Not even technical difficulties could stop this being a brilliant set
It was absolutely pouring with rain, the crowd were miserable and it looked like it was going to stay that way for the rest of the day. So it was a tough sell for The Pretty Reckless as they headed on stage, intent on cheering up the waterlogged masses.
There was a decent crowd considering the weather and Taylor Momsen thanked them more than once for making the effort to be out there appreciating music. They were plagued by a few technical difficulties early on, Momsen's ear pieces refused to work (she eventually abandoned them a few songs in) and the mix on the vocals for the first song gave us an unwelcome piercing earful of the backing vocals; but the band handled the problems with style and it didn't detract from the flow of the set.
The Pretty Reckless are leading the charge to bring back female fronted rock and Momsen has the look and the attitude down to a t. Add to that her stunningly strong voice and a tight band - the Download crowd were treated to an exceptional set.
Playing all their well known songs, Momsen had everyone singing along with her, from the pit to the edges people were bouncing around thoroughly enjoying the experience. She's still a teenager but she owns that stage with a confidence that is not often seen in a band this young (they've only been together a few years). Highly talented and with a remarkable energy she lead The Pretty Reckless in a storming set.
It's a shame about the rain as had it been fine I suspect we would have seen a larger crowd, one that The Pretty Reckless would have easily converted in to fans.