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Thrash metal band selected to perform at festival

Neve Gordon-Farleigh & Graham Barnard
BBC News, Norfolk
Donovan Jones The four band members of Collapse The Sky face the camera, all of them unsmiling. They are photographed in a black and white and one of the them is wearing a cap. Donovan Jones
After entering into a competition, Collapse The Sky will play as part of the community takeover slot in the run up to the festival headliners

The vocalist of a thrash metal band said he felt "lucky" that the group has been selected to perform at a festival he first attended more than 15 years ago.

Lee Margaillan, from Collapse The Sky, a band from Norwich, said the group entered a competition to play at Download Festival as part of its community takeover stage.

The festival will take place at Donington Park, Leicestershire, between 13-15 June with headliners Green Day, Sleep Token, Korn and McFly amongst the line-up.

He said: "It's something that we've entered in the past but this year we are lucky enough to be selected and to be performing at one of the most major rock and metal festivals in the country and probably the world."

The band made up of Mr Margaillan, Flynn Green on the guitar, Karl Morse on the bass and Luke Fowler on the drums, will play the Doghouse Stage on Wednesday, 11 June in the community takeover slot.

The takeover slot gives up-and-coming unsigned bands and artists an opportunity to play on stage in the lead up to the festival.

Mr Margaillan said: "You can never guarantee what type of opportunities or where these things will take you but one thing's for sure, we are going to grab it by the scruff of the neck and we're going to make the most of it."

Donovan Jones Four members of Collapse The Sky look at the camera, three are standing and one is sitting down. They are all looking at the camera, unsmiling. They are wearing muted dark colours. Donovan Jones
Lee Margaillan says the band is ready to "make the most" of opportunities that come their way

Mr Margaillan currently juggles music with work, but he said his dream was to be able to pursue music full-time.

He said: "Musicians and aspiring musicians would love to call it their full-time job and I know many many people in our local scene share the same desire and dream.

"As long as we keep our heads down, keep working hard and putting on great shows then these types of opportunities are going to come our way eventually."

While this is the band's first year performing at the festival, Mr Margaillan said the group were familiar with the event and have been festival-goers for years.

"It was 2010 when I first started going to Download Festival... I thought I would love to be on that stage one day - here we are," he said.

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