Download have officially put all the rumours to bed exceptionally early this year by announcing next summer’s headliners already. Last week we reported that German Industial icons Rammstein would be taking to the main stage. Since then we have been informed that Iron Maiden would also be headlining and, in the last 24 hours, Download have confirmed Slipknot as the third main act for 2013′s festival.
This will be Slipknot’s second time as a Download headlining act, with their 2009 performance becoming the stuff of legend. That particular concert was deemed worthy enough for inclusion as a bonus disc on their recent ‘Best of’ collection. Early reports from the Slipknot camp are enthusiastic, with Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan stating:
‘We are extremely honoured to have been asked once again to headline the Download festival. This most definitely will be an experience not to be missed. Partake in the imagination or don’t.’
Iron Maiden are, of course, no stranger to the Donington area and their inclusion will certainly entice legions of classic metal fans to the festival. Rammstein are a bold, but also incredibly smart choice, as their theatrics and highly sexualised operatic metal will most certainly go down a treat in a field full of 100,000 eager fans.
Download have most definitely created a successful level of interest, but it begs the question: is it too early to get excited about an event which is nine months away? Does it give the fans something definite to look forward to, or is it simply a sensible move to ensure the success of the festival in an unstable and tumultuous market? Let us know.
2012 saw the cancellation of several festivals, including Bloc, Sonisphere and The Big Chill. This goes to show that, even though a festival may have a well known and successful track record, there are no certainties in the competitive world of the live circuit.
We’d also love to know what your thoughts are on the choice of headline acts? Will this have you reaching for the credit card, or holding out to see what else materialises?
Us? We’re all incredibly excited and can’t wait to see you all there!
Download tickets are on sale NOW. For more info, head over to their official site HERE
You can also find Download on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE
Here’s a taster of the aforementioned 2009 Slipknot show: If this doesn’t get you riled up, we don’t know what will.
All words by Colin McCracken. You can read more of his Louder Than War articles HERE
He writes about movies HERE and lurks about on Twitter HERE
The post Download 2013 Festival Headliners Announced. What are your thoughts? appeared first on Louder Than War.
