Best ever headliner

[Moey]

We were discussing this over the DL weekend. Of all the band's we've seen headline any of the stages, who would be the best.

Now, I know this is all subjective and it obviously depends which years you've been and all that.

The thing was we all came up with the same band, as the benchmark to compare all others. Try as we might, suggestions were made but they were countered with things like 'yeah, but they didn't set a man of fire' or 'he didn't bugger his bandmate on a 40ft platform and then cover the crowd in jizz'.

So, my question is....

Have you seen anything better than Rammstein in 2013??

Other contenders we had were

- slipknot on either of the few

- muse

- metallica in '06 just because it was master of puppets in full.

[lightning1000]

Rammstein hands down.

Notable mentions to

Slipknot 09

Aerosmith 14

AC/DC

Andrew WK

[devilman]

Aye rammstein with a lot of daylight to the next contender which could be anyone of these:

 

ACDC, Aerosmith RATM, Metallica but most likely Sabbath. Muse won this year for me.

[t8yman]

Metallica '06. playing the most important metal album of all time, in full, (and I think) for the first time ever. And it was fucking beautiful weather. 

 

The AC/DC show that went on DVD was special, but Brian Johnson isn't Bon Scott, so thats a big neg.

[gary1979666]

I loved the bit of Metallica that I saw in 06 - was really dusty and my Mrs got sand in her eye really badly, had to go back to the tent after Welcome Home.  It got worse and we left that night, drove to Herts, then it was fine and we drove back the next day for a poor GnR set, then slipped of to watch Sick Of It All.

[Dead throne]

Iron Maiden in 2013 were better than Rammstein in my opinion

[lightning1000]

Just to add to the rammstein thing, as great as they were at download, they were much better on their arena tour earlier in the year.

[devilman]

Iron Maiden in 2013 were better than Rammstein in my opinion

 

Nah, nowhere near as good as they can be. Much better at Soni last year. I'm gutted I missed the Rammstein arena tour. I've heard rumours that we Download fans might not have to wait very long for a repeat performance though, which would be nice. Saw a guy with a pink fluffy jacket on in the campervan field this year. I keep searching but I can't find one.

[Dead throne]

Nah, nowhere near as good as they can be. Much better at Soni last year. I'm gutted I missed the Rammstein arena tour. I've heard rumours that we Download fans might not have to wait very long for a repeat performance though, which would be nice. Saw a guy with a pink fluffy jacket on in the campervan field this year. I keep searching but I can't find one.

The audience made it for me. Everyone was brilliant and so happy. It was amazing. One of my favourite festival performances ever

[luckysalt]

Faith No More 2009.

[Moey]

Iron Maiden in '13 were one of my biggest disappointments. Apart from the spitfire, the rest of it was just poor. His voice just didn't do it anymore.

One of my biggest DL letdowns.

[t8yman]

Faith No More 2009.

 

 

was good, and they are a band I and all of my  friends grew up on, but it didnt beat Metallica 06 for me.

 

horses for courses and all that.

[Andre91]

I heard loads about Slipknot's 2009 set being the best ever. I've got the DVD of it and it must have been really special being there in person.

[atomised]

Iron Maiden in '13 were one of my biggest disappointments. Apart from the spitfire, the rest of it was just poor. His voice just didn't do it anymore.

One of my biggest DL letdowns.

I agree with that. One of the dullest, going through the motions shows I've ever witnessed

[luckysalt]

was good, and they are a band I and all of my  friends grew up on, but it didnt beat Metallica 06 for me.

 

horses for courses and all that.

 

Ah 2009 was my first Download. Only seen Metallica at Download 2012. 

[thejimbola]

Having been to every Download, my most memorable headline sets have probably been:

Maiden 03

SOAD 05

Metallica 06

Faith No More 09

Slipknot 09

Def Leppard 09

AC/DC 10

Sabbath 12

Rammstein 13

Aerosmith 14

09 was just an amazing year all round.

Rammstein certainly made me laugh the most out of all of them though.

[luckysalt]

Having been to every Download, my most memorable headline sets have probably been:

Maiden 03

SOAD 05

Metallica 06

Faith No More 09

Slipknot 09

Def Leppard 09

AC/DC 10

Sabbath 12

Rammstein 13

Aerosmith 14

09 was just an amazing year all round.

Rammstein certainly made me laugh the most out of all of them though.

 

Id say mine are 

 

Slipknot 09

FNM 09

AC/DC 10

Rage 10

System 11

Pendulum 11 [second stage]

Rob Zombie 11 [second stage]

Metallica 12

Sabbath 12

[didnt go in 13]

Offspring 14 [second stage]

Linkin Park 14

Aerosmith 14

KISS 15

 

The second stage ones, Offspring doing Smash in full was big for me and they were so motivated with their performance was excellent, Pendulum absolutely smashed Download to bits and were better than the two times Ive seen Prodigy at Download. I think they really took the ball and ran with it, shame they didn't keep going cus I think they would have headlined Main too and Rob Zombie I've seen him 3 times but this was the best, the video walls behind him, the setlist and the performance, absolutely smashed his pathetic main stage sub performance in 14 to bits.

 

Of the above other than FNM that I said earlier Id rank Linkin Park in 14 up there, was such a special moment for me and my mates hearing Hybrid Theory in full, they like Offspring were so motivated and passionate with their performance. 

 

Sabbath were fantastic the other year too, I went in with low expectations but they were outstanding.

 

And a lot of people didn't rate System in 11 but I had an absolute blast, I much preferred it to Reading in 13 but a lot of people say the opposite, ah well.

[t8yman]

System 11 at download was awful. The animosity in the band was tangible in the crowd, you could feel their tension. Yes they played the crowd faves, but it just felt so much like a band forcing themselves to bang through it and collect their cheques.

 

I saw them at Reading in 2001, 7th on the main stage, and that was the best I ever saw them, they didnt even cap that performance on the subsequent Toxicity tour.

[lightning1000]

I've seen soad 8 times. Leeds 13 was the best I've seen them. They were on absolute fire that day.

[gary1979666]

System 11 at download was awful. The animosity in the band was tangible in the crowd, you could feel their tension. Yes they played the crowd faves, but it just felt so much like a band forcing themselves to bang through it and collect their cheques.

 

I saw them at Reading in 2001, 7th on the main stage, and that was the best I ever saw them, they didnt even cap that performance on the subsequent Toxicity tour.

 

I saw them at Leeds in 01 and it was amazing.  Was down on the barrier for them and Fear Factory before them.  It was at my peak in terms of festivals (before I grew old and loitered at the back!).  A lot of stuff from the first album too.

[devilman]

 Leeds 13 was the best I've seen them. They were on absolute fire that day.

 

This. Although I loved them in 11 too, I was too busy having a great time to notice things like tension in the band and that. Having said that it was really evident in Leeds how relaxed they were and genuinely having fun. It's irrelevant anyways, they come back and I'm there, with bells on.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Slipknot 2009 & Rammstein 2013 are the stand outs for me.