Rock legends Faith No More sign up for Download Festival

Mar 8 2009 by Anna Blackaby, Birmingham Post

Midland rock festival Download has recruited pioneering American band Faith No More as its third and final headliner for this year’s event at Donington Park.

The band will join Slipknot and Def Leppard as headliners for Download, which takes place over the weekend of June 12-14.

Following a wealth of rumours and speculation, the band confirmed last week that they would be reuniting, 11 years after they famously called it a day in April 1998. Faith No More’s appearance at Download 2009 will be their only United Kingdom date this year.

Faith No More are largely responsible for the rap/rock crossover blueprint and for influencing many of the nu-metal bands of the 90s, including Linkin Park, Korn and Limp Bizkit, the latter two will also play this year’s Download.

Editor of Kerrang! magazine, Paul Brannigan, said: “Faith No More were not only one of the great rock bands of the ‘90s, but also one of the greatest rock bands ever.

“A hugely entertaining thorn in the side of mainstream rock throughout their 17-year history, the band’s unique, eclectic and uncategorisable sound has been a massive influence on every forward-thinking rock band of the past 20 years and their return is a huge cause for great celebration. I couldn’t be more thrilled.”