With more than a small helping of anticipation, we made our way through the already heaving queue to the entrance of the Temple Newsam grounds for what promises to be a for-rip-roaring day of music and festival shenanigans. Even though it’s only a relatively quick jaunt over to Leeds from homebase this weekend personally marks only my second Slam Dunk experience, with the first being all the way back in 2018, which marked the final year of the city centre edition of the festival.
Predictable issues with traffic meant we were regrettably unable to warm up with festival opener Youth Fountain and the true dedicated early birds so instead we made our way down the hill to the festival’s designated set of heavy stages (which we would come to be very familiar with by the day’s end) for a quick throwdown with hometown heroes Pest Control, whose thrashy hardcore concoction is a welcome early shot of adrenaline that swiftly gets things going, with pits and flying limbs colliding to the quickfire riffs and bouncy breakdowns.
As much as it pained us to miss out on what was bound to be another ferocious showing from Heriot, I opted to make a quick escape to the shade of the Key Club Stage tent so I wouldn’t bake alive in the rapidly rising sun. But also, any opportunity to catch Pop-Punk powerhouse Dead Pony is one I’ll gladly take. In typical fashion, the band brought their usual infectious energy that had the tent instantly dancing along to the bouncy singalong choruses. The sound in the tent is huge-sounding and packs plenty of punch, with the new songs sounding incredible.
Not quite ready to adventure back outside and intrigued to finally catch the genre-elusive SiM, we settled into our spot in the tent. Going in only knowing a couple songs (amusingly neither of which actually made it on to the setlist), I was anticipating a fair dose of hyperactivity but was still taken aback by the instantaneous electricity that the band managed to shoot onto the stage with, the bassist spinning like a Beyblade before the first notes even hit. Speaking of bass, whether it was a choice on the side of the band or a general sound issue was unclear, but at multiple instances I feared for that poor volume dial as it felt like it was being cranked far past its limits; up front at least it was occasionally so overwhelming that it would completely drown out the rest of the band. Regardless, the majority of the tent didn’t seem to notice or care as the reggae-ska-metalcore mashup had the crowd going wild from start to finish.
A quick mooch around between bands saw us up at the Monster Energy stage for the beginning of Bayside, who sounded like a lot of fun, but ultimately it seemed we weren’t quite done with being yelled at, as it was a quick jog down the hill for the start of the double header of Cancer Bats and Dying Wish. Cancer Bats, as always, delivered a stellar set of punchy, groove-laden hardcore. Throwing in a classic like “Hail Destroyer” early on got the crowd going quick enough, and it didn’t let up much from that point on. A set that had us very much looking forward to catching them in a more intimate setting on their upcoming UK tour.
Admittedly, the reserves were running a little low during the latter half of the set, though so a good portion of it was enjoyed sprawled out on the bank toward the back, but luckily by the time Dying Wish were set to take to the stage, sufficient recharging found us braving yet another set of pits. Aggressive and heavy-hitting, Dying Wish wasted no time stirring up the crowd for another round. This group just impresses more and more each time I see them.
Despite the numerous changes over the years between my two Slam Dunk outings, it’s nice to see some things never change. Zebrahead may no longer be playing to a couple hundred people down a side street, but they still know how to bring the party like no one else. A simply joyous experience from the word go. The endlessly sing-a-long bounciness of Zebrahead leaves a sea of smiling faces whichever way you looked. Giant props, skeleton-costumed stagehands, and a fully stocked bar were just a few of the wild offerings. Towards the end of the set, frontman Ali Tabatabaee jumped into the chaos to help conduct the party from the centre of the crowd. Some more partying and a few dozen inflatable pool balls later, we made our way back to the heavy stage for Manchester’s own Guilt Trip. It’s always a pleasure seeing the local team put on a show and today is no different. The band visibly looked to be having a blast as well, especially as a bucket hat and sunnies adorned Jay Valentine bounced around the stage with infectious energy; the crowd likewise opened pit after pit, admirably holding their own in the now blazing heat.
Next up was a Monster Energy Stage double bill; somehow this was my first time seeing Sydney’s Stand Atlantic live despite them being on my regular listens for a while now. So it was nice to finally get a chance to see them in action, and the set as a whole was a fun one, though by this point in the day I was regrettably starting to feel the effects of the day, so a lot of the set was observed from the shade of the water station; but from my vantage point, at least the crowd seemed lively and energetic throughout. The next act, in contrast to Stand Atlantic, was a group that I had somehow managed to stay completely oblivious to, to my absolute detriment, because Pennsylvania punk rockers The Menzingers were just the spark I needed to help get me through the second half of the day. Of course, going in fresh, I had no idea exactly what to expect, but thankfully the set was a breath of fresh air and one of the highlights of the day (seriously, I’ve had them on repeat ever since). The light and bouncy punk rock stylings filled with endless catchy choruses had fans singing and dancing through the entire set.
Coincidentally sharing in the birthday celebrations with the festival are legends Taking Back Sunday, who brought a special set to mark the 20th anniversary of their landmark Louder Now album, an album many in attendance had undoubtedly spent countless hours screaming along to in their bedrooms. Utilising all that practice, the sing-a-longs are loud and lengthy. The band sounds great, and frontman Adam Lazzara’s effortless swagger on stage lends a relaxed air to the show as the group casually blast through one all-time classic after another. As much as I would have loved to stay to catch some of the lesser-played songs on the album, the structure of the set at least meant I was able to catch the all-timers of “Liar” and, of course, “MakeDamnSure,” which was a treat. But those pesky stage clashes ultimately pulled me away as it was a mad dash up the hill to the Monster Energy stage just in time to catch the start of Tonight Alive. Despite the mysterious allure of the President set happening just down the hill, the Monster Energy Stage was packed to the gills for the Aussie outfit, who were already in full swing by the time we rocked up. Being only familiar with them in passing, it was due to many recommendations from friends that I thought I’d see what this set was all about, and it’s safe to say I was not disappointed. The set was killer, with powerful emotional choruses mixed in with great stompy riffs; vocalist Jenna McDougall sounded incredible and did a fantastic job of keeping the energy up and the crowd engaged throughout.
Partway through the set, she even navigated her way down from the towering stage to make things a little more intimate. Jumping in the midst of the heaving crowd for a cover of Mumford and Sons’ “Little Lion Man,” though the heat must have succeeded in frying a few brain cells at this point as an enthusiastic call for a circle pit was met with a valiant but ultimately uncoordinated effort, nevertheless the energy kept up for the final round-out of the set, with Stand Atlantic’s Bonnie Fraser jumping on the mic to join McDougall back on stage for a rendition of “Disappear.”
A quick pit stop for food, and it was time for festival stalwarts Bury Tomorrow to once again blast us away. Though not an unexpected addition at this point to a Bury Tomorrow festival set, the sight of stage-wide pyro was admittedly met with a bit of trepidation walking into the pit for the metalcore superstars. But at this point you figure what’s a couple extra degrees of heat when you’ve been slow cooking for the last six hours already. As expected, Bury Tomorrow brought their A-game as they stormed into their set with the absolute banger that is “Choke” followed by “Abandon Us.” It’s maybe a little disheartening to see some of the older favourites absent from the setlist, but nevertheless the show is a belter.
You may have noticed a pattern in our choice of bands so far, so is it any surprise we found ourselves front and centre for the mighty Malevolence? Certain expectations come with seeing a Malevolence-emblazoned banner looming large from behind a drum riser, and the Sheffield crew know exactly how to surpass them. Intense and electric from the start, the band wasted no time in firing up the waiting masses. With the worst of the day’s heat finally behind us, the crowd seemed to have received their second wind, as previous sets, while reasonably rowdy, have seen a noticeable reduction in pit activity and crowd shenanigans. No such issue presents itself here as a furious wave of bodies surge over the barrier at the command of frontman Alex Taylor. It’s not quite the lofty numbers of some other festivals, but the battered Slam Dunk crowd give it a bloody good showing as security are tested to their limits.
With the day all too quickly drawing to a close, it was decision time: either head to the Main Stage and soak in the warm waves of nostalgia from our teenage pop-punk glory days with scene icons Good Charlotte, or get clobbered silly by the unrelenting success story that is Knocked Loose. Ultimately, the decision was made for us: a combo of aching joints and the thought of climbing up a hill that looked to be getting steeper with each subsequent set proved a little too daunting, so we planted ourselves fully in the centre of the action and braced for the onslaught.
Honestly, what is there to be said at this point that hasn’t already been said about the spectacle that is Knocked Loose. Simply incredible is what it boils down to: with a massive sound and stage presence, the group fit so comfortably in the role of headliner. The stage setup isn’t particularly big or flashy but still demands attention as the band prowl and high-kick their way across the stage, blasting out some of the scene’s most unrelenting offerings. The crowd is fully awake for this one as the entire middle portion from barrier to sound desk forms one giant mass of swinging limbs. A revolving door of guest appearances from the previous acts rounds up the latter half of the set; a one-two punch of “Deep In The Willow” and “Everything Is Quiet Now” ended the night on a riotous high as we made our slightly shaky way out back towards the car park seeking a very, very welcome rest.
Follow Slam Dunk here:
https://www.slamdunkfestival.com/
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BILL MAWDSLEY
Follow his work here:
Follow him on Instagram