Fox Reviews Rock

This is our review of the Friday at Download Festival 2024, please take the time to check out our review of the Wednesday and Thursday!

Download 2024 Friday Review

Download Festival 2024 was finally upon us; the big day had arrived! As always we bought our tickets through Ticketmaster, you can too using the link below for next years Download Festival!

Excited like kids on Christmas morning, we eagerly lined up to enter the Download arena. Or so we thought. Turns out, we were actually in the line before the actual line! The British may be known for their queuing skills, but this was taking things too far!

After what felt like half an hour, we finally made our way to the security checkpoint. While I would usually be excited to breeze through, I couldn’t help but notice that some people were passing through without their bags being checked at all. It was clear that the security staff was not familiar with the festival rules, but we managed to get in without any issues. Well, at least Papa Fox, Farnie, and I did. Tom was still stuck in the campervan for at least another hour.

It’s a ritual for us to hit up the merchandise booth right when we enter the arena (the items vary daily based on the bands performing). But after this particular experience, I found myself yearning for all the village stalls to carry shirts from every band. We waited for an hour and a half, only to completely miss the first band that we had planned to see (The Blue Stones).

IDestroy

We were in for an unexpected treat when IDestroy took the 4th stage, playing right next to us. Their fantastic sound being a pleasant surprise!

Having waited so long, I was relieved when the Sum 41 shirt I wanted was still in stock, especially since it’s their final UK festival performance. As we made our way to meet up with the rest of our group, we were fortunate enough to catch the first song of the second band of the day, Those Damn Crows.

Those Damn Crows

As we settled down to eat, the sky decided to cloud over and drench us. I was already layered up with a shirt, hoodie, coat, and rain mac, but it wasn’t enough to keep me dry. My black jeans were soaked within minutes. Luckily, papa fox came to the rescue with a rain poncho that did a better job of keeping me dry.

Now, wearing enough gear to survive radiation, I was finally able to fully enjoy the music without worrying about the rain. Those Damn Crows were amazing! It’s a shame their set was so short. I would have loved to hear more of their hits in addition to “Takedown” and “Find A Way,” which sounded great. It’s disappointing that they didn’t play my favorite song, “Sin on Skin.” I’m considering going to their next tour just to hear that one song. Check out our feature length review of Those Damn Crows.

The Struts

Following that, The Struts took the stage for the second time I have seen them at Download Festival, and once again, they delivered an incredible performance. Their setlist included all the crowd favourites, such as “Kiss This” and “Put Your Money On Me”. Despite the soggy weather, the energy was high – at one point however I half expected Noah and the Ark to be the surprise headliners!

The band, unfazed by the situation, delivered an incredibly energetic performance, with guitarist Adam Slack standing out. We actually attended the same school but were a few years apart. The lead singer, Luke Spiller, exuded a Freddie Mercury-esque charisma, both in his vocals and stage presence. I highly suggest catching The Struts live!

Remember when I mentioned the rain gear I was wearing earlier? It was great for the rain, but when the temperature suddenly spiked to 25 degrees, it felt like I was being microwaved from the inside out. Despite that, good company and music have a way of making you forget about the discomfort.

Polyphia

After the downpour and feeling like I was being roasted alive, I had zero desire to travel to see All The Witches on the 2nd stage. So, I decided to catch Polyphia with Cozzer and Vixen instead. Tim Henson’s guitar skills were absolutely mind-blowing, almost hypnotic at times. Cozzer, on the other hand, seemed rather unimpressed. Take a look at the video and share your thoughts! Personally, I believe “Playing God” showcases some incredible guitar wizardry!

Black Stone Cherry

The music continued to be on point, thanks to Black Stone Cherry. This marked my 6th time seeing the Kentucky rock band live. I first caught them at a secret set on the 3rd stage, but now they’re playing the main stage or 2nd stage minimum every time!

The entire audience joined in singing to every single song, creating an amazing atmosphere. Hits like “Blame It On The Boom Boom” and “White Trash Millionaire” were a huge hit with the crowd. Their rock music with a southern USA twist is simply fantastic! I believe they have the potential to headline the main stage in the future, maybe just a couple more solid albums away. It’s bound to happen!

By this point, it was clear that the ground was beginning to show signs of wear and tear. There were still patches of vibrant green grass marked where individuals had settled in for the day, protecting the turf as if it were a precious treasure. Not all heroes wear capes some instead wear overalls!

Royal Blood

I couldn’t wait to see Royal Blood perform at the festival after 10 years. Missing their last show made me even more excited for their set this time around! I was thrilled that they had been given such a big slot so they could play lots of hits.

The music was amazing, but there were a few frustrating moments due to technical difficulties. The pedalboard malfunctioned during “Come on Over,” and there was a problem with the guitar during “Little Monster,” causing the band to leave the stage. Personally, I think this is disappointing. Why not play a drum solo or try to keep the crowd entertained? Fortunately, when they did return to play, they definitely entertained us!

“Are you not entertained?” – Quote from Gladiator

It was a surprise to see how seamlessly they blended in with the festival atmosphere. Despite facing criticism in the past at other events and negative reactions from the audience, it was refreshing to witness their music speak for itself and captivate the crowd so effortlessly!

During the lengthy intermission following Royal Blood’s performance, and while anticipating the headliners Queens of the Stone Age, I indulged in some delicious sweet chili chicken and chips. It was quite possibly the most satisfying meal I had all week, second only to Papa Fox’s bacon and sausage cobs, of course! However, like all the other food options at the festival, it was likely overpriced by £3 or £4. Not entirely unexpected, but perhaps worth addressing?

Queens Of The Stone Age

Let me just mention that I’m a fan of Queens Of The Stone Age, but I only know about 5 songs. It seemed like many others in the crowd were in the same boat. I couldn’t help but chuckle at how, uh, “medically intoxicated” the lead singer seemed to be. Given that they fall under stoner rock, I shouldn’t be too surprised. It was still quite a sight to see someone go from performing flawlessly to not even being able to speak or walk right after a song ends.

The crowd interaction during “Make It Wit Chu” seemed to go on forever, almost reaching ridiculous levels by the end. Still, the screaming women at the front appeared to like it, so who am I to judge?

It was a nice surprise to hear “Go With The Flow” played so early in the set list, allowing us to leisurely stroll back to the campsite once “No One Knows” came on towards the end.

Summary

Overall, despite it being a soggy day, the music more than made up for it. The technical issues were quickly forgotten, and friends made the time brilliant. This marks the end of our Friday review of Liquid Death presents Download 2024. Stay tuned for our review of the Saturday next week!

Review by Fox Reviews Rock

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As always the song(s) in out reviews are added to the Spotify Playlist find out more about that here as well as on the Spotify Podcast find out more about that here.