Sunday, 24 February 2013

Download 2013 - Almost There

Last week, the organisers of the Download Festival announced a further 49 bands to really pack the line-up. There were a lot of smaller bands added but the main stage is now full, and there are very few spots left on the 2nd and 3rd stage as well. In the past, I have gone through every band and given my thoughts on them, but this blog would be extremely long if I did that for 49 bands. These are the 49 bands:

Architects; After The Burial; The Algorithm; Asteroid Boys; Blacklist Royals; Blitz Kids; Bleed From Within; Broken; Brutality Will Prevail; Buckcherry; Bury Tomorrow; Crowns; Cytota; Dir En Grey; Escape The Fate; Emperor Chung; Empress; Europe; The First; The Ghost Inside; Glamour Of The Kill; Gogol Bordello; Graveyard; Hang The Bastard; Heart Of A Coward; Hill Valley High; I Divide; Karnivool; Katatonia; Lit; Modestep; Mordecai; Naked Flame; Nekrogoblickon; Newsted; Papa Roach; P.O.D; Rat Attack; Red Fang; Rise To Remain; Sacred Mother Tongue; Skin; Silent Screams; Sonic Boom Six; States of Panic; Turisas; Uncle Acid And The Dead Beats; Uriah Heap and Verses.

From that list, there are a few names there that really interest me. Architects I saw on the main stage at Sonisphere and they were ok – I’ll likely give them another chance. Buckcherry were really good at The Wedgewood Rooms last year so they’d be good to see again. Gogol Bordello are a very fun band live and I may have to watch them over Bullet For My Valentine. That would mean choosing to see a band I’ve seen over one I’ve not (which I’m trying my best not to do too much) but oh well! Karnivool are a band who in my head I confused with In Extremo, but having had a quick listen, they seem decent. The announcement of Lit is a fun one for me (if only for the song My Own Worst Enemy) and I will do my absolute best to see them. Newsted is an interesting one for me. I am intrigued to see what the former Metallica man is up to these days. I’m really happy with the Sacred Mother Tongue announcement. I enjoyed them when they opened up the second stage at Download 2011 on the Saturday and will likely watch them again. Turisas is another one I am really happy to see be announced as they are great fun live, although I haven’t seen them since their line-up changes and they ditched the accordion live so, they might not be as fun live anymore – who knows. All in all, this announcement makes the line-up much stronger.

With the 2013 line up nearly full (which is astonishing to say seeing as it is not even March yet), it is about that time that I guess the stage times. The times tend not to change that much on a year to year basis so my guess I don’t think will be too far off, especially for the top 2 stages. The positions for stages 3 and 4 are complete guesswork though. I’ll do this day by day starting with (appropriately) Friday.

Friday 14th June

Main Stage

21:00 - 22:45 Slipknot
19:20 - 20:20 Bullet For My Valentine   

18:00 - 18:55 Korn
16:50 - 17:35 Down
15:40 - 16:25 Papa Roach 
14:40 - 15:15 Asking Alexandria    
13:45 - 14:15 Architects    
13:00 - 13:25 Rise To Remain

Zippo Encore Stage

21:00 - 22:10            
19:30 - 20:30 Gogol Bordello         
18:20 - 19:05 3 Doors Down          
17:15 - 17:55 Volbeat  
16:10 - 16:50 Europe
15:20 - 15:50 Uriah Heap
14:30 - 15:00 Skin   

13:45 - 14:10 Dir En Grey   
13:00 - 13:25    


Pepsi Max Stage

21:00 - 22:00 HIM    
19:55 - 20:35 Converge
18:50 - 19:30 Motionless In White
17:55 - 18:25 Turisas
17:05 - 17:35 In This Moment
16:15 - 16:45 Hang The Bastard
15.25 - 15.55 Crowns

14:35 - 15:05 Emperor Chung
13:45 - 14:15 States of Panic
13:00 - 13:25 Tuborg Band


Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage

21.10 – 21.55
20.15 – 20.45
19.30 – 19.55
18.45 – 19.10  
18.00 – 18.25
17.15 – 17.40
16.30 – 16.55
15.45 – 16.10 The Algorithm
15.00 – 15.25 Verses
14.15 – 14.40 The First

Main stage is full and has the same number of bands that the main stage on the Friday last year should have had (weather cancelled two of the sets). I see no reason to change the times at all from 2012. Second stage has two noticeable gaps on it, the headliner and the opener. The opener could well be Six Hour Sundown (as it should have been last year). The headliner is the interesting one and is one I’m keeping a close eye on. I like Slipknot and would see them again but if the headliner on the second stage is good, I’ll go see their set and the end of Slipknots. The potential 3 way clash between Korn, 3 Doors Down and Turisas is absolutely gutting as is the clash between Down and Volbeat. Korn and Volbeat win those clashes for me but they are not nice! As for the third stage, it looks as though there will only be one more band to be added and I guess that band will be the one, like in 2012, that wins the Tuborg competition to open the third stage. The Red Bull stage has only 3 bands announced for it and I guessed where they’ll be. I really don’t know though. I’ll do my potential full schedule at the end, so let’s move on to Saturday

 Saturday June 15th

Main Stage
20.45 – 22.45 Iron Maiden
18.30 – 19.45 Queens Of The Stone Age
16.55 – 17.55 Motorhead
15.35 – 16.25 Alice In Chains
14.20 – 15.05 Mastodon
13.10 – 13.50 Buckcherry
12.00 – 12.40 Young Guns
11.00 – 11.30 UFO

Zippo Encore Stage

19.25 – 20.35 Enter Shikari
17.55 – 18.55 Jimmy Eat World
16.40 – 17.25 Lit
15.35 – 16.15 Karnivool
14.30 – 15.10 Katatonia
13.35 – 14.05 Escape The Fate
12.40 – 13.10 Hardcore Superstar
11.45 – 12.15 Heaven’s Basement
11.00 – 11.25 I Divide
 
Pepsi Max Stage
21.30 – 22.30 The Hives
20.20 – 21.05 Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats
19.10 – 19.55 Bury Tomorrow
18.15 – 18.45 Walking Papers
17.20 – 17.50 The Sword

16.30 – 17.00 Heart Of A Coward
15.40 – 16.10 Empress
14.50 – 15.20 Nekrogobikon
14.00 – 14.30 Earthtone9
13.15 – 13.40 Hill Valley High
12.30 – 12.55 Broken
11.45 – 12.10
11.00 – 11.25

Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage
20.50 – 21.35
19.50 – 20.20 After The Burial
18.50 – 19.20 Last Witness
17.50 – 18.20 Rat Attack
16.50 – 17.20 Silent Screams
15.55 – 16.20 Blacklist Royals
15.05 – 15.30 Asteroid Boys
14.15 – 14.40 Cytota
13.25 – 13.50
12.35 – 13.00
11.45 – 12.10
11.00 – 11.20

While changes are still being made, the top two stages are full and I can’t imagine they are wrong. I’ve read that Enter Shikari, who are headlining the second stage, finish 10mins before Iron Maiden start their headline set on the main stage, which is why there are less bands and different times from 2011/12. I said originally when this line-up was announced that it would take an awful lot for me to move from main stage during the run of Alice In Chains, Motorhead, QOTSA and Iron Maiden. However, it would seem that has been achieved! The third stage times and positions are again a guess but I really hope I have them right as I’d really like to see Earthtone9. Chances are if I’m wrong I’ll find a way to see them anyway, but still, if I am right then that would be just perfect.

Sunday June 10

Main Stage
21.00 – 22.45 Rammstein
19.00 – 20.15 30 Seconds To Mars
17.30 – 18.30 Gaslight Anthem
16.15 – 17.00 Stone Sour
15.00 – 15.45 Parkway Drive
13.50 – 14.30 Five Finger Death Punch
12.45 – 13.25 Coal Chamber
11.50 – 12.20 Cancer Bats
11.00 – 11.25 Sacred Mother Tongue

Zippo Encore Stage
20.30 – 21.30 Limp Bizkit
19.15 – 20.05 A Day To Remember
18.05 – 18.50 Airbourne
17.00 – 17.40
16.05 – 16.35 Amon Amarth
15.10 – 15.40 Graveyard
14.15 – 14.45 The Ghost Inside
13.20 – 13.50 HellYeah
12.30 – 12.55
11.45 – 12.10 Blitz Kids
11.00 – 11.25

Pepsi Max Stage
20.30 – 21.30
19.20 – 20.05 Modestep
18.15 – 18.55 P.O.D

17.20 – 17.50 Newsted
16.30 – 17.00 Red Fang

15.40 – 16.10 Vision of Disorder
14.50 – 15.20 Bleed From Within
14.00 – 14.30 Hacktivist
13.15 – 13.40 Brutality Will Prevail
12.30 – 13.40
11.45 – 12.10
11.00 – 11.25

Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage
20.50 – 21.35 Sonic Boom Six
19.50 – 20.20 Glamour Of The Kill
18.50 – 20.20 I Am I
17.50 – 18.20 Buffalo Summer
16.50 – 17.20  Huntress
15.55 – 16.20 Black Dogs
15.05 – 15.30 Mordecai

14.15 – 14.40 Naked Flame
13.25 – 13.50
12.35 – 13.00
11.45 – 12.10
11.00 – 11.25

There are quite a few spots left open here so every stage aside from main is me guessing the slots. Not that it matters much anyway. I don’t see me moving far from main stage while the first 4 bands are on. I’ve left a nice big spot available on the second stage as I hope there will be one of three bands announced for that slot. I really think as well it is an appropriate slot for the 3 bands I have in mind as well. I have no idea if the slot even exists so this is pure speculation. The three bands I have in mind are The Wildhearts, Kreator and Bad Religion. The Wildhearts are doing 2 dates in New York 2 weeks before Download and as it stands, those dates are the last confirmed Wildhearts dates for the foreseeable. However, I think playing Download in a pretty decent slot would be a great way to round off that lot of dates. It would also be a great place to announce their Xmess 2013 tour that could go on sale a couple of weeks after Download (I might be in the land of dreaming right now!) Kreator and Bad Religion are possible as they are both playing festivals around the time and have both never played Download.

As I’ve said a few times throughout all of this, there is a lot of guesswork here. However, assuming in a perfect world that I am right (or close enough), then this is how my Download festival would look:

Friday 14th

13.00 – 13.25 – Rise To Remain (Main)
13.45 – 14.15 – Architects (Main)
14.30 – 15.00 – Skin (2nd)
15.20 – 15.50 – Uriah Heap (2nd)
16.10 – 16.50 – Europe (2nd)
17.15 – 17.55 – Volbeat (2nd)
18.00 – 18.55 – Korn (Main)
19.20 – 20.20 – Bullet For My Valentine (Main)
or
19.30 – 20.30 – Gogol Bordello (2nd)
21.00 – 22.45 – Slipknot (Main)
or
21.00 – 22.10 – Second Stage Headliner (2nd)

Saturday 15th

11.00 – 11.30 – UFO (Main)
11.45 – 12.15 – Heaven’s Basement (2nd)
12.40 – 13.10 – Hardcore Superstar (2nd)
13.10 – 13.50 – Buckcherry (Main)
14.00 – 14.30 – Earthtone9 (3rd)
14.30 – 15.10 – Katatonia (2nd)
15.35 – 16.25 – Alice In Chains (Main)
16.40 – 17.25 – Lit (2nd)
17.55 – 18.55 – Jimmy Eat World (2nd)
18.30 – 19.45 – Queens of the Stone Age (Main)
20.45 – 22.45 – Iron Maiden (Main)

Sunday 16th
11.00 – 11.25 – Sacred Mother Tongue (Main)
11.45 – 12.15 – Cancer Bats (Main)
12.45 – 13.25 – Coal Chamber (Main)
13.50 – 14.30 – Five Finger Death Punch (Main)
15.10 – 15.40 – Graveyard (2nd)
16.15 – 17.00 – Stone Sour (Main)
17.00 – 17.40 – Second Stage Gap TBC (2nd)
or
17.20 – 17.50 – Newsted (3rd)
18.05 – 18.50 – Airbourne (2nd)
19.15 – 20.05 – A Day To Remember (2nd)
20.30 – 21.00 – Limp Bizkit (2nd)
21.00 – 22.45 – Rammstein (Main)

If my festival ends up even being close to that plan, I will consider that money well spent.




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