Ok, massive read here - hope you don't get too bored!!!
The past couple of years I have been to Donington I’ve always stayed in a Travel Lodge near the park but to save costs this year, I decided to camp with some of my mates. I was meeting them at the park as I was getting a bus from Perth straight there. It was leaving at 7am so it was an early start for me as I live a bit away from Perth. I thought I was going to feel really left out on the bus as I was going on my own but everyone was just chatting to each other. There was one guy with a pink mohican who was so funny!!! He was drinking from half 7 in the morning and had trouble standing even before we got out of Scotland!!! I ended up sitting in front of “the only emo on the bus” who took great delight in telling me how much he loved My Chemical Romance and showing me all his badges!! Argh!! We got to the park about half 3 in the afternoon and I was meeting up with my friends who were already camping as my other friend who was bringing the tent wasn’t arriving till later. We just sat and chatted until Chloe arrived with the tent, then we went and set it up. I knew several people who were going to this and ran into them all randomly at one point or another!! When I first got there I ran into Amy, who I knew from the Megadeth boards and then two minutes later I ran into James from my work!! That night was just spent chatting and listening to music. At one point we could hear a chant going on but couldn’t hear what they were saying properly, so after a couple of minutes we went out to see what was going on and it was just hundreds of people with Saltires, Lion Rampant flags and kilts all chanting “SCOTLAND! SCOTLAND!” so of course being Scottish we had to join in for a bit!!!! There were so many Scottish flags everywhere, I think half the people there were Scottish!! When you’re camping, there seems to be a tradition of everyone shouting “TIMMAY!!” in reference to the character from South Park and this happened ALOT!! We were sitting in the tent and somehow got on the subject of Big Brother and Tony mentioned the twins that are obsessed with pink, and he shouted the word pink – and you could hear “PINK!!!!!” resounding around the campsite!! Hahaha!! We were knackered after the long journey down but we didn’t get much sleep that night as we got woken up by security about half 4 asking us to move our tent as it was apparently over the border line, which we couldn’t see, so we got asked to move it to another place. We did, but then go woken up at about 8am asking us to move it again!! So we ended up in the very top campsite which was at least a mile walk from the bloody stage!!!
Onto the first day of music now! I wanted to see Buckcherry but ended up meeting up with some other friends who were going so didn’t get to see them, only hear them. I’d never heard of them, but somehow ended up watching Hinder who I thought were excellent. After them was one of the main bands I was here to see, Megadeth!! Everyone cheered as their back drop was raised and it looked killer!! They opened with Sleepwalker which kicked ass!!! I knew they’d have a very short set because they were on so early. Next they played Take No Prisoners which wasn’t a massive surprise because I knew they had been playing it, but I didn’t expect it at a festival. When it got to the line “Take no prisoners! Take no SHIT!!” everyone was screaming it so loudly!!! They also played Washington Is Next (my favourite from the new album), Hangar 18, Gears Of War, Peace Sells which is always awesome when Dave lets the crowd sing the chorus, Symphony Of Destruction and Holy Wars mixed up with Mechanix. The next band I wanted to see was Velvet Revolver but there were a couple of bands on before them, so we decided to watch them cos there was nothing else to do. Dragonforce were up next, I don’t mind some of their stuff but it sometimes goes a bit over the top for me. According to Tony, it sounds like “Nintendo noises”. Hahaha!! They were ok, a bit samey I thought. Then Wolfmother were on. I only knew one song, Woman, because it was on Guitar Hero. We were sitting on the hill, but saw loads of people leaving so decided to try and get down to the front in time for VR and we weren’t a kick in the arse off the barrier which was cool. So Wolfmother came on, and they have to be of the most boring bands I have ever seen live in my life!! I thought their set was never going to end!!! Finally VR came on to Let It Roll, a song from their new album Libertad. I’d seen setlists from some of their US shows and thought there were far too many new songs in it but I really enjoyed every single one. Do It For The Kids was up next, which has the whole crowd roaring “Went too fast, I’m out of luck and I don’t really GIVE A FUCK!!!!” from the get-go!! If there was one thing I found wrong with their set, it was that there was too many covers and not enough stuff from Contraband. The rest of the set was Sucker Train Blues, She’s Mine, Vasoline, Fall To Pieces, It’s So Easy (which is the only time you can give the finger to Scott Weiland and not get a smack in the mouth!!), She Builds Quick Machines, Sex Type Thing, Set Me Free, Psycho Killer, Mr Brownstone and Slither. I thought there were absolutely amazing and the crowd loved them!! After VR, I wanted to go see Korn in the Dimebag Darrell tent but it seems that most of the crowd had this idea as well. There were just hundreds of people heading to the second stage and I wondered if there was going to be anyone left for MCR!!! I managed to squeeze into the tent but I couldn’t see shit as it was so packed!!!! I couldn’t even see the big screens!! There were a good few hundred people outside the tent who couldn’t get in and the sweat was dripping off the walls!!! Didn’t have to wait long before they came on and they opened with the very first rock song I ever saw live, Here To Stay. Then Twist, which never fails to amuse me when they play that “song” live. The rest of the set was Good God, Coming Undone, Falling Away From Me, Somebody Someone, Right Now, Shoots & Ladders (which they always stick a bit of Metallica’s One on the end of), Divine, my favourite Korn song Got The Life, Evolution, Y’All Wanna Single, Twisted Transistor, Freak On A Leash, Clown, Throw Me Away and Blind. Not long into the set, people started climbing up the poles holding the tent up and Jonathon had to tell them “Get your asses down or they’ll fucking pull the plug on us!” and cue a sea of bottles flying at them and a huge cheer when they finally came down. As everyone was leaving the second stage and coming round to the main stage, all you could hear were hundreds of people booing and chanting “MCR suck!!”, “Emo sucks!” etc but I was surprised to see that no-one was on the main stage as MCR were meant to have another half an hour after Korn finished. Judging by the crowd reaction, I honestly think their set was cut short for their own safety. Katy and Tony had watched them and said that there was quite a few bottles thrown at them and the bass player was hit on the head by one. They also said that the crowd stopped just before the sound tower (which is about 200 yards away from the barrier) and for a headline act, that NEVER happens!!
Onto day two now!! My first band that day was Hellyeah, who I wanted to see because they have Vinnie Paul of Pantera/Damageplan on drums and I love both those bands. They were awesome!!! They did an excellent cover of Queen’s Stone Cold Crazy, retitled “Stone Cold Wasted”. They also played Hellyeah, Matter Of Time, Goddamn, Alcohaulin’ Ass and You Wouldn’t Know. Next up was Shadows Fall. I’d heard some of their stuff on various free cds in Metal Hammer/Kerrang etc. I really enjoyed their set too, the singer’s hair is just unreal!!!!! Bowling For Soup is a band that you would not expect to have at Donington, cos let’s face it, they’re a pop band aren’t they? They played in 2005 when I was there but I didn’t go and see them for whatever reason so definitely wanted to see them this time. Well, the crowd went absolutely nuts for them!! I think I just laughed throughout their whole set!!! At one point there was a guy crowdsurfing in an inflatable boat!!!! The band pointed it out and even made up a mini song about it!! They also thought that the big Dunlop tyre was only suitable for Jesus’ truck!! Their set was Bitch Song, The Last Rock Show, Punk Rock 101, I’m Gay, Emily, Ohio (Come Back To Texas), High School Never Ends, Almost, Girl All The Bad Guys Want, 1985 and then they jammed on Walk This Way and Paranoid before launching into I Wanna Be Sedated. I really loved them!!! Now, to go completely to the other end of the scale, Machine Head were on next and I just have to say…wow!!!!!!! Opening with a 10 minute song at a festival would usually not be a good idea but as they launched into Clenching The Fists Of Dissent, the crowd went mental!! It was followed by Imperium and Take My Scars. Then Robb took some time to talk to the crowd about the next song and why it was written, that song was Aesthetics Of Hate, written about people who’d said that Dimebag had deserved to die and he had just reaped what he had sown. They played my favourite song next, Old, and the entire crowd was bouncing up and down for the whole song, then Halo and Machine Head’s anthem – Davidian which had everyone screaming “Let freedom ring with a shotgun blast!!!!!!!!” Slayer was on next and even tho I’m not a fan, I thought seeing them live might convince me. As I was walking up the hill to get a spot to sit down to watch them, I ran into Euan, another guy from my work! I don’t know how it happens amongst all these people!!!! I watched about five Slayer songs before I got bored so I left and went to the second stage to try and get a good spot for Motley Crue. I got into the tent just as Biffy Clyro was coming on. I’d heard of them but never actually heard them and they were quite good. I managed to work my way to about 5 or so people from the front and ended up beside my pals who’d been there since bout 2pm!!! Next up was Satellite Party, who I’d never heard of but I knew they had Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme in them and I loved Extreme so was interested to hear what they’d be like. Well I was not impressed at all!!! Very boring and there was a “backing singer” who didn’t do much singing, who was just sticking her arse out to the crowd most of the time, and she was really beginning to annoy me. Where I was, it was all Crue fans so they weren’t getting much of a response from us. I always applaud a band, whether I like them or not cos it’s only polite and it must be so hard trying to play to a crowd you know is not there for you. So eventually they came off and there was the wait for the main event. This twat in front of us kept pushing back and nearing knocking everyone over and it was pissing me off. We were all crushed and if you can’t handle it, you shouldn’t be at the front. So eventually the Crue came on to Dr Feelgood and all hell broke loose!!! At least 20 or so people had to be hauled out during the first couple of songs and I spent more time trying to help people out than pay attention to the actual band. About halfway through Wide Side (their third song), there was a massive crowd surge and I end up lying on the floor with a couple of people on top of me, so after I got helped up I thought fuck this I’m out of here. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t feel scared at all, I was more annoyed that anything cos I wanted to watch the band from where I was. I’ve been in situations like that before and when shit like that happens, I can’t be arsed spending all my time trying to keep myself upright so went and watched the band from the side and had a great time!!! Home Sweet Home was awesome, the crowd were singing so loud on that one!!! Halfway through the show Tommy came down and was talking to the crowd, first of all handing out a bottle of Jagermeister to the crowd to share, and then getting them to do a chant, “When I say Motley, you say Crue – Motley!!! CRUE!!! Motley!!! CRUE!!”. “When I say fuck, you say you – Fuck!! YOU! Fuck! YOU!!!!” That was awesome!!! Their set was Dr. Feelgood, Shout At The Devil, Wild Side, Looks That Kill, Live Wire, Same Ol' Situation, Home Sweet Home, Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away), Louder Than Hell, Sick Love Song, Primal Scream, Girls, Girls, Girls, Anarchy In The UK and my favourite Kickstart My Heart.
The last day now and this was the day I was looking forward to the most!! The first bit of the day was just spent hanging out and the first band I wanted to see was Lamb Of God. I wasn’t a huge fan but James from my work (who I’d bumped into on the first day) played them all the time and told me I must go and see them. I watched them with my fellow MetClub mates Darren and Gav and I have to say that I really did enjoy them. The only song I knew was Redneck and it was awesome!! I missed Stone Sour last year so definitely wasn’t missing them this year. They opened with 30/30-150 which I loved and was singing along at the top of my voice. They did quite alot from their latest album which I was happy about as I don’t know their first album very well. After Inhale, Corey announced that they didn’t do this song last year because everyone didn’t know it very well, but we should know it now and they started Through Glass which the crowd was singing along so loudly too. It was great to hear, so glad they played that one! Their set was 30/30-150, Come What(ever) May, Made Of Scars, Your God, Reborn, Inhale, Through Glass, Monolith, Blotter, Hell & Consequences and Get Inside. Killswitch Engage were up next and I watched a few songs before I got bored. I left halfway through to go to the toilet and when I came back, they were playing something and I was like I know that riff and it turned out to be Holy Diver which sounded much better live than their studio cover of it. After them, was Evanescence and I thought they would be totally annihilated being in between so many metal bands but they actually got quite a good response. I really like their first album but I did find myself getting quite bored. Before Maiden, there must have been at least 20 beach balls bouncing around the crowd along with an inflatable couch, blow-up doll wearing a Maiden shirt, an inflatable sheep and hundreds of bottles!! Then this massive bottle fight broke out next to us, with camping chairs going flying as well. Then one guy got the chair and sat down in the middle of it all with his beer!!!! Hahaha!! Definitely kept us entertained for the hour before Maiden came on!! Finally the magic moment arrived and Doctor, Doctor blared out over the PA. Me and Pete were just inching our way further cos I wanted to be someway into the crowd to get the atmosphere. They opened with the first 3 songs from the new album which to be honest, where we were, didn’t get a great response. After Different World, Bruce went into a rant about “some cock sucking Sharon wannabe” throwing eggs at them and if anyone saw anyone doing that, to punch them in the teeth. During Brighter Than A Thousand Suns, one guy saw me singing along and asked me what album it was from and when I told him, he said “No wonder I don’t know it”. They got a bit livelier during Wrathchild but not very much. I thought Bruce’s mic had cut out at one point because I was singing along but I couldn’t hear him singing but it turns out he slipped on the monitors and fell on his arse but he was still singing whilst on the deck – what a guy!!! It did take a while for the crowd where we were to get into it. People kept leaving as well, even people with Maiden shirts on and I just wanted to scream at them, where the hell are you going?!?!?!?! The Trooper got a much better response and everyone was singing along to that one. Children Of The Damned was excellent to hear live and during that there was some fires going at the very back of the crowd. I think someone had set a bin on fire or something but it was quickly put out. Another 2 new songs which didn’t get the best of responses sadly, even tho I think The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg is an excellent live song. Then Bruce started reciting “Woe to you o earth and sea…” and the crowd went nuts. The Devil himself put in an appearance for this song, which was pretty damn cool I have to say!! One guy behind me could never get the chorus right, he kept singing “666, the number of the beast, 666 the one for you and me” every time!! Hahaha!! Fear Of The Dark had everyone in full voice and me, my pal and some random bloke in an “Eddie rips up Deutschland” shirt just bounced and screamed for the whole song!! I was so tired after that one!!! Run To The Hills everyone knew of course, and Eddie had driven his tank to Donington for Iron Maiden once again. I love that Eddie, one of the best I’ve ever seen!!! I was so tired after all that but knew we weren’t finished yet. Bruce came back on saying “There’s no point hiding backstage pretending we’re not going to come back on” and he started talking about how they were going to take a little holiday after this tour because “it takes a long time to build a pyramid…” He said they’d be back next summer “singing about albatrosses” which actually made tears well up because Rime Of The Ancient Mariner is one of my all time favourite songs. After all that, they launched into Two Minutes To Midnight and I really thought my neck was going to snap!! The Evil That Men Do had me and Pete jumping up and down, arms round each other screaming every word and finishing with Hallowed Be Thy Name had the crowd bouncing up to the sky for the entire song!! It was such an amazing show, even if the crowd took a while to warm up and every time Bruce shouted “Scream for me Donington!!” I felt so happy because I’d waited so long to see Maiden at these hallowed grounds and they did not disappoint me!!
Photos and vid to come!!!