There’s a rare moment of tenderness from Alex Taylor – singer of hardcore brutes Malevolence – on the second stage on Friday. Their eyes are down and feet still, lending their 45 minutes all the pomp of a soundcheck. He’s audibly disheartened by technical struggles with his microphone, and his bandmates aren’t charismatic enough to compensate. It seems the only person not enjoying himself this weekend is Twin Atlantic singer/guitarist Sam McTrusty.

“We are so lucky to be performing for 10,000 of the most dedicated rock fans on the planet,” he declares. It made me remember why I’m doing this.”Įven notorious punk iconoclast Frank Carter is feeling the gratitude as he headlines Friday. “At the time, I was like, ‘Should I even be doing music?’ I feel like playing Download was a make or break moment for me. His metalcore crew were a vibrant highlight of the Sunday, with luminescent shoegaze choruses occasionally ascending from their heavy metal quagmire. “Within lockdown, you almost lose yourself mentally,” Loathe vocalist Kadeem France explains backstage. They face their task with gusto, although frontman Paul Barrow does admit he’s overwhelmed to the point of near-tears. Nu metal troupe Death Blooms are the first act of the weekend, peddling stomping anthems derivative of Korn and Mudvayne. Not only are the musicians doing what they love once more after at least 15 stagnant months, but it hints that touring income – the only true profits an underground artist can enjoy in the streaming age – is on the horizon. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PAįor the bands, meanwhile, there’s nothing but unmitigated joy at returning to the stage. “I’ve heard the walk between camping and the arena used to take half an hour.

Nobody’s gonna come up and lick your face,” laughs fellow attendee Chloe, who’s at her first Download after previously being put off by the festival’s size. With it being a government-backed pilot scheme, this is the only guarantee that you’re going to see a live event this summer.” “I’m comfortable about it since everybody’s had mandatory testing. “It feels ethereal,” says concertgoer John-Joe, a longtime Download regular. Masks and social distancing have been rendered archaic – every attendee has submitted proof of a negative lateral flow test – replaced by a hunger for heaviness that pervades the air every year. However, within the arena itself, the normality feels overwhelming. Granted, the three days are a shell of the festival’s usual fare only 10,000 – one-11th of Donington Park capacity – descended upon a shrunken site this year, with the number of stages halved to two.

W hen was the last time rock’n’roll felt this important? With the world starved of concerts, all eyes are on Download Pilot to roadmap the future of live music post-Covid.

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