Download Festival organisers are proud to announce the second stage at this year’s festival will be called The Dimebag Darrell Stage. Arguably the greatest guitarist of all time, Darrell was shot dead in 2004 while performing on stage. His bands Pantera, Damageplan and Rebel Meet Rebel all had great success, and festival organisers felt that this was a fitting tribute to a legendary man that has influenced and inspired many great bands.
Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Barrells brother, and drummer in Pantera, Damageplan and Rebel Meet Rebel “I am proud to announce we have the privilege of honoring my brother Dimebag Darrell by naming the Second Stage after him... This is a huge honour and I’m sure the blacktooths will be flowin!!!!! This tribute to Dime will bring a special vibe to the Download/Donington Festival which he was part of several times and loved it... Dimes legacy continues to grow, and he lives through his music and spirit, and for the Second Stage to be named after him in association with the Download/Donington Festival, which is such a legendary event and landmark in rock history, is truly rock royalty!!!!!!! Getcha pull!!!
Download Festival Promoter, Andy Copping pays tribute to the man himself… "Reflecting on the spirit of Download and Donington, we wanted to come up with some way of remembering Dimebag Darrell. The idea of naming a stage after him came to mind immediately. Anyone who met Dimebag, saw him play or listened to his music knows that they were in the presence of someone very unique and very special. Dimebag Darrell was one of us and if he wasn't in a band, he'd be at Download in the crowd moshing and drinking and air guitaring with the rest of us.....you can tell he loved what he did and it makes it all the more fitting that we can honour his memory by naming a stage at Download after him. Sadly he has gone but he will never, ever be forgotten. Dimebag Darrell - Download and Donington salutes you"
The festival organisers are also excited to announce that Stage Three has been named after this year’s official beer sponsor Tuborg. This global brand based in Denmark, will be the wetting the whistles of thirsty rock fans through out the entire weekend.
Download organisers have taken massive strides into making the festival more environmentally sound in 2007, and they are committed to delivering an event that continually improves its environmental performance. From introducing bikes for members of staff to use on site, to launching a lift share program, from using energy efficient light bulbs to using Crafty Crapper toilets that compost human waste. For more information go to
http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk.
Celebrating its fifth anniversary, Download Festival has so far announced an incredible line-up that includes My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park and Iron Maiden as the headliners. Paramore, Cancer Bats, Satellite Party, Head Automatica, Napalm Death, Suicidal Tendencies, Saosin, Zico Chain, My Vitriol, Yourcodenameis:Milo, The Answer, Orange Goblin, Porcupine TreeM and Anathema are the latest acts confirmed to play at the festival that guarantee’s the best rock music on the planet.
Napalm Death have been one of the most influential metal bands of all time. They are generally acknowledged as the group that invented gridcore, and are one of the top 20 best selling death metal bands of all time. This is their second appearance at Download.
Napalm Death’s Mark Barney Greenway…“It was a great surprise to be asked to play Download again, although the rabid response we got last time hopefully set us in good stead. I can’t wait – it’s always pleasurable to show such a large gathering of people how music can really be taken to the ninth degree.”