Ooh Crikey
After their rather triumphant appearance at last year’s festival, thrash pioneers Lawnmower Deth return to Download and judging by the size of the crowd on the third stage we’re set for a repeat performance.
As they waste no time launching into a fast and furious set it’s noticeable that if anything they are even tighter as a band than last year. There isn’t quite so much bouncing around but there is still a huge dose of humour running through the set from ‘Fascist And Tubby (F.A.T)’ to ‘Flying Killer Cobs’ and ‘Watch Out Grandma’. The crowd love it and enthusiastically join in with some ridiculous but thoroughly entertaining antics; first they inspire the crowd to engage in a huge conga during ‘Sheep Dip’ and then one of the guitarists crowd surf races a punter dressed as a rabbit to the back of the tent and back! It’s all good fun and with the obligatory tribute to Dio and their own ‘Sumo Rabbit’ bouncing around the stage there can’t be anybody in the packed tent who isn’t enjoying this.
Behind all the antics they are a good band, some of the songs sound a little tame by today’s standards but others demonstrate exactly why they are lauded amongst the godfathers of thrash. They finish with ‘Satan’s Trampoline’ to rapturous applause and there’s little doubt that both band and audience alike have thoroughly enjoyed themselves.