Acidtone Rock Download, Set To Rock Oxegen Fest

They may be the youngest performers at Oxegen this weekend, playing on the new bands stage, but if their appearance at heavy metal fest Download is anything to go by, Acidtone could well steal the show. They spoke to Lucy Gollogy

Downpatrick rap-metallers Acidtone have already made rock 'n' roll history by becoming the youngest band ever to play at Download, the UK's biggest heavy metal festival, alongside world-famous acts like Metallica, Linkin Park and Korn.

And singer Adam McKee (13), his brother, bassist Conor (15), their cousin, drummer Conall McKee, and friend, guitarist Philip Hanna, both 15, have been lauded by metal mag Kerrang! as "heirs to the throne".

The upstarts' big break came in January of this year, when they saw off 600 rival bands to win the Wella Shockwaves Unsigned Competition in Dublin's Vicar Street, bagging themselves a professional recording session as part of their prize.

"We sent off the application form on the off-chance," he revealed. "We never expected to win. In fact, when we heard how good the last couple of bands were we thought we had no chance," says frontman Adam, a pupil at St Colmcille's High School in Crossgar.

Since then, the four-piece have been given a leg-up by Ash bassist Mark Hamilton, who put them forward as support to the Ulster indie-rockers at a triumphant homecoming gig in Downpatrick in April. The band have also found time to record a single, Scarred, due for release through their web site, www.acidtone.net.

Now they are set to wow the crowds this weekend at the Oxegen festival in Co Kildare, alongside international biggies like The Strokes, Ocean Colour Scene, Muse and Massive Attack.

But it was Download that was the most electrifying experience so far for the schoolboys.

"It was amazing," gasped Adam, apparently still dazed after playing to a crowd of 3,000 exultant fans. "I was nervous in the changing room before I went on stage but when you get out there, you just get on with it. Playing live is my favourite part."

He may already be media savvy, but as Adam talks about meeting famous rock bands backstage, it's clear he's as star-struck as any teenager.

"It was cool! We met Slipknot and Korn. They were all really nice guys," he said.

And Iowa nine-piece Slipknot, whose cod-horror stage antics and aggressive music has earned them a controversial reputation, were so bowled over by Acidtone's performance they requested copies of the youngsters' CD.

Amazingly, Acidtone caused such a stir at Download that a CD recording of their set practically sold out. "The girl was literally running out to the stall with 50 Acidtone CDs at a time," explained Damian proudly. "We later heard they sold the most CDs of any group at the festival."

And the number of hits the band's web site receives each month has risen from 30,000 to half a million following their appearance at the festival.

Acidtone's star may be rising fast, but as Adam explains, they're still too young to throw themselves into the rock-star life. "We haven't got a record deal yet because we're still at school. We wouldn't be able to tour because of that."

However, Adam is itching to get on the road. "I'd love to tour with Slipknot. Their new album is amazing."

Read the full article at Belfast Telegraph.