Metallica & Linkin Park. Two days and three stages - what are your memories of 2004?

Was my first year and was brilliant, saw Opeth for the first time as they were the second band on main and became a huge fan after that despite them only playing about 3 songs, Checked out a lot of bands and attractions such as The Snickers Bowl which i thought was pretty cool and the Wildboyz were a good laugh. 
 
Best bands Metallica,Opeth,Korn,Slipknot,Soulfly and Linkin Park(they were good back then)

The almighty bottle fight on donington hill right before Metallica, Monster Magnet being the most rock n roll band on the Saturday by far, Steve-O from Jackass punching my mate in the nuts (at his request! weird I know...), the heavy-as-f**k Sunday line-up of Soulfly, Machine Head, Damageplan, Slipknot, Korn and Metallica, hearing how crazy it was in the tent for Slayer and thinking to myself how glad I was I decided not to venture in there, seeing Damageplan play Walk, watching Metallica play a very interesting set without Lars, and being left thinking WTF?! when tossbags FFAF were announced as the 'secret' band after being promised a 'big band' by the Download Dog on my desktop (remember that?!)

This was the first time we camped with a group of mates, and we had a blast. The aftershock tent was hilarious that year.

Slayer in the tent
Bottle war 2004, many casualties (literally and metaphorically)
Blue camp escalating into an all night party (and has continued to do so)
The birth of the extremely over-killed 'TIMMAY' chant
The now permanent temple that is the 24/7 noodle bar.
Hiding in terror from Amy Lees then boyfriend because I said I would 'do her up the arse' to her face while he was sitting there.

Good:
 
A very drunk me got stuck in the middle of the bottle fight before Metallica. My only defence was a discarded pizza box on top of my head. Bit of a scary moment, but very surreal and not one I'm likely to forget - witnessed a guy swinging a camp chair about which was very uncool though.
 
Said Metallica set...Joey Jordison did a smashing job.
 
Making a fool out of myself doing improper dancing during Electric Six.
 
The bad:
 
Waiting an hour and a half outside the second stage tent to see Static X with an epic hangover, barely able to move, to only discover that they'd cancelled when a different band came on stage. I could have cried!

isnt this the year matt zane hung from the main stage?

Nah that was 2005 when he was suspended by hooks in his back for the whole set was pretty funny to watch.

This year (2004) i did watch Burst with 5 other people. to a degree when it was between songs the singer could hear me.

This was my first year, but only went for the day.
Fine memories indeed, I was only 14 and this was my first major event.
Highlights was hearing Imperium live, the whole slipknot set, seeing Dimebag play Live in the flesh and Joey playing with Metallica.
Such an awesome day!

My First Download 
The Aftershock Tent
Everyone going crazy when Damageplan played Walk
Getting chucked off the shuttle bus for drinking
The Crazy wait for Metallica and then the awesome set that followed
Messing up my should during Slipknot
Sleeping in Derby train station lol
To name a few...
 
 

During 'tallica's set (Just after For Whom the Bell Tolls, I think), waiting for the main cheers to subside, then Foghorn-Leghorning "F**king Yeah." at the top of my voice. And James replying "F**king A'"
 
Keep meaning to Download the audio of that set.

Stayed at the holiday Inn for 3 nights, 4 of us £160, bargain.
The festival bought them all up the year afterwards :(
 
Most of Kerrang magazine were there as well, and what a snooty bunch they were.
 
I must have held the door open a 100 times for one of their camera operators, and not a single thank you.
 
i 'might' have slammed the door right on his camera lens on the last night ;)
 
The long walk back to the hotel at nights was a bit hairy, no path and we might have been a bit piddly!

My first Download/Festival experience.
Aftershock tent waiting to get served, looking around to realise a half naked woman was stood on table next to me.
Watching soulfly mesmerized, then realising a massive mosh pit opened with me in the middle, looked at some guy like shaking my head no no no, he was like yes yes yes, then loads of people came moshing into me.
Wildboyz being good fun.
Guys from dirty sanchez chucking snickers bars mega hard at us.
Chilling in campsite on my own, hearing Machine heads 'omen' intro, started to walk to the main stage all way from campsite while intro was playing, made it like 5 rows from the front then they came on stage. Epic experience.
Watching Arch Enemy, noone really knew them, applauded singer, she looked at me and smiled and pointed at me.
Checking out the snickers bowl stage, which was great place to sit and chill inbetween bands.
Waking up in some random girls tent.
Wondering round next day after mega heavy night of drinking, to have LOADS of people randomly going at me hey thats liam! legend!
Saying to some guy that looked like a girl, that some people are born looking like a different sex when drunk, only for him/her to put their fag out on my hand, still got the mark now.
Getting home to be mega sunburnt, had to goto doctors.
 

My first fest experience, was only a nipper and it was the best experience a young metal head could have had.
The sunday lineup was a beast.

Getting KO'd to Arch Enemy in the tent ha!

Wildboyz was a laugh too.
 
and of course Damageplan. 

Saturday; Can't really remember MUCH of the Saturday - except I remember Cradle of Filth were actually quite GOOD that day, and were possibly even the best band of the whole day on the main stage! [8||]
Sunday; Awesome day!  Damageplan - seeing Dime and Vinnie together - and when they ended their set with "Walk" ALL of Donington stood up for it and went NUTS!!  Machine Head and Slipknot were great.  Korn were AMAZING!!  And then Metallica, which, despite it not being a perfect or long set, was still pretty special.
The other thing I loved about that year was the atmosphere in the camp site!  A GREAT bunch of people who I was with that year, and VERY fun!

The Kerrang! Club.. That was epic.

Download 2004 was fantastic. It was my first download festival as i was only 16.
i only went for the sunday, but i remember seeing damage plan, which was pretty awesome! And of course, metallica! :D i remember waiting ages and then finding out that lars wasnt there, that sucked a bit, but they were still amazing! one of the best downloads ever! :D 

As I recall it was very very very HOT 
Slipknot and Joey with Metallica
Hope its the same this year

Aye, it was boiling! I remember getting a machine head t-shirt and i got sun tan lotion all over it! :(