Download 2012

So, now the dust has settled a bit and the internet has calmed down (slightly) after the announcement on Monday of the key bands playing at Download 2012 let’s take five to look at how the festival is shaping up and ask, is it worth going?

Firstly, look at the bands at the bottom of the list that, as yet, are playing on unspecified days. Positives include Anthrax, bringing back the classic trash vibes, Lamb of God, Trivium and Devildriver. You probably could have predicted that some, if not most of these bands would make the line-up but they’ll still all be worth seeing.

The rest of the ‘lower order’ bands? Not so impressive to be honest, not much more to say than that really.

Next up the three bands that we can presume will be headlining the second stage. Friday sees Machine Head, which should be awesome and well worth a visit. Tenacious D on Saturday are a different story, they may have been funny five years ago but now, really? It all smacks a bit of the organisers running out of ideas and going for what they hope will be a novelty crowd pleaser. That being said I’d rather watch three whole days of ‘D than the You Me At Six on Sunday, seriously? A metal festival with the gods of average pop-punk headlining a stage?

The Main Stage then. First up, the three headliners are no brainers. The Prodigy have a track record of blowing minds at whatever festival they play and should be a big hit. Metallica may play every metal festival in the world these days, but if you’ve ever seen them live you will know that A. this is not a bad thing and B. the idea of them the Black Album in their entirety is frankly boner worthy. Yet both of these are put in the shade by the thought of Black Sabbath (Tony Iommi willing) taking to the Main Stage on Sunday. If you’re not excited by the thought of that, you are not my friend.

Unfortunately the drool fest of the headline acts is let down by the three bands announced to play before them. Soundgarden will probably be bearable at best, with Chris Cornell on stage nothing can ever be too much fun. The idea of Biffy Clyro playing a main stage festival slot would have excited me a few years ago but now they’ve dropped the interesting and gone all stadium rock and power ballads they seem much less palatable. Kind of like a bland, tasteless starter getting in the way of the roast dinner with-all-the-trimmings that is Metallica. Chase and Status (Live) on the other hand are more like shit soup. While I’m fairly indifferent about their music on record, live (and I have seen them live) they are appalling. Don’t know about you but getting topless and running around thrusting your abs at people while every female in the vicinity gets more grope than the last hooker alive at the end of the world and someone plays pre-recorded beats out of a PA isn’t my idea of fun. Maybe you just have to be really high to enjoy it…

Of course this isn’t the full line up but on the basis of what has been announced so far I’d say, save your money. You’re better off waiting for the Sonisphere line up and, as it will almost certainly be better, going there instead. If you’re really desperate, get a day ticket for Sunday, spend all day drinking then go and whirl your hair about to Sabbath.

Patchx.