Download 2006 Blog - Friday
09 June 2006
23:00pm
Party time in The Village!
22.00pm
Tool have brought the first
day of Download to a quaking finish with a spectacular main stage performance that premiered new songs 'Roseta Stoned',
'Vicarious' and 'Jambi'.
9.30pm
Maynard James Keenan asks: "Did you all take
your shoes off? I hope not, because people have been pissing on the ground around you, you hippies. You'll just have to
wipe them with your dreadlocks."
20:40pm
A forboding red sunset descends like a curtain of
blood over Donington, as a sea of expectant fans stretches as far as the eye can see. It's the perfect setting for tonight's
headliners and the atmosphere is sizzling. A low rumbling sound heralds the arrival of Tool on the main stage...
19:30pm
"This is an old friend of ours!", announces Deftones singer Chino Moreno
as Soulfly's Max Cavalera comes bounding out with his trademark green axe already strapped on, the band
launching into Headup. Cavalera seems happy to play second fiddle to Moreno, strumming along and shouting the odd
word... for a small while, before throwing down his guitar, picking up a mic, taking centre stage and duetting with his host
on lead vocals. The crowd laps up every moment.
17:00pm
Echoing the crisis that befell Metallica
here two years ago, Coheed and Cambria's drummer has not made it to Donington. Thank the Lordi for drum
techs - especially Coheed's, gallantly stepping in to save the day for their sunkissed main stage performance.
15:30pm
The word backstage is that Max Cavalera from Soulfly is going to jam with his mates Deftones,
during their set tonight.
14:30pm
After scouring the backstage area and crowds looking out for some A-List rockers, who should we bump into
but none other than the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith! He was side of stage to support his missus
Jada Pinket Smith and her band Wicked Wisdom. Will was spotted by the hordes in the mosh pit and
after chants of “We want Will” rang around Donington, he decided he couldn’t disappoint and walked out on
stage, giving it the old devil's salute, to a chorus of cheers!
13:30pm
The weather
is still roasting, Amplifier (who we first met on the Third Stage two years ago) have just played a triumphant set opening Donington
in true style on the Main Stage.
12:00 Midday
It's still scorching, not a cloud in the sky. The gates to the arena have just opened. The first bands are
just about to kick off. We just saw festival boss Stuart Galbraith sporting an ear to ear grin. Rightly so. More than 75,000
people are expected to grace metal's hallowed turf at Donington this weekend, meaning Download is now officially the UK's
biggest rock festival. The atmosphere is sizzling. It's an amazing feeling. This is going to rock so hard...
VF arrived on-site around 5pm yesterday. It was scorching. The festival site was heaving with more than 40,000 earlybirds. The entertainment 'Village' was going off all night long with all manner of craziness - burlesque cabaret, contortionists, fairground rides and outdoor cinema to name but a few. We didn't think anything could top the atmosphere of last year's Download. It seems we spoke too soon...
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