Download Festival 2005 (Castle Donington)

I've been to download festival two years running now and although I can't go for the full trip this year im still hoping on going for on of the days maybe even two.

For those of you who don't know what download festival is, well I assume everybody is aware of a what a festival is, but download plays mainly rock, metal and music from the alternative scene, but even if this isn't really your kind of thing there is plenty going on that everybody will enjoy. For those who are into this kind of thing, it used to be called 'ozzfest'., and before that I believe 'monsters of rock' festival was held in the same place.

Ill start with 2004... Let's do things chronologically.

DOWNLOAD 2004.

Well I can't believe I went for a start, it was one of those things id always dreamed of doing but never thought would happen, but I made it and it was really the best experience I have ever had. I had only been to one concert before that and I thought that was great but it's just so different with all those people, outdoors in that atmosphere.

THE TRAVEL
The festival is set in Derby so if you're northern lass like me (of bloke of course) then you'll know it's a fair trek. But I went with someone who drove down there and we found it was relatively easy to find. The website gave directions that were really straight forward and we only encountered problems when we hit Derby centre, for anyone that's been, Derby centre is just like one giant roundabout if you're driving.

I think from where I am it was about a 2 1/2 hour drive to 3 hour drive... roughly.

There was also a coach option for the festival were you could meet up for a coach at the nearest pick up point, this cost about £30. Or alternatively people could get a train to Derby and catch the coach from there.

GETTING IN AND CAMPING.
This is were the experience got abit tough. You see there are thousands and thousands of people who attended download that year and it would seem they all arrived at the same time as us! So we were stuck in a massive crowd, that was meant to be a queue, for hours, literally hours. By the time we reached the gates to enter I had caught the sun really bad on my shoulders and drank half of the beer supply! There is a bag check at the gates since no glass, knives, fireworks or BBQs are allowed in the campsite. That only takes a short while though. Then you're off to find a pitch for your tent.
There are various campsites, all labelled with colours and each campsite had there own toilets and food joints. There was also an area just inside the main gates where games could be played, there were lots of shops and many food places for all kinds of food, including a corner shop, chippy, noodle bar, hotdogs and burgers, a place that sold breakfasts like bacon sarnies, and the like.
Anyway you get your tent up and you can freely doss around for the rest of the day. Assuming of course you get there the day before the event starts, which I strongly suggest if you want a good pitch and don't want to miss some of the stuff going on.

ALTERNATIVES TO CAMPING
When purchasing a ticket you are given the option of camping, caravans or hotels in the local area. Also a camping plus ticket could be obtained were you got to camp out for the real traditional experience but got VIP use of showers (which at 2004 wasn't an option on the standard ticket). You could also just go for the day if you didn't fancy the complete line up.

THE EVENTS.
Obviously there were the bands, all the live music you could dream of, three tents in total each playing a different band. Minor bands had half hour sets and then the more important bands played later with longer sets, the headlines got a couple of hours, like a full concert of there own. The 2004 headliners were Linkin Park on the Saturday and Metallica on the Sunday. With bands such as Korn, slipknot, Iggy pop, Machine head, cradle of filth and slayer playing before them. Also playing were damage plan, this was the same year that the legendary Dime bag (guitarist) was shot dead in America. I was one of the fortunate few that got to hear him before this tragic event. And I never realised that at the time but now I feel very grateful and honoured for it.

Not your kind of music? Well no fear as well as that there was a separate tent where you could watch live BMXing and skateboarding. Or alternatively you could go shopping for official merchandise from both bands and the festival itself (I got me a tee shirt), get drunk at one of the beer tents, or visit the aftershock tent and play with water pistols, get free shots with leaflets, go in the hot tub, or later on in the night watch pole dancers strut their stuff.

LATE NIGHT... AFTER THE BANDS
The fun never stopped once the headlining band had finished, when you go back to the campsite its almost guaranteed fun if you want it, with the amount of merry people, every one of them friendly your guaranteed to find yourself in someone else's tent, sat around drinking beer, and there was even the odd person with a stereo or guitar at hand to keep the music going.

EXPENSES AND CHARGES
2004 weekend tickets, complete with camping and parking cost roughly £120 odd (I can't remember the exact price). Plus the £7.50 booking fee for each ticket purchased. It's not a cheap experience. Food is also expensive on campus averaging £3 for a burger, £2.50 for chips, £4 for noodles, £3 for a pint £5 for small pizza. So it is cheaper to take your own snacks and beers.DOWNSIDES.
+The expense of course, as wonderful a weekend it is the money was a big issue, you pay all of the above plus whatever it costs you for travel and merchandise if you buy any. The VIP tickets with hotels and caravans cost a lot more than camping also so it really was a costly trip.
+Metallica... im not a big fan to be honest but for anybody who knows who metallica are you'll all know that they are a massive band and even to see them is an experience (even if you don't like them, I don't but I still wanted to see them)... however with Lars (drums) getting ill and being taken to hospital every fan stood in that crowd, who had been stood there all day watching other bands, had to wait about an hour and half (no joke) for them to come out.... they did compensate for this however by producing a once in a lifetime gig... metallica plus Joey Jordison (slipknot drummer) on the drums.... nobody else will ever see that again!

• the travel. It was long and tiresome.
• the car park was a 5 minute walk away from the main gates... the is a massive strain if like me you're carrying all your camping equipment, beer and food.

NOW 2005
The travel was the same as above, as was the parking.
The tickets cost £135 plus booking fee this year, but everybody was entitled to shower usage and shower cubicles were supplied for each camping area.
There were now three days of bands instead of two. That made it better.
And to top it all off the dark prince Ozzy Osborne returned to download. Black Sabbath headlined download. It was a massive turn out. Also playing were, system of a down, velvet revolver, HIM, slayer, slipknot, and in one of the other tents was Billy Idol and motor head.
Three days made the experience more worth while.
I went this time with my boyfriend, who isn't generally into this music, he likes rap and hip-hop mainly but he loved it too, so it just goes to show that the experience is a worth while one even if at face value it doesn't seem to be your scene.
The aftershock tent also added some extra this year, with the new mechanical bull and also the website had set up webcams around the tents and stages so those who couldnt go could watch the dancers and the bands.
Also new this year was the oxygen bar where you could try out fruity flavoured oxygen. Tasty, gets you high and good for you!THIS YEAR....
That's right download festival this year. Tickets are the same price as last year and this year some major bands have confirmed their presence. TOOL, METALLICA AND GUNS AND ROSES are headlining this year. With bands like prodigy, Korn, deftones signed up too. It's going to be an amazing experience and I really hope I get to go this year.

For anybody interested, I really do recommend going, it will be an experience to say the least, there really is so much to keep you occupied, the only thing I would say is you have to be willing to spend the money and have the patience to wait in the queue.

Its great to with friends, but if you don't that's ok because there are so many friendly people there that will gladly talk to you, it is the most friendly atmosphere I have ever been in I truly felt like I was at home.
I thought it was the best place to escape to, even if your looking for a quiet weekend away im sure you'll love it, with all this going on it still left me feeling really relaxed and by the end of it I never wanted to leave!

TIPS FOR PEOPLE GOING
+take your own snacks and beer, its might mean more journeys or more carrying but its a damn site cheaper.
+take some water proof clothing and a change of shoes, if it rains it gets really muddy
+take a bandana.. if you go in the mosh pit in the sunny weather you'll find youself in a cloud of dust and you might need a bandana to breath.
+if you go in the mosh pit, make sure your strong enough to cope! Both times i went i ended up in the medical tent!
+Take loo role!!! Believe me with them toilets there you will need it!
+there is a cash machine there but there is always a huge queue for it so i suggest you take some money and keep it somewere safe.
+dont take too much, bear in mind how far you have to carry it!

You can get all the latest information on www.downloadfestival.co.uk and also can purchase tickets from here, camping equipment and merchandise.

WARNING!!! For anybody looking for tickets on the cheap.... do not look on eBay for them. Last year I bought tickets on eBay and then I ordered some more for my friend. We received one set but the other set never arrived and my friend never got to go, we had paid for these tickets and have never seen the refund either so please be aware of this I would hate for the same fate to happen to any of you.