Download Festival: Sunday Tuborg Stage

United Kingdom | | 15 June 2007

Lost Alone are a political hardcore force to be reckoned with, heavy on infectious choruses and mosh worthy riffs. As Give It A Name veterans, their drop down tuning and meaningful lyrics offer up something different with a 90's Indie twist.
 
Pretty similar to The Ghost Of A Thousand in that respect, who are also young, volatile and in your face, with a set made up of material from 'This Is Where The Fight Begins'. It's Punk Rock with a Metal edge, exclusively no namby pamby Horror Punk here!
 
In This Moment fuse Metal and Hard Rock for fans of Atreyu, but with the added visual bonus of petite blonde front woman Maria.The Southern Californian based band blast through a passionate set with strong, aggressive vocals.
 
The skinny jeans brigade arrive with Lights! Action, who are unashamedly formulaic with a mainstream, pop sound that sounds refreshingly brilliant on this dank Sunday afternoon. Lead singer Patrick may have touches of Preston from The Ordinary Boys about him, but he delivers 'Us Against The World' beautifully with shades of Bloc Party and Foo Fighters.
 
Post Hardcore outfit Kids In Glass Houses triumph with a delightfully catchy crowd pleasing set, most memorable for the unifying moment when the whole crowd give it their all during the 'Give Me What I Want' chorus.
 
It's a breath of fresh air almost as refreshing as Fair To Midland, who offer up a brand of alternative art rock that is richly well constructed without any of the heaviness dilluted. They sound like Tool but with more intensified vocals and haunting tracks cast an eerie shadow over the third stage, blending guitar and piano to perfection and cooling down a crowd from an overheated weekend.
 
 Lauren Harris, daughter of legendary bassist Steve, performs a modest set of earthy Classic Rock with the ease and talent of an artist that could have quite capably played a bigger stage. Raw and enthusiastic, this was a confident set for a Donnington debut.
 
The crowds swell for Cult Of Luna, who building up their set with a momentum that eventually results into a crushing crescendo of atmospheric brutality. Epic songs with a sense of foreboding capture an enthralled audience. It's easy to see why they are often referred to as the ultimate shoegazing band!
 
Having been kings of the SoCal Punk scene for quite some time, most people would admit to having a secret soft spot for Reel Big Fish. They deliver a span of material ranging from 98's 'Why Do They Rock So Hard?' with fired up energy that mohawked kids in the front give right back.  The crowd dance, surf and thoroughly enjoy the party aesthetics of a group that have never cared even slightly about being the most popular or revered band around, and surely this is what makes them so great.