Well I've bored everyone sh!tless about it for the last few weeks so you're getting it too....
We go the Download slot on the back of 6 Track EP we recorded in May 2014. Someone at LiveNation liked what they heard and we we're offered the gig in November 2014...but I couldn't say anything to anyone until the official release in February 2015. We were recording the 1st album over the months when funds allowed and weren't in a position to play live until the beginning of May 2015, so Download was actually only our 3rd gig!
The whole process from when you are announced is all done online. There were pages and pages of accreditation to complete and registration for the artist wristbands/passes etc etc.
We got there at 7am - the Band accreditation didn't open until 8.30 so, I wandered around the car park in the pi$$ing rain looking at the signs to see who was there.
Mallory Knox parked next to us and said alright to them....didn't realise they were Main Stage.
Got our wristbands, loaded the gear into the vans and drove to the back of the tent at stage 4.
Stage manager met us and we set up - all bands on Stage 4 had to use the provided backline - no problem £3K of bass rig will do alright!
Bang on 10am, line and soundcheck (bonus of 1st band on !). What a sound! The bass was immense. We couldn't stop smiling and that really pumped us up.
Then, and this is the mad part, as we're half way through the soundcheck a tractor pulls up outside the tent and blasts about 3 tons of hay into it!!!
2 of us have really bad hayfever and we couldn't breathe!
Everything was covered, I'm still finding it in all my cases and bags! LOL
So we finish the check and it's just throwing it down, find the dressing room and get changed and the Stage Manager tells us due to the weather they're hold off opening the arena gates until 10.30am.
Bummer.
Head to the tent and there's about 100 - 150 in there and some people I knew should have been there, weren't..including our singers Mrs!
Martin was at the barrier, stood right next to my Brother.
Bang on 11am we kick the intro off and a few more pile in and luckily the singer's Mrs comes in just as we step on stage.
I reckon the tent we 2/3rds full which was slightly disappointing but, later found out it was due to the gates opening later and them trying to process the day tickets - some had come just for us and missed half the set.
Well it was 11am on a rainy Saturday morning so those that were there got to see me live out a childhood dream.
We were allow just 25mins & the set went like clockwork, we'd rehearsed everything and got it to 24.30mins with all the banter!
All the songs seemed to go down really well but, it was the quickest 25mins ever.
I just went for it, foot on the monitors, playing up to the pit...living the dream!! LOL
When we finished we had interviews in press centre for most of the day but, got to see Ace Frehley and watched The Struts and Dub War kill it on 'our' stage.
The mud, jeez.....
Came back on Sunday for more interviews - The Darkness followed us into Donington Park.
Just hanging around, watched a few bands; Saw Beth in the bar and later on I noticed a KISS laminate sign the other side of the fence next to the press area - it was Paul Stanley's Dressing Room!! I asked security if I could take a pic and they said sure, what pass have you got? Showed them and they said 'You can go backstage with the artist passes'!!
OMFG!! We never knew that!
So, watched Motley Poo go onstage and got through to front of house right by the stage. A few new Iconic Eye fans came to say hello and get pics with us - That will never get boring!
Then came backstage again to see the fan pics with KISS - saw Beth again and watched KISS go onstage from 10 feet away! That was my 24th KISS gig! They blew Download apart...again.
If you're still reading thanks, I only know one other friend that played Donington, he was the drummer in Paradise Lost in '96....who'd have thought 19 years later I'd ever get the chance....with KISS headlining again!
Thanks for all the messages of support, they were a great help.
Rock On!!!!