2 Promoters, 1 Pod ArcTanGent & Damnation

Gav and James took a road trip to the big dog of UK metal festivals, Download, for an all too literal dirty weekend.Swamp conditions aside, we discuss the best and worst sets, our take on the Barclays sponsorship protests and what can go wrong when you take an innocent photo of Pantera's crowd from the top of a ferris wheel and post it on the internet.We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

This week's pod is James' emotional rollercoaster: from opening up about a serious health scare, being "pissed off" with a rival festival, to his passion for fence posts and playing invisible Minecraft... this one has it all.He also explains the challenges of turning a sheep field into a festival site where you can watch The Gaslight Anthem and invites YOU to get involved.We. Go. Again.We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

3 Promoters, 1 Pod! Download's Kam Haq joins us to lift the curtain on the workings of the UK's biggest metal gathering.What's life like at the top of the ladder, all Champagne and cigars at Live Nation HQ? Or is it the same headaches and hassles with billing, booking headliners and clashes as the rest of us mere mortals suffer?We get in about it all and pick some must see bands from this year's line-up as we look forward to Download 2024.We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

We (drunkenly) go again! Gav and James get the pints in and tackle some of the more light-hearted questions.Favourite food vendors at our festivals? What bands would we go back and see with a time machine? Top three bands we've ever seen live?And why did Gav buy not one, but two tour buses? Hiccup!We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

Not all events are booked the same. Some promoters enjoy a professionally packaged tour arriving on their doorstep, others don't mind the challenge of luring over bands who rarely play and then there's Damnation, who want artists to dust off old records and perform them as a world exclusive sets in Manchester.Problem is, that's as time consuming, expensive and as difficult as it sounds. But in the end, is it worth all it? We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

There weren’t too many clashes at 2000trees that raised an eyebrow, but the ones that did raised an army! What kind of cruel world forces you to choose between Bob Vylan and Palm Reader? Are they being serious about Gaslight Anthem and Better Lovers? Surely Sean McGowan and The Sleeping Souls is a twisted joke and you’re misreading Frank Turner clashing with Lonely The Brave, right? Right? The man behind the plan, Mr James Scarlett, takes his licks and explains all... even manages t...