Chase and Status at Download Festival 8/6/12

As soon as Chase and Status were announced for Download Festival many people were sceptical, saying drum and bass artists shouldn’t be performing at a rock festival. However, after their incredible live performance, Chase and Status definitely changed many people’s minds. The atmosphere was amazing, and it was almost impossible to stand still during their set. Opening with the classic song ‘Smash TV’, they instantly blew the crowd away with heavy beats and dubstep. ‘No Problem’ was another crowd-pleaser, with extremely catchy lyrics and a strong musical vibe. Ending with ‘Fool Yourself’, they proved their definitely is a place for drum and bass at Donington Park. 

Machine Head at Download Festival 8/6/12

Machine Head are one of the most prolific metal bands, constantly wowing crowds around the world with their work and live shows. Opening with ‘I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)’, the mosh pits and circle pits were almost instant, proving they have an amazingly strong fan base. Robb Flynn owns the stage with his presence, making him one of the most idolised men in modern metal. The atmosphere was incredible, the whole crowd absolutely loved their performance, especially when Machine Head played ‘Imperium’. The heavy riffs, strong vocals and insane drumming; Machine Head have it all, and from seeing them live it’s easy to see why they’re so highly regarded in the metal community. 

Billy Talent at Download Festival 8/6/12

Opening with ‘Devil in a Midnight Mass’, Billy Talent proved within seconds they were going to give an incredible live performance. Benjamin Kowalewicz is the ultimate front man: he has amazing vocals, a lot of energy and is a definite crowd pleaser. They played old favourites such as ‘Rusted From The Rain’ and ‘Fallen Leaves’, but also a new song called ‘Viking Death Match’, proving they are definitely here to stay. They even invited Cancer Bats on stage to perform a song as their set was moved which was an incredible surprise, with Cancer Bats blowing everyone away with ‘Hail Destroyer’. Ending their astounding set with ‘Red Flag’, they were definitely one of the best bands of the weekend, good choice Andy Copping! 

NOFX at Download Festival 8/6/12

NOFX are a punk rock band from San Francisco who are very upbeat and enjoyable to listen to. They seemed completely at ease on stage, laughing and making jokes whilst playing. Playing their most popular songs, such as ‘Franco Un-American’ and ‘Bob’, they had the crowd smiling and singing along. NOFX were a great choice of band to play, and proof that not all rock music has to sound the same. Variation is one of the best things about the rock genre, and NOFX are definitely a unique band and fascinating to watch live. 

Fear Factory at Download Festival 8/6/12

Cancer Bats were supposed to be the first band on stage at Download Festival, however, due to the appalling weather conditions the gates were opened late and their set was moved back, making Fear Factory the first band to grace the stage. Despite the weather, thousands of people stood in the rain and mud to watch the industrial band Fear Factory. Opening with ‘Shock’, they proved they have incredible guitars who have strong riffs to headbang along to. Burton C. Bell was very energetic front man and his screams very low pitched. The crowd seemed to enjoy ‘Linchpin’ the best, due to its almost dance-like rhythm and techno beats. All in all, they were a good opening band for the Donington rock and metal festival. 

Modestep and Lostprophets at the O2 Academy Birmingham 23/4/12

Four-piece bass orientated London band Modestep were first on stage. They played a variety of dubstep and pop for the crowd to dance to, and despite probably not being most people’s ideal support band for Lostprophets, they definitely got the crowd excited and moving around. Modestep proved they were very talent and definitely opened the crowd’s eyes to a new genre of music. They played their most recognised song, ‘Sunlight’, which went down extremely well. Despite dubstep being underrated by most people, they put on a great show and had a strong singer.

Opening with the anthem ‘Bring Em Down’ from their latest album ‘Weapons’, Lostprophets instantly proved they were back to dominate the stage; back for good. Ian Watkins has an amazing voice, which sounds even better live than recorded and he was full of energy. They had a strong setlist, full of old classics such as ‘A Town Called Hypocrisy’ and ‘Last Summer’, but also playing new songs such as ‘Another Shot’ and ‘We Bring An Arsenal’, keeping both old and new fans happy. Lostprophets keep going from strength to strength, and their live shows are truly incredible.

Morningstar, Eva Rose and Fearless Vampire Killers at Vault Rugby 21/4/12

Morningstar are an unsigned hard rock band from Rugby with an amazing female lead vocalist, Beth Tysall. They used many varying tempos, making each song sound unique and keeping the audience fully engaged. Another strong live band from Rugby with great potential.

The all female band Evarose were next on stage, bursting with energy and catchy riffs to instantly capture the audience. The fusion of rock and pop was enjoyable to listen to and they definitely gained many new fans tonight.

Fearless Vampire Killers were the headline act this evening and they definitely put on a great show. Describing themselves as ‘death pop’, their upbeat melodies and harmonies kept the whole of the Vault moving throughout their set. They even played a cover of ‘Club Tropicana’, making the evening a lot different from the usual metal concerts hosted at the Vault. They proved they were very talented and this definitely won’t be the last you’ll hear of them, it’s only the beginning.