DOWNLOAD 2010 - 30TH ANNIVERSARY DONINGTON LINE UP

RAINBOW

JUDAS PRIEST

SCORPIONS

APRIL WINE

SAXON

RIOT

TOUCH

all to play at next years "Classic Rock" Sunday at 2010!

Rainbow

will reform with as close to the 'classic' line up as possible - the fans' favourite - rather than the line up that actually headlined the 1st ever Monsters of Rock.

Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Bob Daisley (Bass), David Stone (keyboards), drums unknown yet to replace the sadly missed Cozy Powell.

Judas Priest

have already successfully reformed with Rob Halford a couple of years ago.

Scorpions

continue to tour with key members Rudi Schenker, Klaus Meine and Matthias Jabs.

April Wine

are still together and recording and were inducted in the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame this year.

Saxon

are still touring with frontman Biff Byford at the helm despite a major fall out with two founders several years ago and a subsequent Oliver/Dawson 'Saxon' spin off band. Lots of law suits, lots of money spent in making rich lawyers even richer!

Riot

founder and guitarist Mark Reale will need to find a new singer to replace original singer Guy Speranza who sadly died of pancreatic cancer in 2003.

Original openers Touch,

one of whose members allegedly swallowed a bee during the original 1980 set(!) will also need to reform with Mark Mangold (keyboards and songwriter) and Glen Kithcart etc.

(wouldn't it be superb if all of the above was true......!!!!)

DOWNLOAD 2009 - AWESOME

It's official! Download is the best live event in the UK!

Perfect weather, great organisation, great line-up for Sunday's "Classic Rock" day...

Def Leppard were surprisingly superb as headliners (saved the best sound for themselves, but that's the norm for the last band...)

Whitesnake - good. Mr Coverdale can't hit the high notes without his band detuning a couple of semi-tones these days, but still a showman and genuinely nice guy. Shame about the interminable guitar solos and pointless drum solo. When you have a relatively short set time, fans wanna hear songs, not twiddly diddly guitar duels for 10 minutes!

ZZ Top - absolute legends! So cool and laid back it's untrue. Fabulous furry white guitars for "Legs"!

Journey - enjoyable set. Classic tunes. Great singer soundalike to Steve Perry. Crap drum sound!

Sorry! Mislaid my Black Stone Cherry pic! They were ace!

Skin - superb! 2nd best band on the day! Wonderful and also very genuine and likeable band.

Tesla - disappointing. Didn't play their best stuff. "Hang Tough" from Great Radio Controversy was woefully missing from the set!

Stone Gods - great opening band! Superb set and the singer/guitarist made a good attempt at getting right into the crowd!