guns N’ Roses if it meant FFAF could play all night.

But Guns N’ Roses are up next, and everyone is talking about whether they will actually turn up. It comes as a surprise therefore, when they actually manage to come onstage twenty minutes early. Opening with the fantastic ‘Welcome To Jungle’, the collective neck hair of the assembled masses stands on end, and we are simply hoping for a full set from the notoriously stroppy Axl Rose and his new backing band. We are treated to a greatest hits set featuring ‘Mr Brownstone’, ‘It’s So Easy’ and ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, as well as new tracks ‘Better’, ‘IRS’ and ‘Madagascar’. We are also witness to the legendary G’N’R temper on occasions, including several instances of Axl walking off stage due to poor sound and a damp stage surface. Unforgivable though is the behaviour of bassist Tommy Stinson who, after almost being hit with a thrown bottle, throws his guitar at a camera man, and storms off stage, only to return straight after to try to laughably justify his actions. Rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus is clearly angry with his band mates by this point, and I am starting to wonder if we are witnessing the implosion of Guns N’ Roses. The set continues though, and eventually they even start to look like they are enjoying it.

Harking back to the classic Guns N’ Roses line-up, the band are joined onstage for several numbers by Izzy Stradlin, and he definitely adds depth to the sound, and Sebastian Bach (of Skid Row fame) sings second vocals on ‘My Michelle’, although he always looks out of place, even in this unfamiliar line-up. Closing with ‘Paradise City’, the band do manage to complete the set, and although it was technically excellent, I am left with a sour taste in my mouth as the band have no idea how to connect with a crowd. The music is still awesome, but the attitude stinks.

Overall, a great weekend. The weather was excellent, the people were friendly, and the music was amazing. The few duff acts were more than outshone by the quality on show, and there were moments aplenty to keep everyone talking.

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