Surprise! What happened at Skindred's secret Download set

“Are you ready for a secret set?” yells Formula 1 commentator and metalhead David Croft, apparently unaware of the massive sign that reads Skindred behind him as he introduces the de facto Download house band to a jam-packed Dogtooth Stage. Thousands upon thousands of sunburnt revellers have turned up to witness the ragga-metal powerhouse’s victory lap after You Got This claimed the Number One spot in the UK, rivalling the number who turned up to Parkway Drive’s unannounced slot last year, with rows upon rows gathered outside the tent vying to get a view of Benji Webbe’s now-signature Satanic Labubu headgear. And he is on incredible form.

With barely half an hour to fill, it’s a brief but bangers-only set, opening on a punchy Set Fazers that instantly sends the hoards into a frenzy, kicking up an whopping cloud of dust and sending bodies hurling over the barrier. It might be half-way through the final day, but energy levels haven’t dipped on iota, especially when one of the UK’s greatest live bands are putting on a clinic.

You Got This keeps adrenaline the adrenaline pumping, but it’s the pounding anthem Nobody that switches the crowdsurfers into overdrive, pouring over the barrier like a fleshy waterfall. Skindred are giving it everything they have, sweat glistening on their brows, and Download are more than happy to return the favour in this communal celebration of a genuine success story. The Welsh heavyweights have been one of the most consistent homegrown bands for years now and they’re finally hitting the heights they deserve, and it’s a success story that everyone here feels a part of, as Benji thanks them with genuine sincerity.

But this isn’t the time for pouring one’s heart out, it’s about keeping it beating harder than ever, and the bombastic bedlam of Gimme That Boom is just the solution, followed by a little tribute to Ozzy and Sabbath with a remixed War Pigs intro.

Then it happens, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Before Benji even utters a word, shirts are off and spinning in the air, for an almighty Newport Helicopter that threatens to lift the Dogtooth marquee free from its restraints as the Warning. It’s quite the vision to see quite so many in unison, but not a surprise, as this truly feels like a triumph everyone has participated in. Another sensational Skindred show in the books, another win for the boyos, another reason to bloody love heavy metal.