Download Festival!

Hey everyone! 

I know I haven't updated this in a few weeks, but I've been pretty busy enjoying this awesome sunshine England is currently having out of no where! 

So, this blog is going to be about my little adventure at Download Festival a couple of weekends ago, where I got to live a childhood dream and see Aerosmith live for the first time. 

Friday - My awesomely lovely dad picked my friend up on the Thursday and he stayed over in ours, so we could leave super early on the Friday morning, to get to Birmingham to pick up another friend of mine on the way. We got to Donnington park about 10:30ish, said byebye, and off the 3 of us went, loaded down with rucksacks, chairs, tents, gazebos. We looked like we were moving house, not going camping for 3 days. 

When we got there, there was no camping space! OH NOS! But they were opening a new field. On the way, clever me went and bust my shoulder up, and got blisters - Wonderful start. So I was left with half of our stuff half way to the campsite and the boys took most of it and one of them came back for the rest and me. On the way to the campsite (while i was left on my own), I met two other awesome guys who were having trouble finding a place to stay, Josh and Lewis, so I said they could bunk with us and we'd find space even if we squished our tents up so they could fit, and since then, I've made some friends for life with those guys. We had such a blast with them all weekend. 

We set up, chilled, (cracked open a can or two), and then headed down to the arena for our first full day of music. That day we saw my friends band, Page 44, The Temperance Movement, Rival Sons, Rob Zombie and the ALMIGHTY Avenged Sevenfold. Day one, was a complete success! Avenged were incredible, and despite the blistering sun and heat, Download could not be off to a better start! 

Saturday - FALL OUT BOY DAY! Oh, how I was excited for the Saturday line up! On the Saturday, all 5 of us (Myself, my friend Peter, my friend Matt, and our two new buddies, Josh and Lewis) stayed together and headed off to the arena again. We started off the day by seeing Bowling for Soup's last ever UK performance (or so they say...), then onto Killswitch Engage. We were nearly at the front, which was probably, in hindsight, a pretty bad idea, because after Killswitch, Bring Me the Horizon graced the stage, and I've seen them a few times before. Their crowds are brutal. Kicked, punched, elbowed, headbutted. Hurt a bit. But we ended up about 4 people from the barrier, and next, was one of my favorite bands, Fall Out Boy. I was not going ANYWHERE. That was my 3rd time seeing FOB in only 10 months. And once again they didn't disappoint! After FOB, I was pretty tired, and in a lot of pain from the Bring me set, so me and Matt went and chilled while Linkin Park were on. They were as awesome as I've been told, and it was just so cool to look at them and think "my cousin has played with you!" 

Now, Sunday... - Last day. But probably the day I looked forward to the most. Aerosmith day. We got down to the arena quite early that day, and spent most of the day chilling by main stage. We caught Red Dragon Cartel, Winger, Buckcherry, Richie Sambora and Joe Bonamassa's set. But by the time Buckcherry had finished, there was heavy rumors flying around the crowd of who the "surprise set" was going to be from on the 3rd stage. This band was rumored to be an "arena playing band", which was incredible. In the end, mine and my friends suspicious (which arose from a dodgy tweet that was being shown on the main stage screens), was right. BLACK STONE CHERRY! Again, I've seen these guys before and they were incredible. So after Joe Bonamassa's set, myself, Matt and Lewis piled over to the 3rd stage to try and get anywhere near it to see them. After Black Stone Cherry, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed back over to main stage, to meet back up with Peter and Josh, to catch the very obscene, but fun loving Steel Panther. Me and Peter have decided we're going to get dressed up and go see them on their own tour in March next year ;) Then Alter Bridge came on, and not being a massive fan of theirs, I chilled and chatted to Lewis, while Peter went CRAZY! Then it was MY time to loose my mind... Aerosmith. I have loved Steven Tyler's voice since I was 3 years old. So this was a dream come true. I was slightly worried about seeing them, incase they weren't as good as expected. But they were more. I was mindblown, and I was SO SO SO hyped up. 

Early hours Monday morning (about 1am), my mum and dad came to pick me and my two friends up, and it was so sad having to leave Josh and Lewis as we had such an amazing time with them the whole weekend, but we are already making plans to meet up again soon.

So that was my Download experience! Sorry it's been such a long read but if you read it all, then thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed reliving it and reminiscing. I have to keep in mind a very special guy who was remembered by every single person in the Download crowd, and if you read this, I want you to take a moment and remember and maybe do a big "thumbs up for Stephen", the guy that touched the hearts of probably every single person in the UK. Stephen Sutton, you rule man! I hope you were looking down on Download and rocking along! <3

4 an half weeks til Warped now, so the blog will be back focused on Warped soon I promise! It's getting so exciting now ;) 

Love <3