Download Festival 2009

[DFF]

Times are announced on Friday, and the two secret bands the following Monday, which kinda defeats the object of them being secret bands really, doesn't it? The two aren't likely to be Sonisphere / Reading bands, as otherwise legality issues would stop them being announced ahead of time, so it's gotta be someone big to warrant 'secrecy,' hasn't it?

I'm guessing we'll get maybe 1 medium large-ish mainstream act and 1 bigger 'cult following' act. There's a load of rumours on the DL forums about who they could be, with Mastadon (playing the entire new album front-to-back) being a popular choice. The other popular one going around is HIM, due to the fact that Scuzz have been advertising them as playing DL for months now despite they not being announced.

[Nerf]

I've seen a few others floating around from Anthrax to Heaven And Hell and Enter Shikari. Fuck knows how likely any of them are, so we're better just waiting around until they're announced. It has been said that they're being announced ahead of time so that people don't expect 'AC/DC' or 'Led Zeppelin' though. Who knows, maybe it's both of them

[Summers]

times on friday? awesome. can plan my days.

[Iain76er]

The secret bands are going to be shit aren't they?

Duane Gill & the Gillbergs or summat.

[Nerf]

If they were shit, there's no reason they wouldn't have lumped them in with the last band announcement, so they've got to at least minorly warrant all this hoo-haa. Surely they're not stupid enough to let it be somebody shite, since that'd get everybodies backs up. The only other secret band was Metallica way back when, so hopefully our spirits will be high after Monday. I fucking hope it's not HIM, though.

[Iain76er]

But if they were good, they could have used them as a way to help sell tickets. :/

Hopefully you're right.

[Nerf]

For anybody interested, Download HQ is currently on fire.

[Summers]

Whut?

[Nerf]

Never mind, somebody just burnt their toast

There were posts on Download's Twitter account that said the HQ was on fire, but it may have just been a crack.

[Cactus Drags]

If they were shit, there's no reason they wouldn't have lumped them in with the last band announcement, so they've got to at least minorly warrant all this hoo-haa. Surely they're not stupid enough to let it be somebody shite, since that'd get everybodies backs up. The only other secret band was Metallica way back when, so hopefully our spirits will be high after Monday. I fucking hope it's not HIM, though.

Think Funeral For A Friend were also a secret band, albeit a poorly kept secret.

[Nerf]

Anyone that needs them, there's more weekend camping tickets up now!

[Nerf]

So, with the stage times now up, who's everybody going to see? Here's mine, though some of the bands listed are only a portion of their set due to partially clashing with other bands, etc.

Friday

13:00 - Hollywood Undead

13:50 - The Blackout

14:30 - A Day To Remember

15:35 - Billy Talent

16:35 - Killswitch Engage

17:45 - Limp Bizkit

19:10 - Backyard Babies

19:55 - Korn

20:35 - Motley Crue

21:50 - Faith No More

Saturday

12:40 - Hardcore Superstar

13:15 - Devildriver

13:55 - Hatebreed

14:45 - Fightstar

15:10 - Down

16:20 - Dragonforce

17:35 - Pendulum

19:00 - Chris Cornell

20:35 - The Prodigy

21:40 - Slipknot

Sunday

11:00 - Stone Gods

11:45 - Tesla

12:30 - Suicide Silence

13:25 - Black Stone Cherry

14:30 - Journey

16:55 - ZZ Top

18:05 - Steel Panther

18:35 - Whitesnake

20:10 - Therapy?

20:45 - Def Leppard

That comes to exactly ten bands a day, which is well worth the money, especially with the incredible acts on the bill. I made a timetable in Excel this morning which makes things easier to view (clashes and the like), so if anybody wants me to upload that then I'll be happy to do so.

[DFF]

I'm working my way through the bands to get a feel for them. Not made my mind up so far, but Sleepercurve are impressing me so far.

[GA!]

I'm staying on the main stage all day Friday, except for Motley Crue.

[Nerf]

Motley Crue are second stage, but if you meant you're GOING to second stage to see them, then your credibility just shot up tenfold.

[GA!]

Motley Crue are second stage, but if you meant you're GOING to second stage to see them, then your credibility just shot up tenfold.

Yeah I'm going to the second stage.

[YI]

...'secret bands' are apparently Thunder and Enter Shikari...ouch.

[Summers]

lol.

[GA!]

Gee, I wonder why they were announced in advance...

[DFF]

Enter Shikari are pap, but it'll be cool to catch Thunder before they retire (at the end of this current tour).