Download Festival 2009 has beefed up its billing with a dozen new names added to the bill. Topping the list of additions is Trent Reznor’s chief object of scorn, Chris Cornell, Southern metal uber-group Down, and yet another classic rock act to join those already on the line-up – San Francisco’s Journey.
Also added are the hilarious Motley-Crue-wannabe nu-metal survivors Papa Roach, Sacrimento hard rockers Tesla, the Crisina Scabbia-led Lacuna Coil, reformed rockers Skin, and the quite frankly awesome prospects of Architects and Parkway Drive. Anyone who caught the latter pair on the Altamont Never Say Die! Tour last year knows what we’re talking about.
We can’t help but be a bit less excited about the confirmation that Clutch are on the bill (because…well…we already knew it), and words can’t describe the lack of enthusaism we’re feeling for the announcement of bore-offs Black Stone Cherry being on the on the bill. With the glut of proper, old skool classic rock on the bill, who needs the new kids playing a watered down version?
Best of all though is the announcement that Karma To Burn are on the bill. When they reformed last month we almost pissed ourselves with glee – we had always thought the West Virginian three-piece would remain one of the great lost bands we’d never get to see tear it up live with their raucous instrumental desert rock. The fact they’re playing Download has made our day!
Watch a shitty quality video of Karma To Burn playing ‘28′ live
Tickets for Download Festival 2009 are on sale now from £135 – once again, the festival takes place at Donington Park, from June 12-14.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Luke Morton // Mar 17, 2009 at 12:48 am
Not all that impressed to be honest.
There hasn’t been a Download announcement since FNM and now we’re fobbed off with 12 artists who are mainly shite. Why are Journey on there for God’s sake?! Architects will be good though.
2 Jason // Mar 17, 2009 at 1:18 am
Journey!
3 Cancer Bats // Mar 17, 2009 at 12:51 pm
KARMA TO BURN!!!! YYEEEEEESSSSS!
4 Peter // Mar 17, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Luke, I have to disagree with most of your statement – though I do agree about Architects.
Down and Clutch were two of the very best bands of Download 2006 and they are coming back to slay Donington again!
And how can anyone be disappointed with Journey, Tesla, and the newly-reformed Skin and Karma To Burn?!
This line-up gets better and better with each announcement. Cannot wait. It was worth staying up until midnight for Down and Skin alone!
5 Luke Morton // Mar 17, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I saw Down in ‘06 and they were very good, but Download seem to be recycling a lot of the bands this year. Admittedly there are a few “first time at Donington” bands, but a lot are just past successes. Not a bad thing, just nothing new.
I saw Journey at MOR in ‘06 as well, they were quite fun just quite disappointing live.
Overall though the lineup is great so far.
6 Hugh // Mar 17, 2009 at 4:55 pm
There’s always going to be a significant amount of Download overlap – as a “mainstream” metal festival, it needs to use names that sell tickets to the biggest “metal” audience possible.
That said, I genuinely believe this year’s Download line-up is going to be one of those that the kids will look back on in a decade’s time – much like I do now with Ozzfest and the Big Day Out – and realise how many quality acts were playing that they missed.
Did I mention KARMA TO BURN already? OMG AMAZING ETC
7 Photos: Papa Roach @ Manchester Academy - 16 April 2009 // Apr 17, 2009 at 2:11 pm
[...] been confirmed for Download Festival 2009, nu-metallers-turned-cock-rockers Papa Roach are most of the way through a UK tour promoting their [...]
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