Trivium's main stage 'blackout'

Trivium bassist Paolo Gregoletto isn't sure this year's Download appearance will eclipse their 2005 set in his memory.

He credits their main-stage opening set nine years ago as the breakthrough experience that led to their current success – and the moment they realised they’d made it.

Gregoletto tells TeamRock Radio: “I almost feel like we blacked out when we played. It was a surge of every feeling in the world.

“Going from being a band in a van touring round America, then coming over here and playing club… they were great shows. But going up in front of 40,000 people was an incredible thing.”

And he knows they’re not the only band to feel that way. “This site has launched so many careers,” he says. “It really launched ours and we love coming back. We’ve never had a bad time here.”

Trivium play the Academy in Newry, Ireland, before heading across Europe and the States in support of latest album Vengeance Falls.

Trivium interview

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.