download festival / isle of wight 2013

The rainy season festival season in the UK gets underway for real this weekend with two of the big hitters being held over the weekend, the Download Festival at Donnington Park and the Isle Of Wight Festival at Newport.

As the UK's College's and University's wind up after the end of year exams many of the besieged students will be making their annual escape to one of the venues in the hope it will be a carefree and uplifting experience as all good festivals should be. Despite the usual madness of testing the UK's weather patterns to remain sunny in June for more than an hour the roads and railways will be the usual clogged exodus of waterproofed and booted fans facing their test of faith in both events. One lot heading to the north midlands Donnington Park the other heading south to the Isle of Wight.

So what's on offer this year? While Donnington is staging more bands than you could possibly see over a weekend the Saturday night looks set for a power overload with rock monsters Alice In Chains, Motorhead, Queens Of The Stone Age and Iron Maiden. This lineup may register on the Richter scale sometime during the evening so all those in Leicestershire and surrounds would do well to find bunkers.

Down at the Isle Of Wight the headline show on Saturday is sedate by comparison with the Killers headlining Saturday and on Sunday, Bon Jovi. Although you suspect the main focus of the weekend will be on Friday night with The Stone Roses who have had huge gigs in the UK recently and greeted with much excitement by press and fans.
The odd thing with the Isle Of Wight this year seems to be the resurfacing of some old bands not seen for years. How they'll fare with an audience of some generations difference could go either way. Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats? Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel? Ian Hunter?.. man, these are bands most fans grandparents will know never mind their parents.

But it's all up for grabs once more.. there will be some bands that shouldn't have bothered and some who will sweep all before them.
We'll bring some updates as the weekend unfolds. Our moneys on the Download Festival being the storm bringer.