So a few days after getting back from RVA it was time for Download festival at Donington. Its the festival every metal head in the UK looks forward to. Its the event of the year here in the UK metal calendar. Although in some ways, this years bill wasn't that metal - it was more Classic Rock - especially on the Sunday - but no worries as far as i was concerned - Def Leppard, ZZ Top, Whitesnake - it looked awesome!
And i had the priviledge of being asked to present on Download radio for the 3rd year running - this year for http://www.rockradio.co.uk/
The only downside being that my 2 shows where during the headliner sets Saturday and Sunday night, so i didn't actually get to see Def Leppard or Whitesnake etc.
Presenting again on Download radio is a priviledge enough though, especially when i get to see other bands like Karma to burn (who i had never seen live before!) and the mighty Clutch (thanks Paul for getting me on stage to watch them!)
So let me start from the beginning -
Wednesday night after i'd finished work about 9pm was spent with Mattcryfire trying to finish organising jingles, features, and working out playlist for the 2 shows i was meant to be doing. At this point i still wasn't actually sure of the schedule so i was hoping to have enough time to get the features in i wanted. Mattcryfire had agreed to play sidekick and co-present dressed up as the Mighty Thor to present
Thor's Roar!
Then Lucy (previously called Long tall Lucy soon to be re-christened) had a project loosely named "Swap shop" after the 1970's tv show
Then we were also expecting the arrival of a special guest from NYC - Lady Starlight
http://ladystarlightnyc.wordpress.com/ who was going to present a fashion feature on the show
And then we had other features from previous years of "Breakfast at Talita's" like "Hit from the bong" etc.
So anyway, after getting the jingles together and some semblance of a playlist (built up from the "best of" Talita Twoshoes playlists of the last 6months radio shows - www.myspace.com/djtalitatwoshoes - thanks Matt for your help with this too!) it was time to pack and get ready.
Thursday morning with Matt - pick up the car, pick up the star(light) at LHR and then pick up Lucy and Redd and roll our way to Download.
Spirits were high, the mood was good it was really sunny, and we were looking forward to a(nother) weekend of rock. Yes!
We arrived 3 hours later and got stuck in - see Lucy's take at http://www.chroniclesofthemerchgirl.blogspot.com/
The best way i can go through the weekend is in photographic highlights and favourite memories, as it was wild and alot of fun & work!
So let me introduce you to the crew:
Lucy Lawless (christened by Lady Starlight outside Days Inn, Leicestershite, Thor (with Hammer aka Mattcryfire, Lady Starlight and me)
Some of my best ladies: Louise, Sharon, Lucy Lawless, Lucy Darkness and Starlight
Rachael and me in front of Faith no more
Alice and Lucy rocking out & Starlight and Lucy getting crazy to Korn. Yes. Korn. I remember ladies.
Thursday night at Download
After getting to our hotel in the middle of nowhere down the M1, Lucy and i took a taxi back on to site to talk to Ciaran at the radio station and get a look at the new site layout.
Results: site layout much improved, plus meant to be doing shows 7-10pm Saturday and 8-11pm Sunday - during the headliners, + schedule may be subject to changes still.
Went looking for fun at the fair, found Rach and Holly - had some jelly shots, some vodka shots then hit the "Fun house" which ended up with my rugby tackling Holly and getting covered in mud.
I mentioned the features for the radio show - let me tell you about:
Lucy's tasks
Lucy's Swap shop was an idea i came up with several months ago -
the plan was that i would give Lucy a plug. As in a charger plug / or just plug - as we decided this was a possibly essential item...?
and she would have to swap this item as many times as it takes, to get a bottle of Jack.
(This later turned into a bottle of Jager, i don't know when, i dont drink Jager)
Admittedly the first show - 4 swaps in, i didn't think she'd make it.
First fail was we forgot the plug.
So, Lucy started with a black marker pen. Which she swapped for another black marker pen.
Then i think she swapped the Black marker pen for a sanitary towel, which she got signed by Trigger the Bloodshed. And she swapped for an empty cigarette packet. She then swapped the empty cigarette tin for 12 sheets of bog roll (un-used) - and that's the way it was left on Saturday night. Which i think was a succession of fail swaps - the point being of this exercise to improve on the last thing you had....
What she did on Sunday though was genius.....
I should always have Faith in Lucy, talking of Faith, lets go back to Friday....
Friday:
Friday night highlight was undoubtably FAITH NO MORE. Total religious experience.
Starlight and i were both sucked in by Mike Patton's total sexual energy - how fucking awesome is he?! She was impressed by him singing whilst doing crunches. I was impressed by him beatboxing and his general stage presence. What a man!
Friday was also the day of Sharon's tent - good one Sharon on your tippee! Lovely job!
I came prepared with Malibu in a water bottle and we danced our way out of the VIP pretty late - which turned into a tradition, and we danced our way out every night after that.
Starlight and Lucy - dancing out....
Download Fashion -
You must have noticed these amazing outfits Lady Starlight has - look at this little red number here! Starlight is a bit of a fashion guru, and a stylist who has working with all sorts of people including Lady Gaga... so she was on point with the fashion reports for Download radio... and on point with the red unitard - as you can see above!
The radio show
Sitting at the controls, insane expression with Thors helmet
So in the end i did 7pm - 10pm Saturday night and 8pm - 10.30pm Sunday night. It wasn't the Breakfast show, and there wasn't any Feebz with me as in previous years but Mattcryfire, Lucy and Starlight did the job and did it good.
The tin can was right next to the main stage this year too, so even though i didn't get to see the headliners properly - i could hear them...
Saturday:
Saturday not only about the first radio show - but also about the mighty Lawnmower deth. I had them some interviews arranged Saturday afternoon, but they were late so everything was a bit of a panic.
I managed to squeeze their press in, then shoo them off to the stage, then i myself ran off to see them play to a HUGE crowd!! So huge i had to keep checking with people that they were about to come on! What a stonker of a set! Great! Then i had to run off to get ready for the show, which the Lawnmower deth boys dutifully guested on and were highly amusing. Thanks dudes.
Sunday:
Sunday started with Karma to burn. The first set i got to see Sunday - they were thunderous and epic and totally rocked, just like they should do. Weirdly though a huge swarm of bees descended during the show and hovered in front of the second stage. The whole crowd moved to one side - it was very strange!
I bumped into Paul later that afternoon and he took me to the side of the stage to see Clutch - which was awesome! I love Clutch. I had a little boogie, although i'm not too keen on boogying when several thousand people can see you, and i never like being one of "those" people that just hangs out at the side of the stage - but it was Clutch!
So then the Sunday night show, Karma to burn came in, we discussed bees and honey. Starlight did more fashion features, Thor held it down in the studio and Lucy... Lucy who we left with the bogroll....
She swapped the bog roll with Dimebag Darrell's Missus for some Dimebag plectrums, then those for a necklace with a bottle opener on it, then the necklace for a download festival poster signed by the bands, then the poster for a bottle of Jager!
(i may have omitted some swaps)
But what a legend. Even though Jager makes me puke.
Sunday night show was great. Short but sweet. Love it.
So a big thanks to Rock Radio for having me guest on their station this year, and big congrats to Coppo for an awesome Download.
And the biggest thanks to Starlight, Mattcryfire and Lucy Lawless for all their help with the show.
Lucy i still can't believe you pulled off the Swap shop!
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