Heavy metal thunder – all the action from Download 2009
NME Jun 15, 2009 11:06 am BST
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The crowd get ready to rock at this year's Download. The sun was shining for this year's festival which saw the likes of Faith No More, Slipknot and Def Leppard all headline the Donington Park venue for its ninth anniversary. Pic: Danny North
Eleven years after calling it a day in April 1998, Faith No More stormed the Download stage on Friday 12 June. Their epic comeback set on the Main Stage saw the band open with a cover of Peaches and Herb's soul classic 'Reunited' as well as a brief rendition of Lady GaGa's 'Poker Face'. The band received huge cheers for classic songs such as 'From Out Of Nowhere' and 'Be Aggressive'; while cover 'Easy' saw lighters go up in the air. Pic: Danny North
Faith No More's Main Stage headline slot saw all the band wearing black suits except for frontman Mike Patton, who walked onstage with a cane and was dressed entirely in red. Patton was on eccentric form, leaping around the stage, wielding his cane about and engaging with the crowd with banter such as: "Download, are you down? Are you loaded? Man, that was terrible." Pic: Danny North
Faith No More's rendition of 'Land Of Sunshine' during their headline slot saw frontman Mike Patton alternating between a microphone and megaphone. Meanwhile, on crowd-pleaser 'Easy' he wrapped himself in the red curtains hanging around the stage, while on the closing 'We Care A Lot' he took to singing while doing sit-ups. Pic: Danny North
Metal fans in 'Star Wars' stormtrooper outfits pose for NME's photographer at Download. The sunny weather encouraged a party vibe, in contrast to last year's event, which was criticised for lacking atmosphere. Pic: Danny North
Recently reformed, Limp Bizkit played the Main Stage on Friday evening (June 12) at this year's bash. Fred Durst and his crew opened with 'Break Stuff' and went on to play a greatest hits set that included 'Rollin', 'My Way' and a cover of George Michael's 'Faith'. Pic: Danny North
Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst confronts his crowd at Download. After the band had finished playing 'Rollin'', Durst spotted a lookalike in the audience. He promptly pulled him onstage, telling the crowd, "This is his stage right now." Pic: Danny North
Prior to pulling a fan onstage, Durst had gone down to the barrier at the front of the crowd to perform 'Eat You Alive', but before he started the song a fan managed to pull down his trademark baggy shorts – much to the amusement of the crowd, as the incident was shown on the two large screens flanking the stage. Pic: Danny North
Fans relax at Download 2009. Back in 2003, Iron Maiden were the first band to headline the three-day event. This year saw erstwhile Audioslave and Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell play his first solo show at the festival, just before headliners The Prodigy on the second stage. Pic: Danny North
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Korn frontman Jonathan Davis last performed at Download as a solo artist. This year Davis and his band returned for the sixth time. Taking to the Main Stage to a dramatic orchestral opening, the nu-metal pioneers opened with 'Right Now' before going on to thrill with a greatest hits set which included covers of 'We Will Rock You' by Queen and Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick In The Wall'. Pic: Danny North
Kiss fans gather in the sun for a metal-fueled weekend of mayhem. Unlike last year, Kiss were not on the bill - but there plenty of veteran acts to fill the void, including Journey and legendary Brit-rockers Thunder, who announced during their set on the Tuborg Stage that this show would be the last ever time they played Download. Pic: Danny North
Lacuna Coil vocalist Christina Scabbia glowers at fans onstage at Download. For a backstage video interview with the band head to NME.COM/video. Pic: Danny North
Bring Me The Horizon played the second stage of this year's festival, taking the stage before goth metallers Lacuna Coil. The Sheffield metalcore band played songs from their 2006 debut, 'Count Your Blessings' as well as their 2008 follow-up 'Suicide Season'. Pic: Danny North
This year's festival marked Bring Me The Horizon's third appearance at the event as they played the second stage on a sunny Friday afternoon. For backstage interviews with other bands on the bill, including The Prodigy, Motley Crue and Def Leppard, head to NME.COM/video. Pic: Danny North
Enter Shikari played a supposedly 'secret' set at this year's Download. The band admitted to the full tent that they were "Download's worst-kept secret" after news of their performance was leaked on internet forums and their MySpace page. Pic: Danny North
Enter Shikari arrived onstage at 5.30pm on Friday (June 12), with drummer Rob Rolfe wearing nothing but a white vest and white Y-fronts with red piping. The band played a number of songs from their forthcoming second album, 'Common Dreads', out on June 15, including the title track and 'Hectic' to the delight of a packed tent. Pic: Danny North
Enter Shikari's frontman Rou Reynolds leapt into the crowd during the middle of the bands second song, 'No Sssweat'. Held aloft by the audience, the green shorts-wearing singer proceeded to sing the song while crowdsurfing during their seven-song set. Pic: Danny North
Duff McKagan is no stranger to Download or Donington, having played the site once with former band Guns N' Roses and also twice with Velvet Revolver. 2009 marked the debut Download performance of his new incarnation Loaded, who release their second album 'Sick' this April. Pic: Danny North
Pendulum got the metal crowd raving with their 150th live appearance. Coming onstage to rapturous applause, the six-piece kicked off with 'Showdown' before going on to play an extended version of 'Fasten Your Seatbelt'. The highlight came in the form of 'Slam', which featured a sample of 'Master Of Puppets' by Metallica, an obvious Download favourite. Pic: Danny North
Pendulum's frontman Rob Swire was animated throughout their performance at this year's Download. Jumping around the stage throughout and telling the crowd to "come on!", "crank it" and "'ave it!", he told the crowd that this was the band's 150th live appearance - which he celebrated by telling them to do a cheer starting from the back and ending at the front. Pic: Danny North
During Motley Crue's set, frontman Vince Neil took to the stage alone and introduced his fellow band members, each of them coming back onstage when he said their name. When he called guitarist Mick Mars to join him, a dwarf holding a guitar came on instead - but Mars soon followed. Pic: Danny North
Those unable to make it to this year's festival were able to watch the events as they happened from a live stream on the Download website. The multi-camera set up showcased live performances from the Main Stage over the three day event. Pic: Danny North
Fightstar kicked off day two of Download by instigating a huge moshpit at the second stage. During the band's six-song set frontman Charlie Simpson and co launched into 'The English Way' from new album 'Be Human', before demanding that the front of the crowd separate into two opposing sides, so they could form a 'wall of death' for the next song. Pic: Danny North
Marilyn Manson, self-proclaimed Antichrist Superstar, played Download's Main Stage prior to headliners Slipknot. Manson was joined onstage by a small entourage of make-up and costume assistants, who primped and preened him after almost every song. Pic: Danny North
Manson stalked the stage in a trademark all black outfit while playing songs such as 'Four Rusted Horses', 'Irresponsible Hate Anthem' and a cover of Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams', throwing his microphone across the stage during the latter song. Pic: Danny North
They came, they saw, they moshed. Crowds gathered in their thousands for this years festival - which saw the weather behave itself for a change. For backstage video interviews with some of the key Download acts head to NME.COM/video. Pic: Danny North
Essex ravers The Prodigy headlined the second stage on Saturday night (June 13) at this year's Download festival. Prior to the event the band said, "We're buzzing to be back at Download and we'll make sure it kicks off as much as last show we played there three years ago, cant wait!" Pic: Danny North
After closing the opening night of the Isle Of Wight Festival, The Prodigy then headed north to Donington Park to headline the second stage on Saturday night (June 13) of the event. The band played classic tracks such as 'Breathe' and 'Firestarter'. Pic: Danny North
Playing the second stage after Chris Cornell, The Prodigy's headline slot saw the three-piece get the crowd raving to a handful of classic tunes and an impressive light show. For a backstage interview with the band head to NME.COM/video. Pic: Danny North
Slipknot closed the second day of Download with a destructive set that saw the Main Stage become a scene of chaos. On fifth song 'Before I Forget', a wall of fire shot up behind the band. Afterwards frontman Corey Taylor told the crowd that playing Donington was his dream since he was 12 years old, and added: "I've never been so excited for a show in my life." Pic: Danny North
During their 18-song set, members of Slipknot, wearing their trademark masks, roamed the stage randomly smashing the set up with baseball bats, throwing barrels around and hanging off the revolving drumkit, which was raised several feet in the air. Pic: Danny North
During set-closer 'Spit It Out', Slipknot went through their usual gig ritual of telling everyone to "get the fuck down" before telling them to "get the fuck up" - a crowd-pleasing stunt they've been pulling for a decade now. Pic: Danny North
Donington Park has a history of heavy metal events after hosting the Monsters of Rock Festival between 1980 and 1996, and the 2002 Ozzfest. The likes of Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica and Guns N' Roses have all graced the Donington stage at one time or another. Pic: Danny North
An explosion of pyrotechnics cascaded across the Main Stage during Slipknot's headline slot on Saturday night. The colourful show ended with 'Sic', having opened with '742617000027'. Pic: Danny North
Def Leppard bought Download 2009 to an end with a stirring tribute from frontman Joe Elliott to drummer Rick Allen, speaking of his "spiritual rebirth" when the band last played the Donington site in 1986. The Download crowd cheered and applauded Allen, who stood up behind his drums and raised his arm before wiping tears from his eyes. Elliott then accused him of "blubbing all over his cymbals". Pic: Danny North
Legendary LA glam-rockers Steel Panther played the Tuborg Stage on the final day of the event before 69 Eyes and stage headliners Go:Audio. To catch some back stage interviews with some of Downloads hottest bands head to NME.com/videos Pic: Danny North
Iconic rock band Journey sparked a huge crowd singalong during their afternoon set on the Main Stage on the last day of Download.The band finished their set with classic '80s hits 'Don't Stop Believing' and 'Any Way You Want It', both of which the vast crowd eagerly sang along with. Pic: Danny North
Pulled Apart By Horses kicked off the last day of Download with an energetic set in the Tuborg Tent. James Brown, the guitarist from the Leeds thrash four-piece, introduced the band's song 'High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive' by asking all of the crowd to high-five the person standing next to them, thanking them after they complied. Pic: Danny North
Amid PABH's set, guitarist James Brown climbed a speaker stack during 'High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive' while holding his guitar and jumped off, still playing it. Earlier in the set, frontman Tom Hudson talked about Def Leppard's forthcoming headline set tonight on the Main Stage, saying that the Pulled Apart By Horses gang would all be "rocking with our cocks straight out" during the show. Pic: Danny North
Papa Roach got Download to get their "devil-horns in the air" as they warmed up for Trivium Sunday night of the festival. Frontman Jacoby Shaddix also took the opportunity to take a swipe at celebrities, asking fans if anyone was tired of Paris Hilton and "Shitney Spears" before playing 'Hollywood Whore' from their new album 'Metamorphosis'. Pic: Danny North
Trivium closed the Second Stage at Download on Sunday by giving fans their last chance of the festival to mosh, which they did in chaotic circles. The Florida band were on riotous form throughout the gig, which was punctuated by the co-lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu spinning his long hair around and frontman Matt Heafy continuously exclaiming "Oh my God!" at how hectic the crowd were. Pic: Danny North
Stone Gods opened up proceedings on the final day of the event on the Main Stage. The UK rockers played in the sunny Sunday sun before the likes of Whitesnake and Def Leppard. This was the bands second time at Download, after wowing the crowd at the 2008 event. Pic: Danny North
Journey frontman Arnel Pineda – who joined the band in 2007 – spent the entire set dashing across the stage and air guitaring with his microphone during 'Stone In Love'. Pineda said little during the set, but before starting 'Wheel In The Sky' spoke to the crowd, saying: "How you guys doing?" and, after the audience responded with cheers, adding: "We're good here too, thank you." Pic: Danny North
Whitesnake members Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach had a guitar duel midway through the band's main stage set on Sunday night. The two guitarists traded high octane, complex riffs much to the delight of the crowd, before finally joining forces to play 'Got What You Need'. Pic: Danny North
Announced on stage by the loud howling of a wolf, the legendary rock trio ZZ Top, still going after 40 years, opened up their Main Stage set with 'Got Me Under Pressure' from their 1983 album 'Eliminator'. On fifth song 'I Need You Tonight', lead guitarist Dusty Hill got the crowd to howl, a reference to the song lyric "like the wolf howling at the moon". Pic: Danny North
After leaving the stage ZZ Top walked back on to cover 'Jailhouse Rock', a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley in 1957. Their 12-song song set left the Download crowd chanting their name over and over as the band exited before Whitesnake's performance. Pic: Danny North