Def Leppard - Diary Of A Day At The Download Festival 2009

A quick check of the car boot revealed just one pair of wellies aboard. We were five in all. If the day turned into a mudbath, four of us would be up to our *!&%*$#! in it. Thinking positively (foolishly?), we had dressed for the sun. The wellies stayed in the boot as we made our way to the VIP box-office. Nearby Tent City was peaceful; maybe the weekend residents were enjoying a Sunday morning lie-in, recharging their batteries for the day's exertions ahead. We collected our orange wristbands, identifying us as guests and warning that they would be void if removed or tampered with. Our tickets demanded a £20 charity donation which we had been told was "voluntary." The beneficiary was Cancer Research and, while we had absolutely no quibble with the cause, our leader had arranged for the voluntary contributions to be just that - what each could afford. Now we were in the outer circle.

A cluster of tepees greeted us. At other events they would have been called beer tents with tables of topers outside, soaking up the sun and satisfying their thirst. Our leader said he had reservations about this, hoping there were not more chiefs than Indians. Titters and groans from rest of party, but, as it was his birthday, a round of drinks was considered an appropriate reward. As we supped, passenger planes climbed into the sky from behind Tepee Town. Or so it seemed with East Midlands Airport as next-door neighbour. With other members of the Sheffield contingent arriving, a call was put in to the Leppard camp to inquire about passes to the inner sanctum (Joe Elliott and wife Kristine could not be reached as they were flying in from their Dublin home). Purple wristbands bearing the legend 'Artist Main Stage' arrived in batches and we were finally in, although nothing short of a laminated pass would gain anyone admission to performers' rest/dressing rooms. An ever-courteous Security staffer barred the way.

Time to explore. Out onto the grassy field with the main stage and a mass of people stretching back as far as the eye could see. There were food stalls to suit every taste - Chinese, Indian, Thai, Mexican and all the rest. Beer, too, of course, T-shirts, memorabilia, a smaller stage and more, plus a lofty stomach-lurching fairground ride that tempted the party's youngest members to hand over £6 apiece. Music was blasting out from both stages and we were back at the main event for Journey whose timeless Don't Stop Believin' power ballad had a new lease of life as soundtrack to the 2007 centrepiece of hit US TV mafia series The Sopranos. The sun was still beating down and everyone was being dive-bombed by greenfly. Better than sinking in mud except the little beasts had a knack of finding their way into every available orifice. Strangely, they held off when we were eating.

Back at the VIP compound, Leppard members began arriving - Joe, drummer Rick Allen, bassist Richard "Sav" Savage, guitarists Phil Collen and Viv Campbell. Emerging from their den with or without wives, they were quickly caught in a crossfire of snappers and autograph hunters, but still managed to squeeze in a chat with old and newer friends. Queen's Brian May, a fellow guest, suffered the same fate, disappearing in a scrum. Then the beards were on the move as ZZ Top headed for the stage. Some of our party went out front to watch the veteran Texas trio, while others opted out of the glare of the sun for the shade of a tepee with hot and cold running drinks and buffet and a large screen with the act in close-up.

Eventually, it was Leppard time (8.45pm) and they rocked through a set that included Rocket, C'mon C'mon, Make Love Like a Man, Love Bites, Hysteria, Animal, Photograph, Pour Some Sugar on Me and Rock of Ages before Joe paid tribute to drummer Rick, recalling his "spiritual rebirth" at Donington Park's Monsters of Rock 23 years earlier when the young man made his big comeback after losing his left arm in a car accident. As Rick stood to take a bow, the thousands (an estimated 80,000, revealed our leader later) roared their approval and Joe accused his band-mate of "blubbing all over his cymbals." Two encores (When Love & Hate Collide and Let's Get Rocked) rounded off their triumphant performance. It was 10.30pm. Leppard had opened in daylight (see Chris Wing's big picture), but now it was dark and distinctly cool.

Somewhat amazingly, all five of us found our way back to the car from different directions to begin a crawl off the site while Leppard prepared to head for London for next morning's flight to Nashville where, after a live appearance on a country music TV awards show, they would rehearse a different stage set ready to launch a North American tour a week later. Having been delayed by a diversion then brought to a standstill because stretches of the M1 were reduced to one lane, we reckoned the band would probably land at the country music capital before we hit Sheffield. But, thanks to our heroic driver, we finally reached Steel City and agreed that, despite all the return leg's wearying hold-ups, a good time had been had by all. Maybe we'd do it again some day.

PS: The rain arrived the next day - buckets of it. For once, we were grateful the forecasters had got it wrong.

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