We’re into the final week before Download Festival and now we’re aware of the full line-up, here is a quick round up of who might pique your interest on the Friday night of the festival.
Sheffield natives Def Leppard (Main Stage @ 9:10pm) are set to finish off the day with a bang, including their formidable, fourth studio album, ‘Hysteria’ being played in its entirety. But here’s a few other sets you might want to see before the headliners take to the stage.
Sumo Cyco (The Avalanche Stage @1:50pm) have a rather blended mixture of genres in their locker and their collaboration with Benji Webbe (Skindred) on Move Mountains could bring a lot of interest their way if he happened to make an appearance the day before his own band are set to take the Main Stage. Their entertaining stage presence along side their recent releases that play on the heavier side make them a fascinating band to catch if you you’re planning on heading into the arena before mid-afternoon. You might want to stick around at The Avalanche Stage (2:50pm), as the next band up aren’t novices by any means but their very brief stints in the UK have left them somewhat unknown. Icon for Hire have been around since 2007, the duo enjoyed a supporting tour with Hollwood Undead back in 2014 which opened them up to the UK crowds on a larger scale, but they’ve barely touched our waters since. Their realism and honesty will surely resonate even if the slightly old school emo vibes aren’t totally down your street.
The Interrupters (The Avalanche Stage @ 6:00pm) are the band to fulfil all your Ska and Punk needs, She’s Kerosene is an insanely catchy track that’ll fit perfectly at any festival. The LA natives looked the part in the Coachella sunshine earlier this year and it’s doubtful that a possible rainy day at Download will dampen their very energetic stage presence.
If you’re looking for something a little more obscure Opeth (Zippo Encore Stage @ 6:15pm) might be your best bet, the Swedes’ sound is unparalleled, their jump in and out of genres since the 1990’s is what’s made them so interesting. However, their songs surpass the average time constraints of popular music so don’t expect to hear their entire back catalogue.
Eagles of Death Metal (Zippo Encore Stage @ 7:35pm), founded by Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and Jesse Hughes back in the 90’s have a reputation as a very interactive over-the-top live band. Even though the name is slightly misleading, they describe their genre as “bluegrass slide guitar mixed with stripper drum beats and Canned Heat vocals.” No Death Metal in sight, but still a very interesting spectacle to enjoy.
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators (Main Stage @ 7:00pm) are always a pleasure to watch, if Slash’s legendary guitar skills weren’t enough to draw you in, then Myles Kennedy’s mesmerising vocals are the cherry on top of a well baked classic rock cake, and what more could you ask for before the mighty Def Leppard finish off the day. And if you’re not into your classic rock, Rob Zombie (Zippo Encore Stage @ 8:55pm) is sure to put on a fiery show, you never know what props and tricks he is set to bring with him.
You can still get single day tickets and entire weekend tickets for Download Festival 2019 and any extras you might need on the Download Festival website.
