I was there for Hang The Bastard though. Sandwiched between two vastly different bands, they brought some credibilty to this leg of the Download Freezes Over tour. Their crowd was a little disappointing, but I attribute that to the headliners on the bill more than anything else. Luckily for those that were there, Hang The Bastard didn't let this affect their performance, it was hard and it was very heavy. Tom Hubbard's vocals, despite not having any real discernable lyrics, are incredibly powerful and that has a lot to do with his intensity. He comes on to stage with a menacing stare that doesn't leave his face throughout the whole set. After a while it starts to feel like you've wronged him somehow. This builds a forceful and slightly intimidating energy during the bands time on stage. Tom's vocals compliment the fast paced, riff laden guitars perfectly. You get a feeling of mutual respect within the band when they're on stage, which is part of the reason that the sound is so good at their shows. You don't have vocals fighting to get above the guitars and you don't have the drummer trying to beat the kit into submission. They play hard, don't get me wrong, but you can hear and feel all of the elements working together. This, plus a solid understanding of what each other can do, means that the set is effortless to watch. Your attention isn't being sought out by egotistical frontment and guitarists. You're allowed to just stand there, have your ears blown off by the huge riffs on show and watch a great band enjoying themselves on stage. All in all, Hang The Bastard are deserving of a bigger crowds than they got at this show, but if they continue with performances like this, where they're to have won over new fans, those bigger crowds will come.