Finishing up our coverage of the Middle Saturday of Download 2017 is our look at The Avalanche Stage and The Dogtooth Stage for the day. The rest of our coverage for Download 2017, covering all of Friday and the other stages from Saturday, can be found on the links below:
Rock Sins Download Festival 2017 Friday Review – Main Stage
Rock Sins Download Festival 2017 Friday Review – Zippo Encore Stage
Rock Sins Download Festival 2017 Friday Review – Avalanche and Dogtooth Stages
Rock Sins Download Festival 2017 Saturday Review – Main Stage
Rock Sins Download Festival 2017 Saturday Review – Zippo Encore Stage
Kicking things off for Rock Sins in the tent stages on Saturday were The One Hundred (7), who have been steadily building a significant fan base so it was no surprise to see a more than hefty crowd fill up the Avalanche stage for their set. Singer Jacob Field was full of energy both through the delivery of his diverse vocals but also in his interaction with the crowd, mixing in dancing, screaming and organising pits to a quality set. I expect we will see them further up the bill the next time they play here at Download. IW
Playing just about every festival this summer from Impericon to Reading & Leeds are Casey (7), the come out to perform in front of a very full Dogtooth Stage. The Cardiff five-piece deliver a set that was just as emotional as you would expect from them, opening with “Hell”, the entire set sees the crowd screaming along to every word and you can really feel the connection the fans have with this band. The beautiful melodies and raw emotion in the lyrics make this a stunning performance to watch. We are treated to an appearance from Lucas Woodland of Holding Absence during “Teeth” before the band closing this short but sweet set with fan-favourite “Little Bird”. CM
Climbing the hill back up towards the Dogtooth Stage at this point in the day, you’d be forgiven for wondering what’s going on, such is the crowd gathered in and all the way around said tent. On stage in fact, are Southampton comedy trio The Lounge Kittens (9), who end up delivering one of the surprise highlights of the whole weekend with a gloriously silly half-hour that manages to riff on not only almost every major band playing the weekend, but also a whole bunch of 90s pop culture to boot. Opening with a cover of Drowning Pool’s rock-club classic Bodies sets the tone perfectly for the hilarity to come, as Jen, Timia and Zan showcase what can only be described as a fusion of beautiful three-part harmony and the kind of songs Download punters have grown to love over the years. Following up with a pop-punk medley taking in the likes of Good Charlotte, Sum 41 and Blink 182 only serves to draw even louder sing-alongs, and an even more palpable party atmosphere.
Naturally, things only get more bizarre from there on out, as the Kittens continue on into a cover of Violent Pornography from previous night’s headliners System of a Down, a brilliant medley of classic 90s cartoon themes including Transformers and Thundercats, and their cover of Queen favourite Bicycle Race – recently released as a charity single for Heavy Metal Truants (the Kittens themselves having taken part in the annual charity cycle from London to Donington alongside the group). As their set draws to a close however, The Lounge Kittens have one final trick up their collective sleeves – a medley that comprises tracks from bands all across the Download 2017 bill, from Steel Panther to Aerosmith, and Alter Bridge to Sabaton – all carried out in their own inimitable style. It sounds completely insane as a concept, but the overwhelmingly positive audience response is clear indication that The Lounge Kittens have not only come to Donington, but have left having conquered the place. JFW
Delivering one of the more hectic performances of the weekend are metal punk heavyweights Every Time I Die (10) as they burst onto the stage with “No Son Of Mine” and show everyone at Download why they’re one of the best live bands on the planet. From the start bodies are in flight as the band powers through a set spanning most of their back catalogue, from the punishing (and brilliantly titled) “Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space” to the more melodic “It Remembers”, frontman Keith Buckley showcases how great his vocals are, sounding equally as violent screaming as he sounds beautiful singing. The band are all able to keep up with each other without a note out of place before ending the set with the enormous “Map Change”. Utterly flawless. CM
Words by Iain Willetts, Connor Morris and Jack Fermor-Worrell.
