Damn, Download Festival’s first ever Aussie edition- bringing metal, punk and rock, and some rain Down Under.

Before getting into how 29 bands and about 30,000 keen Aussie metal fans were ready to swallow at the fest, the story of the classic British Rock fest name’s origin is worthy of a disclosure—“The name Download was given chosen for the festival for two reasons. Downloading was a dirty word in the music industry at the time, due to file sharing, and rock is seen as a rebellious genre of music.”

It’s true—as seen at Download, pop punk and doom core punters put their fists into the air and mosh like freaks out from their leashes. Emotionally intense fans thrash in circle pits, like a form of catharsis.

“HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE ALIVE!!!!?!,” Gojira’s lead singer, Joe Duplantier, unravels a sea of the sign of horns raised above shoulders, and groans from the darkest abyss of hell.

At Download, while ripping your pants in a mosh, there might have been an underlying fear of missing out for many things were going on—you could meet Of Mice & Men at the signing tent, or jam out at the Inflatable Church, or go to Hell’s Kitchen: whatever the fuck you want.

Punks and metalheads can’t lie to not have anticipate Good Charlotte. Love it or hate it, Good Charlotte’s presence on stage came of more as a party band, as the crowd in all-smiles pogoed and tossed shoes and beers to songs they listened to as angsty emo kids.

Korn. As headliners, it came as no surprise that the front stage was insanely packed. Thousands of Korn fans know the drill for ‘Y’all Want a Single’. They sticked up their middle fingers and harshly screamed: “FUCK THAT”.

Download Festival presents itself not only as an ear drum damaging day (lesson learnt: always being earbuds), but a neck workout day- as concert-goers headbang the fuck out. For Download promised that the show will go on- no matter rain, hail or shine. With bruised bodies, increased heart palpitations, damaged hearing and shredded vocal chords, the people left the venue, not only pleased, but purged.

Heck, I grew up reading Rock Music and Kerrang magazines with features of Download Festival and never thought one day I will writing this review. Good stuff happens; just hang in there.