ONE band guaranteed to pull in the crowds at the Download Festival this weekend are hardcore drum 'n' bass Aussies Pendulum.
With a LOUD live reputation (they play at 174bpm and up to 132 decibels - louder than a plane taking off), Pendulum play the main stage tomorrow before Marilyn Manson and Slipknot.
Here, frontman Rob Swire talks about new live album and DVD Live At Brixton Academy, why Download is important and why they will never be mainstream music industry slaves.
IS Download an important event for you?
Definitely. We're playing the main stage at a strictly rock festival, in front of a rock crowd, in between two established rock bands. It was only five years ago that we were fighting for a position on the drum 'n' bass circuit!
Last year was a pivotal moment - our performance at Download was almost a sign of partial acceptance by the rock/metal audience.
Which acts are you hoping to see yourself at the festival?
Killswitch Engage. I'd always ignored them because I thought the name was s***, but I got the album on iTunes recently and it's insane. Also, Opeth, Bring Me The Horizon, Meshuggah, Marilyn Manson, The Prodigy, Clutch, Sevendust and Faith No More. There would probably be riots in Australia if even half this year's line-up played.
What are you most pleased about achieving with this live album and DVD?
The live show is something we've all put an insane amount of work into. Until now, we've only had festival clips and YouTube footage to show for it, so I'm glad we finally have something permanent, full-length and high¬quality.
What can you remember about the Brixton show being so special?
Brixton is always special. The stage is huge and the room for the audience is wide.
It's like getting a widescreen TV after watching an old Panasonic from the Eighties.
The crowd were electric and, with our gigs at Reading and the Radio 1 Big Weekend, it was one of my favourite shows we've done.
Why are your live performances so legendary?
Being DJs, we know good tricks to get a crowd going. We also have talented musicians backing us up. We have Verse (MC Ben Mount) engaging the crowd.
Plus the fact we're playing the material live, which is rarer then you think for an electronic band.
There have been many touring highlights over the past year but playing Big Day Out in Perth must have been a special homecoming moment for you.
It was something else. The energy levels on both sides of the stage managed to come together - it doesn't happen often. It's especially meaningful (and nerve-racking) when it happens in your home town and you know people that you grew up with are watching.
Did it surprise you how your music crossed over to the mainstream?
We don't feel mainstream at heart, and have always had an "if they like it, cool, if they don't, who cares" attitude. If I ever looked in the mirror and saw someone who had become the mainstream music industry's personal slave, I'd quit.
You said it took ages to develop your live sound. How hard is it to update?
We want most of our live tracks to sound close to the way they do on our records, so, once we get something right, we don't update it.
How does the UK drum 'n' bass scene differ from ones in other countries?
UK underground music scenes, not just drum 'n' bass, are more electric than anywhere else in the world.
People get behind the music more, from underground DJs to mainstream DJs on Radio 1, and the scene forms its own infrastructure and hierarchy to support itself in weird ways you don't see in Australia or other countries. We love it.
How much is written for the next album?
It's about 15 per cent done. The other 85 per cent will involve trawling through all the ideas we've come up with so far, getting collaborations nailed down, and new material we write at the last minute. We're obscenely excited.
Do you see another change in direction as there was from Hold Your Colour to In Silico?
Definitely. This next record is going to be less focused on rock, and more focused on epic, dramatic drum 'n' bass, electro and dubstep.
Pendulum's Live At Brixton CD and DVD are out on Monday
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