The First Damnation Festival
Since 2005, Damnation has championed metal's niche corners, growing into the world's largest indoor metal festival.
Festival founder Gavin McInally reflected on the first edition, stating that the decision to hold it in Manchester was deliberate:
"In my head, Damnation always had to be the middle of England. I know that people in England view anything above Birmingham as the north, but from Glasgow, and looking at a map, Manchester's pretty central."
Other central locations with existing rock ecosystems, such as Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, and Liverpool, were considered, but McInally knew launching in his native Glasgow would be challenging.
"I'd f**king love it being in Glasgow, I don’t love having to travel all the way to Manchester just to have a production meeting,"
he joked, acknowledging that even at a young age, he knew that holding the festival in Glasgow wouldn't work due to lack of support from the English and limited local population.
Author's summary: Damnation festival founder reflects on the first edition.