It's late afternoon on a sunny Friday in June, and about 40,000 people are losing their minds to Pendulum's synth-frenzied drum 'n' bass onslaught. This isn't Creamfields, though; it's Download, the UK's home of rock and metal, and Pendulum couldn't look more at home. It shouldn't be a surprise - this is the Aussie crew's fifth appearance at the festival, and they always go down a storm, their guitar-charged take on arena EDM more than propulsive enough to spark a fair few mosh pits.
Much like The Prodigy before them, Pendulum have shown that the rock community - so often accused of narrow-mindedness and gatekeeping - are more than happy to accept the right kind of bands as one of their own. As certified screamers like Propane Nightmares, Watercolour and Tarantula peel off one after the other, it's impossible not to get swept up in the giddy shape-throwing that consumes Donington, a beautifully worked cameo from Rou Reynolds for a beefed-up take on Enter Shikari classic Sorry You're Not A Winner the highlight of a set that barely pauses for breath.
