Download Festival

                                    

                                          
It was Saturday morning, the morning of Download festival and I checked the set times as we sat in the car to Donnington Park. Linkin Park closed out the night, Fall Out Boy were right before them and then, guess who were right before them... Bring Me The Horizon. I didn't care that I would be seeing them play, I liked their music and I didn't exactly have bad blood with Oli, I just felt strange about the possibility of running into him.
                          
Our car took us to the artist entrance where security checked us off Fall Out Boy's list and handed us VIP tags. Luiz put mine around my neck and insisted on a photo before we went to say 'Hi' to the Fall Out Boy guys and to thank them for getting us in. They were really nice guys; Andy greeted me with a hug and Pete said we should watch their set from the side of stage. It made me remember the last - and only - time I had been at the side of a stage; the day I met Oli... in fact walking around backstage it was all I could think about, wondering where he was... hoping I wouldn't bump into him and have some strange awkward greeting. At least I was with Luiz I guess. Luiz disappeared for a while and I sat hanging out with the guys. Patrick asked me who else I wanted to see, and I of course said Linkin Park. He said they were all going to head side of stage to watch them too, so I could go with them. I was stupidly excited. It was still a little early in the day so when Luiz came back, we decided to head out to the VIP viewing area which was out in the crowd and from there we watched a band I didn't know. It was then time for me to see Oli again. As Bring Me The Horizon's stage was being set up, Luiz asked if I wanted to go and watch them from the side of the stage. He didn't know about our history, so I just told him I was happy where I was.
                          
It was incredibly strange seeing Micky, Jordan, Matt and Lee walk onto the stage – knowing how much I'd gotten to know them last year, and now they were just strangers again, but of course not as strange as when Oli walked out onto the stage. The crowd screamed, including everyone around me, and I just stood there. He looked really good, though a buttoned-up plaid shirt seemed like an interesting fashion choice. He screamed something and the band broke straight into 'Antivist' which was the angriest song from their album. Oli looked happy, and even though I sort of wanted to be stubborn and not sing along, I did. I liked their music after all. We were far enough away from the stage that I felt pretty safe that there was no way they could notice me, but there was one moment where Oli appeared to squint toward us that made me a little anxious. Their set was close to an hour and I noticed Oli had even more tattoos when he stripped down to a baggy vest; his right arm looking like it was on it's way to being completely filled in. He dropped onto his knees singing 'Can You Feel My Heart' which was my favourite song of theirs, and I'm not too proud to admit that their set was pretty amazing. Even though I'd spent so much time with them before, it was actually the first time I'd seen them play live. 
                          
When Bring Me The Horizon wrapped up, Luiz suggested we head backstage. Fall Out Boy were up next and we were going to watch them from the side of the stage seeing as Pete had suggested it earlier. I felt slightly nervous walking backstage, standing there with the guys as they hyped themselves up and then heading up to the viewing area of the stage. We went to Pete's side; no sign of Oli or anyone else. Phew. Fall Out Boy's set was incredible and I sang along to practically everything.... and of course watching it from the side of stage was just as incredible as I remembered from when I'd watched Green Day at Reading festival.
                          
As Fall Out Boy exited the stage, I high-fived Joe and Pete – probably kind of lame but whatever; I was just on a massive high. We followed them off stage, even though I guess we weren't exactly invited, but they offered us beers at their tent thing. They were all doing a quick change while the stage was reset and then heading back out to the stage to see Linkin Park. I was so stupidly excited, but I tried not to let it show too much.

                          
As we all walked back to the stage, I noticed the Linkin Park guys were standing by the stairs adjusting earpieces and hyping themselves up. I grabbed Luiz's arm out of excitement when the Fall out Boy stopped to say Hi to them. Pete introduced me to them and Chester shook my hand. He was my musical idol, so I tried so hard not to embarrass myself but I was smiling hugely.  I absolutely loved Linkin Park and I'd never met them before, so this was epic. Luiz acted as my fairy godmother and insisted I get a photo all of the guys, so told them to gather in. I ended up squished between Patrick Stump and Mike Shinoda, and I could not have been happier about it. That was a photo that would be on my instagram before the day was out. 
                          
I was looking around as we stood there, and at one moment I thought I saw a few guys in black that looked suspiciously like Bring Me walking past, but they didn't come our direction anyway, so I wasn't sure. We went up to the side of the stage and I honestly felt as though I was going to run into Oli at any moment... I knew he loved Linkin Park too, and since he had just played an hour ago, he would surely stick around to see them. There were quite a few people around, but as far as I could see, Oli wasn't there, nor where any of his band mates. Luiz manouvered me to the front of the group so I could see and as the opening music started playing, I totally lost my shit. When Linkin Park took the stage, the crowd erupted and I screamed along to every song they played; showcasing their debut album 'Hybrid Theory' song by song. The crowd was a literal ocean of people and the lasers, smoke and lights made it look like something completely out of this world. Their show was absolutely phenomenal and the best thing I had ever seen. I didn't want it to end. 
                          
When the band closed with their song 'One Step Closer', I thought back to the day Oli and I were stuck in traffic in London, screaming the song at the top of our lungs, only to be caught by a fellow motorist. A lot of things reminded me of him.
                          
After Linkin Park wrapped up their set, we headed off stage with Fall Out Boy again who were bro-hugging some of the Linkin Park guys. I had a total fan-girl moment and asked Chester if I could get a photo with him, but he happily obliged, smiling sweetly as I snapped a selfie. I had had such an incredible night, so I thanked the Fall Out Boy guys again for getting me in, and Luiz and I headed back to London. Luckily I didn't have to be up super early the next day given we didn't get back to the hotel until around 2am. 
                          
My ears were ringing and Download had lived up to all of the expectations I had for it. I guess having VIP access made it even more incredible, but even for the masses that were in the pit; what an amazing show. I had seen three of my favourite bands and more importantly, there had been no awkward run-ins with anyone. It was one of the best nights of my life. I posted photos of Fall Out Boy and Linkin Park that I took from the side of stage to instagram, happy to show off that I'd gotten to witness such amazing sets, I also posted my selfie with Chester, another I had with Pete, and of course my amazing group pic with both Linkin Park and Fall Out Boy.