Download Festival 2022 Day Three

Volbeat on the Apex Stage

The final day at Download is possibly the best day of the lot in terms of the names on the bill. Biffy Clyro was headlining, Korn was returning to the UK, and Spiritbox was coming to the UK for the first time. All of this was certainly something to be excited about.

Wargasm

It was an early start to the day with Wargasm playing at The Apex at eleven in the morning. The duo have been getting rave reviews for their music and their live shows after seeing them play at Londons Underworld last year, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to see them play their biggest show at Download. Whatever time it was. In the blazing sun, Sam Matlock and Milkie Way ran out on stage playing new tracks 'Minigun' and 'D.R.I.L.D.O' to kick or proceedings then went into familiar territory with 'Rage All Over' and 'Salma Hayek'. The band would be causing Choas throughout the set with both Sam and Milkie crowd surfing in between songs and getting mosh pit going across the field and ending their chaotic yet fantastic set with 'Spit'.All of this showed the potential that this band has to headline festivals such as Download one day, but for now, Wargasm is changing the music scene and starting something special.

Rise Against

I only knew a few songs from Rise Against before I went to their set at Download. I had no expectations for their show but despite this, I left their show very impressed and wanted to check out more of their music. The American punk rock band put on a great show which was filled with politically charged songs, moshpit and great performances from all the band members which I enjoyed as I chilled out on the viewing platform with all of our new friends from disabled camp. "We sign about revolution", says lead singer Tim McIlrath which got a big reaction from the crowd. With everything going on in the world, bands like Rise Against are more relevant than ever. Their later songs such as 'Nowhere Generation' gives off the people's frustrations and worries and fit perfectly with older songs in their setlist such as 'Satellites' (Which was performed by Tim using a megaphone which was very cool I have to admit) and of course 'Saviour' which was their showstopping finale which got the crowd dancing, moshing and singing along. I was very impressed with what Rise Against and what they had to offer and I would like to see them again and listen to their music more in the future. That's what I love about festivals. You leave having new bands to listen to a broaden your horizons which is how I felt when seeing this band.

Spiritbox

We headed to a packed-out Avalanche Stage with everyone wanting to see an act which was part of the reason I had a ticket for this festival in the first place. This would be Spiritbox's first performance in the UK and you could tell with the number of people crammed into The Avalanche Stage. At last, the band emerged on stage with the lead singer Courtney LaPlante screaming "Cut down the alter!" as the band started playing 'Circle With Me'. Courtney's mic could have been turned up a bit more for the first song but other than these teathing issues,

The band sounded perfect. As they were on their outstanding album 'Eternal Blue'. The band played 'Hurt You' which Courtney stomped and screamed her way through excellently and then came 'Holly Roller' which sent the crowd feral. Mosh pits, Crowd surfers everywhere and the band wasn't even phased. The band ended on the title track 'Eternal Blue', which was a beautiful yet heavy end to a chaotic yet incredible UK debut for the band. The set should have been longer for sure but this is not the last we have seen of this band. They will be back for sure and certainly on a bigger stage.

Volbeat

As we exited The Avalanche Stage, we walked over to catch the end of the set from Volbeat. We missed most of their set but we did have a great time with what we got to see. A personal highlight for me was the closing song 'Still Counting' which we sang out loud. Micheal Poulson's vocals were terrific as always and the band brought the heavy and rockabilly sound that the group are well known for. It was great to see them play again even if it was for a short while and with a tour at the end of the year coming up, it may be not the last time I see the band this year.

Korn

As we walked over to the front of the main stage, there were a lot of nerves going into the next set. If you have ever seen a Korn set online then you know the sort of madness that happens. I saw the band play Reading Festival in 2017 so I knew what I was getting myself into and I was looking forward to it. It was clear from the outset that fans old and new were in for a treat as the band kicked off their set with a bang playing classics such as 'Here To Stay' and 'Falling Away From Me' and then songs off their last two albums such as 'Start The Healing' and 'Cold'. It was as if Korn were smashing through their greatest hits and I was all here for it.

It also has to be said what an amazing frontperson Jonathon Davis is. He can get a crowd singing along as he did on 'A.D.I.D.A.S.' and his vocals are incredible even to this day. He did need an oxygen tank at times throughout the set (due to his asthma) but credit to him as this never had an effect on his performance. The rest of the band sounded perfect as well. The only complaint I had was that the bass could have been turned down at times as it was louder than the then guitars at points but this was no fault of their own.

As expected, the crowd was wild with moshing going off left, right and centre and crowds getting on airbeds and crowd surfing their way to the front. It made for a wild atmosphere which I was fulling expecting from this set. Korn played 'Blind' to end their set to the crowd's delight and was a perfect conclusion. This showed why Korn has such a legendary status in the metal community and if they come back to Download in the future it has to be a headline slot for sure.

Yonaka

Before the last headliner of the weekend took to the stage, we grabbed some food and made a trip to The Dogtooth Stage to watch Brighton rock band Yonaka play in a packed-out tent. It's insane to think just a few years ago they were playing festivals to about a hundred people and now they are packing out tents where you could barely get into. As a fan of the band for many years, It was really something to behold.

Lead Singer Theresa Javis was in incredible form with her out-of-this-world vocals shining through throughout the set and her confidence on stage is unmatched. she would get the crowd moshing and singing along without even breaking a sweat. She is a fantastic example of a frontperson and any aspiring singer should look up to. The band crammed in as many hits to their set as the energetic opener 'Ordinary', 'Punch bag' and ultimately ended on the awesome anthem 'Size The Power' which got the crowd bouncing along with Javis shouting "This powers yours for the taking!". A breathtaking ending to their set which shows that they are a band which deserves to be playing on the bigger stages.

Biffy Clyro

The final band of the weekend would be the Scottish rock legends Biffy Clyro. The band were about to play an incredible set featuring classic tracks and new material. It was something I had been looking forward to all weekend and I'd made sure I was at the front to experience it. The band got off to an amazing start with their new tracks 'DumDum' and 'A Hunger in Your Haunt' which set the tone for the show. It was an incredible display of the band's skill and their amazing ability as a live band. Their timing is something to be appreciated. I feel there is no other band I've seen live that plays like they do. This is also on display on 'Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies' where the lead singer and guitarist Simon Neil plays his guitar in the intro of the song so perfectly and never puts a foot wrong. It's fascinating to watch.

The crowd was also amazing to be a part of. Everyone was singing along with so much passion and emotions just like Simon Neil and also everyone would be jumping moshing along. We even got some circle pits going and even a rowing squad formed at one point (yes you are reading that correctly!). it made for an amazing atmosphere and made it one of the best crowds of the weekend.

Biffy also can have calm and beautiful moments in their sets as well. 'Machines' was a great example but their finale 'Many of Horror' which got the crowd singing along and Biffy putting on the most emotional moment of the weekend. Capped off with a fantastic fireworks display at the end, Biffy once again proved why they are a headliner and is a great example of a modern-day band which can take that next step and play on the biggest stage of them all. With four headliners taking to the stage in 2023 at Download Festival, maybe we may see a new band taking one of them slots. But for now, MON THE BIFF!!