Here comes the summer...
All the way from Ellicott City in the state of Maryland came rock troupe The Dangerous Summer. Whilst some may have only heard of the band because of their collaboration with All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth, many festival-goers happened to wander in to the spacious Red Bull Bedroom Jam tent just to keep themselves pre-occupied before Texan pop-punkers Bowling For Soup appeared at the nearby Jagermeister acoustic stage.
Sporting a casual shirt and tie, guitarist Cody Payne looked as though he was ready to make a good impression, but looks can be somewhat deceiving. Despite delivering a set that was musically adequate, the performance lacked a sense of excitement. Jet lag may have been a factor for the American quartet, but the alternative rock fans in attendance were entitled to have expected a little more. Guitarist Bryan Czap's expression did not falter for the entirety of the set. It's a shame he is not British because even if his career as a musician does not pan out as planned, he would surely make an excellent addition to the Queen's Guards.
The Dangerous Summer ended up being a pleasant way to pass the time, but when at a festival as celebrated as Download, it is not unreasonable to hope that every act you see will offer a substantial level of entertainment. The young quartet have developed an enigmatically desirable sound, but unfortunately their performance at Donington was unable to drop any jaws.