Virus's a Covid Journey.

So background.

I am double jabbed and boosted.

I survived a hit and run when I was 16 resulting in me gaining brain and nerve damage.

Said brain and nerve damage is what saved me from a viral infection on my brain at the age of 42.
With out said damage I Wouldn't have realised there was something wrong and got to hospital early enough to save my own skin.

So at 43 what happened, well Our beloved government decided that all Covid restrictions were no longer a legal requirement in an ongoing pandemic. 
Our government thought that it would be simpler to leave the mass's to get back to normal and act like the pandemic never happened. Sorry I mean decided to let the mass's take matters into their own hands and do as they decide. 

Well for me that meant still wearing the face mask and warning everyone that while on our premises due to the lack of airflow or any ventilation within the shed that they should really wear masks. 
If they don't feel well just cancel and we will not worry about it as it is better to be home than be in the building passing on the virus. 

Yet they don't listen and as said I am masked I wash my hands regularly I am very careful as I know if I am off work things will go wrong. As they always do because my employers have no idea how to run the site. 

Any ways, I have no idea when it happened but I caught Covid. (I will take an educated guess when it happened as I can calculate it down to the people through the door and the time it took me to get ill.) It was the "men's group" which was booked in on a day when we were closed by one of my boss's who while on site spend the entire night sat in an office at the other end of the building leaving me to deal with 21 gentlemen who were happier to be out and of course never bothered that they had "colds" and carried on being out in the world once more. 

Masks work if all are using them. When you are heavily outnumbered there is a possibility it is going to get through. An social distancing with my job well that has never been really possible. All I can think is I had to drink, I put the mask back on and I didn't tighten it enough I shall go with that. 

That cold that several of you had, well it happened to be Covid. An I know this as I thought oh I have a cold I will just take a test to make sure and Oh look it is positive. I'll just take a second test to make sure out of the newer kit an Oh it is also positive. Well that's 2 LFTs from 2 different kits both saying I have the virus. So we will trust the LFT report it and not bother with the PCR as that's just taking up room in the system. 

Partner also tested, results so far for her have always been negative. When she is home I have my mask on and when she is not home I have had windows open and mask not on. Thankful for global warming right now as its mid march and it is unseasonably warm. (Global warming is BAD need to sort that)

Anyway I haven't reached day 5 that is tomorrow and I shall be testing for the first time since the positive result on Thursday morning. 

So what has it been like, I have been expecting this flu like horror, an first day it did feel like I had flu, I had aches and cough my nose was running my throat was sore and I was hot then cold and everything in between and these included both hot and cold sweats!

Day two, Just a sore throat and random lightheadedness and loss of energy though that didn't last long and was back to strength very quickly.

Day Three. coughing and sneezing, sore throat gone, but much coughing and sneezing. An aches in joints and muscles. 

Day four, well today. Kidney pain but only mild, sore throats back but I can eat and drink without pain so think it might be the vocal cords. An occasional drop in energy which yet again don't last.

Who knows what day 5 is going to bring? 

It is rare I get the same symptoms one day after another. I am hoping that my test tomorrow comes back negative but I have a feeling it wont. Though I would like it too so I can get back to work on Tuesday as I feel I am letting down customers.

On top of this not being in work over a busy weekend has been hectic as I know all the stuff I am going to have to rebuild when I do get back in. As I have been called in twice well technically 3 times over the weekend to try and repair the site. The Saturday I went in once the site was closed double masked and gloved (Double Masked is my 2 micron resin casting mask with 5 layer carbon filter with an N95 under it) I would hate to pass this on to anyone. 

Wow this is really long and boring. 

So in short Covid SUCKS. It can be deadly it can be boring it can be awkward. Seriously every single person I have talked too has said different things. There really is no baseline Covid expectation. It has been so random and so different through all my research and talks with friends and people that I have been able to talk to about how it has been for them. While always remember the few that I didn't get to talk to about it, but that is the thing this virus has been so turbulent and destructive not all of us got out of it unscathed. Hell I haven't got out of it yet, this is the end of day 4. I don't know if day 5 will see me clear. I know my employers would like to see me clear so I can go back to making them money. 

So yeah why I wrote this. Because like most things I try to get my thoughts down in this blog, about what's going on as well my brain is already damaged and it helps to run things into words. An while I was slowly starting to get my brain back after the viral thing from 2021 recovery was taking way too damn long but i was getting there catching Covid and being late to the party is just a thing that has happened and I wanted to get this all down before my brain wiped it out. I have enough learn to live with issues I'm not sure what comes next once I am through this. I regain energy quickly so if I do get worn out then It probably won't slow me down. My brain is clearly becoming better at getting things out as this is really long. This cough needs to do one. 

An incase you were wondering, which you probably aren't, I am still going to wear my mask at work, I am still going to keep my distance as best I can, I am still going to clean my hands regularly and I am still going to make sure that I don't pass this on to anyone else. 

But you have had it your now immune. Nope I am jabbed and boosted I have had it, I have about 6 weeks off immunity and guess what that is not good enough. Get used to the mask's people, they will reduce colds, flus and covid infections. Keep washing your hands once more will reduce cold flus and covid infections (also nora lets not forget about that horrid piece of work)

So yeah I am jabbed and boosted and I am not going to die but it is an inconvenience making sure I dont kill some one else by passing it on but that is all it is. An it is one I am willing to make. Every damn time. 

I'm a long way from done, I might still ruin it, I Might make it look awesome. All I can say for sure no matter what it is the first mini I painted this year.

 So why the odd title.

It's been christmas it's been new year, it has been an odd one with it falling on weekends and with the state the worlds in the day job has basically not been open so I have had time to paint. 

Which has been nice, I picked up a lovely miniature from Bad Squiddo games which is the dungeons and laser Xeno Dragon, I got it built and painted over 3 days, being new years day till January 3rd.
This though is not about that though I am a little proud of it. Which I shall be honest for me is odd. 

This brings me to this blog and what it is about! Self Criticism (Is that how you spell that?)
We all do it, some of us do it more some of us do it less. 
But the whole thing of hating things you created even if others think it is good.

I know we all sit here trying to get likes and thumbs up and so on in order to get the dopamine hit. 
Which shockingly is more common in the younger generation, while with the oldies not so much. 
It is more related to the time you learned to use the internet. Side tracked again sorry. 

It is more for the tryers. (is that no that is definitely spelt wrong)
Never knock your own painting, you painted it. 
Never give up just because someone says that naff, the reason they are saying is because they are jealous.

Also Practise everything is practise. I hate my painting I forget how I get colour combinations and all sorts, but I painted it.

It's got different colour parts, it has different hue's (nope also looks wrong) shades and so on, did I paint it as the book says. Did I heck, I painted it my way, my sloppy unlean way, my slap dash totally not how any painting guide anywhere will tell you to paint way, but it is my way and it works for me. 

The paints not too thick not to thin because I learned how to use a wet pallet (probably wrong but still) means my paint flows. 

Once long ago, (some time in the 1990's) I worked for the juggernaut of tabletop wargaming. Who of course taught me to paint, sculpt and other things as well. An you know what I still changed how I paint as it was what made me comfortable and what made me happy and still does to this day. 

So the questions to answer are as follows (yep no rhyme or reason to this at all)

I don't get edge highlights. They are not a thing you would ever see in real life so why do we do them?

Do you start dark and get light?

Start light and get dark?

Start in the middle and shade and highlight?

Do you use basic paints or mix and blend?

In all honesty non of the questions matter, what matters is do you enjoy your painting?

Do you feel pride in the army you hand crafted and placed on the table top?

Are you playing a game you enjoy and using the hobby to relax?

The last 3 all should have the answer yes to them and if this is the case then who cares what other people think, while we like to hear good things about things we create and do non of it is that important just the desire to play games and spend quality time with friends and strangers demonstrating our tactical prowess and lack luck with dice, while pushing around miniatures making look like our minds want them too.

Side note this is a rambling of my brain trying to say something which I honest cant find the words to say, this is my first random attempt to blog in a while and I have been sat here for 4 hours writing this.
My brain is still struggling to work correctly and I have to just keep pushing in order to get back what ever I can. 

Thanks for humouring me as I try not to lose me. 

As yet untitled.. Wait can I use that?

The last 18 months, have been hard on everyone in different ways shapes and forms.
Covid has been a horrible fight. An we are still fighting, loss of friends, loss of libery loss of life.
I'm not even going to try and get into the how it effected you and yours or me and mine.
I have been one of the lucky ones and not contracted it to my knowledge.
I contracted something else.
Now the debate is what I contracted also how I contracted it.
Some say it is Viral Meningitis, some say Encephalitis. No one can actually tell me exactly what I had just what I was treated for.

So why am I writing this, because i have too for me, one for a memory before it all gets deleted and two because I really am struggling still with my mind.

I have been through brain injuries before and this just don't feel like it should. 

I'm still getting stuck on words, I am still unable to find words. My want to get things done is not here, the urge to work and build and create is gone. 

I don't know who I am but I don't like this me. 

I can't keep my concentration on anything for long, I'm even struggling to write this, I have been trying to now for about a week... Might be a month... Time is also very flexible in my head now as well...

A pressure increase to an already damaged brain causes all kinds of issues with said brain and while the doc's say I am clear and my brain has bounced back my mental & physical state would scream other wise. 

I know I am not me yet nothing I seem to do brings me any closer to being me. 

Anyone wants me I'll be banging my head agasint a wall in a corner some where trying to sort me out. 

Download Pilot "Aces High?"

View from Tent of Main Stage

View from Tent of 2nd Stage

 

The Tent

I am typing the whole thing on my phone. Reasons well my PC has gone bang that's why the phone but also I had a slight hiccup in my health in march and it has affected my memory so want to get this right. So Download Festival Pilot will be written on the fly then reorganised once I am home. Though still via the phone. Once I get my PC back I will get the photos uploaded.

This year it starts from work as it is a Pilot to try and get live music going again in these covid times it is a later gate and a shorter festival. So I'm in work at the moment waiting to leave. First band is 5pm. It's a 90 minute drive there and my average tom for getting my tent up in 20 minutes. No real issues bah getting a spot around 3/4pm though this is not a major issue as I'm flying solo.  So here's to day one of a way back to live music and festivals.

So all in and camped by 4:45pn. Camp sites are crammed full to burst, banning gazebos this year might have been a good idea but we're in and I think it's blue. It has reached the point where people have been told to camp on the paths in certain places. 

Two bands down so far and am close enough to the second stage I dont need to leave my tent.

Hot milk.
Are presently playing on main stage sound reasonable, but it is a fairly generic rock not really catching my full attention. Will probably look into them down the line though. Friday is a shorter day for bands and will just keep writing as I see them.

Annoyingly the signal is so weak that you can't keep a connection to anything. I should have realised this as I was trying to load my ticket at the gate. Such short notice the extra masts for phone signal probably weren't available, or they though 10% of the normal crowd wouldn't need them. I have got notes all over my phone though about bands I did see and as always this is about the whole experience not just the music (though generally the music is why we are here.)

Holding absence.
Bass set to high vocals too low. Musically fine but lack of being able to hear the singer was way of from the position I was in resulted in me needing to find YouTube stuff later. Appeared to be giving their all from my position on the crowd but the acoustics failed to help them. While most in would say that it was a reasonable performance, I don't know how they normally preform and the sound didn't help.

This became a common issue throughout the whole festival. We had moments in the camp site where the bass was so high on the second stage that people's speakers were blowing out on their own speakers, I could feel my skeleton shaking as if I was on the barrier at a Motorhead gig. Several others around me agreed as I was trying to make sure it wasn't just me so I did ask about.

Neck Deep.
I have photos of Neck Deep, I obviously watched Neck Deep, I don't remember watching them.
I know this seem's really odd. But this is my brain and for some reason I can't recall them, what is odder when I went to make notes in the evening after the bands had finished just to make sure I had got all my thoughts down I couldn't remember them either. 
I remember Frank Carter and other bits so why not them?

Frank Carter and the rattle snakes.
Not terrible, but not amazing. Don't know any of their songs and was planning to check them out in their original mid morning slot at the normal festival. Might not now. Terrible rendition of ace of spades. I'm probably biased.

Day two.
So another day where I know very few of the bands and after crawling I to my tent around 3am and then rising around 8am I'm feeling reasonably good. Pickup an £8.50 breakfast bap and am now awaiting the first band to play.
They are alternating between stage and tent. Which means no bands overlap.
Today is meant to be the better day.and walking to see bands is nothing. The distance to the tent is non existent I can actually see it from my own tent and if I stand up I can also see the screens for the stage.

Okay so the problem with having the camp site in the arena is you don't need to move to hear bands. As a result of not knowing anyone and feeling rather lathargic the first band I wandered in to see was A. Still playing strong can't grumble good set can't honestly name any of them. Okay not true they finished with nothing I can name that one.

Stone broken. Need more research. Could be interesting need to find some footage on youtube. From this bench point they don't sound half bad though the tent sound is still iffy at best. Are reminding me if Nickelback, not vocally but musically. I said this, when I walked past after going to the loo I thought they were actually playing Nickelback, it did sound like a track off Darkhorse. It wasn't but they did also have moments of coming across as Creed also. Not a terrible band will have to get some of their work.

Creeper.
They are playing but they just don't grab my attention. Which is a shame. I can't fault them musically but they just aren't grabbing me..

Day 3.
So today my days not exactly starting early. I am going to wander a bit and see what's going on and have to try and recall the band's I see, but I am definitely going to see wildhearts, skindred, bullet for my valentine. As two of them are the reason I'm here really. I keep saying for the science but you know what it's also for the love of live music, which if yesterday's activities are to go by lacks. I did watch a few bands yesterday and while they are fine they didn't catch me. It might be because of the circumstances but I don't know. While we all should be clear of covid and a lot of is are jabbed at least once it does still haunt the back of your mind. Sorry back to your regular scheduled download review.

While writing this bullet are doing there sound test. 

Saint Agnes. Musically okay. But lyrics are lacking. Attempt to make everyone sit down…. She isn't Corey and this isn't a slipknot gig, what's even better is when she jumped up it took the crowd slightly longer to realise. From what I've seen they don't lack musically but Lyrically they need to work on their song writing. They will get there and I'd like to see what else they have to offer.

Elvana.
This is what happens when you merge an Elvis impersonator with a band that likes to play Nirvana covers. Comedy gold.

Wildhearts.
Monitor issues affecting for the whole set, sound issues have generally plagued the festival over the weekend but not of us care as we all have missed this. Ah well, from Diagnosis into Vanilla radio followed by Everlone and with sick of drugs that's it. Ginger can't Handel the monitor issues and apologises walking off. It's hard to play if you can't heat yourself. Was a shame as this was the band I was most looking forward too enjoyed all I saw though. 

Skindred.
 I like skindred, downside I missed the tent from wildhearts onwards mainly due to the walk off sent me into a bit of a meh moment. So went for food. Anyway skindred.

I have no notes on skindred or bullet. The reason being I was enjoying the set. I can't recall every song, but there was a lot of singing along by myself and those around me. An when we got to warning and the Newport helicopter..... Well the crowd had gone early as in for the whole song shirts were spinning. 

Bullet for my Valentine.
It's bullet, been watching them for so long now that you always know what to expect, good performance, good tunes, still the sound issue but all the same not as bad as it has been with some bands. Plus playing run to the hills with Benji from Skindred on vocals who had the words to the song on a sheet of paper on his hand. Now I know he has his own songs to remember and there are a lot of them with skindred and dubwar plus the tracks he guests on but not knowing Run to the hills is questionable.

Okay so that's bands, music and so on. Let's talk layout, weather, food, drink, sound issues.

Firstly the whole thing was planned built and set up in 3 weeks. Then you have the fact that it is built in the usual arena that for everything else is a car park. The super bikes happened so they had 4 days to set everything up on site in reality.

Yes it does mean that the sound wasn't prepared for the smaller scale. The camp site may have been a little undersized for the capacity, the weather on day one was horrible, an vendors were limited. 

But they did it and alot of this can be forgiven because they didn't all in 21 days.

There is a reason that they arrive on site two weeks before the normal Download Festival it is to iron out all these little issues and problems, we all know some still happen but the larger things like the bass being able to blend a human at 100 yards isn't one we get commonly. The food vendors while being very few were a good level of varied, so there was something for everyone. The bar now I the bar was interesting. They were not that busy, we were restricted too how much alcohol we could take into the camp site, an that was 24 cans (see the historical site for full list) this was because we could take our own drinks into the arena. Which resulted in no ques for the bar. Can't see them letting us do that ever again.

Mud.... Normally download can become a bog with all the feet trampling through rain sodden grass, but with only 10,000 people it wasn't that bad. First year I've not had to hose my DMs down once I've got home.

I'll clean this up once I get near a PC. An of course get the photos attached.

Until next year, stay safe. An we will all be together once more at Donington Park for Download Festival and 3 days of music and mayhem.

See you at Download Festival 2022

The Rain Will Kill Us All.... "Download 2019"...... In Words...... WET......

I know I haven't said a lot for a couple of years, An that isn't important. I'm back for Download 2019.
I meant to do a 2018 post but I had such a good time and most of the bands I have talked about before so I just didn't bother.

So Here we go Drownload 2019.. Wait no sorry Download 2019.

The 2nd Weekend in June comes around every year, and every year we all migrate to that holy field known as Donington Park, an this year I nearly didn't make it.
Thank you to the guys in the group that bailed me out saved my arse and got me into said field.

There will probably be very little about the bands in this so if you are here for the bands then I am sorry there are more things to say about the whole what needs to be looked at instead of what they get right this year.

So lets start with Wednesday. Now as always there is a que into the car park but it gradually moves forward at a steady rate... Nope 2019 we all have to park in the West Car Park and that's a mile away from the actual camp site... But hang on the roads are grid locked, this was not planned well at all, so we were pushed into the south car park. This I can live with it is closer to where we plan to camp and as such it is a simple quick trip through the gates and into the BLACK CAMP. Yeah the village has moved. Whole team gets greatly confused as I wander off to scout where we want to be, I do it pretty darn quick on my lonesome. Into camp, tent goes up and I start laying out the other tents I am carrying heavens open have to wait for it to pass then carry on, mean while rest of the group are now at the entrance to where we are camping. They are told the camp sites closed. Because of a tree that has fallen, but if you are already in there you are safe but if you're not you have to wait. Yet for some reason they let me take a tent in from them one at a time and continue setting up.... How nuts is this! So I just keep walking back and forth building tents and on the 3rd tent they all seem to appear running down the hill, the hub crew had totally messed it up and they were meant to stop people camping near the tree. Head Wall, plus we were made to move the tents about 6 feet further in from the white line because the fear of new trees falling. I must admit there is a large tree where we camp but the fallen tree is all the way over the other side of the camp.

This isn't even the best bit yet, anyway the total redesign to the camp layouts, the loss of what was white and green results in more issues of people getting a little confused and lost. On top of this why did we lose the camp colours the dividing fences are still in place? Any one want to explain to me why this had to happen, as such over the years the camps themselves have become worse and worse, toilets get smaller and food merchants get reduced and move. The paper shops that used to permeate the hubs no longer exists, so you have to walk all the way to the coop in the village and now the village is not central it becomes a nightmare drudging through 10" of mud and water, an the restock for there is so slow because of the rain it becomes even more of a nightmare to try and purchase any thing When you think that the crews have already been on the site two weeks before we get there and the weather has been forecast as wet for that long, why do they never do anything to improve the situation before we even get in? I am hearing stories of boarding for wheel chairs in the disabled camp not being in place and the mud causing so many issues that the toilets weren't getting cleaned as often as they should be, though these companies will still take their money for a job fully done when it wasn't even half done.

I understand the wish for some to have the toilets segregated for male and female, I do but if you are going to segregate the toilets then you need to possible add more toilets, Or plan how they are being put together or the way they are laid out. This will become apparent in a moment why I am mad about this. Examples of this male urinals depending on which way you are walking you can see directly into them, an why is this important well back in 06 or 07 we got told males if you can just use the fences in the camp site around the edge and just be courteous and try to be as discrete as you can. in 19 we get told we can no longer use the fences as toilets, when I questioned this and pointed out that its been written for years (An yes I know urinating into a dike is probably not great for the water course but it's a short term thing and not an everyday thing an mud seriously you can piss yourself trying to get to the loos cause of ques and mud) But this is not the reason the little Hitler in the white jacket was giving. When I questioned this he actually said that's not changed. So I kept pushing and was threatened with removal from the festival if I did it. (I hadn't at this point) I kept pushing as I was not happy with this thing and I wanted clarification on the exact reason, I brought up the whole indecent exposure and I got told no that not the reason either, when I got to the end of this list I was basically told because it might trigger someone. Yep. Pissing up a fence discretely can trigger someone. The crew I go to Download age range is 19 to 40. Both Male and Female, the look on everyone's face when he said that was one of shock, followed by much moaning about metal festival and rock festival and so on. We never saw this white coat again, okay that not true he was seen by some of the guys in the Slipknot pit, but was ever seen again in a white jacket.

There was also a lot of confusion between white jackets, red jackets and orange jackets, it was like they were all working of different instructions.

So moving on from this we had some people just throwing water balloons at people as they walked up the road way, a friend was hit and we aren't 100% it was water I convinced her it was as said I am not 100% and when she reads this I'm sorry I think it was water I am fairly sure. But once reported security just shrugged it off like they couldn't be bother, so we can't piss up fences but we can throw water balloons filled with unknown liquids at people Oh the joy. (I'm not sure on the day of this)

Village layout, well if the walk ways had been correctly placed and the straw had been put down before we all arrived this might have been easier to walk through, it was seriously hard to walk in, made a killing in welly sales I guess but seriously my legs hurt, just trying to trudge through it. West car park is a stupid distance away and the shuttle bus wouldn't let trolleys on (This is what my mate said I don't know about that but I know the walks back breaking)

So for 2020 weather reports need to be watched and things need to be in place before we get there really and once more security singing off the same hymn sheet and sort the west car park walk some how.

So Friday
How did this go, well we took the "Short cut" through the track as that was the only visible way to get into the arena (We later found out it wasn't) This has gotten longer I and more windy, used to be a quick trek down the track and round a corner now the new infield layout of Donington Park meas you have to snake across the in field up and down hills in order to cross it and it takes ages, from Saturday we just started using the old route as it was quicker and easier. Though the new entrances and new ways in to the arena from each type of ticket did mean we didn't have a massive crush to get into the arena, though on Sunday they did reduce the entrance gate for people coming in. On top of this the amount of beer cans and not allowed items seen with in the arena makes me wonder if the security were checking anyone or just asking and letting them through, I know I never got searched I wasn't carrying anything but still.

Only one beer tent is open at 1pm on Friday. ONE. An then the options for said beverages (I don't do spirits so didn't look but were) Lager Choice: Carlsberg Pilsner, or Dogtooth Bitter. Or you could have Cider.... Any one seeing the problem here? Pilsner is not LAGER, Dogtoogh is BITTER, no LAGER! That was it. Last year we had a great selection of beers it was great beer prices I will be honest were reasonable for a trapped audience.

Skidrow in passing, sounded great loved the 3 tracks from the set I caught new singer is no Sebastian Bach but it's all okay can't fault them but I am heading for Summo Cyco.

Into the tent sets a few minutes late in for Summo Cyco, has been years since I last saw these guys and they are really killing the Avalanche stage, if you find time check them out not everyone cup of tea but I enjoy them fun and bouncy heavy and just insane i can't describe them. This bit is from 4 years ago when we saw them supporting Fozzy and ended up chatting to them for quiet some time at their merch stand, all support for these guys.

I wandered off so didn't see Icon for Hire but have been told there was some technical issues and they started late.

I know why we were trying to find an open bar that didn't have a que longer than the field. We ended up in the que next to the main stage and had the pleasure of listening to blackberry smoke, I have no issues with these guys single tracks in play lists popping up are fine and they play really well live, just after 20 minutes of them playing I get bored, just not my thing they are a good band but not a whole set for me (We did get the whole set though that's how long it took to get to the bar)

Up come Clutch, we have terrible beer. Catch first song, can't remember the words as always with Clutch but Zebrahead are playing and I like these guys, early for them I guess but was a great set, all that energy and the tent is rammed can't even get in to see them but get to hear them and sing along rather happily.

Wanted to see Deadland Ritual, got the day wrong totally screwed that up didn't see a thing.
My phone says I watched white snake, but I am not sure I did, for some reason I can't recall watching them, an here is the best bit I've not even finished my first beer so I can't blame it on the alcohol I never did finish the first beer.

Over to Opeth, catch the start of the set, never seen Opeth live they have played loads but I always forget to go and see them but Slash is playing and I want a good spot for that, so couple of songs in and off we go need to be close and Holy Crap how many people! Make my way to the front of the speaker tower and Here we go Slash, Myles, Conspirators Hell YES.

You know how good Slash and Myles are you do not need me to tell you how good these guys are together

An on to Rob Zombie, Rob can be hit and miss, but he is headlining, he is the last band on this stage it will get dark he will be happy and it will be awesome..... It was, he played he interacted he danced he sang he used loads of awesome video effects.... But nothing animatronic very few costume changes well for him the rest of the band were flying around changing outfits and so on, J5 as always on point, so glad he jumped from Manson to zombie. Great set and a fantastic way to finish the day, so walk back to camp take the short cut and listen to Def Leppard as we go (the volume on main stage was so loud you could hear it all the way at the back of the camp site and I know this because that is where we camp)

Back to camp with the crew all together to chat about our day and just enjoy beer, music and mates.

Saturday!
So Saturday didn't start early.... Well not for me didn't crawl into my tent till 4am the younger ones were out long past my head hitting the pillow and passing out.
So my first official band was Skindred. At 3:35pm, I was in the arena for Behemoth though, An was a great stage presence and some interesting things going on on the stage, but I am reaching this point of wondering what else is on and go for a wander, and here comes the annoying but I am wandering and not really watching who is where or where I am and floating in and out of shops. But I am back for Skindred.
The rain oh the rain, Was really enjoying the set but I am really set up for Slipknot pits later on and as such I am not wearing a lot so once it rained it got cold and while my enjoyment of Skindred was not damped I was cold and I was not happy, my T Shirt was so damn wet I couldn't even get it to spin for the Newport helicopter. Was a great fun set with curve balls and randomness thrown in through out and all the crazy stuff that Benji is known to throw in. Right sod this I am wet next band is Halestorm at 7:45.....

NXT, so yeah went and sat in the NXT UK tent for 2 hours, if you watch NXTUK you might see me you might not we will see how that goes, I Was very tired and stood through the whole thing. Not out of choice there were no chairs where we were. Also as we were in the tent we missed the MASSIVE rain shower that came down between 5 and 7pm

7pm, time to grab some merch. Die Antwoord on main stage while trying to buy merch from some on that only started Saturday morning hasn't been trained and has no idea whats going on....
Okay Die Antwoord, what the hell are they! I get they have a following but I just don't get them at all the base was the hard I thought I was going to have a fit. Not fun not fun at all.

Halestorm....
I love Halestorm, they can preform they do great songs, they do great covers, I was bored. I don't know why the set was killer but there was a lot of Guitar solos and I just wasn't feeling that for some unknown reason. They played great they just weren't that interesting on stage. I don't know I know the conversations about them with the rest of the group we all pretty much said the same thing, could not fault the playing the singing or anything they just seemed a bit dull.

SlipKnot.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH
That hurt. I wasn't even in the pits I was just near them. An still so good so awesome still Corey can control that crowd the interaction the everything, No matter who is in Chris's place, or the new masks or what the hell was Sid doing what is the deal with Sid and not having a Gas Mask he just wanders around like a deranged evil and freak Golem but still Slipknot as always WOW.

Sunday....!
We'll just sit here and chat till the rain stops.... Phone says its raining all day... Mine says its going to slow down about 2... That's okay we'll head up and 2 then... Yeah, Well were off now we want to go see this that and the other... that's okay we'll meet up for Slayer or meet back here later.........
This is what Sunday morning went like. Breakfast as usual, the long trek to the village which in the present mud level takes nearly an hour to get too. Yeah it was that bad.
Rain oh the rain, crap site pretty much gets wrecked Gazebo goes flying and then it stops, but the phone says rain still there so we get the water proof gear on and wander down to the arena about 1 in the end and we get there the rains stopped and it is rapidly heading towards 20C. Yeah not a good day over heating like mad towards the end of it.

Amon Amarth.
Wasn't a bad set, but my back is killing me so I wander to the side to just listen and not watch, the mud is starting to do a number on me and I am exhausted and in pain that pit bump the night before bloody hurting now.
Still played well good stage show and all a lot of great metal. If heavy low vocals are your thing then this is definitely your thing.

Wanted to see Beartooth, but I am done and just crashed out under a sun shade trying to get feeling back into body parts so I can actually move.

Lamb of God or Anthrax.. Lamb of God or Anthrax... Anthrax, seen LoG several times couldn't remember if I had seen them or not but I had and I got to see them again they been doing it that long they they can just play, fast and hard. You might be noticing a theme today there is a fair amount of thrash on.

Dream theatre, seen them before not that bothered want to see Smashing Pumpkins but have time to sit here and listen to one Dream theatre Track 15 minutes and not a long walk from Zippo Stage to Main Stage and I did I listened to One track and after 15 minutes went to Pumpkins.

Smashing Pumpkins...
Opening with Zero, then playing several tunes I don't know and then some I do know and this is Smashing Pumpkins. I wish I caught the name of the guest that came on to sing Snowblind, I am sure someone will tell me some where was an a really good performance of said song though, an the stage decor was amazing.

Time for SLAYER.

Last time these guys are playing the UK and the last time I am going to hear Raining Blood Live.

So so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so Worth It. The pain the heat the everything so so worth it just to see Slayer for one last time.  Thank you download festival for giving me that chance. 

Monday......

Holy Hell and all that is wrong with this World.

From what used to be Green Camp all the way back to the west car park is an absolutely brutal affair, while the ground is more solid as it was easier but up and down those hills with two of us pulling the trolley and trying to get out Damn it all that was a push, pull, run, crawl. Seriously we had zero chance of getting the trolley on the bus so we had to walk but I am sure there could have been an easier route through if someone really thought about it a little.

On another side the rain did hamper things, just in general I am not talking about specific days, the organisers could have been more prepared it has been going on for 16 years! You would think they could get this right by now. Bands all played to the best of their abilities within the confines of the weather situation. Festival goers themselves were as always family. A little dysfunctional but all the same. This year has put a whole new board of issues to get sorted and corrected before 2020. 

An I know a lot of you are going to hang on certain comments at the start and you can do that. I won't hold it against you. This is just one persons view of an event that can houses over One Hundred Thousand. So, Download 2019, we have been we have survived we are family.

So Until 2020. 51 weeks and counting. I'll leave you this tiny beer tinted sleep deprived and chaotic view of a weekend that I would never give up for anything, and the friends I have made and the guys I call my Family. 

Scream for me Donington.