Source: Graham Berry
Puppy
Being the very first band on at a big festival like Slam Dunk is a big responsibility and surely comes with a lot of pressure. Luckily this task was in the safe hands of Puppy, who confidently opened the Signature Brew Stage, rewarding those who had made the effort to turn up early. Sounding sort of like a cross between Deftones and Queens of the Stone Age mixed with a grungy vibe, Puppy are the latest entry in the ever growing list of great new heavy bands emerging in the UK right now. If latest single ‘Beast’, which superbly kicked off their set, is any indication then we can expect great things from this band in the near future. 7.5/10 JF
Sorority Noise
It feels like there needed to be some mental prep before checking out Sorority Noise, whose hard-hitting lyrics only seemed amplified by the mood being set by the light drizzle. Playing a nice variety of tracks from their albums, from ‘Using’ to ‘No Halo’, there was no rest for the emotions during their 40-minute set. With vocalist Cameron Boucher sharing his mental health struggles and how difficult it is for him to be in a crowd, it became even more admirable to watch him pour his heart out on that stage. 7/10 SW
Source: Graham Berry
Turnover
Turnover’s last album Peripheral Vision is an outstanding record, therefore it really is no surprise that it made up a vast majority of their setlist at Slam Dunk. With a very mellow sound to all their tunes, there is the danger that sometimes their performance doesn’t seem as lively as it could be. It did however provide a nice place for people to come to in the middle of the day for a little calm down. There was plenty of swaying around and definitely hints of people smoking pot in the crowd, which is exactly the type of vibe you would expect at a Turnover set. 6/10 SW
Source: Graham Berry
Frank Iero And The Patience
Frank Iero And The Patience played a raw, emotional set at Slam Dunk Festival, but what else would you expect. Iero may be best known for his role as guitarist in My Chemical Romance, but the crowd at his new band’s Slam Dunk set shows that he has managed to inspire a whole new generation of fans. It’s hard to find something that sounds better on a live, outdoor stage than punk rock, and the combination of high energy, distorted guitars riffs, driving drum beats and Iero’s signature emotional vocals sounded phenomenal. The crowd stood in awe as they watched the bands set, and fans sang along and attempted to dance along to the erratic beats. Frank Iero And The Patience put on a great show, and left with a lot more fans than they came with. 7/10 ZS
Source: Graham Berry
The Bronx
LA punk rockers The Bronx brought their signature brand of aggressive punk rock to Slam Dunk Festival; and they were amazing. You never just get great music with The Bronx either; they put on one Hell of a live show, and their reckless stage hijinks never fail to entertain. Sweaty and gritty, there’s something about the kind of music The Bronx make which makes you feel dirty in the best possible way. Vocalist Matt Caughthran has been a vocalist for so long that the aggressive lyrics come from him effortlessly which seems almost impossible. Never letting energy decrease in the crowd, they interacted with fans enough to keep them interested but never too much to take away from the time they had to play. They are an awesome live band, and brought something pretty special to this year’s Slam Dunk. 7/10 ZS
Reviews by: Zoe Stevens, Santhi Weiss and James Fitzgerald
