48 hours is a long time in the music industry. Since we published our preview of the first part of Download Festival 2024, we’ve had over half a dozen bands – Pest Control, Scowl, Speed, Zulu, Overpower and Negative Frame, and then slightly later Ithaca – decide to drop off various parts of the Download line up (main festival, RIP courtyard stage). All of them have done so in protest at Barclays being a major sponsor of Download while being heavily invested in Israel with the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Whether any more bands decide to join them – keep your eyes on the usual social media channels for updates on this situation.
In the meantime, we’re going to pick up where the Friday preview left off, and recommend our readers some more bands to check out from the Saturday of Download 2024’s line up:
Holding Absence – Avalanche Stage – 6:30pm
With frontman Lucas Woodland back to his day job after stepping in with Funeral For A Friend on Friday night, Holding Absence return to Download for their most high profile appearance so far. New album The Noble Art Of Self Destruction is perhaps slightly more of a slow burner than their full breakthrough album The Greatest Mistake Of My Life, but repeat listens bring the true value out of the album. Live they’ve become even more of a formidable force, with multiple American tours and experience in Arenas supporting the likes of Pierce The Veil under the belts. Once Download is out of the way, they’re headlining their own show in a Castle. A Castle?! How many bands can say that? Go and find out why they’re able to do that for yourself.
While She Sleeps – Opus Stage – 6:10pm
Possibly the cruellest clash of the entire weekend, the Download powers that be put Holding Absence and While She Sleeps on at basically the same time, creating an awful choice for many. There is no wrong choice between these two bands, with both capable of being absolutely phenomenal live. Certainly if While She Sleeps find their form either of their last appearance at Donington during The Download Pilot, or their recent Alexandra Palace headline show, then it is likely to be one of the performances of the entire weekend. Lets just hope the setlist isn’t too heavily weighted in favour of latest album Self Hell, as while it has it’s moments, it’s not WSS finest work to date.
Bleed From Within – Opus Stage – 1:40pm
Scottish metal heroes Bleed From Within return to Download two years after laying waste to The Dogtooth, and find themselves in much grander surroundings this time. With the prospect of their upcoming arena run supporting Slipknot at the end of the year, and a brand new banger of a single out in the shape of Hands Of Sin, things are looking pretty peachy for one of Scotland’s finest heavy exports. They’ve been given a whopping fifty minutes in which to do their thing too, which could make for one of the performances of the entire weekend!
Fall Out Boy – Apex Stage – 9pm
Saturday’s first time Download headliners Fall Out Boy were a slightly unexpected choice, but overall one that has been very welcome. It’s the first time ever a pop punk band, or at least one with their roots in the genre has headlined Download, adding to the fresh feel. With a back catalogue as strong as Fall Out Boy’s, one can expect 90 minutes of singalongs on everything from old favourites like Dance, Dance and Sugar We’re Going Down to most recent hits Love From The Other Side and Heartbreak Feels So Good. We can’t wait!
Bowling For Soup – The Doghouse In District X – 12:30 (half midnight)
Something a little bit different (and after hours), and a very different kind of pop punk experience to the one Fall Out Boy will provide on the main stage. Bowling For Soup’s acoustic shows with frontman Jaret Reddick and bassist (or in this case, second guitarist) Rob Felicetti are known for being intimate, personal experiences, almost like a pub singalong. Well this pub singalong could have up to 10,000 people taking part. They’ve only got half an hour, and given they like to tell stories on the acoustic performances, how many songs we get remain to be seen, but one thing is for sure, this will be the perfect way to wind down (or wind back up again) on your Saturday night!
Bambie Thug – Apex Stage – 11am
This Download Festival could well play host to multiple “statement” performances. None more so than from Bambie Thug. Following their revelatory performance flying the Irish flag at Eurovision 2024 with Doomsday Blue, Bambie Thug returns to Download to follow up last years’ performance by opening the Apex Stage on Middle Saturday. We are not exaggerating when we say we think just about anything is possible, including (we’d go so far as to say it’s fairly likely) the Barclaycard / Israel / Palestine situation will be referenced, given their strong feelings on the matter at Eurovision itself. It feels like it could be unmissable, unless you want to give Heriot your attention (more on them in a second). BURN THE WITCH!
Heriot – Opus Stage – 11am
Having opened the festival in such spectacular style on The Dogtooth Stage two years ago, UK metal quartet Heriot will kick off Middle Saturday of Download 2024 on the much bigger settings of the Opus Stage. Their Profound Morality EP quickly became a firm favourite about the UK metal underground, and having supported everyone from As Everything Unfolds to Lamb Of God, you probably can’t call them underground anymore. Case in point, last week it was announced they’ve signed to Century Media and will drop their full length debut, Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell in September. By then, there may be no stopping Debbie Gough and co. If you’re up early enough, and Bambie Thug isn’t your cup of tea, Heriot will provide an excellent alternative.
Babymetal – Apex Stage – 3:40pm
Worship The Fox God once again on the hallowed turf of Donington Park! Babymetal return to Download and are another band playing their most high profile slot to date in 2024. Restored to three full members with the introduction of Momometal last year and with newest album The Other One taking them to new heights in their Japanese homeland and beyond, this could be quite a spectacle. They’ve also teamed up with fellow live favourites Electric Callboy on Ratatata (yes, we know it sounds like the name of an O.G. Pokemon) – and with Callboy appearing at Download the next day, one wonders whether we might get a full live rendition of the song all together. Stay tuned for that and much more. GIMME…CHOCOLATE.
Dying Wish – Dogtooth Stage – 3:55pm
Operating at the very heaviest edges of what you could call metalcore, Oregon quartet Dying Wish are as fearsome a live proposition as any other band on the Download 2024 line up. With their hardcore influence, riffs by the bucket load and frontwoman Emma Boster a notable presence, this is another instance of The Dogtooth playing host to a band who feel like they could explode across the metal world even further at any moment. This set is going to be incendiary. Don’t sue the organisers if you come out with a bruise or two afterwards.
Honourable mentions: Enter Shikari, Florence Black, Asinhell, Silverstein, Charlotte Sands, Lowlives, Dying Fetus, Alpha Wolf.
All of these bands and many more can be enjoyed on Middle Saturday of the 2024 Download Festival, headlined across the weekend by Queens Of The Stone Age, Fall Out Boy and Avenged Sevenfold. The festival has now officially sold out, though there may be some tickets available on re-sale. Anyone wanting to check for some last minute tickets to the annual pilgrimage to Donington Park can do so on this link.
