Zippo SESSION TAKE OVER DOWNLOAD
Iconic brand Zippo brought exclusive acoustic sets to Download’s backstage area, letting us see a new side to our favourite bands
This year, Zippo Sessions came to Download to offer fans exclusive, intimate backstage gigs with some of their favourite bands. With around only 100 lucky punters being given access to each performance, it was a rare chance for fans to get up close and personal with some of the best rock and metal bands in the game today.
Across three days, the likes of Nothing More, Asking Alexandria and Baroness all performed special, one-off acoustic shows for fans who had bought a Zippo lighter at Download. What followed were some of the most unique performances of any festival season.
Nothing More were appearing at Download for the second time, and came from their Saturday afternoon slot on the big Zippo Encore stage to play their set. “It was great to be back,” enthuses singer Jonny Hawkins. “The transition from playing such a huge stage in front of thousands to a super-intimate show brought a really interesting perspective to the day, and allowed us to share a different side of ourselves and really connect with a small audience for an intimate experience. We loved it.”
Meanwhile, Baroness frontman John Baizley and guitarist Gina Gleason duetted their way through special versions of Chlorine &
Wine, Cocainium and Eula.
Since 1932, Zippo has made the best lighters in the game, celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2017 and having sold more than
500 million lighters worldwide. Zippo Sessions in the US have previously featured bands such as Stone Sour, Korn and Alter Bridge. This was the first time the Zippo Sessions had come to the
UK, but it won’t be the last. Keep an eye on www.zippo.co.uk for future Sessions announcements, and use the #ZippoSessions hashtag to join the conversation.
“We Really connected
with people IN an intimate experience”
NOTHING MORE’S JONNY ENJOYED THE SESSIONS