Download began life in 1980 as the Monsters of Rock event which, over the years, attracted the very best bands the heavy metal and rock worlds have had to offer – among them the mighty Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Whitesnake, Marillion (who are NOT and NEVER HAVE BEEN a Scottish heavy metal band), ZZ Top, Bon Jovi and Audioslave.
The name change to Download in 2003 was actioned for two main reasons. Back then, downloading was a dirty word in the music industry due to the illegal file sharing of music tracks. Given that rock is seen as a rebellious genre of music, it seemed apt.
Also, the organisers faced pressure from the rest of the industry, with some even claiming that the Download Festival would “destroy the music business”. Download was to be a Monsters of Rock for the 21st Century, with the Internet providing connectivity to the audience.
The 2003 event tickets had a code on them – and I can vouch for that as I was there because Maiden were headlining! – which would allow festival-goers to download tracks from bands which had played. Although this idea has been dropped in subsequent years, the festival organisers have continued to nurture an online community through the Download Festival Forums.
Donington Park: the headbangers’ paradise
When Download began, it took place – as always – in the Midlands on the Donington Park circuit infield (as had Monsters of Rock from 1980).
However, in 2008 developments put in place by the FIA for Formula One meant that the infield was no longer suitable as a festival site. A move was duly made to the ‘Sunday Markets’ site located to the west of the circuit.
Although adequate, numbers were limited and the location of the campsite meant that getting from tents to the arena was quite a hike for the hardcore metalheads. That being the case, last year saw the festival move to a different and more suitable location just to the south of the circuit.
This year, event security specialist Showsec’s operations director Simon Battersby was appointed as the festival’s head of security in good time for seven months’ strategic planning that would feed into co-ordinating 1,300 security professionals and stewards at the event.
Headline act this time around was none other than AC/DC, the Aussie protagonists famous for classic, all-out metal tub-thumpers including Back in Black, Thunderstruck, Whole Lotta Rosie and the quaint little number entitled Highway To Hell.
125 bands… and lots of fans!
Fronted by ‘schoolboy’ guitarist Angus Young and Brian Johnson, the gravel-throated Geordie warbler, ‘DC’ – as they’re sometimes referred to in the rock world – were ably supported by Rage Against the Machine and America’s finest Aerosmith, not to mention 122 other bands who entertained the dedicated rock fans over three consecutive days.
Metal crowds aren’t always the easiest to ‘police’, what with lots of heavy drinking going on pretty much all day. Obviously, this can lead to skirmishes and, therefore, realise a challenging, highly complicated operation for the security stewards.
“The promoter, Live Nation, was keen to have a more co-ordinated overriding security operation this year which would manage the increased size and scale of Download on a more effective basis,” Battersby told SMT Online.
“My new role within the festival management team meant that I engaged all stakeholders from Leicestershire police, licensing authorities, and the festival crime prevention team through to other contractors securing the campsite and car park areas.”
Battersby added: “As a result, we consolidated the security operations across the site, sharing information and resources and ensuring clear communication lines between all parties. I’m happy to say this led to improved security for everyone on site.”
Effective briefings, extensive planning
Steve Reynolds, Showsec’s Southern Regional Manager, oversaw the complex event security operation which spanned no less than five stages, markets, entrances and perimeter. With such a vast area and so many staff, effective briefings and extensive planning were key to the operation’s success.
Reynolds commented: “The crowd management at Download has always been a very carefully co-ordinated operation, maintaining the barriers and large numbers of fans over five different stages. In addition, with AC/DC bringing their own stage this year, our teams in the main arena had to adapt their operation in line with the barrier and crowd layout changes that were the result of a change of stage between Friday night and Saturday morning.”
Continuing the theme, Reynolds explained: “This style of high energy rock music is associated with an audience who like to crowd surf and whose boisterous behaviour can approach being unintentionally unsafe. Having said that, the crowds are here to party, are very co-operative and tend to look after each other’s well-being.”
Reynolds said that the Showsec team initiated a couple of show-stops as careful monitoring spotted potentially dangerous situations developing, and these prevented serious injuries.
“The five pit teams managed by John Hadland deserve credit,” added Reynolds, “with high numbers of people being taken over the barriers. For example, 2,500 people passed over the barriers during Rage Against the Machine’s set alone.”
Key members of the Showsec team on site
Key members of the Showsec team included Roy Wise, who managed gate security. Wise mentored Showsec Academy staff so successfully that, by day three, he could entrust and observe them managing the ingress.
Richard Church oversaw all staff administration, which included co-ordinating the criminal record and licensing checks for every member of staff from across all three security providers. Church was also in charge of maintaining staff well-being, ensuring they had appropriate uniforms, two-way radios, accommodation and food throughout the event (not to mention the obligatory sun cream and rain capes required at any UK festival!)
In conclusion, Reynolds stated: “The Download Festival 2010 was a historic year for Showsec as well as the festival itself. Our new management infrastructure successfully executed a huge, complex security and crowd management operation, meeting the demands of every stakeholder and improving the standards of safety of everyone on site.”
As AC/DC might say: ‘For Those About To Rock – and look after the crowd’s safety and security – We Salute You!’
