The sun would rise once more over Download festival and the loyal rock and metal fans would arise, some feeling great and some nursing some serious hangovers! Saturday is often seen as the day to really let loose as you havent had to travel down and you don’t have to drive back home the following day so the morning was full of the sounds of cracking cans and merry sing-alongs all the way down to the arena. Once the pens were open, the festival was once again in full swing, Rebellious punks rocking out to BEX early in the Avalanche tent while those wanting something a little more hardcore may have stayed at the Apex stage for Static Dress and Loathe!
Static Dress – Apex Stage
Static Dress in particular really livened up the atmosphere bright and early with their chaotic blend of music matched with a almost shocking amount of pyro for the first band to take to the Apex stage. Opening procedings with face, Static Dress quickly got the mosh pits open and the festival goers walking into site could see the first dust cloud forming over the iconic stage. Smashing out a high octane set featuring the likes of crying and sweet, Static Dress wanted to leave a lasting impression on both old and new fans alike. They even debuted a new song without reavaling its name but said fans can expect it to drop soon!
No matter where you looked, smiles could be seen across the fields. Saturday saw a whole host of acts but particularly excelled with the women on the lineup! Sophie Lloyd showed the Opus stage just how hard women can rock with her captivating blend of guitar metal. Solo’s and riffs reenergized the early morning festival goers! Lolo brought attitude and classic jams to the Avalanche stage while Kittie proved once and for all that they own the world of heavy music at the moment!
Twin Atlantic – Avalanche Stage
The Avalanche Stage may be the most diverse in the whole festival so it comes as no surprise when a band like Twin Atlantic show up to play some more soothing notes. A break from the unrelenting heaviness of other stages, Twin would open with Salvation to a roar from their fans who had b]packed out the big blue tent. Swiftly bombarding the crowd with No Sleep, it was clear that the Twin Atlantic had no intention of letting the fans voices get a single break. The onstage charisma from the entire band allowed the flagging fans in the crowd to draw from their energy so they could sing and dance until their heart was content!
As a few festival goers found places to lay down, others were exploring the festival’s side activities! Skating in the village, Fairground rides and even some artisanal coffee was enough to keep spirits higher than ever. Some even braved getting a Tattoo to commemorate a wonderful weekend they were having! Whether you had an ice cream in hand while listening to the soothing sounds of Twin Atlantic or was fighting for your life in the mosh pit of Polaris, there was no denying how good the energy was around the site!
Frank Carter And The Sex Pistols – Opus Stage
As the day drew later, the festival experienced some showery spell’s and in typical download fashion, this only made the crowds rowdier which was proven during Frank Carter and The Sex Pistols closing out the Opus stage. As always, this set was pure chaos from the off but especially during Pretty Vacant which had to be restarted twice and saw frank make his way into the crowd in typic Frank Carter fashion! The crowd obviously went feral and this only upped the ante as the set went on. A huge highlight from this set was just how loud the crowd was singing the words to God Save The Queen which could be heard at the furthest campsite away from the arena. They may still have their doubters due to Frank not being John Llydon but in our opinion, he’s the perfect man for this job!
Sleep Token – Apex Stage
Closing out the day was the most polarising act of the entire weekend! Sleep Token are clearly not on everyone’s good side yet they find themselves headlining the UK’s biggest rock and metal festival. So what do you do when everyone’s eyes are staring directly at you? Well, Sleep Token delivered a set that showcased nearly every style they have, Heavy breakdowns during the likes of Vore while also showcasing their soft, tentative tendencies with the likes of Rain and Alkaline.
There was no denying that Sleep Token wanted to leave an impression as their stage setup turned the Apex Stage into an enchanted fortress with blossoming leaves being scattered around the entire festival hanging off speakers and other structures. New songs such as Caramel had fans sharing in Vessels pain while more old school tracks suvh as Thread The Needle gave something for long time fans to rejoice over.
The set didn’t land for everyone but for those it did, it seemed to be something truly special and as the final notes of Take Me Back To Eden echoed around the hallowed turf, Sleep Token may have cemented their place at the top of these bills for a while! Will their ritual cycle ever be stopped?
