Aerosmith
A massive crowd gathers for the closing act of Download on a cold, wet Sunday night.
The rain may have stopped but the mud is unavoidable. Aerosmith have featured in magazines with a negative vibe surrounding the future of the band. This vibe is something that transpired to the Aerosmith set, and the chemistry between all members, especially between Joe Perry and Steven Tyler appears forced and uncomfortable.
Steven Tyler tries, but Joe Perry concentrates on his guitar. However, the band perform many favourites, such as 'Love in an Elevator', 'Eat the Rich', 'What it Takes', 'Sweet Emotion', 'Crying', and 'Mama Kin' to name a few, which capture and win the crowd.
Joe Perry plays some solos and blues, which seem out of place and do not really work at a festival, but the band soon return to perform other hits, such as 'I don't want to miss a thing', which has the crowd singing their hearts out while holding lighters in the air.
The band close with 'Walk this Way', 'Dream On' and 'Toys in the Attic'. It seems that there still are some issues to be resolved and there may be a break in sight, with Joe Perry concentrating on his side project 'The Joe Perry Project' and which would enable Steven Tyler to recover.
It would be sad to see an end to this band, who have stuck it out through thick and thin over the last four decades, but fans need not worry as this was definitely not their final appearance. After all, Aerosmith without Steven Tyler and his recognisable voice would not be the same.
Stephanie Smith
Tagged in Download Festival