The hype this year was clearly focused on the cashless system being introduced and prior to the arena opening, it seemed to be getting a lot of bad feedback on social media and the Download forums. Sometimes these things take a little bit of bedding in and I can only really comment on my personal experience. I didn't create my dog tag account until 3 days before the arena opened and had some issues assigning my ticket, I tried about 15 times and finally managed it through the app (which seemed to be the popular answer on the forums). Adding funds took about 1 minute, and on arrival at the festival, I duly swapped my ticket for my dog tag wrist band and was told that my money was on and ready to spend. I must admit it felt strange to be going into the arena with no wallet and no cash but we have to put our faith in technology and the hands of engineers. I didn't have a single problem spending my money at the bars, the merch stand, food outlets and non Live Nation vendors, the latter being fairly positive about the system - time will tell.

Photo: Danny North

Brighton trio Gnarwolves turn up the heat on the Maverick stage, the band bring their own punk rock to Download and the tent swells to join the party. The band really seems to enjoy the attention and probably the biggest cheer is reserved for 'Party Jams'. Gnarwolves will only get bigger. Catch them if you can, you won't be disappointed! Blue Pills bring their blues rock to the Zippo Encore stage. Hailing from Sweden they seem to be honoured to play Download and they really do themselves justice. The band plays some heavy blues whilst singer Elin Larsson complements the big riffs with her soulful husky voice, a perfect way to spend your Friday afternoon.

Southern Rockers, The Cadillac Three bring their deep southern rock to Download for the first time and they put on a show that will surely elevate them up the running order at future festivals. Fans favourites 'I'm Southern', 'Tennessee Mojo' and 'The South' have the fans eating out of band’s other hands. A fine band in top form and good music is the perfect mix.

Photo: Scott Salt

Clutch has been here before and don't we know it! The crowd swells around the main stage for their blues driven rock, starting with 'Crucial Velocity', front man Neil Fallon bellows his way through with a preacher like presence and boy does he have the crowd following his every move. The band have a new album out this year and it would be foolish to ignore it when it finally hits the cloud ready for downloading. We get a glimpse of what is to come in the shape of 'X-Ray Visions', the crowd respond with their appreciation and then it's back to business. The set finishes with Fallon strapping on his guitar for the wonderful down and dirty blues number 'Electric Worry' and with that Clutch depart as conquerors of Download.

Photo: Giles Smith

With a steak sandwich and a beer purchased with my dog tag, it's off to the Zippo Encore stage for a triple whammy of rock. First up are Corrosion of Conformity who are back to their best and ready to shake the foundations of Donington Park. The band play some outstanding heavy rock and bring the crowd on their journey through time. 

Maybe they shook the clouds a little too much as the heavens open as Thunder take to the stage, it was forecast (by the weather men and not lead singer Danny Bowes) starting with 'Wonder Days' from their latest album before taking us on a journey through their back catalogue, just like a festival set list should be. 'Back Street Symphony' gets a huge cheer and brings out some serious dad dancing from the oldies in the crowd and those on stage. 'Dirty Love' brings things to a close but it's yet again another stunning performance from the boys in Thunder. 

Photo : Justine Trickett

Headliners Black Stone Cherry are back on stage where they belong. The band loves this festival and the festival loves them, this is their 3rd appearance in 3 years and the 2nd as headliner. Some say it's a safe booking but others including myself would be very happy have them back again next year. 'Rain Wizard' is the inevitable opener and how fitting as it seems the rain is playing havoc with guitarist Ben Wells pedal box. Ultimately the sound tech even has time to take a tumble on the rain soaked stage, that wizard has a lot to answer for.... With four albums under their belt they have some pretty big songs to choose from and they chose well, 'Blind Man', 'Mary Jane' and 'White Trash Millionaire' have the crowd in full sing-along mode. Hard rocking 'Maybe Someday' sets up nicely for a new song called 'Roadrunner' which is easily as hard and rocking. Sounds like the new album will be just as punchy. John Fred bangs his drums with huge force and has the crowd drooling at his solo, once finished with the sticks he sets about demolishing his kit with his hands. His rest comes in the form of 'Peace is Free' which is the biggest sing-along of the day and the message is clear, we all do want peace. As 'Soul Creek' booms from the stage we could have muddy waters running between our knees if the weather forecast is to be believed, but we're back on track with 'Blame it on the Boom Boom' and 'Lonely Train'. A stunning headline appearance from Black Stone Cherry and surely it won't be long before they take their spot on the main stage and quite rightly so.

Photo : Derek Bremner

Slipknot take up their rightful place on the main stage as headliners for the 3rd time and this time they have a new album to promote .5 the Gray Chapter. With one hell of a stage production the visual experience is almost as important as the music and Slipknot do not let us down. 'Psychosocial' brings out the best in the band in the early stages and has the huge crowd gathered before them singing at the top of their voices much to the pleasure of the band and their commander chief Corey Taylor, who salutes the crowd at every opportunity. 'AOV', 'Vermillion' & 'Wait and Bleed' have the crowd on their toes as does new offering Killpop. 'Duality' sees the band and crowd working as one for one of the biggest sing-alongs of the night. Crowd participation is required for 'Spit it Out' as we are down on our haunches and on his masters command we do jump the f@*k up and the whole of Download is bouncing, we can all say we were there at that very point in time. '(Sic)', 'People=Shit' and 'Surfacing' bring the day's events to a stunning close.

Photo: Danny North

Saturday arrives and it's a wet one, and with the amount of foot traffic in the arena it's not long before there's inches of mud everywhere, but as usual the Download faithful go about their business without any fuss. Ace Frehley is a man on a mission and his band are right behind him, the ex Kiss spaceman has the crowd eating out the palm of his hand especially during his rendition of 'Love Gun'. Parkway Drive have a huge crowd gathered before them and rightly so, huge riffs and booming vocals bring out the best in both band and crowd. 'Wild Eyes', 'Karma' & 'Dark Days' feed the frenzy and as circle pits open up at every opportunity it's their version of RATM's 'Bulls on Parade' that makes the set that little more special.

Photo: Derek Bremner

Testament brings the noise and lots of it to the Zippo Encore stage. Chuck and the boys show why they are the masters of trash metal, even the rain can't dampen the crowds spirits as each song is greeted with roars and plenty of fist pumping especially when 'Practice what you Preach' bellows out. Jakes stage is filling up nicely due to the rain outside and because ROAM are about to unleash their high energy pop punk to the masses gathered before them. There are huge jumps, crowd surfing, big guitars and masses of sing-alongs. With a dramatic change in the crowd The Struts play their rock n roll with a 70's glam edge and how perfect it is. Although a short set the band make a huge impression, front man Luke Spiller struts, pouts and dances his way through every song, even taking the time to get into the crowd and conduct a sing-along during their stunning rendition of T-Rex's 'Get it On'. 'Put your Money On Me' and 'Could Have Been Me' elevate the band to new highs, definitely one band that is going to get bigger and bigger.

Photo : Giles Smith

IceT and his band Body Count turn up the heat on the Maverick Stage, the tent is packed and everyone is there too experience his unique take on rock music. Big songs about life in LA have the crowd up on their toes and the words in their mouths. 'Manslaughter', 'Drive By' & 'Voodoo' morph into one long story of the street life LA has to offer, 'There Goes The Neighbourhood' continues the theme. 'Body Count' is quickly followed by 'KKK Bitch', 'Disorder' & 'Talk Shit Get Shot' and with his biggest song 'Cop Killer' he brings the tent to its knees and we leave on a mighty high.

Faith No More are back at Download and you can always count on the band to put on a show visually as well as musically. With the stage and band dressed in white which is a huge contrast to the 60,000 strong crowd dressed in black. Picks of the set include 'Epic', 'Black Friday' and 'Superhero'. Andrew WK has managed to fill the tent and the surrounding area, his unique blend of high energy party music saddled with intense drums and guitars has the crowd jumping throughout the set. 'It's Time to Party', 'Long Live the Party' and 'Party Hard' all have one objective, making sure everyone party's. 

Photo: Andrew Whitton

Dolomite Minor has a fairly small crowd up at Jakes Stage but those of us that are there witness some of the best rock all weekend. For a two piece they make a huge sound, musically they are as heavy as early Black Sabbath which is no bad thing. The Pink Slips make their debut at Download with their arty punk rock. It’s a shame that more people weren't there to watch what could be the next big genre to come from the west coast of the U.S.

Muse headline Download festival for the first time and what a show they put on. The band is touring and their new album Drones and tonight's set list brings the best from the new album and the best of their huge back catalogue. Opening with 'Psycho' from Drones the band set out their intention to play some of the biggest songs we will hear all weekend, 'The Handler' quickly follows; the new songs get a great reaction from the crowd. Technically the band are perfect and with songs like 'Hysteria' and 'Supermassive Black Hole' we get to experience the true Muse show, lights, cameras, action and of course some superb guitar work from Matt Bellamy. 'Stockholm Syndrome', brings the first part of the show to an end but with the huge crowd wanting more the band duly deliver the stunning 'Uprising', 'Plug in Baby' and the show closer, 'Knights of Cydonia'. Muse promised the Download faithful they would rock Donington to its core and they did! One day they will return but how they will top tonight's performance who knows.

Photo: Richard Johnson

Sunday morning and the sun is shining and the arena has been strawed and wood chipped after yesterday's rain and what a good job Live Nation have done. Credit where it's due the organisers have learnt from previous experiences and make the arena and campsites habitable for 85,000 people.

Mark Tremonti one quarter of Alter Bridge is out on tour with his band, Tremonti, promoting one of this years must have albums 'Cauterise'. As the band take to the stage Mr Tremonti has a smile as wide as the stage. Blasting through their set it’s apparent that he and the band are on top form. Title track from the new album sounds absolutely huge and is surely going to end up as one of those modern classics. 'Decay' and 'Wish You Well' close up the set and with a wave and a nod you know their mission has been completed and they rocked Download to its very foundation.

The not so secret band is The Darkness and the Maverick Stage is crammed full and it's not because it's started to pour down, it's because one of the best live English bands are just about to take to the stage. The band arrives minus lead singer Justin Hawkins and start to play and from the corner of the tent he is carried high by barbarians through the crowd. What an entrance and as the band play 'Barbarians' sword fights break out on stage. Keeping the tempo high the band launch into 'Growing on Me' and from that point the band and crowd don't let up. 'Get Your Hands Off Of My Woman', 'Love Is Only A Feeling' and 'One Way Ticket' on the arrival of 'Black Shuck' it sends the crowd into a frenzy. New single 'Open Fire' is greeted with the respect it deserves and the set closer 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' shows that The Darkness in their true light, are masters of their trade.

Photo : Andrew Whitton

Billy Idol arrives on stage with his trade mark snarl and a smile sets about displaying why he still has a career after 40 years in the music business. 'Dancing With Myself', 'White Wedding' takes us on a trip down memory lane whilst 'Can't Break Me Down' brings us right up to date with Billy's career. We get thrown right back to 1976 with 'Ready Steady Go' and then get to have a huge sing-along with 'Rebel Yell'.

Slash ft Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators receive a huge welcome from the Download faithful and justifiably so. One of the original great guitar players with the rock god look has assembled a band worthy of their place on the line up and the set doesn't disappoint. Although you know what you are going to get it's still a pleasure to witness. 'You’re A Lie' starts things off and is quickly followed by GnR's 'Night Train', singer Myles Kennedy has such a stunning voice and is the perfect accomplice to Slash. 'Back from Cali' written by Myles Kennedy slows things a little before another GnR Classic 'You Could Be Mine', new single 'The Dissident' has the crowd on their feet before we get a real trip down rocks memory lane. 'Sweet Child O' Mine', 'Slither' and the grand finale 'Paradise City' only bolster their reputation of a great rock n roll band delivering great rock n roll songs.

Photo: Scott Salt

All Bad things must come to an end proclaim Mötley Crüe and tonight is their last ever festival appearance, with the promise of the best show on earth and they lived up to the hype. With the crowd swelling the first notes of The Sound of Music's 'So Long Farewell' rings out across the arena and suddenly everyone realises that this is it Mötley Crüe's last ever appearance at Donington. With a bang and a whoosh the band appears and starts about their business. 'Saints of Los Angeles' is the perfect opener, Vince Neil skipping across the stage as if it was 30 years ago, Nikki Sixx towering above the crowd with a menacing growl and a low slung bass, Mick Mars ghoulishly hunched over his trusty fender and Tommy Lee in his rightful place sitting atop a pentagram drum rig - the saints of Los Angeles or more likely a Mötley Crüe!! 'Wild Side', 'Primal Scream' and 'Same Ol' Situation' have the crowd drooling but knowing there is so much more to receive. 'Too Fast For Love' and the wonderful 'Smokin' in the Boys Room' pitches things a bit higher only for Vince Neil to sight the bands influences from the 70's and the glam scene to punk rock and as the opening chords of 'Anarchy in the UK' blast from the speakers it’s clear that the band are taking this final tour very seriously indeed. The hits keep on coming 'Dr Feelgood' and the impressive 'Shout at the Devil' accompanied by more fire and Nikki Sixx's flame throwing bass guitar setting light to his hanging mic stand, making way for 'Live Wire' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls' the band build up to what can only be described as the best moment of the festival, 'Kick Start My Heart' booms from the stage and the crowd go crazy. The end is near and as the band say their goodbyes we start to leave but before we have got very far the band appear for an encore that no one was expecting. 'Home Sweet Home' is sung by many with a tear in their eye.... who says old rockers don’t cry?

Photo : Danny North

Kiss having seen Mötley Crüe use a lot of pyro and gas try to outdo them in the opening 3 songs, with the stage only half covered by the famous Kiss logo suddenly the drum riser appears above cover and with a flash and a bang the cover drops and there they are in all the face painted glory, the masters of glam rock. Opening with 'Detroit Rock City' it’s clear this is going to be one hell of a show packed with fans favourites. 'Deuce', 'Creatures of the Night' and 'Do You Love Me' get an airing as does 'Calling Dr Love' and 'Hell or Hallelujah'. 'Lick it Up' has the crowd in full voice as does the sublime 'Cold Gin'  Lead singer Paul Stanley get the crowd worked up calling his name so he can join them, he steps upon his trusted hooped zip wire and flies above the heads of his faithful followers to a small stage near the back of the arena and promptly starts up 'Love Gun' much to the delight of the crowd. Safely back on the main stage after another fly, 'Black Diamon'd makes way for the band to depart from the stage only to be begged to return. Only huge songs are worthy of closing a festival like Download and Kiss supplied them, 'Shout It Out Loud', 'I Was Made For Lovin' You' and 'Rock and Roll All Nite' what a finale and with the customary firework display closes the festival for another year.

Photo : Danny North

Download 2015 could be remembered for introducing a cashless system or for the weather (yet again) but it's likely it will be remembered for the music and the memories it has created for the 85,000 people that attended. Another job well done Live Nation and all that were involved in making Download 2015 such a special one - same time next year? Yes, Yes, Yes but can someone please order the weather in time please.

Article by Andy Jamieson