Download Festival bans flags from Main Stage arena

Download Festival has banned fans from bringing flags into the main arena of the site.
A posting from the festival's director John Probyn on the Download Festival Forum, Forums.downloadfestival.co.uk, informed fans of the decision. Probyn explained that the ban stemmed from a high number of complaints from festival-goers about the number of flags taken to the event in previous years.
"Due to an overwhelming number of complaints from people and now we have had chance to view the footage from previous years and can see what everyone means (and not see the acts onstage!), we will be banning flags on sticks in the main arena," he wrote. "Hope you all understand that this is to ensure that everyone can enjoy what's onstage."
When a forum member asked how the ban would be enforced at the Donington event, Probyn replied that festival security would not tolerate anyone seen to be breaking the rules.
"They will be stopped at the entrance to the arena and anyone who breaks the rule will be ejected from the festival," he wrote. "It's a rule and if someone thinks they can be funny by smuggling in a stick up their ass then they should expect swift action."

Rage Against The Machine and Aerosmith to headline Download festival

Rage Against The Machine and Aerosmith will join AC/DC in headlining this year's Download Festival .
Taking place between June 11 and 13 at Donington Park, festival organisers have also confirmed that Steven Tyler will be fronting Aerosmith at the event.
The eighth Download Festival marks the 30th anniversary of rock festivals at the Leicestershire site, dating back to the first Monsters Of Rock event in 1980.
As previously reported, this year's bash will also feature Them Crooked Vultures and Stone Temple Pilots, with Thirty Seconds To Mars, Stone Sour and Billy Idol also just added to the line-up.
Meanwhile, Rage Against The Machine are set to follow their free 'X-Factor' victory show with a gig in Dublin on June 8.

AC/DC and Them Crooked Vultures set for 2010 Download Festival

AC/DC are set to headline this year's Download festival.

They will be joined by Them Crooked Vultures at the event, which takes place between June 11 and 13.

Deftones, Bullet For My Valentine, Motorhead, Stone Temple Pilots, Wolfmother, Volbeat and Megadeth are also confirmed. More names are expected to be announced soon, with Van Halen among those strongly rumoured to be playing this year's festival.
The eighth Download festival marks the 30th anniversary of rock festivals at Donington Park, dating back to the first Monsters Of Rock bash in 1980.
Download Festival Tickets go on sale this Friday (January 29). To check the availability of Download Festival tickets and get all the latest listings GigSport.

AC/DC to headline UK Download Festival

Rock band AC/DC will headline the seventh annual rock/metal Download Festival in Leicestershire, England, announced organizers January 26. Scheduled for June 11 to 13, the festival will take place in historic Donington Park, the site of the 2009 festival and of past hard-rock music festivals Ozzfest and Monsters of Rock.

Among other acts set to perform are "supergroup" Them Crooked Vultures, which features Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Nirvana, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, plus Deftones, Stone Temple Pilots, Bullet For My Valentine, Megadeth, Motörhead, Wolfmother, and Volbeat.

According to the BBC, capacity for the 2010 festival has been expanded to 110, 000, with organizers saying the festival will be the UK's second biggest of the year after the sold-out Glastonbury fest.The 2009 Download Festival, which features performances by Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Marilyn Manson, Limp Bizkit, and ZZ Top, was broadcast online at DownloadFestival.co.uk.

Download Festival Tickets go on sale January 29. Prices for a weekend ticket plus camping from June 9-13 are £180.

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL OF KERRANG AWARDS

The crème de la crème of rock stars were out in style at tonight’s Kerrang! Awards, the annual awards ceremony brought to you by Guitar Hero and hosted by weekly rock bible Kerrang! magazine. The Awards took place in London and were hosted by a duet of metal talent, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian for the third year running, joined by Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor.“It feels really gratifying,” Corey Taylor told Kerrang! magazine. “If there was ever a band that had to fight against controversy and misconception it was this band, and we’re really starting to kind of get to the point where the respect is getting there – and rightly so. I can’t think of many bands that have worked harder, and it really feels good that people are starting to turn around and really see what we’re about and appreciating it for what it is. “It feels really good to be where we’re at right now,” he added. “And if I could, I would call every one The Maggots and personally thank them – but, I don’t have a great long distance plan though!”

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL OF KERRANG AWARDS

The crème de la crème of rock stars were out in style at tonight’s Kerrang! Awards, the annual awards ceremony brought to you by Guitar Hero and hosted by weekly rock bible Kerrang! magazine. The Awards took place in London and were hosted by a duet of metal talent, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian for the third year running, joined by Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor.

We love to break records too - It's not just rock and metal anymore

In Download Festival this year, we attempted to break the record for the most people simultaneously performing air guitar. Cheryl Baker host record-breaking attempts so then why can’t we?.

We had 440 Download’ers turning up with their air axes, rocking out to Motorhead's classic Ace of Spades. A Guinness Book of World Records official was there to oversee the attempt, and verified the record, which destroyed 2008's maximum of 318.

"That was one of the raddest jams I've ever been involved with," said Christian. "The crowd played their air guitars better than Eddie Van Halen! Then they destroyed 'em good and proper. Who cares, right? They can go to the air guitar shop and get another one. Sick to the infinity of sickness! I want a crowd like that at every gig I'm at. Awesometacular - air guitar world records rule!"