My 18 year old son is going to Download for his first time tomorrow, he has not got a clue what is in store I bet. But it is something he has to experience with his pals and not his Dad (Although I would have loved to have gone too). I just hope he comes back OK. Any tips for him.

Don’t touch the brown acid, man! It’s bad!

Badger should be his role model…

Wear a helmet – those bottles of piss hurt!

he has not got a clue what is in store I bet

….i bet he has, that’s why he’s going… 😀

He’ll be fine! It’s pretty tame these days.

My first ever concert was Donington 95, when I was 15.

It was ace, although the pit for Machine Head was a swift learning exercise in what to expect! I didn’t die, but I did have to be pulled out the front by security during Metallica’s set (during Fade to Black, to be exact), as I was getting a bit squashed on the barrier.

At Donington ’96 my mates decided it was time for me to have my first (and to date, only) crowd surfing experience during Paradise Lost’s set. I ended up pulling a muscle in my neck, and spent the rest of day looking after everyone else’s stuff at the back because I couldn’t go into the crowd. Went to the Type-O-Negative signing session, Pete Steele (RIP) was very sympathetic!

Festivals are ace, have so many fantastic teenage memories (Donington, Ozzfest, Dynamo)! Wanted to go this year, but it clashed with Mountain Mayhem. -_- Might go to Bloodstock though.

beer
inflatabel camping bed (mats are useless for entertaining on)
high5 electrolyte tablets

soap (the showers are rarely as bad as people say they are)

At the moment, my son has – in his bag – 1 x cheap tent (not expected to make the return journey) 1 x cheap sleeping bag (not expected to make the return journey) and 2 x large packs of Baby wipes. Oh and a disposable BBQ. Do you think he needs more in his bag?

soap

At Download? 😆

Knowing what’s “available” for him to try, the only advice I would give is:

Have a 5 minute chat, acknowledging he may well dabble in drugs (or be tempted), and just remind him “to be sensible” i.e. keep hydrated, arrange a meeting point with friends, know where the medical tent is, etc…

+1 my 18 year old daughter is off to glasto with her mates for the first time without us

ahhhh bless

He’ll be fine. The first ever Download was my first festival experience and I was only 16….I survived. Far less knobbers at Download than some of the other festivals.

Actually I did almost die during a slayer mosh pit…..and a deftones mosh pit…..and a machine head mosh pit……and a ministry mosh pit. He’ll be fine-just pack him some beer otherwise his spending money wont go very far.

Just tell him to keep his valuables on him at all times, drink lots of water, drink lots of beer, try to fit some food in at some point too, tell him to mosh hard and steer away from the drugs.

😉

xiphon I have had that conversation with him and he is a sensible lad, I do trust him. No ‘pills’ though I have told him. Should I give him some condoms – just in case, or is that wishfull thinking on my part – cos I would be going for it if I was him, but he is not me, not by a long shot.

(not expected to make the return journey)

encourage him to clean up after himself?

Do you think he needs more in his bag?

phone charger
sun cream
silly hat + glow sticks (maybe not at download)

I went though the Reading/Leeds ‘go mental and burn everything on the last night’ era and survived, he’ll be fine.

Pitchshifter and Sick of It All on the main stage, those were the days!

Tell him to have some fresh orange juice if the shrooms get too much 🙂

My 18 year old younger sister wants to go to Leeds festival this year.

Based on what my mates and I got up to at leeds the last 10 years, if she buys a ticket, I’ll burn it!

Advice for him? Stay off the drugs, at least for the first couple of days, keep as a group as much as you can and pace your drinking.

its all ketimine and ky nowadays isn’t it?

bigbadbob

Speaking from ..er… experience, pills would be a much more sensible choice than shrooms/acid/ket, etc. Much easier to “remain in the driving seat” of your head.

By asking him to skip pills, he’s going to be in for some ride!

xiphon That shows my inexperience of ‘fun items’ I used to make tea out of blocks of Black – as I cannot smoke the stuff, and that was me. I have told him, if anything is work bring back, do so, if not (caked in mud etc. then use the skips provided.

Most important items are boots (feet dry), a stool (arse dry) and a poncho (eat/roll in the dry).

Acid and Slipknot would be an interesting combination 😯

Do Slipknot still have that bucket of dead birds that they sniff on stage to make themselves puke?
I am going to show this thread to my son, and he can take from it, what he will. Some great advice on here folks, thanks for that. If theses more, prey tell…

I would imagine Download is one of the friendlist festivals with down to earth metallers there for the music and good times, rather than the latest round of hogwash called festivals full of poncy hunter wellies and townies wearing mackenzie getting off their tits. Back in my day it was more simple as you knew who was trouble- any Scouser. 😛

Get there early. Camp away from toilets (they don’t smell when you get there, but they soon will!) and path.

I would imagine Download is one of the friendlist festivals with down to earth metallers there for the music and good times,

Pretty much the size of it. Bother is minimal, and tends to be, er, self-policed. My first ever gig was Donington ’90, and I think since then I’ve seen one (brief) fight, ever.

scruff – Member
rather than the latest round of hogwash called festivals full of poncy hunter wellies

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBZ8nng-1-g[/video]

Guy I work with is the self proclaimed festival expert. His two favourite bits of advice are leave if it rains and leave early on the sunday to avoid traffic. TART!

Cougar – Moderator

“I would imagine Download is one of the friendlist festivals with down to earth metallers there for the music and good times,”

Pretty much the size of it. Bother is minimal, and tends to be, er, self-policed. My first ever gig was Donington ’90, and I think since then I’ve seen one (brief) fight, ever.

Only time I’ve seen nastyness at a festival was after a girl crowd surfing was groped by some tuesdays…retribution was swift and satisfying.

Isnt the internet wonderful, listing from my first time,

Oh and a disposable BBQ.

Tell him not to use that in the tent, under any circumstances, even if it’s raining.
Carbon Monoxide death will be the result.

leave early on the sunday to avoid traffic

I remember Loudon Wainright saying that he missed seeing Hendrix play at Woodstock because he left early to avoid the traffic.

When does this start? As I have to drive past the CD M1 exit to get to Mayhem. I will go A38 if it’s likely to be carnage.

Camping starts tomorrow and music starts on Friday.

35 posts and no one has mentions condoms as essential kit for teenagers going to a festival? Or is that just too obvious? 🙂

sorrybut,
Leave early to miss the traffic. What a ****.

uselesshippy – Member
sorrybut,
Leave early to miss the traffic. What a ****.

Ha! You don’t know the half of it!

take bogroll 🙂

Condoms – but my son is a sweet innocent young lad that does not do ‘that sort of thing’… Should I get some for him. That would so cool though – to loose it at Download. My pal lost his at a Mission concert – but that’s Fifers for you.