Gav and James took a road trip to the big dog of UK metal festivals, Download, for an all too literal dirty weekend.Swamp conditions aside, we discuss the best and worst sets, our take on the Barclays sponsorship protests and what can go wrong when you take an innocent photo of Pantera's crowd from the top of a ferris wheel and post it on the internet.We go again, every Thursday morning.

This week's pod is James' emotional rollercoaster: from opening up about a serious health scare, being "pissed off" with a rival festival, to his passion for fence posts and playing invisible Minecraft... this one has it all.He also explains the challenges of turning a sheep field into a festival site where you can watch The Gaslight Anthem and invites YOU to get involved.We. Go. Again.We go again, every Thursday morning.

3 Promoters, 1 Pod! Download's Kam Haq joins us to lift the curtain on the workings of the UK's biggest metal gathering.What's life like at the top of the ladder, all Champagne and cigars at Live Nation HQ? Or is it the same headaches and hassles with billing, booking headliners and clashes as the rest of us mere mortals suffer?We get in about it all and pick some must see bands from this year's line-up as we look forward to Download 2024.We go again, every Thursday morning.

We (drunkenly) go again! Gav and James get the pints in and tackle some of the more light-hearted questions.Favourite food vendors at our festivals? What bands would we go back and see with a time machine? Top three bands we've ever seen live?And why did Gav buy not one, but two tour buses? Hiccup!We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

Not all events are booked the same. Some promoters enjoy a professionally packaged tour arriving on their doorstep, others don't mind the challenge of luring over bands who rarely play and then there's Damnation, who want artists to dust off old records and perform them as a world exclusive sets in Manchester.Problem is, that's as time consuming, expensive and as difficult as it sounds. But in the end, is it worth all it? We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

There weren’t too many clashes at 2000trees that raised an eyebrow, but the ones that did raised an army! What kind of cruel world forces you to choose between Bob Vylan and Palm Reader? Are they being serious about Gaslight Anthem and Better Lovers? Surely Sean McGowan and The Sleeping Souls is a twisted joke and you’re misreading Frank Turner clashing with Lonely The Brave, right? Right? The man behind the plan, Mr James Scarlett, takes his licks and explains all... even manages t...

The humble catering rider, which surely started life as a simple hot meal for touring band members, has morphed beyond all recognition to a sprawling wishlist, often with no rhyme or reason.Seasoned headline acts can ask for so little while fresh-faced tour supports demand so much, but what MUST be provided and who decides where to draw the line?Like most things in this industry... it's complicated.James and Gav share their experiences, from 24 McDonald's cheeseburgers to "Gollum...

One viral photo of Gojira's merch list prices - including an £80 hoodie - sparked a row that refuses to die and lifted the lid on the murky world of merch concessions at venues and festivals.But is it as black and white as greedy venues or promoters dipping their hands into the pockets of hard working bands, or is there a more nuanced conversation to be had about what services are provided in return, from a toilet tour to a major outdoors festival?Do all events approach the issue in the same ...

As the old saying goes, you learn from your mistakes, but that doesn't make those mistakes any easier to deal with!From bogged down loos, stages with no stage managers, the importance of building a team and what weather you can survive and what weather you can't... Gav and James relive some horrors from down the years.And what do we want to see in a band's press pack? We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

In the second of our monthly Q&A bonus pods, we try to get through as many burning questions as possible.Our biggest triumphs and screw ups? How has Brexit impacted attracting bands? What happens to our festivals if one of us is hit by a bus? Have we ever been held to ransom by a greedy band?And why didn't Opeth play their full set length at ATG last year?We answer them all.We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

The ArcTanGent stage times are out and everyone has been colour coding their digital day plans and having a social media rant about the decisions they've been forced to make.But what does the man responsible for the clashes, which can make or break your weekend, have to say for himself?How did Clown Core and Author & Punisher find themselves pitted against each other? Is Torpor at 11am on the final day really a bright idea? And do fans really want to see both Amenra and Tokky Horror?James...

Green Lung, Creeper, Brutus, Malevolence, Zeal & Ardor, Bob Vylan, Dinosaur Pile Up, Bleed From Within, Boston Manor... all names we hope to see headline our festivals in the future.But what does it take to get there and why does the path to the top of the bill seem so clear at 2000trees, yet so complicated at ATG and Damnation? Gav and James also have a bash at booking a stage for the other's festival, from the sublime (We Lost The Sea and Tomb Mould) to the ridiculous (Moon Tooth?)...

21 UK festivals have been cancelled or postponed so far this year with up to 100 at risk without Government support, according to the The Association of Independent Festivals. It's grim reading, so how are ArcTanGent, Damnation and 2000trees coping in this brutal landscape and what can be done to help the situation? Gav and James have a plan and it involves you! We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

Bob Vylan to Din of Celestial Birds, Idles to Amenra... have our festivals helped "break" bands to a larger audience in their scenes and if so, is that important to us or a byproduct of the job? Gav and James get in about it.  We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

After a month or so of agent bashing, it was only a matter of time before someone stepped up to put us back in our place. And that someone is the brilliant Mr Tom Taaffe, the man behind the bookings of the likes of Every Time I Die, Pallbearer, Spanish Love Songs, Deafheaven, While She Sleeps, Beartooth and Elder at our festivals. What's his take on the ballache of billing and A-Z line-up posters, the rising fees for bands and promoters asking US arena-level bands to play club shows in...

The mailbox is full and the questions keep coming in, so here's an episode dedicated to all your curiosities. Do festival promoters talk to each other about band fees?  Have we ever got into a bidding war over a band we wanted?  What other festival would we like to book?  What are the marketing challenges in 2024? We answer them all, and plenty more, in the usual candid fashion.  We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

Ten years of increased offers, multiple snubs, endless fan demands and with almost all hope lost... Mogwai finally agreed to play the final night of the 10th anniversary of ATG. It had to be part of the masterplan, right?  Or a chance phone call, "going big" with an offer over text and the dilemma of having no headline slots left. Turns out landing the dream band is never straight forward, as Bolt Thrower playing Damnation had its own unique quirks too. Gav and James get in about it...

Booking bands is the Wild West of music promotion, where cash, gamesmanship, ego and relationships clash in the process of sealing a deal. But it isn't as simple a just working out a fee. There's hotels, flights, catering, drum kits, video walls, billing and exclusivity to haggle over... and don't forget that nudity clause! Then, even if that's all agreed, it might not stay that way because half the contract doesn't make sense, or the agent might just "forget". Understand, no? Neither do...

2,000 Trees, Damnation and ArcTanGent have carved themselves out solid reputations on the UK festival scene but not without almost two decades of graft, good fortune and the odd costly mistake, or twenty, along the way. Thankfully we fell into those traps so you don't have to. We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

The right headliner can make or break your year, whether the rest of the line-up is excellent or not. But it's not as easy as just throwing heaps of cash at your favourite band to land the booking you need. With more events to choose from, competitive festival exclusive deals, fees going through the roof and bands booking further and further in advance, it can be a nervous time trying to get the right cherry on top. James and Gav get into it... We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

Who goes one line up on the poster? Whose logo needs to be bigger? Who goes left or right when two bands are virtually identical in stature? And who decides? The art of billing the line-up poster is a messy and confusing one, which often leads to heated rows, fall outs and promoters being left with tough calls to make. But do fans even notice or care? James and Gav share their pain and misery on 2 Promoters, 1 Pod. We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

In a short space of time, Slayer transformed themselves from dependable festival fodder, who filled academies on tour to an arena outfit who have returned to share top billing alongside the likes of Slipknot and Motley Crue with one simple trick: the fake farewell. Should fans be delighted with the return, or question why they were duped in the first place? Will other bands and their management follow the same strategy? And where are promoters left in the mix of booking the panto? We go...

Dillinger are back and everyone is buzzing, so why aren't they playing any of the UK festivals? Is Calculating Infinity worth the gamble? Is there anything to learn from the At The Drive In, Refused or Botch reunions? Will we see Dimitri and co. play London in 2024 instead? Damnation and ArcTanGent organisers, Gav and James, share their thoughts on the first episode of 2 Promoters, 1 Pod. We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

How much money did Damnation 2023 make? The problem with A Night of Salvation being so cheap. the chaos of losing Tuskar and Ahab at the final hurdle. Bossk and Din of Celestial Birds knocking it out the park. THAT Nordic Giants opening set. Fixation on a Co Worker. Highlights and low points of the weekend... Plans for 2024. We get in about about it all. Thanks for listening, please give the show a follow and tell your mates! ;)

After three decades on the road, grindcore Godfather Shane Embury has committed his tour tales to paper with the release of Life...? And Napalm Death. Shane joins Damnation Vs to discuss the decision to publish the novel and where to draw the line with what's for the masses and what stays on tour. Playing arenas to Volbeat fans,  why he needs to see the faces of the crowd when he's playing and rediscovering Cult of Luna. #napalmdeath  #damnation #damnationvs Thanks for listening, please...