As AC/DC mentioned, “It’s a protracted approach to the highest for those who wanna rock’n’roll”. Ask any of the 100,000-odd individuals embarking on their annual pilgrimage to the non secular house of steel, and so they’ll jokingly let you know the highway to Donington Park doesn’t really feel a lot shorter. Born from the ashes of the Monsters of Rock one-dayers, recalibrated for rock’s burgeoning new era and christened with a suitably edgy title that might most positively by no means age badly, the Obtain competition has, since 2003, established itself because the beating coronary heart of a scene with the amount turned as much as 11. With the competition this weekend marking its twentieth anniversary with its largest occasion but, the story of its rise is one in every of group, circle pits and an inordinate quantity of urine in bottles …
Stuart Galbraith (founding father of Obtain & CEO of promoters Kilimanjaro Dwell) Within the early 2000s, there have been entire new genres of rock coming by means of. I felt we would have liked one thing that was in a position to embrace that, in addition to nonetheless cowl heritage artists.
John Probyn (competition director, Dwell Nation) The one actual development areas on the time have been dance music and rock. In case you checked out rock’s previous guard, they have been all nonetheless promoting a whole lot of tickets. After which there was an enormous up-and-coming market of youthful bands as nicely.
Galbraith Monsters of Rock began at Donington as a result of the Midlands was such a hotbed for rock. That also held true for Obtain. We did briefly take into account Milton Keynes, however they couldn’t accommodate what we would have liked for tenting.
Andy Copping (head booker & Dwell Nation’s president of UK touring) Donington is the Stonehenge of rock music. It has a residing, respiratory coronary heart. You could possibly stand there any random weekend and really feel one thing. Obtain couldn’t not be there.
Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden frontman) I wouldn’t describe Donington as a magical place … What makes Donington magical is the those who go there. We’re the good unwashed, who’ve been pushed away from areas of civilisation the place regular, genteel individuals wish to go and sip their lattes, and we’ve been despatched out to this discipline in between a motor racing monitor and the strategy lights of East Midlands airport.
Probyn Donington is firstly designed for individuals to observe automobiles and motorbikes whiz spherical at 100mph. You immediately attempt to put a rock competition in there – and construct it whereas the monitor continues to be operational – and it wasn’t straightforward. It was a bloody nightmare, in actual fact, and nonetheless is usually.
Copping Any competition promoter will inform you a similar factor: no band desires to do 12 months one, as a result of if it’s a failure, they don’t need to be hooked up to it. We had an inventory of names we wished, and we simply went fishing.
Galbraith Getting the invoice collectively for the primary 12 months, it fell into place two or three days earlier than we lastly introduced.
Copping Limp Bizkit, who have been booked to headline [alongside Iron Maiden], pulled out 5 weeks earlier than the competition. There was no alternative to discover a alternative. It needs to be probably the most horrific factor that may occur when it comes to reserving.
Galbraith It was mentioned a few weeks beforehand that Metallica wished to play, however we didn’t have any price range left. So the concept of them doing a secret set [on the small second stage] was born. It took an enormous quantity of planning to maintain it quiet so it was protected for the viewers and the band.
Kirk Hammett (Metallica guitarist) I don’t like full “chaos”, however I’m a sucker for “pandemonium” – I get a bizarre amusement out of it! We tried to maintain it as secret as attainable, and we did a extremely, actually good job up till about 45 minutes earlier than. We lined all logos on our package and all the things, and you understand what the one factor that gave us away was? Folks recognised our crew and our techs! We hit the stage and it was an explosion of vitality. We nonetheless discuss that present now.
Copping The numbers [in the first year] weren’t catastrophic; they weren’t by means of the roof, both. However we bought by means of it, and I bear in mind being on web site and pondering: “We’ve bought one thing right here.”
Probyn During [planning], I had saved saying: “We’ve bought to consider the viewers. It’s going to be 30-, 40-, 50-year-old blokes in denim jackets with patches. After which after we opened the doorways on the primary day, they have been all youngsters, 16 and 17 years previous. I used to be like: “I’ve bought this fully incorrect.”
Copping Metallica have been booked to headline the next 12 months. About 3pm on the day they have been because of play, I bought a message throughout the radio to urgently head again to the manufacturing space.
Galbraith All of us bought collectively and the band informed us Lars [Ulrich, Metallica co-founder and drummer] isn’t right here, and he’s not coming.
Copping I believed we have been cursed. The band mentioned they wished to attempt to make one thing work with visitor drummers. However, truthfully, I informed them they need to simply cancel.
Galbraith They handed me an inventory of drummers and requested if we may monitor these individuals down and produce them to their dressing room.
Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer drummer) I used to be backstage and Slayer’s supervisor hit me up and mentioned: “Lars isn’t making the present.” They informed me he was OK however wanted to go to the hospital, so I mentioned: “I’d love to assist out.” I used to be given slightly CD participant to take heed to the songs to reacquaint myself. Fortunately, additionally they had Joey Jordison from Slipknot, who I heard had performed in a Metallica covers band when he was youthful.
Hammett When stuff like this occurs, I don’t know why however the duty appears to land on me [laughs]. I couldn’t do something for the subsequent three hours besides speak to drummers. I bear in mind seeing Dimebag [Darrell, former Pantera guitarist] wave at me from a distance backstage; I checked out him and mouthed: ‘We’re fully fucked.’ He came visiting laughing and simply mentioned: ‘You guys have gotten this.’ And that was the final time I noticed Dime [before his death that December]. I nonetheless remorse not taking the time to have a full dialog with him.”
Copping We set the band, Dave and Joey up in a [portable building] for them to rehearse. Ultimately, they got here out and informed us they’d about an hour’s value of fabric.
Hammett Joey may play all types of issues; I bear in mind saying to him: “Bro, you’re gonna need to play a bunch of those tunes tonight … ” He was beside himself, he was so blissful. On the finish of the set, I turned to Joey onstage, and I requested him if he may play Enter Sandman. And I noticed by means of his masks [Jordison was still in his Slipknot stage attire] that he had tears in each of his eyes. He was crying as a result of it meant a lot for him to be enjoying Sandman with us at Obtain. I’ll always remember that.
Galbraith That entire scenario was very traumatic on the time. Then a few years later [2006], we had Weapons N’ Roses. And with all issues Weapons N’ Roses, there’s all the time drama …
Copping The expectation was so excessive, and the group was actually fired up. However Axl [Rose] saved slipping, the vibe on stage was terrible, there have been sound points. The group began throwing issues and the [then] bassist, Tommy Stinson, mentioned: “That’s it, I’m going.”
Galbraith We met him on the steps down from the stage and needed to speak him into staying: “Look, for those who go away, 80,000 individuals will go mad. There’ll be chaos. Folks will get damage. Please, please do the present.” Fortunately, he did.
Copping A giant a part of our MO from the outset was that we wished Obtain to be a competition for the followers. We wished them to really feel included and to have a voice. Its messageboards have been an enormous a part of that.
Galbraith Obtain actually grew as a group from the entire on-line interplay it had earlier than individuals even got here on web site.
Carrie Simpson (Obtain messageboard admin) You could possibly go on [the messageboards] at any time, day or evening, and there can be individuals there. On the peak of it we had 50,000 individuals registered. You could possibly discover individuals to speak about something.
Probyn It grew to become a tremendous market analysis device for us. I all the time would say to them: “This competition shall be nearly as good as you all make it.” The primary 12 months, a younger goth lady got here as much as me, gave me an enormous hug and mentioned: “That is the one weekend of the 12 months I might be myself and never be judged. Thanks.”
Galbraith We in a short time put collectively a “fan discussion board” focus group in a pub. We requested: “What would you like? What do you want? What do you want?” We simply needed to watch, hear and work out what it was we would have liked to offer.
Phil Hull (Obtain messageboard admin) For followers to be assembly the individuals behind the competition to inform them what they thought, I feel it was fairly radical, actually.
Simpson We opened their eyes to a whole lot of points. We did an enormous quantity of labor to assist cater for disabled individuals, households, individuals with nervousness, and folks coming to the competition on their very own. The concept safety would all be numbered so that they have been identifiable got here from these boards, too, and that’s now common.
Hull It will have been straightforward [for the organisers] to do all of this as just a few PR train, however they engaged. It gave individuals possession of the competition.
Simpson After all, everybody appreciated to moan concerning the lineups … We used to joke and provides Andy [Copping] a development exhausting hat when the subject got here up. In 2007, My Chemical Romance have been introduced to headline and folks went ballistic. There have been petitions, individuals writing to the BBC: “Save our Obtain!”
Copping I bear in mind saying to My Chemical Romance [before they went on stage]: “No matter occurs on the market, no matter they throw at you, simply don’t cease.”
Chester Bennington (Linkin Park frontman, talking in 2014) The primary time we have been gonna play Obtain [in 2004], we have been informed: “If [the crowd] don’t such as you, they throw fucking piss at you. Everybody carries piss round after which they throw it at individuals.”
Matt Heafy (Trivium singer-guitarist) Proper earlier than our set in 2006, I used to be in the back of the stage and this bottle flew over the backdrop, hit me and lined me in liquid … I used to be lined in piss your entire second time we performed Obtain.
Rou Reynolds (Enter Shikari vocalist-keyboardist) I bear in mind enjoying in 2007, simply earlier than Korn. I went to the barrier and this group of Korn followers have been there, completely raging, and one in every of them saved punching me! The animosity between genres within the scene again then was fairly one thing.
Copping After we first booked Slipknot to headline in 2009, individuals mentioned I used to be psychological. However now Slipknot are a bona fide headliner, and that present is talked about as being the best set ever.
Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan (Slipknot percussionist) There are these exhibits the place there’s a vibe, an vitality supply surrounding you, that forces you to acknowledge the place you’re at. “That is profession defining. That is my soul being remoulded right here.” These are the stuff you’ve dreamed of.
Copping That was the 12 months that the competition actually got here of age. It was the primary time I believed: “Persons are actually accepting the number of this competition now.” You had somebody sporting a Whitesnake T-shirt watching Korn, and somebody in a Limp Bizkit T-shirt watching Def Leppard.
Joe Elliott (Def Leppard frontman) I feel it wasn’t till after the present that we realised what we have been placing ourselves as much as do. The broadening of the viewers at Obtain has been nothing however a superb factor. It breaks down a whole lot of boundaries.
Probyn The largest problem for me got here in 2010, after we had AC/DC headlining. I had a name with their manufacturing supervisor who informed me: “John, the band need each single factor that’s on their stage [for their headline tour] to be at Obtain.” And their manufacturing had a practice on stage. So we informed them to carry their very own stage that solely they may use, and we constructed it straight subsequent to our important stage.
Copping It was most likely probably the most nerve-racking time that I’ve ever been by means of. I nonetheless get flashbacks of it.
Robb Flynn (Machine Head singer-guitarist) In 2012, we set the document for many circle pits – 29 consecutive circle pits! It was probably the most stunning issues I’ve ever seen in my life.
Lzzy Hale (Halestorm singer-guitarist) I bear in mind being on stage that 12 months and looking on the crowd. It was simply mud individuals. You couldn’t inform who was a boy, who was a lady, who was previous or who was younger. There was no race, no gender, there was solely … mud.
Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge) Of the ten occasions I’ve performed Obtain, most of these have concerned rain! What blows my thoughts is the truth that individuals will stand out and face up to the weather for the sake of rock’n’roll. That’s actually inspiring. They’re not fair-weather followers … actually!
Dickinson Lately, we’ve had a duplicate Spitfire on stage for the track Aces Excessive, however for the event of us headlining Obtain in 2013, we really had an actual one – a Battle of Britain memorial flight Spitfire. We phoned up [the RAF] and mentioned: “I do know you do shows … any likelihood you would do one for us?” So firstly of the present, the Spitfire flew over and did a few circles around the stage. In typical style, the RAF have been exact to the second, in order it headed off, again excessive of the stage, we began our intro tape. It fully surprised the group.
Hale Obtain is exclusive in that it doesn’t eat its younger. If you’re part of it, you’re a part of it for all times.
Courtney LaPlante (Spiritbox) I watch movies of our [first Download performance, in 2022], and it’s a really out-of-body expertise. That present taught me an enormous lesson: the group don’t care for those who’re good. These are your individuals, they’re having the very best weekend of their lives, and also you simply must take pleasure in it as a lot as they’re. And, truthfully, Obtain was top-of-the-line experiences of our lives.
Copping The competition’s coronary heart and its soul are nonetheless the identical, however it’s developed. We’re making an attempt to placed on the very best occasion for the broad church of rock followers. How we see Obtain as we speak I feel shall be very completely different in 5 or 10 years.
Hale After we have been there in 2019, it was actually fantastic to see so many female-led acts, and the entire ladies which might be working backstage. I really feel such a way of delight [at becoming the first female-led band to headline one of the festival’s two biggest stages, in 2019]. However it is usually slightly disheartening.
Copping You do need to tackle the criticism of the place the feminine illustration [at the top of the festival’s lineups] has been. Fortunately, the scene as an entire is altering.
Heafy Obtain has an X-factor that the opposite festivals simply don’t. If the celebrities align simply accurately, it may well change the trajectory of your future.
Elliott To a rock fan, Obtain is your Glastonbury. It’s not simply concerning the music. It’s a ceremony of passage.
Probyn Somebody who used to work for me would say: “You don’t do Obtain, Obtain does you.” As a result of once you’ve achieved it as soon as, you by no means need to not do it.
Obtain: The Official Historical past shall be out there from Rufus Publications later this 12 months. Metallica’s 72 Seasons is out now by way of Blackened.
