Limp Bizkit's return is no Mission Impossible

Download 2009 review

By Julie Weston | Published: Wed 17th Jun 2009

Download Festival 2009 - Limp Bizkit
Photo credit: Luke Seagrave

Download Festival 2009

Friday 12th to Sunday 14th June 2009
Donington Park, Leics, England MAP
£135 weekend, £65 any day, camping is an extra £25

Limp Bizkit
In 2003 Limp Bizkit pulled out of headlining the very first Download. This marked the beginning of a tempestuous and mainly barren period for Fred Durst and his cohorts. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Durst had solved his differences with original guitarist Wes Borland and that Bizkit were back. Download 2009 marked the first high profile outing in this country of the revised line up, so everyone waited with baited breath to see what would happen, would they be the chocolate on the jaffa cake, or drop to the bottom of your cup of tea after a good dunking?

Bizkit took to the stage amidst much excitement from the crowd. With the guitarists caked in body paint and Durst sporting his trademark red cap, they arrived on stage to the strains of 'Space Odyssey' before breaking into a storming version of 'Break Stuff'. Bizkit were back and the huge Download throngs were loving it. The arrogance that we have come to expect from Durst appeared to be tempered and he seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight at a stage as illustrious as Donington Park, he didn't plan on disappointing the Download fans for a second time.

Limp Bizkit
Late on into the set Durst spotted a fan squashed against the fence singing all the words to the songs and invited him on stage along with another fan he had spotted. The two then danced and sang along with Durst and one joined DJ Lethal briefly at the turntable. Some bands have been known to stage such things but judging from the looks of ecstasy and excitement on these two lucky men's faces I would guess this was genuine gesture on Dursts part. One of the fans even sported a replica red cap and it seemed at times surreally that there were two Fred Durst's strutting their stuff on stage.

If the crowd hadn't been lapping every moment up before this increased the favourable reaction even more. Bursting into 'My Way' the watching hoards were now in a frenzy shouting back the words to Durst. A cover of George Michael's 'Faith' changed the pace and got everyone dancing right up and down the expanse of Doningtons fields.

Ending with the massive hit 'Take A Look Around', Bizkit's return to the big time was complete and not so much a Mission Impossible.

Their Full set list was:

Space Odyssey (intro)
Break Stuff
My Generation
Livin'It Up
Show Me What You Got
Nookie
Hot Dog
Eat You Alive
Rollin
Full Nelson
My Way
Faith
Take A Look Around

review by: Julie Weston

photos by: Luke Seagrave


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