We shouldn't have been surprised. We have had wet Donington, cold Donington so it was naturally the turn of hot Donington. But this wasn't just hot Donington, more adjectives are required. It was baking hot, roasting hot and at times unbearably hot Donington. Not that this deterred the 75,000 visitors over the weekend, it just made us at times a little slower and a lot redder. From the start of the festival kicking off on Friday afternoon it was obvious that Donington Park was going to be packed to the rafters, well if it had rafters.  | | Jada Pinkett-Smith on stage |
On a personal level, the Friday line-up did not inspire me but with so much more to do and see at the festival I was rather pleased not be beholden to the band timetable for a while and set off in search of shopping. Once again, the Download market had something for everyone and many of the stalls displayed clothes and jewellery which looked more like a display from an art gallery. Spending the three days with my Mum it was hard not to draw comparisons with festivals past. "I'm in a timewarp," Mum declared as we passed stalls selling t-shirts emblazoned with Che Guevara. One area that had seen a massive change over the years was the array of food stalls. With a choice rivalling an international food fair, you could eat your way around the globe at Download. Compare this to the festivals of the 60s when my Mum explained the great food dilemma was whether or not to have fried onions on your burger. No, this weekend we ate noodles from the Orient, pasta from Italy and even, in a fit of health conscience, a fresh fruit salad. Fortified, we did head front of stage for Wicked Wisdom on Friday, admittedly out of celebrity nosiness more than musical curiosity as the band is lead by Hollywood actress turned rock singer, Jada Pinkett-Smith. In the wings, her husband, actor Will Smith was spied by the crowd who chanted until he made a quick visit to the stage to wave to the Donington crowd. The infamous festival mobile loos were already starting to strike fear into festival goers by Friday afternoon as the plastic timebombs marinated in the unforgiving heat. Cue another reminiscence from Mum on the days of hessian sacking and a hole in the ground. It appears the structure of the loos change but the aroma and fear remains the same. It was very hard not to feel lethargic in the heat and any plans of rushing from stage to stage (remember there were three across the site) were soon put on hold. Groups on the 'quite like to see list' were sacrificed and all walks were to visit essential viewing only. For me this meant Henry Rollins on the Snickers Stage on Saturday afternoon. Whilst others went to watch some football game on a big screen, many like myself waited with anticipation to see Henry Rollins's spoken word act. His monologue is a mix of a comedy stand up routine cleverly disguising a very well thought out lecture. I would like to make his act compulsory viewing. His passionate views on the importance of learning, of tolerance, of awareness, of creativity had us nodding along in agreement as he echoed his points with some hilarious self depreciating examples from his own life. Henry Rollins was followed by Wicked Wisdom who had somehow managed to bag themselves two slots over the weekend. It was another energetic performance and in a déjà vu moment Will Smith was coaxed out to wave once more.  | | Metallica's James Hetfield on the big screen |
Saturday drew on. Trivium got the crowd going but the next act, Korn had to ask for some emergency assistance. With their lead singer sadly taken ill, members of other bands stepped in with vocals for an impromptu '& friends' get together. As the sun started to set the anticipation in the mainstage arena was palpable for Metallica. The 8:15pm start time came and went. There was a touch of the 'bridal prerogative' of arriving late when they made the stage at 9pm but any waiting was forgiven as they launched into a two hour set that saw them reprise Master of Puppets alongside many of their legendary songs in an atmosphere and setting which appeared to be their natural home. By Sunday morning, there was the feeling that this was the last leg of an endurance test. I was able to take the opportunity to meet up with fellow Download forum members not least of all the OOFAs (those of who are, let's say, maturing like fine wines). This demonstrates the true heart of the festival the opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones. We were entertained by Lacuna Coil whose set was lively though some people around me were bemoaning certain songs being missed of the set list. Their cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence had me uneasy in case a crime against one of my favourite songs was committed but they just to say pulled it off. Cradle of Filth put themselves firmly on my 'best moments' list. They had taken the time to add a level of theatrics to their set with a goblin character (or else one of the band members was having a very bad reaction to the sun) and a female cord lisse artist. Lead singer Dani Filth proved to be quite the comedian between songs. "I've spoken to Axl Rose," he said in his gravel tone, "And he says if you don't make enough noise he is going home. And he'll plait his hair on the way." But Axl Rose and Guns n' Roses did show up, and they showed up early - throwing us all off guard somewhat. Here was the man with a temperamental reputation. The show kicked off with Welcome to the Jungle and it was time for me to have a nostalgia moment. Momentarily it was 1988 and I was out of my chair (yes, I succumbed to a camp chair by this point!) and dancing. The vocals were ropey, the flow was missing but Guns n' Roses, in their current guise, were back on the Donington stage. I sat back down as sadly nostalgia can only power you so far and in my heart there was a little sadness that we weren't getting Gn'R of old and 18 years hadn't miraculously been knocked off my age. And then it happened.  | | Katie had discharged herself from hospital |
Axl was off the stage citing technical difficulties. Thankfully I was sat next to a wonderful group of people from Cheshire, indeed Katie had discharged herself early from hospital to get to Download and in particular to see Gn'R. We were willing to be forgiving. They were back on stage but the flow remained missing. The lights and video screen dimmed between each song with the sense no-one knew what was coming next. Yet, in amongst all this, there were flashes of the 'old Axl' and for the final half an hour of the set it felt as if someone had hit the on button at last. Axl's snake hips were older but in no need of a replacement yet. He was joined on stage by my teenage heart throb Sebastian Bach, meaning another nostalgia flutter. And for a few brief moments there was the proof that the fire in Axl wasn't quite out, it just needs a good stoking now and then! It was a marvelous, but trying, three days of good music and even better company. Let's come back again next year and do it all again, with Henry Rollins's wisdom in our minds - this is not a place for fighting or harassment. It is a place to love music, to learn to appreciate others, to make friends and to make a difference. Ok i will say that your review was okay, however I would like to point out the 50 odd bands that have yet to be mentioned, who in my opinion deserve more media attention than that of GNR. Every article i have read (including KERRANG AND METAL HAMMER) fail to even come close to killer sets such as Sikth, Devildriver, clutch, alice in chains, god forbid, tool, prodigy and so much more who actually actually gave the crowd something and were well appreciated for that. Download was excellent but we are to sidetracked by awful bands such as GNR.
Katy try bein scottish and coping in that heat!! we had a black winter style tent with four of us in it thinkin it was gonna be cold! 40 degrees in it easily! so i slept outside for a week and it was rather nice! anyway i went there to see guns n roses and was hoping to see the good and the bad of axl and i got it so i was pleased but the kings of download were easilly metallica. megadeth to "kill the kings" next year?
stuart Well I've been to many a festival and I think Download 2006 was one of the best I've ever been to, including the toilets (RELATIVELY speaking of course!!!). Not to mention the amazing lineup. Everythng about the weekend was great for me. Although I'm happy to say we were well away from the riots at the end, in fact we only heard about them on the news after we got home. It was only a few that let the rest of a really cool crowd down.
akaElmwood How awesome are Metallica. They are great live and I enjoyed every single second of it. I missed Prodigy because I was stuck in a porter loo for half an hour. I was really disappointed with GnR.
Matt great time as u can see on this website,picture 3. good weather and good people, what i can remember
Dean Snowdon The residents of Isley Walton knew all about the toilet problems. Most of the kids seemed to use our hedges and woodland instead!
Hazel Fitzgibbon Download was amazing. hot but excellent. I'm there every year and it gets better every time.... A lot of great bands and i can't believe i got to see DOWN!!!!!!!
Ruth Nice review Beki - I too cringed at Lacuna Coil doing 'Enjoy The Silence' as it is one of my fave songs of all time. Unlike you however, I didnt think they pulled it off - very poor!!
Sarge Great review, and a pleasure watching GnR with u on the hill, always great to meet such nice people :)
Cheryl aka Nightbreed (download Boardie) | 
