In exactly three weeks, one of the UK's most beloved festivals will be kicking off in Leeds. Back for the 12th year running, Slam Dunk will be visiting the North, Midlands, and South for a weekend of music from some incredible artists and all-round fun.
But before that happens, we at Punktastic are proud to present ‘Postcards From Slam Dunk’, a series of quickfire Q+As with some of the bands appearing at the festival.
Casey joined us to talk about their upcoming debut appearance at Slam Dunk, their numerous tours, and the reaction from their debut album ‘Love Is Not Enough’.
This is your first time performing at Slam Dunk – how do you feel about being part of one of the UK’s most beloved festivals?
I attended Slam Dunk for the first-time last year, and a huge part of the reason I went was to see my friends Hellions playing on (what was then) the Kerrang! Fresh Blood stage. So, it’s kind of surreal going from one side of the barrier to the other in 12 months. We’re very grateful to Slam Dunk and to Rock Sound for having us though, and we’re looking forward to playing a great deal.
What can be expected from your Slam Dunk set?
To be honest we’re not a band that tailors their performances depending on the show, so they can expect the same honesty, intensity, and emotion that we invest into any of our other sets. We will come, and we will sweat, and we will scream, and then we will leave with our heads held high.
Your debut album ‘Love Is Not Enough’ was released last year. What’s the reaction to the album been like?
As far as we’ve seen it’s been great; although, public opinion has never really been something that we’ve concerned ourselves with too greatly. As nice as feedback is, our main concern has always been that we’re comfortable and happy with the music that we create, which was definitely the case when releasing Love Is Not Enough.
It’s been incredibly humbling to see the level of personal investment our fans have found with the album though, from drawings and lyric sheets to tattoos and migrations to shows, it’s been truly amazing.
You’ve been touring quite a bit over the last few months. How do you think a festival set and atmosphere will differ from a club show?
Over the last 12 months we’ve been incredibly fortunate in playing shows across Europe to thousands and thousands of people, and in that time we’ve also played shows to 15 people or less; the level of authenticity and emotion that we invest into our live show isn’t dependent on the setting or the number of spectators. All we ask of a show is that we’re given a period of time in which to express ourselves however we feel most comfortable; if a group of people find that endearing enough to give us their attention for part of their evening then that’s all we could ever ask.
Recently, you toured with Being As An Ocean, Miss May I and Thy Art Is Murder. What was it like to play on such a varied bill?
It was definitely something we were conscious of going into the tour, but to be honest everything went a lot better than we’d feared. At no point on the tour were we met with any negativity, from crowds nor the touring party, and we even managed to pick up a few fans from the “Hell” portion of the attendees. We knew that we were never going to win everyone over, but at every show we were treated with respect, people stood and they listened to what we had to say for 25 minutes, and we’re incredibly grateful for that.
Finally, why should people come and check you out at Slam Dunk?
I don’t really know if it’s for me to dictate or coerce; we’ll be using our 25 minutes to vent our personal anxieties and passions in the most mellifluous way we know how, if that sounds interesting to you, then come check it out.
Slam Dunk Festival takes place across the May Bank Holiday weekend at the dates and venues below. Tickets are on sale now from the official Slam Dunk website.
MAY
27 BIRMINGHAM NEC
28 LEEDS City Centre
29 HATFIELD The Foru