Source: Official Logo
Our ears have just stopped ringing and our hangovers have only just subsided which means only one thing, this years Slam Dunk Festival has just taken place. While we’re silently sobbing to ourselves that the festival is over for another year here’s a little run down of what we caught over this years event!
Source: Graham Berry
Yellowcard – Leeds
Anticipation to hear Ocean Avenue in full could not have been higher but half an hour into the band’s set time in Leeds and the stage still remains empty. 35 minutes into their hour long set and the band take position with frontman Ryan Key explaining that “Shit just wasn’t working. We’ve been standing there for half an hour waiting to play. We’re so sorry”. While the crowd remained supportive giving the bands a hero’s welcome it’s just not quite an album set when they don’t play the full album in question. The order of the album was discarded as they “play the songs we think you’ll enjoy” with the album’s title track firing up right near the beginning and causing a ball of energy to erupt through the crowd. Playing to perfection we might have been disappointed to miss part of an album which has a soft spot in our hearts but the band can’t be praised enough for a great job despite the circumstances. 7/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: Ian Collins
Creeper – Leeds
Year after year the Kerrang! Fresh Blood stage seem to home in on an array of up-and-coming bands and we were surprised to find Creeper on a stage this small. They might be well-known for their goth-rock looks, but most people are realising that there’s more to the band, especially with manic live performances like Slam Dunk gaining them the recognition that they deserve. The packed out room at Leeds really shows that their popularity is just beginning as the crowd are with the band from the opening note of ‘VCR’ to the screams of adoration as ‘Henley’s Ghost’ rings out. Creeper we might not have been completely sold before, but now we’re solid converts. 8/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: Graham Berry
New Year’s’ Day – Leeds
It’s hard to compartmentalise New Years’ Day’s sound with them drawing comparisons from pop-punk outfits, but also from the emo subculture, more down to the way the band look. Front woman Ash Costello is fierce, strong and with a killer set of lungs which carry them throughout their headline set while showing that people should not judge by appearances. Killer hooks, bouncy riffs and sing-a-long tracks flow throughout their set including favourites such as ‘Epidemic’ and ‘Kill Or Be Killed’ which are screamed back to the band by the eager fans clinging on to every word from the Californians. It isn’t just Ash who has the crowd eating from the palm of her hand as the rest of the band are just as excitable, with guitarist Nikki Misery jumping and kicking around during the heavier sections of the songs. This may not have been the longest headline set but what the band manage to do it show everyone why they are headlining, and why they should headline again. 7/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: Promo Image
The One Hundred – Birmingham
The One Hundred have come a long way since we first saw them a few years back and the time has done them the world of good. Being a band on so early in a relatively large room for their size the crowd begin by shuffling from one side to another, not quite sure how to take the band, but with the rise of the rap/ rock hybrid at an all time high it doesn’t take long before pits erupt – even if it is just a dozen guys – and people begin to move. Frontman Jacob Field is a mesmerizing watch all flailing arms, dance moves and an unrelenting drive behind his voice which moves from fast paced rapcore to heavy piercing screams and deep growls with seemingly little effort. The One Hundred might still be relatively unknown but it won’t stay this way for long. 8/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: Graham Berry
We Came As Romans – Leeds
Michigan metalcorer’s We Came As Romans took to the Atlas stage ahead of Of Mice & Men, The Amity Affliction and other big names of the genre. However what could have acted as a fitting warm up just happened to fall a little flat. We Came As Roman’s just felt a little to generic and manufactured on stage. Losing yourself in what is meant to be a spectacular display of heavy music seemed difficult when the set just didn’t have enough umph, which is a double let down when you take into account We Came As Romans respectable back catalogue. 5/10
Luke Smith
Source: Graham Berry
The Word Alive – Birmingham
Metalcore quintet The Word Alive immediately form a bond with the first few rows of the audience as they scream back the words alongside frontman Telle Smith. But anyone who is any further back feels a little out-of-place as the sound doesn’t carry despite the fantastic acoustics of the venue. Parts of songs sound really big like they could be something massive, but it’s sadly a little lost. Telle comments at how at home he feels on stage having toured with all the bands on the bill already but despite the murky nature of the set, fans sing along and show the band why the UK love them so much. 4/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: Promo
Blood Youth – Birmingham
As such a young band it’s impressive to see the turnout at the Kerrang Fresh Blood stage for the Harrogate based four piece. As the sun shone in Birmingham the band do the best they can with an outdoor stage pushing the energy levels with frontman Kaya Tarsus animating the area and keeping things as up close and personal as ever. The rapid, fast paced set is raw and chaotic, but all together cohesive with massive bass riffs and an ever-present kick drum. There’s plenty of hardcore dancing, a lot of smiles and a buck load of metal, the perfect antidote for a Sunday afternoon. 8/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: Ian Collins
Northlane – Birmingham
Slamdunk was the perfect opportunity to introduce any novices to the world of Sydney based rockers Northlane and their energetic performance was enough to blow away the huge crowd which had formed at The Atlas Stage. With a mixture of prog, metal riffs and grooves it’s easy to get sucked into the band’s mesmerizing performance and the balance between instrumental parts and vocals works perfectly to add a powerful performance. Last years album Node was the first to feature frontman Marcus Bridge and today was his chance to shine and show how he enhances the band’s sound. Tracks both pre and post Node are sung just as strongly and the energy is contagious from the killer riffs of ‘Leech’ and ‘Rot’ through the strong vocals of ‘Masquerade’ and ‘Dream Awake’. 8/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: PR
Hacktivist – Birmingham
Hacktivist are another of those bands who you either love or hate. Their brand of hip-hop infused rock is just perfect for Slam Dunk as their heavy sounds and strong vocals resound around the Impericon Stage causing complete and utter mayhem. Mosh pits erupt from every spot in the venue and a guy even scales the support pole in the middle of the room. Vocally the band are impressive as hell with J Hurley creating the heavier, grittier side and Ben Marvin creating an interplay with the rap infused clean vocals. The whole performance is one of passion, energy and fun with their infamous cover of Jay Z and Kanye West’s ‘N***as in Paris’ dropping to show complete and utter mayhem. 7/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: Promo Image
Real Friends – Leeds
A real surprise was housed at the Key Club stage. Real Friends made sad pop punk fun by blasting out an array of anthems worthy enough for the gnarliest of jives. New tracks ‘Mess’ and ‘Scared To Be Alone’ made an appearance after the perfectly timed release of The Home Inside My Head and the Slam Dunk Festival crowd ate them up like beer drenched cat nip. A worth while entry to Slam Dunk’s home of pop punk, Real Friends have just become a band we’ll see again at the earliest opportunity. If the future of emo music is this much fun, hold the boat we’re getting on. 8/10
Luke Smith
Source: Ian Collins
Cancer Bats – Birmingham
There’s a tightly bound crowd of devotees waiting at the Impericon Stage to welcome Cancer Bats with open arms and they do not disappoint. Opening with their Bat Sabbath cover of ‘Children of the Grave’ then bound straight into ‘Sabotage’ and finish the greatest trio of songs with ‘Lucifer’s’ Rocking Chair’. The crowd should be well and truly worn out after the trio but after a quick second breather they’re back again to enjoy everything the Canadian’s have to offer. With no hair to sway around frontman Liam relies on full body movement to show the crowd what he’s made of. The sheer amount of noise to come from the four piece is unreal but the crowd equal it with everyone’s autopilot metal gear being kicked as all hell breaks loose.
With a decade’s worth of material capping with ‘Bricks and Mortar’ proves why the band have been around for as long as they have. There’s little time to take five, there’s little room to compose yourself as no matter the venue, no matter the location Cancer Bats will destroy it. 9/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: Graham Berry
Every Time I Die – Birmingham
With such massive acts on the other stages, Every Time I Die have a disappointingly small crowd (of which they deserved much bigger) but they’re a band of few words and a far simpler approach. There’s no crazy backdrops or long talks to the crowd, Keith Buckley and co opt for the simpler approach and destroy the stage with noise. Keith is a bona-fide rock star and knows exactly how to work a crowd, exercising in what they do best, bonding around the stage and riling up the crowd. With 17 tracks squished into their tight headline slot there’s no time for messing about from opener ‘Roman Holiday’. ‘Decayin’ With The Boys’ was always going to be a high point with fans screaming and jumping around the second the track is announced, circle-pit at the ready
With four shows back to back in London the following week tonight is a great dry run to remind the Buffalo rockers what a UK crowd are like. And all we have to say is welcome back Every Time I Die. 9/10
Rhian Westbury
Source: Kennerdeigh Scott
Four Year Strong – Leeds
There’s no subtle way to label it. Four Year Strong were easily the best band of the weekend. Although certain queuing issues were a pain for a lot of Strong fans, those lucky enough to get themselves in were graced with a bombardment of party punk madness. ‘Bada Bing Wit’ A Pipe’, ‘Go Down In History’ and this years crowd surf anthem ‘Who Cares’ acted as pure musical narcotics to the hungry Slam Dunk crowds who went absolutely berserk after their fix. We’re itching for a Four Year Strong UK tour cycle after this performance, and have been blasting every strong album full blast wishing to re-live it just one more time. 9/10
Luke Smith
Source: Ian Collins
Panic! At The Disco – Leeds
A headline performance that we’d anticipated for months, Panic! At The Disco’s appearance at Slam Dunk was all the more amped up by the success of Death Of A Bachelor. However, much to our dismay the Panic! Set was obliterated by poor audio on the main stages part, so much so that despite a shirtless Brendon Urie’s best efforts, his vocals and band’s instrumental work failed to carry across the entire crowd, which would’ve made all the difference and secured a worthwhile finale. It was a real shame for anyone wanting to go out on a high dancing to the old ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ material, the only way we can describe it is a definite buzz kill. 6/10
Luke Smith
