HOLY MASSIVE DOWNLOAD ANNOUNCEMENT BATMAN!

More than 30 bands were promised for the latest Download Festival line-up announcement, and more than 30 have been delivered. A titanic 37, in fact. And so now, courtesy of Metal Hammer for alphabetising them, here are all 37 in their respective glories.

Airbourne
Amon Amarth
Asking Alexandria
Black Dogs
Buffalo Summer
Cancer Bats
Converge
Down
Earthtone 9
Enter Shikari
Five Finger Death Punch
Goldsboro
Hacktivist
Hardcore Superstar
Heaven’s Basement
HellYeah
The Hives
Huntress
I AM I
In This Moment
Jimmy Eat World
Korn
Last Witness
Limp Bizkit
Motionless In White
Parkway Drive
The Sword
Three Doors Down
UFO
Vision of Disorder
Walking Papers
Young Guns



Don't try and tell me there isn't a single band in that list that makes you happy enough for a little bit of wee to come out. I DARES YE. And there's no BVB, so yay. 
Here's the official poster, to remind you of the rest of the freaking awesome line-up.

NEW VIDEO FOR YOUNG GUNS 'DEARLY DEPARTED'

For some reason, I really want to go and buy some Drop Dead clothing...can't place why. Anyway, enjoy.

LIVE REVIEW; YOUNG GUNS/MARMOZETS, 24/3/12, NORWICH ARTS CENTRE

*****


Off the back of the Bare Bones acoustic tour in support of recent album Bones, and a support slot around Europe alongside the mighty Enter Shikari, Young Guns came to the Norwich Arts Centre on the first of 2 UK headline dates to play an intimate sold-out show. Warming up the crowd for them were Yorkshire math-punks Marmozets, one of the most exciting and hotly-tipped new British bands to emerge for some time. Both bands combined to create a triumphantly breathless and chaotic night.


Now, I don't normally cover the support bands, but I'm making an exception with Marmozets, because I came to see them as much as I did Young Guns. With 2 EPs (the free Passive Aggressive and the £2.50 bargain Vexed) under their belts, Marmozets have already received critical acclaim from the likes of Kerrang! and Rock Sound, and despite their young age (the drummer's only 17, I think), delivered a polished yet decidedly mental half-hour. Opening with Vexed's first track Onemanwolfpack, they ripped through tracks from each EP such as Lives (check the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CbMxMJwhnI) and The Perfect Beverage with a fantastic energy, even going into the crowd for their last song. One of my favourite bands at the moment (and lovely guys - I chatted to vocalist Becca and guitarist Sam afterwards), with the sort of technical skill that would make a lot of metal shredders, drummers and vocalists cry into their beards, Marmozets are going a long, long way, and I recommend that you get on board. 


And then came Young Guns, the interior of the Arts Centre by now packed out. With a set comprising of their best from their 2 albums All Our Kings Are Dead, Bones and lone EP Mirrors, they burst onto the stage with a combo of Elements and the anthemic Bones. Wasting no time except to thank the crowd for turning out in such numbers, they played with great enthusiasm and force. That fed back into the crowd, who responded in turn to lend the band their own energy back - it was a cycle that lasted the whole night. The only minor disappointment was the lack of an encore to their set, but given that they played a well-rounded set with appeal to fans from every stage of their career, closing with EP track and fan fave Daughter Of The Sea and singles Winter Kiss/Weight Of The World, there were few complaints. A brilliant evening.


COPYRIGHT Thomas Castle, April 2012
Special thanks to Livewire 1350's Head of Music Jay Lawrence for getting me (and mate Simon) in!