With the rise in vaccinations against COVID-19, more live music events, including festivals and concerts have been able to take place including Download Festival UK which has recently added twenty new musical guests to their 2022 lineup. The lineup consists of American rock band A Day To Remember, American heavy metal band Mastodon, Danish rock band Volbeat, British metalcore band Bury Tomorrow and Swedish alternative rock band Normandie among many others. 

The festival is scheduled for June 2022 with the first set of performances kicking off on the 10th in Donington Park, UK. Each event will have a total of four different stages with the first night featuring hitmakers like Kiss and Black Veil Brides who will be performing on the main stage. The second night, the 11th, will include metal legends like Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Deftones. The final performances are set for June 12 with American metal band Korn, American punk rock band Rise Against and Canadian metal band Spiritbox. 

Mastodon was also added as a headliner to the metal festival, Psycho Las Vegas 2021, which took place August 20 through 22. Recently, the band’s drummer, Brann Dailor, revealed his new book entitled 101 Clowns of the Coronavirus which is self-illustrated and features hand-drawn illustrations of clowns which he said helped his mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book is scheduled for release later this year on October 4.

“The clowns kept me from spiraling out during all the uncertainty. They [also] kept me from sinking into a deep depression or experiencing crippling anxiety,” Dailor explained.

Photo Credit: Boston Lynn Schulz