Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Slam Dunk Festival has consistently brought some of the best established and emerging alternative talent to UK shores. Having in its time expanded across three cities, this year celebrates one of the strongest and most diverse line-ups to date, splitting the wealth of acts across eight stages. We headed down to Slam Dunk South in Hatfield to catch all the action. Here’s what we made of it all.
Moose Blood
Opening the main stage at a festival is never an easy task, whilst half your fans are still waiting to get in, it’s down to you to kick things off and get everyone in high spirits. Fortunately this is an easy task for Moose Blood, who burst into life with recent single ‘Honey’ and don’t let the mood drop for the entirety of their set. There is no denying that they’re one of the most loved bands on the scene right now and the crowd reactions only emphasised this, with full-grown adult men even taking the opportunity to crowd surf to the front. Whatever Moose Blood have got in store for their next album, it sure as hell is going to be big. [TW]
Trash Boat
Trash Boat are getting interesting. While admittedly previously unsold on their often arrogant adolescent punk, their time away working on new album ‘Nothing I Write You Can Change What You’ve Been Through’ has clearly allowed them to form into a coherent prospect. Their juvenile beginnings are almost a distant memory as they perform with an equal measure of raw attitude and newly honed skill. Their latest material possesses a hint of sophistication, just enough to enhance their suitably brash delivery. As they explode into the Key Club Stage for their comparably early set, Trash Boat are evidently coming into their own. [BT]
With Confidence
The Fresh Blood Stage at Slam Dunk Festival this year is a hotbed of exciting talent, not least Australian outfit With Confidence whose faces glow as they power through a set of tracks that transcend both emo and pop-punk. Having joined Hopeless Records earlier this year, it’s clear to see what attracted the label. Their delivery is tight far beyond their years, and their sheer passion and enthusiasm shines bright. I’m hit with a wave of nostalgia, not in sound but in discovery, harking back to those youthful moments of finding the next big thing. [BT]
Young Guns
Young Guns came storming back onto the scene with last year’s full-length ‘Ones and Zeroes’, which saw them take a more mature approach to their production and songwriting and their performance at Slam Dunk really shows that. The sound and energy is fautless and the mixture of old and new material is a sure crowd pleaser, however it still feels like they could give more. Perhaps with such a short set we don’t get to see their full potential, but it feels like we’re still waiting to see Young Guns’ shining moment. [TW]
Waterparks
Waterparks vocalist and guitarist Awsten Knight presents a nervous energy devoid of nerves. If he wasn’t clearly so comfortable on stage his between song batter might be seen as awkward. Instead it’s genuinely endearing. It’s part of the playfulness that runs throughout the Texans’ music on this, their first jaunt outside of the States. In not taking themselves too seriously, Waterparks have stumbled on a truly engaging formula, jumping from power-pop to pop-punk all the while bordering on the unique. Despite some lapses in vocal concentration and an unfortunate incident with a misbehaving guitar-strap, this trio clearly have a lot to offer. [BT]
Gnarwolves
Gnarwolves have developed into something of a Slam Dunk staple, bringing their punk prowess to the event on multiple occasions. Consistently one of the few heavier punk acts on the bill (without verging into metalcore or similar), their 2016 performance is as solid as what has come before. Set closer ‘Limerence’ is met with the biggest cheer, but the crowd are immensely active from the initial moments of set opener ‘Bottle to Bottle’. If anything, Gnarwolves’ repeated success at Slam Dunk is testament to their increasingly die-hard following, and their sound offers something not found elsewhere. [BT]
Yellowcard
If you asked any twenty-something alternative music lover who soundtracked their youth you can pretty much guarantee that Yellowcard will be one of the names dropped. ‘Ocean Avenue’ made a huge impact on so many lives, so it only seemed right that they played it in its entirety for the 10th anniversary special. Playing the record through as if it had just been released, the now grown-up members of Yellowcard seemingly enjoy revisiting their early years just as much as the crowd do, with violinist/vocalist Sean Mackin even performing his infamous backflip. Nostalgia can sometimes be a cruel mistress, but there is nothing bitter about hearing ‘Only One’, ‘Breathing’ and ‘Believe’ in a live setting and Yellowcard certainly make all those twenty-somethings a hell of a lot happier.
Mallory Knox
Things have been fairly quiet on the Mallory Knox front recently, presumably as they focus on writing album number three and if we’re honest we were hoping for a bit of a sneak peak of it at Slam Dunk. There is no denying that Mallory Knox are still a brilliant live band to see, the sound and performance are flawless, however we end up a little bored as there isn’t much new or different about the set than what we’ve seen the past couple years. With a handful of festival slots booked in for the rest of the summer, hopefully we’ll get to witness a bit more of what Mallory have got to give. [TW]
Set Your Goals
In 2013 it looked like Set Your Goals had reached the end of their tether and we were encouraged to move on without them. Yet late last year something was brewing under the surface, and five years since their last performance we welcomed the Californian pop-punkers back to the Slam Dunk stage with open arms. “It’s been a long time coming” says vocalist Jordan Brown, but with a setlist that includes ‘The Fallen…’, ‘Goonies Never Say Die’, ‘Summer Jam’ and ‘Gaia Bleeds’ forgiveness is easy. There is nothing worse than watching a band no longer enjoying themselves on stage, but that isn’t the case here. It is like they have gotten their spark back, the love for their music is back and they make sure every single person in the room feels that. The sing-a-longs are huge, the energy is infectious and Set Your Goals have never sounded better. [TW]
The Rocket Summer
While it’s all well and good destroying our ear drums with pop-punk and hardcore, sometimes you need to give them a breather, and the acoustic stage at Slam Dunk is perfect for that. Headlining this year is solo extraordinaire The Rocket Summer aka Bryce Avery. Armed with a small army of instruments and loop pedals, Avery manages to put on a show that some full bands aren’t capable of. The intimacy of it all is encouraged by him walking through the crowd, making sure everyone is joining in. Performing classics from his back catalogue, as well as recent material from his new album ‘Zoetic’ the set is fun, emotional and joyous, with smiles spread far and wide on everyone’s faces. There is something very humbling about Avery and it’s inspiring to see an artist still so full of love and energy more than ten years into their career. [TW]
Panic! at the Disco
With ‘Death of a Bachelor’ going down an absolute storm upon its release in January, there is no doubt that Brendon Urie & co. are going to put on a dazzling show for their headlining slot. Strutting around the stage in his leather pants and topless bod, Urie is the definition of ‘pizzazz’ as he belts out tracks from the latest record and old favourites ‘Time To Dance’ and ‘Nine in the Afternoon’. With pyro heating up the performance even more, Panic! at the Disco prove that they are more than worthy of festival headline slots, particularly after the majestic rendition of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – a song not many can cover successfully, but one they manage with ease. After a long day of running around, catching as many bands as possible, Panic! are the perfect way to use up whatever energy is left and unleash it in the form of terrible dancing and even worse singing (from us). With a sign off of ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’, a backflip and fire, Panic! close what has been a brilliant day, and an even better ten years for Slam Dunk. [TW]
WORDS: TAMSYN WILCE & BEN TIPPLE
PHOTOS: PENNY BENNETT