Project Description

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL

@ Flemington Racecourse Melbourne

11/03/19

(Live Review)

Reviewer: Sarah Sykes

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Melbourne couldn’t have picked a better day for Download 2019. A pleasant 24 degrees, mostly clear skies and only a light cool breeze – from running into mates all day and seeing a sea of black band shirts on the train into the city, it was going to be great from the beginning.

First up for the day, were the band Ruins. Hailing from Tasmania, I’d never heard of them before. Drawing a decent size crowd for their 12:20 time slot, they were a black metal band brimming with energy. I enjoyed them, particularly because I felt they incorporated some punk elements, similar to Darkthrone’s more recent material. I enjoy that style because it brings an interesting reprieve into the intensity of the genre at times. Definitely a band to check out if you enjoy black metal and a great live band.

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All the way from Baltimore, Maryland, War On Women were definitely one of the most interesting bands of the day. They reminded me of Minor Threat but with a little bit more melody. Their performance had very high energy, however, the vocal mix seemed a bit off on the Dogtooth stage – a problem that seemed to persist for other bands throughout the day – causing Shawna Potter’s vocals to be a bit too loud. Lyrically, War On Women had a feminist focus, which surprisingly did not seem to polarise the crowd. There were a few early leavers, a few headbangers, but the majority of the audience stayed to observe. Personally, I think they did a pretty good job of combining their politics with their music. However, whether their fiercely feminist message will resonate with an Australian audience or not, is something only time will tell.

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After War On Women, my friends and I headed over to catch the middle of fan-favourite Airbourne’s set. Up on one of the main stages – the Black Stage, they were definitely a crowd puller for a band playing so early in the afternoon. Catching Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast and Chewin’ the Fat, they had enormous energy, which the crowd loved.

After a quick break for lunch, we ran back to the Red stage to catch the second half of Behemoth’s set. Ripping through a diverse setlist, covering five albums in just under an hour, they were very energetic and the sound was quite clear even towards the back. It was exciting to see a band with a great sound and a unique, more theatrical stage presence for the first time all day.

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Next up were thrash legends Anthrax. Opening with the intro from Pantera’s Cowboys From Hell, it’s when the day really started to kick up a notch for me. Although I was further towards the back and among a quieter section of the crowd, the band sounded excellent. Playing a 40 minute set, they only had time for the absolute essentials which did not disappoint. Caught in a Mosh and Antisocial were both favourites for me and a definite reminder of why Anthrax, being perhaps the most humble of the Big 4, deserve their place in metal history as titans of the genre. It was just unfortunate they didn’t have a longer set as they didn’t have enough time to play classics like Madhouse or Among the Living.

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Frenzal Rhomb are Sydney punk legends, and although I haven’t listened to them too extensively, they are definitely a band I was looking forward to. Coming out on stage to Crazy Train (a small tribute to the unfortunate cancellation of Ozzy Osbourne) they ripped through their 40 minute set, dominated by songs from their latest album High-Vis High Tea and their 2011 release Smoko at the Pet Food Factory. Vocalist Jason Whalley threw out some entertaining banter throughout their set, in true Aussie style; including lamenting the crowd sing along to War Pigs – “nothing like watching an audience sing along to you playing a song you didn’t write”.

They drew a large crowd which included crowd surfers, and impassioned singalongs to You Are Not My Friend, Genius and Never Had So Much Fun. My highlights from their set were Mummy Doesn’t Know That You’re a Nazi and I’m Shelving Stacks (As I’m Stacking Shelves). They’re a lot of fun live and I’d say a must see. As Whalley said towards the end of the set – “thanks for having us at your fancy rock festival, we’ll probably be playing the Bendigo Hotel in a couple of months” (c’mon Higgo). So, if you missed them at Download, there should be an opportunity to check them out soon.

After a small break for dinner, we headed back to the Black stage to see one of my personal all time favourite bands…

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Judas Priest took to the stage with the title track of their latest album, Firepower. Coming out all guns blazing, they did the best they could to cram 45 years of heavy metal history into their incredibly short hour and 15 minute set. Playing four cuts off the new album, it was good to hear the new songs in all their glory, however it left precious little time for their older music. No Surrender paid an emotional tribute to original guitarist Glenn Tipton, who has unfortunately retired from playing live with the band due to a battle with Parkinson’s disease. It was definitely my favourite of the new tracks. Richie Faulkner on guitar was incredibly energetic and he played well with Andy Sneap, who filled in for Tipton.

Rob Halford proved why he is truly one of the all time greats. At 67, his vocals are still perfectly true to studio form. The chemistry of Priest’s current lineup is phenomenal. They were all smiles and you could feel the passion radiating off the stage with every scream and every solo. They played Sinner and Desert Plains, some deeper cuts, before burning through a list of classics, which really got the crowd energised.

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Down on the ground, I was lucky enough to be in the friendliest circle pit ever during Painkiller, where somehow, we moshed and did our best air guitar all at the same time. Judas Priest were the absolute highlight of my day, the crowd were fantastic, friendly and the music powerful as ever.

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Deep in the depths of the pit for Judas Priest, there was no reprieve between Priest finishing and Slayer beginning. The sun had fully set at Flemington as Slayer took to the stage, playing Repentless off their latest album. It was too dark to see what I’d expect would be the brutal mosh pit, but considering the number of fists high in the air, they were clearly highlight of the day for most people. Playing a set laced with newer songs, before breaking out into their 80s classics, it was a fitting farewell for the band that has inspired and will continue to inspire metal musicians for generations to come.

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Finally, we ended the day catching the last 30 minutes of Halestorm’s set. Notably, instead of playing through their songs fast as possible, they popped in a couple of instrumental sections in between songs, letting their slow and dirty guitar work do the talking. Playing through Do Not Disturb, Love Bites and I Miss the Misery, it was an awesome way to finish the day off. The only unfortunate part was the vocal mix seeming a bit off, as though Lzzy Hale was turned down too low. Overall, they still did an awesome job and are definitely a young band to watch.

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Check out Paul Tadday‘s gallery of the festival here

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