Our intrepid concert-goin' pal Dave sent us a massive amount of photos from this year's Download Festival, held June 8-10 in Donington Park, UK. This year's festival gathered over 80,000 metal fans, including an estimated 22,000 watching the live webcast when Iron Maiden was playing. The festival was so successful, in fact, that promoters hope to export it to two new countries in 2008. Needless to say—though I'm gonna say it anyhow—there was a truckload of Ampeg onstage this year, as you'd expect at such a heavy f'in' rock event. so, without any further adieu, or anymore of my yakkin', here's the, errrr, download:
At right, Wolfmother bassist Chris Ross gets some air on the main stage during the Australian band's incendiary set, featuring songs from their highly successful eponymously-titled debut CD.
Mastodon's Troy Sanders on Download's main stage in front of a lovely three-headed creature who's also the star of their album cover for Blood Mountain (Relapse).
Bassist Kyle Sanders of Bloodsimple in front of his Ampeg rig high atop the Dimebag Darrell stage. The band's latest release, Red Harvest, is on Warner Bros. Records.
Ampeg's guitar side showed onstage at Download when Priestess guitarist Dan Watchorn sported his see-through Dan Armstrong plexiglass guitar. The Montreal-based band recently released Hello Master on RCA.
Meanwhile, Priestess bass player Mike Dyball reaches for the sky with an Ampeg SVT rig in tow.
Josh Newton of Vagrant Records act From Autumn To Ashes bathed in deep purple...
Bring Me The Horizon bassist Matt Kean contemplates life on stage, not far from the band's hometown of Sheffield, England. Their CD Count Your Blessings came out in late 2006.
I'm sure their performance was much more exciting than this photo would lead you to believe... Yes, this is My Chemical Romance's setup on the main stage before showtime on the first day of the festival. Bassist Matt Cortez reportedly--obviously?!--had a killer bass sound, as attested to by the zillions of people who attended Download this year (below).
