The Metal/Punk/Rock Thread

[Merzbow]

Are Babymetal there every year or something?

[CTXRussomark]

29 minutes ago, Merzbow said:

Are Babymetal there every year or something?

Their last appearance got cut short due to bad weather (and I'm pretty sure one of their previous appearances was the same) so I imagine this is a bit of a make good.  Same with Electric Callboy who had to pull out last year. 

I'm not feeling GNR as headliner but (subject to clashes) there's actually a lot on there that I'd be up for, so it's a really strong initial announcement for me.  

[cobra_gordo]

I think that's a solid lineup. Limp Bizkit will be brilliant, not fussed by GnR or Linkin Park but the undercard is really solid. My mate is going for his first time next year and taking his kids too and he's thrilled with this first announcement. He's listed probably a dozen bands he's excited for and I had to chuck in Blood Incantation, Cavallera and Drain for his consideration as they should be brilliant sets.

[Bruce85]

I went to the first 12ish downloads but haven’t been since, I was thinking of going next year. Sure there will be solo camps to get involved with as all my mates I used to go with have lost interest as we’ve got older. 
 

I was hoping for ghost as one of the headliners but can’t have it all. No intrest in seeing GnR but I think the undercard is really solid and loads of bands I’ve not seen/haven’t seen in a long time. 
 

My biggest issue with going to festivals is the weather, camping in the wet, muddy cold was fine when I was in my 20s, not sure I can handle it at 40! 

Edited November 4, 2025 by Bruce85

[SuperBacon]

39 minutes ago, Bruce85 said:

My biggest issue with going to festivals is the weather, camping in the wet, muddy cold was fine when I was in my 20s, not sure I can handle it at 40! 

This is it for me. I just cannot do it anymore, and I was never a fan of it in the first place, the actual camping that is. The campsite when we first started going was obviously absolutely fantastic, Download always being the friendliest of them all.

[The Gaffer]

12 hours ago, Merzbow said:

Are Babymetal there every year or something?

I get that with Halestorm, Trivium and Black Veil Brides. The forever Alex Wright Vs. Disco Inferno acts.

Download's gonna be Downloady I know but those three in particular are absolutely dreadful and seem to constantly recur as a collective madness midday sunburn ritual. 

[Bruce85]

18 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

This is it for me. I just cannot do it anymore, and I was never a fan of it in the first place, the actual camping that is. The campsite when we first started going was obviously absolutely fantastic, Download always being the friendliest of them all.

The campsite was always so much fun, used to love just wandering about talking to random people. Always found Download to be much friendlier than Reading festival which was feral at times! 
 

I just went to look at tickets, £365! I think last time I went it hadn’t gone over £200 which shows how long ago it was. 

[lanky316]

There are certain acts that are usually reliable as a safe get the crowd going midafternoon slot. Can be pushed up or down the card at will and seem to go down well in general. I don't really see Trivium in that bracket (granted after Kerrang TV pushed them early on I've not really kept up) but acts like Babymetal, Halestorm or BVB are usually "safe" as far as get people smiling -even if different types of act - and having a bit of fun with a shortish slot. If they aren't your cup of tea you can find something else (usually) but they're reasonably known acts who won't get people running out to buy festival tickets (well Babymetal maybe... The Swifties of "metal" they can be - and that's as someone who enjoys their thing and has seen them a fair bit over the years) but will fill out a lineup nicely. Can see why they're fairly regular additions to festivals even if they seem to pop them out reliably every other year. Actually I'm surprised Alestorm aren't there more often, seem to be like clockwork at things like Wacken in that cycle.

[Tommy!]

Based on what's been announced any thrash or adjacent recommendations?

[Merzbow]

1 hour ago, The Gaffer said:

I get that with Halestorm, Trivium and Black Veil Brides. The forever Alex Wright Vs. Disco Inferno acts.

Download's gonna be Downloady I know but those three in particular are absolutely dreadful and seem to constantly recur as a collective madness midday sunburn ritual. 

I should say I actually like Babymetal, well, before they got rid of the original writers like Narasaki from Coaltar of The Deepers and focused solely on Western metal fans.

They completely lost that fun almost experimental pop style, and the production was one of a kind.

Edited November 4, 2025 by Merzbow

[LaGoosh]

4 hours ago, Bruce85 said:

Always found Download to be much friendlier than Reading festival which was feral at times! 

I always found Reading Festival to be one of the most weirdly hostile places I've ever been. Have some good memories from seeing bands there but the vibe always had a nasty undercurrent for whatever reason.

[CTXRussomark]

Its sister Leeds festival always had that weird undercurrent to it as well when we used to go years ago.  I think it was partly the weird mix of pop/indie/rock/metal they had in the lineups back then which meant your attendees were groups of people who would have absolutely hated each other in school and you ended up with this natural level of hostility amongst people, whereas with the likes of Download everyone is there for pretty much the same reason. 

[Bruce85]

When I first started going to Reading in the early 2000s it was pretty friendly but the vibe had definitely changed by the time I stopped going in about 2013. The arena wasn’t too be but the campsite felt like it could go off at any stage, especially Sunday night. I definitely agree with CTX’s points about the different sub cultures clashing being part of it. Not sure what it’s like now, the line ups don’t seem as varied as they used to be and seems less rock/metal/punk than there used to be, not sure I’ll go back to find out though haha. 

[SuperBacon]

Reading was always a young person's festival (I went when I was 16 to about 22) and Download was a lot friendlier as I moved into my late teens and early twenties and started going, as the crowd were a bit older and mature. 

First time I went to Download I was camped next to a lad, his Dad and his Grandad and we just chatted about Bottom and drank cider all weekend, it was great and felt very familiar. Always a really nice camping vibe.

Reading and Leeds has been smart enough to adapt over the years and now has quite rightly prioritised day tickets over weekend ones, and get in huge pop stars like Chappell Roan last year, Lana Del Rey the year before.

Its good business and clearly works for them, as the other large rock festivals fell away (your Vs, your T in the Parks Clive) and smaller festivals started to make their way into their target audience. 

Saying that, I'm sure the campsite is just as bad as it always was. My eldest is now 16 and there is zero chance I'd let her camp with her mates there. Luckily my Dad lives 10 minutes away and they were stay there, not the same though is it?

TROLLEY! TROLLEY! TROLLEY!

[Bruce85]

40 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

Reading was always a young person's festival (I went when I was 16 to about 22) and Download was a lot friendlier as I moved into my late teens and early twenties and started going, as the crowd were a bit older and mature. 

First time I went to Download I was camped next to a lad, his Dad and his Grandad and we just chatted about Bottom and drank cider all weekend, it was great and felt very familiar. Always a really nice camping vibe.

Reading and Leeds has been smart enough to adapt over the years and now has quite rightly prioritised day tickets over weekend ones, and get in huge pop stars like Chappell Roan last year, Lana Del Rey the year before.

Its good business and clearly works for them, as the other large rock festivals fell away (your Vs, your T in the Parks Clive) and smaller festivals started to make their way into their target audience. 

Saying that, I'm sure the campsite is just as bad as it always was. My eldest is now 16 and there is zero chance I'd let her camp with her mates there. Luckily my Dad lives 10 minutes away and they were stay there, not the same though is it?

TROLLEY! TROLLEY! TROLLEY!

I remember seeing someone in the campsite get hit square in the face with a trolly on the first night, blood all over the place and his mates rushing him to first aid. Saw him again a few days later and looked like he’d done 3 rounds with Mike Tyson, broken nose, split lip and 2 black eyes. Fair play to him for staying as it must have been soooo painful. 
 

Reading and Leeds have certainly done well to keep going for as long as they have whilst overs have fallen. I know they have massive corporate sponsorership but they do a good job of changing things up to stay relivent and keep appealing to the target audience.