9

Fitting end to a punky day at Download

Now here is a hardcore punk band who have been doing the rounds for the last 10 years. They are an experienced band that really requires no introduction. It's a big crowd at the end of the day on the Tuborg Stage. This bodes quite well.

By the first song, the crowd are already jumping. This is the most animated crowd I've seen today. Rise Against remind me a little of the Offspring only with a much more strangled sound to their vocals. Its full on punk and theres plenty of screaming and out and out blasts of intense sound.

"Give it All" sounds pretty much the same here as it does on record. You've gotta love the left wing politics mixed with the punk sound. Might seem a bit cliche now but Rise Against do a good job. The sound sadly isn't brilliant; the music seems to fade in and out, left to right at times though this is hardly the band's fault. Theres plenty of action from the bassist (largely) who seems to be really getting in to it.

Im not largely a punk fan and although the sound wasn't the best tonight, Rise Against played a solid set all the way through with no let-up and plenty of screaming. They are most likely at the point in their careers where they tend not to play really bad shows. Not a bad end to the evening here at Download.