Download Festival 2013: The Review

SATURDAY

the hives download 2013 The rise and shine of Saturday is met by a few cans and the long walk to the arena. However, on the plus side, seeing as a friend found £20 in the mud, it€™s a free pint for four of us once we get there. First on the agenda for the day is the Pepsi Max Stage and Earthtone9 who, when we arrive, already have an overflowing tent €“ before their set has even begun. It could be a result of the shower, but the crowd doesn€™t even slightly dwindle when the sun returns soon into their set. Their hypnotic grooves and progressive riffs keep the crowd entranced and many a bearded head bobbing. The Red Bull Stage has a similar crowd victory thanks to the rain, for Black Moth€™s performance, and once again the crowd remains intact even when the rain stops. It€™s not hard to see why with the band€™s blend of stoner riffs, doom heaviness and garage rock fuzz. A combination that could get bogged down, but this band manage to keep it energetic and even catchy, especially topped with Harriet Bevan€™s distinct vocal and can swilling stage presence. Mastodon grace the main stage like cavemen cometh, though not in their often uniform black band t shirts and jeans attire. Originally planning to miss Mastodon€™s set, having seen them previously on The Hunter tour and being a little disappointed, I stick around anyway because I do love a number of their albums. Unfortunately though, it seems like much of the same again; a very by the books, business as usual performance, and sure the majority of the songs are classics, it€™s just not an exciting or engaging performance. Over to the Pepsi Max Stage again for Empress, who offer the first new music for me this weekend €“ having been at least a little familiar with everyone caught so far. Watching on the recommendation of a friend, I€™m kind of expecting a stoner band; on account of their name and current logo. However, what I get instead is a really tight and energetic young band who deliver a blend of hardcore and post-hardcore, with hints of post and progressive metal that could see them considered in the same breath as bands like Devil Sold His Soul. Even though a fair portion of the crowd turn up to the Zippo stage to see Lit on the basis of two songs, which they only get one of. Lit go some way to prove that they are not a band who should be taken as a two hit pony. Especially as they seem to bring genuine cheer to a crowd more than a little downtrodden by temperamental weather, but it is My Own Worst Enemy that can claim one of the joyous moments of the weekend. It€™s off to the Pepsi Max Stage for some loitering, and falling off my friend€™s shoulders into the mud for all to see during Bury Tomorrow. Speaking of whom, offer a tight set that earns an emphatic response from the crowd gathered with their melodic spin on metalcore that leaves a more lasting impact than their main stage counterparts in Rise To Remain and Asking Alexandria. Plus, as said, it got me covered in mud €“ always a good sign. During a quick departure for food we catch Motorhead in the background, closing their set with Killed By Death and Ace of Spades, which you can't ask for more than as you scrounge food. http://youtu.be/6ngDWnP2akE Eagerly awaited curiosities Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats don€™t disappoint, and certainly don€™t kill the cat either, with a solid but flowing set of psychedelic, doom, garage jams. There€™s quite a crowd gathered on the strength of the buzz steadily surrounding them, and the crowd seem to move in unison to an appreciative groove as drawn out guitar wigouts fuzz from one to the next. We slip out a little early though, and head for the main stage. It€™s unfortunate we miss out on Chthonic, as I€™d been really looking forward to seeing them live €“ I€™m informed by one of our neighbours later on that they were brilliant. However, I just can€™t say no that ginger giant and his Queens of the Stone Age; they were brilliant at Reading 2008, and they€™ve just released one of the albums of their career. True to form they do not disappoint, and even though they€™re on earlier than they should be (and god knows I€™d love to see them lay siege to dingy club), their opting for more of a best of retrospective set, than a touring the new album set, leaves the crowd suitably seduced and intoxicated. Kvelertak on the Pepsi Max Stage is one of the sets I€™ve been really looking forward to, aside from past loves of course, and though sunshine and booze leaves me almost asleep in the grass as we wait for their set to begin, there€™s nothing quite like their set to rouse you it seems. Its high octane song after high octane song as their blend of black metal, rock n roll and punk gets the crowd dancing as much as it gets them headbanging and playing air-guitar. Think how High On Fire are Motorhead meets sludge metal, then imagine Motorhead meets black metal, then imagine it better than what you just imagined. Plus, one of their guitarists uses his fingers to play lead guitar and manages to slap and finger pick solos and riffs out of it insanely. Oh, and for the humour of it, another guitarist spits and has it land back on his own head, while the vocalist manages to spit in the air and catch it. Multi-talented this lot. http://youtu.be/DbrtS8E0kpY Now, this might cause an uproar and earn me a backlash, but; I didn€™t go and see Iron Maiden headline €“ I instead watched The Hives. I€™ve seen Iron Maiden twice, back when I was much younger, and a Maiden fanboy, when they toured Dance of Death and A Matter Of Life And Death respectively. The first time was brilliant, and the second time was incredibly disappointing, but there we go, I opted out of Maiden because I€™d seen them before and I don€™t really listen to them anymore. Sure, The Hives don€™t have a Spitfire ready to buzz the crowd (admittedly I€™d€™ve loved to see that) but they do have undeniable charisma, rock n roll urgency and an artillery of tunes primed to get the crowd dancing. In spite of not being your more Download inclined band, they€™ve got an impressive crowd considering their in competition with Maiden and they ignite it like a fuse, then Tick Tick Boom (ahem) you€™ve got one of the most fun sets of the weekend. http://youtu.be/1M02bAWDFkI
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Contributor

Life's last protagonist. Wannabe writer. Mediocre Musician. Over-Thinker. Medicine Cabinet. @morganrabbits