Twisted Realm @ Download
Twisted Realm @ Download is a guerilla festival which takes place in the campsite of the Download Festival at Castle Donington.
Inception
Twisted Realm @ Download was conceived when Scarborough grindcore band Aural Demolition announced on their MySpace1 that they would be playing a special acoustic set in the campsite of Donington's legendary Download Festival. Other unsigned bands began to express an interest in joining Aural Demolition, to form a "campsite lineup" on the Thursday night before the festival proper began. Manchester hardcore band Scumface, Stockport punk duo the Wall of Dog and costumed death metal act Extreme Metal Batman were among the acts to join the bill.
2006
Interest for the 2006 event was stirred on Download's official forums2, with regular announcements posted to a GeneRally positive reaction.
On the day, more than 200 people turned up to witness the 3 and a half hour event. Notable events included Extreme Metal Batman drawing the largest crowd of the day, Rotting Angel pulling out at the last minute and Aural Demolition's drummer injuring his arm, and therefore being unable to perform.
Due to the success of the event, a 2007 event was announced only days after the festival had ended. A DVD of the event is expected soon.
Lineup
- Aural Demolition - Grindcore duo from Scarborough.3
- Scumface - Skinhead punk duo from Manchester.4
- The Wall of Dog - Punk duo from Stockport.5
- Ultimate Pain - Experimental metal duo from Grantham.6
- Extreme Metal Batman - Mysterious costumed death metal artist.
- Jesus Is a Wife Beater - Brother and sister duo from Birmingham.
- Nuclear Whale - Prog trio from Grantham.
- The Messeyer - Thrash metal duo with religious overtones.
2007
Twisted Realm @ Download 2007 quickly announced its headliner, goregrind duo Vomit Sock, who split up in 2003, performing a one-off Reunion show at the festival, and in the weeks that followed, announced the rest of its lineup, which included crossover-metal group Encrusted Lovepump, returning heroes Ultimate Pain, and country quintet the Grassy Knoll. However, the event was plagued with bands pulling out, including Glaswegian acoustic solo artist 45768423, nine man masked metal band Jumanji and Birmingham metal trio Insanity Project. Mere weeks before the event, Vomit Sock pulled out, and were replaced by Scumface, who also played on the Tuborg Stage.
Despite interest on the forums, the turnout at the event was significantly smaller than expected. Beating Chicks With Sticks and Transvestite [...] did not perform, and the event was cut short.
It has not yet been announced if a 2008 event will take place.
Lineup
- Scumface.
- Encrusted Lovepump - Crossover metal duo from Norfolk.7
- Ultimate Pain.
- mo)))o)))nn - An acoustic tribue to Sunn O))). 8
- Nazgul - Folk/black metal band with a Lord of the Rings theme.
- Extreme Metal Batman - Secret band.
- The Grassy Knoll - Country/folk quintet. 9
- Cavebastard - Progressive "caveman metal" band.
- Silence is Deafening - Industrial silentcore group with a rotational lineup. 10
- The Kung-Fu Romantics Of The Nebula Fantastica - Comedy four piece rock band from Redditch. 11
External links
Official MySpace:
Download Festival Official Site:
See also
- Download Festival
- List of music festivals in the United Kingdom
- List of Donington Park Festivals