Download Festival 2012 took place between 8th and 10th June 2012, with early camping access from Wednesday 6th.

The headline acts were:

  • Prodigy
  • Metallica
  • Black Sabbath
Ozzy with Black Sabbath

This was my first 5-day festival, and I have some great memories from it!

This is me in the queue on the Wednesday, and I think I look really good!

This photo was my profile picture for many years.

Me, with a mohawk and sunglasses, smiling
Did you ever see SLC Punk? I really connected with Bob.

While I really like the above photo, I REALLY do not like the below photo!

However, I am pretty sure that this is the only photo of me from the actual festival!

rob sat in a camping chair

My God I do miss those thick soled Doc Martens though!

They were life-savers at this Download Festival.

Or, as it came to be known, Brownload.

Two muddy people playing in mud
The mud became legendary

Camp Mates

I went to this Download Festival with my sister Kate, who will be very unhappy I am using this photo of her.

Kate smiling and holding a beer

We also went with our friend Dave!

Here he is in the queue, having the time of his life!

David in the queue for Download

The Music

Despite being the least metal band on the line-up, the Prodigy were my favourite band from the weekend!

Their set was lively, full of energy and I just had a fantastic time there.

I even didn’t mind Chase and Status as the second headliner, though I think their recorded work is abysmal.

Maybe I was just in a rave mood that weekend.

The other band I have vivid memories of is Tenacious D, who are, let’s face it: fantastic. Again, they’re not very metal, but I was young and I liked the silly comedic elements of them (and I still do).

Tenacious D performing on stage

One of my favourite overheard comments from this year was a lady talking to her friend in the campsite on Saturday night:

“… yeah, when I came down, I was on some random guys shoulders watching Tenacious D! It was awesome!”

Festival Highlight

One of the highlights of the festival was when Dave got incredibly drunk just before we headed into the arena.

Here is he, trying to order a veggie burger, forgetting about it and giving the Devil Horns instead.

David drunkenly giving devil horns

Download Festival 2012 was my first real experience of a weekend music festival.

And. I. loved it!

Wrap Up

This was my first full weekend at download festival, and it’s what made me fall in love with it.

The music, the people, the atmosphere: everything!

My first festival was Reading Festival 2010.

My next festival was Reading Festival 2013.