2003

The first year of Download Festival - Iron Maiden headlining, Limp Bizkit pulling out and Audioslave bumping up to headliners. Two days and two stages - what are your memories of 2003?

 

it was incredible as id only been to ozzfest and reading festival but it was brilliant seeing the darkness knock out a great set in the afternoon. having my weekend opened up with Chimaria, Amen buring the main stage, the massive pit for stampin grounds 'Office Down' and Raging Speedhorn, T.S.O.L, 80's Matchbox all being brilliant. Also dont think the one way system of was in effect then but i do remember the entire weekend costing me £80 and the posh campsite that consisted of better toilets.

got a day ticket for iron maiden. loved being back at dony since the mor days. got a coach load of mates n had a blast

 

Seeing Iron Maiden for the first time, the craziness that was Metallica in the 2nd stage tent, getting soaked to the skin right at the end of the weekend during Zwan and Audioslave and thinking to myself that this is what the UK festival scene had been sorely missing and as cheesy as this sounds, knowing that come hell or highwater, I'd be there every year (and I have been!)

Coming Up:
Megadeth - Manchester
Download Festival
Hellfest
Bloodstock
Y & T - York
The Answer - Leeds
Alter Bridge - Manchester
Paradise Lost - Manchester

I'm the same as you adam, I came away from there knowing it would 
be part of my life until I drop :)
 
I fell in love with the festival.

I'm the same as you adam, I came away from there knowing it would 
be part of my life until I drop :)
 
I fell in love with the festival.

The 1st year I didn't camp just weekend my fave band were amen on the main stage with less than jake coming a close 2nd
This year started my obbession with download and been every year since (except last year due to money reasons)
9 outta 10 years ain't bad tho

[image]http://www.awesomegifs.com/2012/08/boston-terrier-meets-a-ball[/image]
downloads attended 
 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 12

Amen were band of the weekend. sorely missed :'(

Ignoring and denying ever seeing the band called 'Flint', having a suncream fight instead.
Ripping up the tarp to the left when it started raining.
Blaming ZWAN for said rain
Some band called Metallica playing in a tent.

My first festival. I Was 14!! Didn't camp was too young, but could you even camp that year?
Meeting some girls who had AAA passes for the weekend but were only there on the Saturday to see Marylin Manson so they sold them me and my mate for a fiver :) so got to spend the sunday pretty much in the area behind second stage and met so many people. Being an OTT fan of AMEN (who were the best band that weekend) i actually met Casey chaos! he must of thought i was some crazy kid back then but ****!!! anyone remember mullet man from scuzz years ago he was there, that was funny! met Corey Taylor as well. That is something i will never forget!!!
And then there was metallica in the tent. Being 14 and only just getting into metal, i knew were metallica were but wow, been a fan ever since!
I was so gutted when limp bizkit pulled out and i didnt see them live untill download 2009 (which was worth it!)
There were so many good bands on in 2003.
Less than Jakes circle pit!!!
 
Oh be to be 14 again
 

Flint was one the worst things i have ever seen.

Haha I remeber the ain't dust stuff being ripped up coz it was raining

[image]http://www.awesomegifs.com/2012/08/boston-terrier-meets-a-ball[/image]
downloads attended 
 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 12

The good:
 
Being one of about 50 people in the audience to see Reef. Felt bad for them, but for me it was like watching the show in my living room!
 
Metallica.
 
Watching Iron Maiden from a camp chair back on the hill.
 
Audioslave - even the rain couldn't dampen my spirits for this one!
 
The bad:
 
Being first festival I'd camped at...packed way too much stuff and struggled to get to the camping pitch! Also overly sensitive security on the first day...confiscated my camping mallet as an 'offensive weapon' - fair enough, but my mate also had her hand held mirror taken away as it was labelled a fire hazard! This was the year when you were allowed to take camping stoves with gas cannisters!
 
Said gas cannisters being chucked into a bonfire that had started up in our camp (right next to my tent) by pricks who thought it was funny.
 
Was this the year that the one-way system was in place? It was ridiculous. Took so long to get to second stage, didn't bother half the time! Wasn't happy about that.

Anyone who mentions Metallica in the tent >:-] I didnt believe my friends and suffer every time its mentioned
 
Cracking first day, mostly useless 2nd day but even ZWAN >:-] couldn't ruin it
 
 

        
 

My first festival was this year! I was so gutted Limp Bizkit pulled out, as I got a day ticket to see them, but I enjoyed Download none the less and I have been ever since. I was 14 at the time and could not believe what I got into and the trust my parents gave me to let me go! Seen so many good bands: Instruction, Raging Speedhorn, Spineshank, Less Than Jake, Stone Sour (Corey Taylor telling the crowd, that Metallica played on the 2nd stage, the annount of gutted faces was unreal ha) Mudvyane, One Minute Silence and Audioslave. Got introduced into a whole new world and loved it ever since!

Download '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10

The festival that got me back into music! After a few disillusioned years, me and the other half worked in the car parks in 2003 (we were still at Uni and needed the cash!) and I just loved every minute of it (the festival itself that is, not the waving frantically at cars in a field, although that wasn't too bad). He'd been trying to get me more into heavier stuff (away from my more indie/rock roots) for a couple of years and at Download it just clicked for me.
 
Download 2003 was also the first time I saw Marilyn Manson, and the last decent performance I've seen from him.

Download 03, 05, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12
Leeds 06
Rock am Ring 08
Sonisphere 09, 10
Bilbao BBK 10
Glastonbury 98

my first festival... what an eye opener and what a weekend. Metallica in the tent was amazing, Maiden, Audioslave in the rain. Having my Geography exam at 9.30am Monday morning was not good though!

Download 03 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12

Saturday; Sepultura in the tent were amazing! The Scottish girls who came and Hung out and Partied with us in our big tent were ace too!
Sunday; The Scottish girls coming back with vodka and absinth for breakfast and METALLICA IN THE TENT!! THE BEST festival moment EVER!!  Oh yeah, and then getting on Scuzz right afterwards, running at their camera screaming "METALLICAAAAAA" - That clip was on their Download Festival related adverts/clips for the next 2-3 years!!

my first festival.
rocking up with my mates through the gates into the village and not knowing what to expect or where to go.
Deftones, Iron Maiden, Amen, Disturbed, Less Than Jake, METALLICA in the tent, Audioslave.
I fell in love twice at this festival - once with Metallica, and once more with Download. Two love affairs that continue just as passionately to this day! i'll never forget the excitement and wide eyed wonder of going into the arena for the first time...being crammed into that sweaty tent for Metallica's secret show, being blown away by Maiden, standing in the rain for Audioslave and LOVING every single second of it!

Download '03, '04, '06, '07, '08, 09, '10, '11, '12

This years highlights: Machine Head, Trivium, Slash, Skindred, Metallica, Megadeth, SOUNDGARDEN, Black Sabbath