Download gets intimate with the fans

United Kingdom | 10 May 2007

Festival fans don't come much more passionate than Download's, who are not afraid to vent their wrath if they feel their festival is not being run exactly to their liking. Rightly so, we say. So it was a sensible move on the part of organisers LiveNation (the most powerful organisation in the global live music scene), to invite a bunch of the more outspoken fans to air their views on how they think their festival should - or should not - be run.

With Xfm's rock presenter Ian Camfield acting as 'referee', festival director Stuart Galbraith, production manager John Probyn, artist booker Andy Copping and campsite manager Mick Roberts were all on hand to face interrogation by more than 20 fans assembled in the small central London pub. Virtual Festivals were there to witness the proceedings and - whilst the bar-room brawl we'd been secretly hoping for failed to manifest (probably for the best - we're quite a weedy bunch) - passions were fierce on both sides.

The result was to prove a far more productive (and less sensational) outcome than had perhaps been expected, given the media furore surrounding My Chemical Romance and their suitability - or not - as headliners.

Of course, this issue was inevitably raised - and addressed with commendable dignity by the man responsible, Andy Copping - from his corner inside the lion's den. To focus on that, though, would be to discredit the fans present, who - as intelligent and responsible members of the festival community - were in fact far more interested in finding out what the festival organisers plan to do to enhance comfort, safety, facilities and green responsibility at the event (you can read Andy's response about MCR at the bottom!)

Production manager John Probyn earned brownie points by revealing that:

• - There will be designated 'shaded' areas in which to escape the sun (particularly intense last year);
• - New 'Misting Tents' will cool down revellers by spraying a fine air and water mixture;
• - Security - and all working staff - will be briefed with 'idiot-proof' dummy guides;
• -There will be a special 'text' service to report potential trouble-makers directly to the police in order to prevent a repeat of last year's campsite 'disturbances';
• - Krafty Krapper will offer high quality, clean toilets which will be available to use for a small charge, and you'll be able to play Bingo in the queue!
• - The festival are abolishing printed programmes in a drive to get more green.
• -Amorous rock fans will benefit from half a million free condoms dished out on-site.
• - Food and drink prices will be listed on the website, with a number to text if any stall holders are overpricing
• - A downloadable mobile application will provide line-up information on the fly.

Festival Director Stuart Galbraith reassured fans that Download has no plans to relocate away from Donington and explained that the festival had to operate at a more 'corporate' level than smaller events in order to sustain itself and secure international headline acts.

Stuart said at the end of the evening: "It's as much your festival as it is ours... You told us what you want and we will try and deliver on it".

Andy Copping, with all the skill of an SAS veteran behind enemy lines, quickly earned the respect of his 'captors', when probed about why Megadeth were so low on the line-up and why Korn were only on the Second (as opposed to the Main) stage this year. Andy explained that both acts had actually specifically requested their alloted slots with Megadeth on a drive to 're-ignite' their career and Korn striving to capture the intensity generated when Metallica and Slayer previously appeared in the Tent.

Phil Hull, a Donington veteran and one of the fans who takes an active role on the official Download message boards, said: "It was refreshing for the forum members to finally see the human face behind the festival and know that the future of the festival they feel so passionately about is in good hands."

We'll leave the last words to Andy Copping: "It's hard to please everybody. You look at what's happening out there.  I read the magazines.  I am a music fan as much as everybody here.  I went to every single Monsters Of Rock, as a paying fan, and there were times where they'd say Status Quo were headlining. And I'm like 'Status Quo?'  But would that stop me going? Absolutley not because there were four, five or six other bands on that day that I definitely wanted to go and see.  And also I wanted to go because all my friends were going, the community, and they hated Staus Quo too.  But we went to enjoy the atmosphere of the festival and with a band like My Chemical Romance, it's similar. Yes people say they are a pop band and they are not a rock band and they're not a metal band.  Let me tell you what will to happen with My Chemical Romance, what that will do, that is going to introduce new people into rock music.  Their fans at the moment will suddenly think 'actually My Chemical Romance aren't all that' then they'll jump into bands that are harder and it will bring more people to our festival that will hopefully come in years and years to come and their musical taste will change."

Here here.

For more on the Download Fan Forum, and to hear audio recordings of the night, see the official Download site here.