Preview: Download Festival 2008

The famous Donington Park motor racing circuit first flirted with all things heavy metal back in 1980 when the Monsters Of Rock festival was born. Bands of the calibre of Rainbow and Judas Priest (who are making what is hoped to be a triumphant return this year) dragged in the headbangers from far and wide. It was such a success that it became an annual event remaining quiet for only a few years here and there. A Day At The Races and Ozzfest lit it up in subsequent years before the Download festival grabbed it firmly by the nutsack in 2003, adding an extra stage to support the incredible line-up of bands wanting to play and dragging more punters in than ever before.

There is something extra special about Download that you won’t find at any other festival yet it’s hard to put a finger on what it is. Some have cited the high banking enabling improved stage viewing to be the thing that marks it out; others the fearsomely heavy line-up that the organisers manage to persuade to play. It could even be the unique positioning of the site, directly under the East Midlands flightpath which forces the bands to compete with the jumbos. Whatever it is, the fans seem especially loyal to this particular festival and this year’s choice of rock-oriented headline acts has lit up the online forums for many months. It could be quite an interesting one this year and TLOBF hopes to be there to report just whether it scores or bores.

Download Festival Date: 13-15 June Headliners: Kiss, The Offspring, Lostprophets Selected other bands: Judas Priest, Motorhead, Incubus, Cavalera Conspiracy, Biffy Clyro, Bullet For My Valentine, Job For A Cowboy, Throwdown, 36 Crazyfists, The Devil Wears Prada, Black Dahlia Murder, In Flames, Children Of Bodom Full details: http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk