Gatchacaz's "Mega" Download Review [Part 3]

Hi Guys

Apologies for the tardiness in posting the next part of my Download review.  It's been a pretty tiring week at work.

At least it's weekend, and all being well, I should be able to get the rest of this posted.

So, where were we....

Friday 12th June 2015

Day three dawns fine and sunny, but dark clouds are on the horizon, and we know from the weather updates that heavy rain is on the way.  Better pack the waterproofs for later!

Everyone is up and about at 9am, and the hexi-burner is on the go (as well as a few things that shouldn't).  I'm feeling sick myself this morning.  Think it might be the airbed though as it has deflated slightly in the night.

Time for some drugs to get rid of the headache and settle my stomach!

Didn't sleep much better last night.  Again it was cold, and again, we had to listen to our mad jock neighbours carrying on all night.  I won't go into the details here because some of it was a bit crass, even for me, although it was quite entertaining in places. 

Someone was listening to Rammstein during the night too, but I didn't mind that.

Oh, and I found another use for the shewee … hahahaha!!!

Breakfast, again, was a cereal bar.

So today the music finally starts!  Highlight of the day for me will be tonight's headliners, Slipknot.  They headlined last time we were here, but I found them a bit too weird!  Since then, I've become a fan and I'm looking forward to seeing them tonight.

Last time we got into the arena from the campsite across the racetrack.  This year is different though, as we have to go through the village, back out though the campsite entrance and round a side road.   It takes us a good half an hour or so to reach the entrance to the arena.

Getting in was almost as bad as queuing to get into the campsite!  Unfortunately, me and my brother's friend chose the queue with the jobsworth security guard who was checking everyone extremely thoroughly!  It gave me a chance to have a chat and a joke with some lads in the queue behind us, but it was no laughing matter when we got to the front!

She really was a jobsworth, scrutinising every inch of us.  She inspected my brother's friend's wallet, pulling all his cards out individually, and when she got to me, she checked under my hat, sniffed a packet of tissues I had on me and confiscated my paracetamol!!!  At one point I thought she was going to take my phone apart and check inside that as well!!!

Nightmare!

Finally we were in, and three days of music could begin!!!

First point of call was another merchandise stall.  I wanted a Download 2015 zipped hoodie.  I queued at one stall for about 15 minutes to find out they'd sold out in all but 'small' so I went to another stall where after another lengthy queue I managed to get one in 'large'.  Only when I rejoined the guys did I find out that the top was damaged.  I took it back, but by then they had sold out of that size as well so I opted for a refund.

Lunch was sweet and sour chicken balls with noodles.  The lads had wandered over to the one of the small covered tent stages and we watched a band called "Wild Lies" who were quite good.  After that we had a wander round some of the stalls and stopped by the bar to buy a pint of Somersby cider.

We wandered round the arena taking in other bands and stuff and then headed over to the Somersby bar for another pint of cider, stopping en-route for a photo opportunity:

The Somersby bar was rather fun.  It replaced the Jagermeister bar that had been there in previous years.  As well as the downstairs bar, it had an upstairs one too with a DJ playing rock music and a slide that went down the outside -- someone would be trying that out before the weekend was out!!!

We stayed in there for a bit watching the bands playing on the main stage and listening to the music the DJ was playing then it was time for another wander, more cider and that dreaded portaloo pit-stop!

My brother's friend wanted to go and watch a band on the covered Maverick stage called "Beartooth". Their set was at 4.45pm so he went off to watch them and we said we'd meet up with him afterwards.  Sadly, they didn't agree a meeting point so when their set had finished, we spent quite a bit of time milling round the tent looking for him and sending text messages which we didn't think he would get given the intermittent signal!

By this time it's started raining

Eventually we met up again, although my brother was non-too pleased at his friend's wandering tactics.  After that we didn't split up unless we had agreed a time and place to meet up again.

My brother and "BIL" had decided to head back to the campsite for a bit so me and my brother's friend went off to watch Five Finger Death Punch on the main stage.  Another band we saw last time.  My brother's friend is a big fan, and I have to admit they're not too bad to listen to.)

I went off to the merchandise stall again to see if I could get the elusive hoodie (I'd been told they'd be getting more stock after 5pm), but they hadn't had the delivery yet.  In the end, I decided to buy myself a Download 2015 t-shirt, and a Billy Idol t-shirt for my mum (she's a big fan).

I then went to meet up with my brother's friend and watch the rest of Five Finger Death Punch's set.

After that we just wandered round wasting time.  We were all going to watch Thunder who were playing on the Zippo stage at 7pm so we went to our agreed meeting point to wait for my brother an "BIL" to re-join us.

By the time they did, it was almost 7.10pm and we had started walking up towards the stage.  It was also raining quite heavily now, and the waterproofs had gone on (but not the over-trousers).  We watched the whole of their set and then went over to the main stage to watch the last half hour or so of Judas Priest's set.

By the their set finished at about 8.30pm, we were hungry so we went to get tea which tonight, for me, was a hotdog!  It wasn't much fun trying to eat it in the pouring rain though!

Slipknot were on stage at 9.20pm.  My "BIL" is not a fan and given the pouring rain, he didn't really want to stay and watch them so he headed back to the campsite.  The rest of us would stay and we managed to get as close to the stage as we could, although I found it a bit claustrophobic being jostled and pushed about.

By the time they came on stage, the rain was torrential and I was soaked (despite my waterproofs).  I didn't care, because this was why we were here and their set was amazing!  I even experienced my first circle pit that opened up to the right of where we were stood.  It was a little bit uncomfortable for me because of my anxiety, but it was interesting to watch people running round the circle and pushing one another.  It was very civilised though as if someone fell over, everyone would stop, pick that person off the floor and then carry on again.

Bonkers!

When their set finished, we began the long trek back to the campsite.  By then, the village and the campsite had been transformed into muddy quagmires which was no fun.  It was a great relief to get back to our tents and get out of our wet things -- it was the warmest and driest I had been all day!