Download is but two and a bit weeks away! Can you feel the excitement in your loins? We bloody can! Today, we check in with Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth about what to expect from the Swedish metallers.

Catch Opeth on the 2nd stage on Friday, June 12th.

How much are you looking forward to playing this year’s Download?

Mikael Akerfeldt: I can’t lie, I get this question all the time and to be quite honest, it’ll be like playing any big rock/metal festival, like we’ve done a million times before.  I’ll enjoy it and we’ll be alright. The line up is really good this year and I’ll be running between shows in my off time for sure.  We’re chartering a private jet after the show to fly to Finland which is old school rock excess kinda cool.  It’s necessary for us to make it to our next show anyway, so it’s not like we suddenly consider ourselves beyond flying coach anymore.

Have you played before and if so, what’s your greatest memory?

Mikael: Yes, twice or three times.  I’ve enjoyed it in the past.  First time I pissed myself since we were on the main stage playing a noon show.  It was alright.  I’m a fanboy, so strolling around seeing all these old cats that I grew up listening to is fun.  Watching wannabees bending over backwards to get attention is fun too.  A good memory is meeting Cronos from Venom and he gave me the handshake-look-the-other-way thingie.  It was awesome!  I even had a Venom shirt on.

If you’ve not played before, what’s your biggest ambition for this year’s Download set?

Mikael: We’ll pull out the classics!  I know it’s easy for a band like us ‘cause all our songs are classics!  Other than that, I guess I’ll have a beer afterwards and check out some bands.  Doesn’t sound like much I guess, but then again my ambition is never on a ‘through the roof’ status.

Do you have any surprises or plans?

Mikael: If it’s planned, it’s not a surprise, is it? To be honest, we’ll just drag our bodies on stage and play the set as we normally do.  I like festivals but I don’t think we’ll be bringing a miniature stage set of Stockholm suburbia with us this time either.

What’s the pros and cons to playing a festival set?

Mikael: There’s usually no sound check and the set is short, which can be a “pro” in case you’ve got some drinking plans on the day.  We’re used to whatever…

Describe why people should come and see your set in 5 words.

Mikael: It’s fucking Opeth, ya cunt! (Yes, I know that’s 6 words technically…breaking the law, breaking the law..)

Download will take place on June 12th – 14th at Donington and will feature sets from Faith No More, Slipknot, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, The Prodigy, Limp Bizkit, Motley Crue, Marilyn Manson, Korn, ZZ Top, Down, Killswitch Engage, Journey, Clutch and many, many more.

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