FOR all the bright young things with their painstakingly straightened hair, it was arguably the old timers of rock who made some of the biggest impressions at this year's Download Festival.
And boy do they still adore their props.
KISS, for instance, have always taken themselves and many mediocre songs far too seriously – but then they put on a great show.
Their finest musical moments are some of their oldest and most cliched. But then so is their stage concept – costumes, flames, explosions, flying – and it still turns and keeps heads turned, fuelling the curiosity of a new generation 35 years on.
Legendary bassist Gene Simmons brandishes his epic tongue like kids flick towels in a changing room.
And the classic make-up – replicated by hundreds of fans including Subways bassist Charlotte Cooper – defies the band's age.
While Saxon also found fresh faces in their over-capacity Gibson Stage crowd with songs about big trains and dramatic flights – 747 Strangers In The Night appropriate as easyJet took off from nearby East Midlands Airport – the likes of Motorhead, Testament and The Wildhearts added further maturity to a metal menu laced with surprises and brave bookings.
Their time-served presence also confirmed rock's evolution to justify this three-day gathering, in its sixth year and drawing 60,000 to a new Donington Park layout hailed "an unmitigated success" by the boss.
Joining 'rock royalty' across three stages, Bullet For My Valentine incited the weekend's largest circle pit and Finnish cello fellows Apocalyptica brought classical drama as big screens flashed up some of 10,000 random/rude text messages sent from punters.
Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil preferred to display his missives across his skin, the Scottish frontman's chest and back resembling a living graffiti wall.
While lone rapper Lethal Bizzle was a target for promo tubs of Muller Rice, Aussie disco rockers Pendulum drew the largest non-main stage crowd and few dairy-based missiles.
Aside from Saxon, young punk upstarts Rolo Tomassi were the only South Yorkshire offering, laying a brutal but effective claim for higher billing next year, hopefully in place of US bores Madina Lake – where's a drought when you need one?
As Simple Plan joked about Gene Simmons' scary tongue, others wagged about the older bands.
But then there's good reason KISS and second Friday headliners Judas Priest – singer Rob Halford in metal jacket clutching a trident – have clocked up 80 years (100-plus if you include Motorhead). They may be old men in panto outfits but they don't change just to compete with the new school of rock.
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