Download 2004: Danko Jones - Donington 6th June 2004
Setlist: We Sweat Blood / Way To My Heart / Samuel Sin / Dance / Play The Blues / Sugar Chocolate / Woogie Boogie / Lovercall / Cadillac / Mountain
I’ve been trying to see Danko Jones live for the last couple of years but, what with shit happening the way it does, it’s just never turned out right for me. I waited until the last minute to buy tickets for Donington this year. To be honest, the rest of the bill just didn’t warrant £45, plus another £6.50 in assorted rip-off charges per ticket, as far as I was concerned. What swung it was the simple fact that Danko Jones, originally slated to play the Saturday, had switched to the Sunday.
An hour or so before Danko’s set, my daughter had dragged me off to the opposite end of the site to see Hoobastank. I was convinced that we would hike back up to the Barfly stage and find that we’d missed Danko. So, even though I felt close to death when we arrived back at the Blowfly stage, I was relieved to find that the route march was worth it and, if this was to be my final day on earth, I sure as hell intended to live long enough to see Danko Jones!
I’ve been trying to see Danko Jones live for the last couple of years but, what with shit happening the way it does, it’s just never turned out right for me. I waited until the last minute to buy tickets for Donington this year. To be honest, the rest of the bill just didn’t warrant £45, plus another £6.50 in assorted rip-off charges per ticket, as far as I was concerned. What swung it was the simple fact that Danko Jones, originally slated to play the Saturday, had switched to the Sunday.
An hour or so before Danko’s set, my daughter had dragged me off to the opposite end of the site to see Hoobastank. I was convinced that we would hike back up to the Barfly stage and find that we’d missed Danko. So, even though I felt close to death when we arrived back at the Blowfly stage, I was relieved to find that the route march was worth it and, if this was to be my final day on earth, I sure as hell intended to live long enough to see Danko Jones!
Danko Jones
Now, before I get to the performance itself, I must say that I read Kerrang’s Download ‘review’. It’s as though I was at a different festival. Then again, I don’t get all of the freebies and payola from the record companies, sponsors and advertisers, so I can be impartial and write about what I actually saw and heard.
Anyhoo, back at the Flyblown stage, Danko rocked like a bastard from the word go. I had grabbed hold of the barrier so, as they launched into We Sweat Blood, I was not blasted out of the tent by the force of their playing, but retained my vantage point, right in front of the man himself.
A Danko Jones show, I came to realise quite quickly, is a full-tilt, take-no-prisoners, no-holds-barred, blend of rhythm and blues, soul, rock and punk, performed by one of the best power trios I’ve ever seen. This band is as tight as a duck’s arsenio hall and doesn’t belong on a stage at the arse-end of the festival site. Granted some of the lyrics are a little smutty and puerile, but if we started picking apart lyrics, some of the greatest songs in the history of rock would be in the toilet straight away. ‘Squeeze my Lemons baby, ‘til the juice runs down my leg,’ anyone?
Anyhoo, back at the Flyblown stage, Danko rocked like a bastard from the word go. I had grabbed hold of the barrier so, as they launched into We Sweat Blood, I was not blasted out of the tent by the force of their playing, but retained my vantage point, right in front of the man himself.
A Danko Jones show, I came to realise quite quickly, is a full-tilt, take-no-prisoners, no-holds-barred, blend of rhythm and blues, soul, rock and punk, performed by one of the best power trios I’ve ever seen. This band is as tight as a duck’s arsenio hall and doesn’t belong on a stage at the arse-end of the festival site. Granted some of the lyrics are a little smutty and puerile, but if we started picking apart lyrics, some of the greatest songs in the history of rock would be in the toilet straight away. ‘Squeeze my Lemons baby, ‘til the juice runs down my leg,’ anyone?
JC - John Calabrese
Danko, himself, is a curious mixture. He has the smooth, sex-laden charm of a Phil Lynott, the verbals of a Barry White, the urgency and feistiness a Joey Ramone, all wrapped up in the craftsmanship of a Muddy Waters. It’s quite a powerful combination and it doesn’t give you a minute’s rest. In retrospect, I’m not sure I could have taken a full Danko set in that heat, so maybe it was a good thing that they only played thirty-five minutes, perhaps it was too hot for 90 minutes of Danko, anyway. As for the bass player... those bass lines should carry a health warning, people of a certain age could break a hip and they must certainly frighten the women and children.
Was there a highlight to the set? Difficult to say, it was all pretty much as good as it gets, but if I had to pick something, Cadillac or Lovercall, maybe. Samuel Sin, Chocolate, or Play the Blues. Yeah, that’s it. No, wait, Mountain, Dance, Woogie Boogie...
Oh, don’t analyze it, just feel it, enjoy it. That’s what Danko Jones is about.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
12th June 2004
Was there a highlight to the set? Difficult to say, it was all pretty much as good as it gets, but if I had to pick something, Cadillac or Lovercall, maybe. Samuel Sin, Chocolate, or Play the Blues. Yeah, that’s it. No, wait, Mountain, Dance, Woogie Boogie...
Oh, don’t analyze it, just feel it, enjoy it. That’s what Danko Jones is about.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
12th June 2004
About the photos...
Now, for once, I was at the front, but my efforts were hampered by the mellow yellow enforcers, who insisted in standing right in front of the stage and looking stupid, tired, or just plain bored. I don't know, if it's not one thing, it's another.