FESTIVAL REVIEW: Outbreak Fest 2024

Hardcore as a scene and a culture has grown exponentially more popular year on year in the UK, and Outbreak Fest has been at the heart of that culture growth since its founding in 2011. Last year’s event felt like a flagship moment for the festival, incorporating a heavily diverse lineup of some of the biggest rap, alternative and punk artists going with headliners BANE, CONVERGE, DEATH GRIPS, and DENZEL CURRY in their largest room yet at the home of Manchester’s Warehouse Project, Depot Mayfield. This year, Outbreak Fest has stepped up once again, returning to its former home at Bowlers Exhibition Centre but with the festival’s first ever instance of an outside stage, the biggest of three stages. The headliners are of equal standing, with personality superstar ACTION BRONSON headlining the Friday, cult heroes of the scene HAVE HEART and BASEMENT sharing duties on the Saturday, and Midwest emo kings AMERICAN FOOTBALL closing out the festival on the Sunday with a set dedicated to their infamous LP1 record. This is your lowdown for the highlights of the weekend.

Friday – June 28th

MAVI – Main Stage

First on for the weekend onto the only stage for the additional Friday attendees is laid back alternative hip hop rapper MAVI. “Come on let’s dance” he urges ahead of his smooth melodic lines, beaming out a huge smile to the grooving crowd. He changes his setlist on the fly, keeping his DJ on his toes, hopping into recent single Drunk Prayer about a recent testing time with heartbreak and addiction. It’s a mellow opening to the weekend, reaching for the crowd to hold his hand for the chorus. Just Because I Love You is a highlight moment of the set, descending the stage to cruise through the crowd shaking hands and even borrowing someone’s vape mid-flow before an impassioned end. As humorous as he is chilled, MAVI drifts through his set with roaming tales linking between them all, constantly reengaging the room with singalong hooks and linking hands even keeping the atmosphere high as the speakers drop out inciting chants and singing, a real air of love surrounding the swaying grooves.

Rating: 7/10

BEACH FOSSILS – Main Stage

Taking the stage after a long gap thanks to THE GARDEN being delayed, BEACH FOSSILS have the added pressure of taking the attention back from everyone who’s been sitting outside in the sun while nothings been going on. The New York shoegaze indie-pop quartet open up with Don’t Fade Away to rows of swaying fans. Ambience shrouded guitars fill the already echoey room and drummer Anton Hochheim adds spacious backing vocals to the hooks of vocalist Dustin Payseur, all while maintaining the tasteful grooves. Payseur swapping duties with bassist-come-guitarist Jack Doyle-Smith is part success and part struggle as Doyle-Smith has some technical difficulties leading to him launching his guitar in frustration and smashing it – very on brand for the attitude of Outbreak Fest, but maybe not the first band you’d expect it to come from. The overlapping guitar lines of Payseur and fellow string-smith Tommy Davidson intertwine into a dense river of harmony, with Davidson leading the hype building with clap alongs’ and swaying arms between tracks. Sonically luscious and not lacking in drama, BEACH FOSSILS set is certainly a memorable one.

Rating: 7/10

FLATBUSH ZOMBIES – Main Stage

Three piece rappers FLATBUSH ZOMBIES come out with a bang exploding into their aggressive trap hip-hop bangers. This is the first show they’ve put together for a while. Hands bopping along with them throughout, the troupe overlap almost screamed flows along to a sea of bodies flowing and bouncing during The American Way. They well and truly raise havoc, with bedlam overtaking the crowd with crowdsurfers flowing over bouncing limbs. They throw out captivating a-cappella song endings as the DJ pulls the track and the trio carry on unfazed trading lyrics like a hot potato, screaming into the room. “The more energy you give, the more energy you get” they challenged after the first song, and there’ll be no doubt in anyone’s minds that the whole room has given everything.

Rating: 8/10

JPEGMAFIA – Main Stage

A rapturous chant of “Peggy” is what precedes the arrival of JPEGMAFIA who, cool as you like arrives, hood up, slightly late and patrols the front of the stage before launching into Jesus Forgive Me, with heavy processed vocals he launches side to side as the whole floor bounces along to his unique eponymous beats. He screams at the crowd between filthy bass stabs and almost dubstep atonal synth noises. The sonic energetic furore he creates in tracks like the hyperactive Lean Beef is matched step for step by the crowd who raise their game yet again, not only that but raising a wet floor sign and launching it around, spinning and pirouetting through the air as the sweat continues to flow. His beats are truly what set JPEGMAFIA apart from his contemporaries, with constant sonic and dynamic shift ups, but his aggressive flow holding you in the palm of his hand, a truly one of a kind artist.

Rating: 9/10

THE GARDEN – Main Stage

In spite of their set being postponed by four hours and demoted to a smaller stage, THE GARDEN arrive to a packed out room performing between our two biggest rap artists of the weekend. When we do finally receive their arrival on the smaller third stage, it feels like it works in their favour following the high production rap that has preceded them, brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears of THE GARDEN’s fast grooving two-man punk is at home with a more intimate experience. The experience that follows is unique as the duo blow lungs with the stage a blur of bodies for the genre shifting punk. Sonic descriptors wouldn’t do the duo justice as they reach for influences from punk to dance to indie to noise, but all packaged in high octane blood pumping volume. Closing with Thy Mission sees the energy level raise one more notch as the recognisable guitar intro sees a flood of bodies on the stage. It’s not often that a stage demotion is a good thing, but the intensity of this THE GARDEN experience is one of those times.

Rating: 8/10

ACTION BRONSON – Main Stage

Closing the day is the big man himself ACTION BRONSON doing something none of the other rappers have done today, in performing with a full five-piece live band, which adds an air of class to his breezy east coast flows. He has the crowd in his palm as he plays them in between his slick lyrics. BRONSON’s style lies somewhere between early hip-hop and posh hotel jazz with this outfit behind him, trading artsy solos around his classic old school grooving lines. Latin Grammys sees a crowd of middle fingers up for his refrain of “I may not be able to touch my toes, but I will still fuck these hoes” which is gladly taken over by the room.

There is something grabbing about his halftime grooves that forces every limb in the body to relax and sway along, and his flow so fluidly rolls over the top of the whole liquid mix that pulls beats and rhythms together effortlessly. BRONSON conducts the band as a true ring leader, visibly living and loving every second of his dynamic bands performance, curtailing the set through moments of languid serenity, grooving beats and jazzy solos that are a true force to watch. This is ACTION BRONSON as he is meant to be experienced – at his very best.

Rating: 10/10

Saturday – June 29th

CRUSHED – Main Stage

First onto the outdoor Main Stage for the Outbreak Fest weekend is trip hop influenced California dreampop outfit CRUSHED who bring a whole load of atmosphere to the day. Plenty of 90s inspired sampled break beats and ambience shrouded guitars are befitting a dark cloud coated outdoor setting, and vocalist Bre Morell’s meandering floating melodies accompanied aptly by fellow vocalist Shaun Durkan create a luscious melancholic scene. They battle feedback issues through the start of the set but it scarcely detracts from the luscious ambience they pour all over the fans who nod along to their spacious grooves. Morell’s vocal control is a gentle highlight of the group, often reserved and held back but nevertheless hauntingly beautiful, and will no doubt have garnered CRUSHED a good handful of new fans.

Rating: 7/10

HIGHER POWER – Main Stage

Jimmy Wizard smirks at a car park full of onlookers as he jests: “Who wants to be the first person ever to stagedive off Outbreak’s new outdoor stage?!” HIGHER POWER feel like a perfect fit to be one of the first bands playing this new layout in the outdoors for this year’s Outbreak Fest; a band that set their anchor down in hardcore roots and have gradually and graciously branched out into more nuanced influences in melodic and grunge tones. The band’s setlist is a showcase of why they are well-loved by those new and old to the scene, spanning their career with new release Absolute Bloom as well as early hitter Can’t Relate which kicks off the tomfoolery for the weekend with the front section two-stepping as the band leap about their stage.

Rating: 8/10

GRIDIRON – Second Stage

GRIDIRON come out swinging on the second stage with their gritty Philly heavy grooves. The band achieve what many fail to: mixing hardcore and thrash with rap hooks, and make it memorable. They haven’t reinvented the wheel – they have chuggy riffs and a nu-metal vocal delivery at times which feels nostalgic. It’s a tried and tested formula, but why fix what’s not broken? The translation is just as cataclysmic, if not more so, live than on record. The band are welcomed by their crowd with open (swinging) arms, exemplifying the metallic hardcore reception you expect from an Outbreak Fest crowd.

Rating: 7/10

PLASTICS – Third Stage

Brighton hardcore punks PLASTICS are the first to take ownership of the Third Stage with fast paced classic punk energy. Vocalist Oli Carter Hopkins commands the floor inciting energy at every juncture with an in your face attitude and high pitched yells cutting right through the relentless riffs. The five piece absolutely pack out the smallest stage, which to all intents and purposes is still a large warehouse room, and see limbs thrown through the course of their high octane punk stylings, constantly ebbing and flowing the power with an infectious energy and speed that sees bodies thrown in all directions through the course of their brief set. A colossal showing for the southern quintet representing the best of British hardcore.

Rating: 8/10

BODYWEB – Second Stage

Leeds’ nu-metal inspired hardcore alternative crew BODYWEB take over the Second Stage with the novel approach of having live synths surrounding their aggressive chunky riffs adding to the chaotic noise they rifle off the stage. There’s an industrial crushing edge to their destructive tone that is central to frontman Louis Hardy’s riffs. Synthetic sends the centre of the crowd into chaos as the drum and bass jungle groove takes over the bridge before launching back into the pummelling destructive riffs we’ve come to expect. With the stage constantly kept in darkness, the lights are aimed at the crowd for a visual onslaught to mirror the pelting of noise that we have thrust into our chests. BODYWEB came here with a message of unity and togetherness which Hardy reinforces between tracks and embodies the essence of Outbreak Fest – togetherness through crushing music.

Rating: 9/10

SPEEDWAY – Third Stage

Bands in the third room welcome the real moshers, local scene legends and the new heavy-hitters of the hardcore scene. Stockholm’s SPEEDWAY are no different with their melodic hardcore and emo-laced sound. Vocalist Arron Larson paces about the stage for Ascension delivering through gritted teeth in enthusiasm. The band appear to lap up the reception, enjoying the crowd antics expected from a band springboarded in Youth Crew HC.

Rating: 7/10

TAQBIR – Second Stage

TAQBIR attack from the get go with their fast-paced echoed vocals. Their Moroccan punk sound fills this huge space on the indoor stage, met by plenty of stagedivers mirroring the chaos of their lo-fi punk sound. The sludgy guitars pierce through the veil of blue-wash lights that shroud the band for the majority of their set, while the vocal delivery, reminiscent of MELT-BANANA, punch through the mix.

Rating: 7/10

PERP WALK – Third Stage

PERP WALK have been making their mark on the UKHC scene, representing Bristol with their relentless stomping hardcore the Outbreak Fest regulars love. The set is lawless, with a reception of two-step and stage dive galore, with a particular highlight being the crowd lifting up one audience member, Tom Williams in his wheelchair – a firm reminder of the energy and community of what hardcore should always truly be. A set high point is Demagogue from 2023’s The Chain of Infection where the crowd is treated to the frenzied dual guitars that really make PERP WALK shine.

Rating: 8/10

STIFF MEDS – Third Stage

“This whole set is dedicated to UK hardcore” announces vocalist Seth Salih over an intro track before STIFF MEDS launch headfirst into their fast thrashing punk. Bodies are thrown side to side to their constantly shifting sprinting riffs, all carried adeptly by drummer Luke Thompson who plays like a machine gun with a loose trigger, blasting and destroying everything in his path in pursuit of pristine chaos. Through the course of their set they rattle through a cacophony of short bursting songs that light and explode in seconds, like a series of brief firework displays. Salih covers every inch of the stage fervently all the while barking out his low throaty screams in the faces of the front few rows. This is the definition of controlled chaos, leaping in and out of crushing avalanching riffs with technical fast bruising endings to the tracks, STIFF MEDS came here and crushed.

Rating: 9/10

NEVER ENDING GAME – Second Stage 

NEVER ENDING GAME show their cards of ferocious Detroit hardcore on the indoor stage with steadfastness. Fans had their chests shook with the band’s guitar blows and brutal breakdowns from the onset and throughout. Mikey Petroski conducts the crowd as they herd the stage for Tank on E. The real energy picks up however for older material like God Forgives.. with that pummelling percussion backbone.

Rating: 8/10

POISON THE WELL – Main Stage

POISON THE WELL may be one of the most anticipated bands of the weekend for many. They’re hailed as titans as a metalcore act, and their set on the outdoor stage proves their long-lasting impact on many fans of heavy music. There isn’t a millimeter of the lower stage platform free for the majority of the set following Jeffrey Moreira proclaiming “if you signed that waiver, then get up here and jump off”. Perhaps the latter part of that request fell on some deaf ears, as he is swarmed in pandemonium stage invasions, resulting in a couple sound outages. Interruptions aside, the band are nearly a whisper in the background of the sound of their audience chanting “I could never swallow your false ideals of a lifeless happy ending” on 1999’s Artist’s Rendering Of Me.

TOUCHÉ AMORÉ – Main Stage

TOUCHÉ AMORÉ‘s soaring structured cocktail of post-hardcore is the perfect set to welcome in the rain on the main stage outside this Saturday afternoon. The drizzle only cements their emotional appeal in some of the most gut wrenching lyricism emo and heavy music has to offer. Despite some issues on Jermey Bolm’s microphone, he conquers the crowd with vocals that are transcendent of the transparency and impassioned delivery felt on record. Soggy stage divers ping pong from the stage throughout the set, finally anchoring down for an invasion during Reminders from 2020’s Lament.

Rating: 9/10

MINDFORCE – Second Stage

MINDFORCE have one of the strongest thrash sounds of the weekend, which sounds gigantic on the Bowler’s Second Stage. Their vigorous, spirited blend of NYC hardcore is embraced by the Manchester crowd as thumpers New Lords and Excalibur rage through the speakers. The floor rattles with every lick of those metallic hardcore riffs, proving why MINDFORCE were adopted warmly by the scene from day dot, and make them yet another heavy hitter of the Triple B Records family.

Rating: 8/10

CHAT PILE – Second Stage

Opening your set with a strong message is something every band aspires to, and none manage it quite as well as noise rock quartet CHAT PILE do with their opening track Why? – their piece questioning how homelessness is possible in modern society. They combine doomy sludgy riffs with meandering ravings of vocalist Raygun Busch creating a truly disorienting, debilitating blend of mayhem and this is matched by the Manchester crowd. The absurdity of the character Busch has taken on is only furthered by his ravings about films set in or shot in Manchester – truly confusing – but it does add to the bemusing and enthralling aura around the band. Huge, noisy riffs from guitarist Luther Manhole and bassist Stin are a mainstay of the set with the two of them languidly flowing their bodies around with their jaunty hooks. CHAT PILE may not have brought a set you walk away from knowing what happened, but it is not one you’ll want to forget soon.

Rating: 9/10

HAVE HEART – Main Stage

The first of tonight’s two headliners HAVE HEART arrive to an utterly packed out arena of bodies, our first visualisation of just how massive Outbreak Fest has become. Following Sinead O’Connor’s spoken word version of BOB MARLEY’s infamous track War being played with the band facing the crowd, HAVE HEART erupt into utterly powerful chaos, opening a gaping hole in the crowd from the off. Vocalist Patrick Flynn is mobbed as he performs his iconic lyrics from the front of the stage getting up close and personal with the crowd and staying there. The straight edge royalty show absolutely no loss for time rattling through their set and perform like one of the youngest bands on the roster, holding back fans leaping for his microphone from all angles, Flynn is unafraid to be truly in the thick of it. The front of the stage is a veritable ocean of people constantly arriving and trailing back into the mess of bodies below, which are equally constantly flowing with arms raised and legs two-stepping throughout.

Flynn loses his microphone in the swarm almost as often as we lose sight of him, passing off his iconic powerful lyrics onto the willing crowd members who constantly cross his path. Their lyrics are clearly as important now as they were back when they first came out by their response, no more so than the speech Flynn gives around the situation in Gaza and how important refusing to hate is, and the importance of moving forward and not going backwards. It is this message that HAVE HEART is built on, their icon status within hardcore is well and truly cemented.

Rating: 10/10

BASEMENT – Main Stage

BASEMENT have made a huge dent in the world of emo and post-hardcore in their near 15-year career. Last time they played Outbreak Fest, the crowd surged for the sweatiest set of the weekend. Today, they headline and prove they’ve stood the test of time and remain a firm favourite in the heavy music scene. The set manoeuvres constantly between their older, more post-hardcore sound, to their newer, more relaxed grunge-emo outputs; all of which are met with the same adoration from their huge crowd. The set is the most sophisticated game of karaoke you could wish to see, with the entire car park of audience members out-singing Fisher, most notably for tracks from 2012’s colourmeinkindness such as Whole and Covet. The band offer a little time for breath with the charming Oversized and For You The Moon before storming into Pine. The charismatic appeal of BASEMENT is that for as much as they are adored, their performances never show an ounce of ego; rather a band who clearly love the scenes that have embraced them, and don’t need any frills to please.

Rating: 9/10

Sunday – June 30th

BALANCE AND COMPOSURE – Main Stage

After international travel issues, BALANCE AND COMPOSURE play their rescheduled slot on the Outbreak Fest Main Stage bright and early on an overcast Sunday. With Jon Simmons shouting out British Airways and American Airlines for the chaos of their trip, he jests “it’s so hard to rock at 11.50am!” Despite the early start, the band are welcomed like heroes, after a four-year hiatus, opening with Body Language and their latest track, Cross To Bear. The set really picks up however for fan favourites Tiny Raindrop and Parachutes. The melancholy juxtaposed with euphoric melody is the perfect pick-me-up for those who are maybe feeling worse for wear after yesterday’s antics.

Rating: 8/10

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE – Main Stage

Early on the final day of Outbreak Fest and back into the rain are a band who seem to do nothing in half measures. THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE are another band who, if anything, narrate the almost autumnal grey backdrop they’re encompassed in. They open with ferocious blasting and tapped riffs leaving little doubt that they have in fact arrived. Their poetic and dynamic brand of Midwest emo features bucket loads of technical riffs and ear worming hooks from both lead vocalist David Bello as well as frequent countermelodies from keyboardist and fellow vocalist Katie Dvorak. They jump between spacey driven poetry to math rock angular riffs and crushing chugged riffs in mere moments, rarely settling for longer than a few moments. Guitarist Chris Teti brings melodic tapped melodies that counter the two vocals with a bewildering pace. Voices are raised just from the opening few notes of January 10th, 2014 to a brilliant reception, closing the show with their recent cover of CEREMONY’s Kersed with guitarist Anthony Gesa taking over vocals, being swarmed as he screams the brief set-ender to a crushing circle pit in front of them.

Rating: 8/10

WRONG MAN – Second Stage

WRONG MAN’s frontman Bjorn Dossche [RISE AND FALL, CHAIN REACTION] uses his microphone as an anchor on the indoor stage, jolting and kicking his legs out during the band’s more bouncy moments. The band’s mix of hardcore, noise rock and melody ricochets through this massive room, sounding crystal clear on set highlights Don’t Remind Me and Wait. The tempo changes really hit the ground running, showing why WRONG MAN have picked up a lot of love of late, demonstrating their capabilities of seamlessly blending elements in a way that feels fresh and polished.

Rating: 8/10

ANGEL DU$T – Main Stage

ANGEL DU$T play to a completely packed out Main Stage at Outbreak Fest. What used to be the festival’s car park/trade space, is now the hub of the entire festival; and for ANGEL DU$T’s set, the sea of people is huge, with many onlooking from the grassy banks on the edge of the arena space. Expected, considering this is band made up from members of hardcore legends TURNSTILE and TRAPPED UNDER ICE, and the critical acclaim of last year’s release BRAND NEW SOUL. The band live is a different story to their sound on record. Their sludgey, grunge punk sounds far more rigorous and jagged as it pelts through the main stage monitors, met with the energy of a slam band. There’s a definite level of hubris as the band soak up the intense crowd reactions to each song, with moments of Justice Tripp being drowned in stage invaders for Love Slam.

Rating: 8/10

FIDDLEHEAD – Main Stage

After HAVE HEART’s triumphant set the previous night, Patrick Flynn had already proved for the ‘millionth time’ why he is one of the most adored frontmen in hardcore. For FIDDLEHEAD’s set, he delivers the same devotion to his performance, spending much of it on the lower platform of the stage, swallowed into swarms of fans grabbing the mic on Sullenboy. Despite FIDDLEHEAD’s combative sound, the band play in a way that oozes that community spirit that is so well-loved by the alternative music scene. While they’re a huge outfit with members from other adored bands (HAVE HEART, BASEMENT, BIG CONTENT, STAND OFF, NUCLEAR AGE), they manage to turn today’s set into what feels like an intimate party all are invited to. The singalong moments are exactly what reels so many into the punk and hardcore scenes, uniting everyone in a shared love for those enticing hooks; most notably on Spousal Loss as the entire front section of the crowd explodes screaming “loss of love just leave it on me”.

Rating: 9/10

MANNEQUIN PUSSY – Main Stage

Now for a band that refuses to be censored, which unfortunately is the case for their name on their BBC-covered Glastonbury set, are Philadelphia indie punks MANNEQUIN PUSSY taking hold of the mainstage with both hands. Vocalist Missy Dabice absolutely plays the crowd with her movements and over soft almost whispering voice between songs, complaining about the double standard around our discomfort with the word “pussy”, encouraging first the “boys” and then everyone to scream it. Their music jumps from spacious indie calm hooks to two-stepping megaphone punk in the blink of an eye, flooding the pit with a current of vibrating bodies. I’ve Got Heaven sees bassist Colins Regisford accompany on screamed vocals for a pummelling fast punk number that once again boils the blood into a bubbling furor for the racer punk crew. Despite a brief confusion around what their final song was going to be, MANNEQUIN PUSSY show just what a tour-de-force they are in the punk scene.

Rating: 9/10

TEENAGE WRIST – Second Stage

“If you’re here to see MOVEMENTS you fucked up they’re the other California band over there” announces vocalist Marshall Gallagher to spite the clash before TEENAGE WRIST launches headfirst into the riff of Sunshine. Chunky chords and pristine hooky melodies are a mainstay of the grunge rock four piece spearheaded by Gallagher, scarcely dropping the volume or energy level in the opening few songs. They are a powerful unit, with the majority of the beef coming from drummer Anthony Salazar who beats his kit around like it’s insulted him, hitting like a warrior, conducting the strums of the men in front of him through sheer force of noise. They have a sea of bodies on the runway in front of them for their final song Earth Is A Black Hole, a response which they admit they don’t get at home, with a choir of “Oh’s” in every chorus. TEENAGE WRIST have a very grabbing skill of switching up rhythmically late on in a song to throw your expectations out the window just when they need to. Definitely a group with much more to come in the future.

Rating: 8/10

IMPUNITY – Third Stage

Comprehensively packing out the third stage are IMPUNITY who see a pile of windmill arms and limbs in all directions flying to their metalcore inspired filth. Vocalist Dev’s more than impressive range of barky screams and low gutturals pulls in everybody who walks past. Innersense sees arms raised and a wash of screams to the refrain of “I ain’t playing”. They constantly push and pull the timing of their chugging riffs, inspiring sheer bedlam in the central crowd with windmill arms and two steppers aplenty. Shredding riffs from guitarist Conor Hehir are featured throughout and are a constant feat to behold, leaping down to crushing chugs to incite a riot on the floor. In addition to that, he performs the melody to inspector gadget before crushing it into a colossal riff when the rest of the band come in. There is so much to be excited about in UK hardcore, and there’s no avoiding IMPUNITY within that.

Rating: 9/10

INCENDIARY – Second Stage

INCENDIARY are one of the most well-respected, gateway bands in modern hardcore. Today’s set cements their integral contribution to the iconic NYCHC sound, pioneered by their seminal 2017 album Thousand Mile Stare. Their devastating metallic riffs matched with Brendan Garrone’s epochal vocals create a storm immediately with opener Primitive Rage. The band show the festival just how massive their impact has been, with pileups, dives and crowd chants unleashing for the entire duration of this nine song set. Finishing with Front Towards Enemy, INCENDIARY leave the room full of adrenaline; and despite the sweatbox the venue has become, it’s clear both the band and crowd could go for round two without hesitation.

Rating: 9/10

HOT MULLIGAN – Main Stage

As the more emo based day of Outbreak Fest continues, Michigan emo crew HOT MULLIGAN promise ear-worming hooks, high energy and pure catharsis. The emotive fry’s of co-vocalists Nathan Sanville and Chris Freeman erupt the audience into singalongs, particularly second track Shhhh! Golf Is On which sees a flood of crowd surfers mount one another. The intricate tricky riffs and melodies of Freeman and fellow guitarist Ryan Malicsi are a marvel keeping energy up throughout leaving plenty of space for the emotionally charged Sanville, who’s long hair is constantly strewn across his face, to stir up the floor into a frenzy of arms and emptying lungs as the group pull out track after track to the audiences delight. A huge stage invasion for John ‘The Rock’ Cena, Can You Smell What The Undertaker feels a very fitting end to a powerful display from HOT MULLIGAN, deeply connected to these fans.

Rating: 9/10

DESPIZE – Third Stage 

Glaswegian hardcore’s DESPIZE join so many in making Northern Unrest one of the most exciting hardcore collectives going. During INCENDIARY’s set, vocalist Brendan Garrone applauded NU and others in the UK, saying “we pay attention” – and as they should. It’s bands like DESPIZE that set the energy for the crowd to follow suit, continuing to forge the way for the real movement to carry on as it has all weekend on this third stage. This room has essentially been a best of UK hardcore showcase for the entire festival. Vocalist Andrew Wilson confronts his crowd, stomping around with ardour as Endtroducing encourages a sea of windmills powerful enough to birth a tornado. It’s sets like this that remind some of the newcomers to the festival what Outbreak Fest was built to champion: hardcore, community, and proper dancing.

Rating: 9/10

THURSDAY – Second Stage

Nearly three decades into their career, THURSDAY come to Outbreak Fest this weekend to celebrate their most loved records Full Collapse and War All The Time. These albums were truly unrivalled at the turn of the millennium, setting the bar for post-hardcore, and what ‘emo’ music would come to mean. While the setlist is deeply nostalgic for most, with songs that were real gateway hits for so many; THURSDAY don’t feel like a legacy act kicking the can of their former success about. Rather, the band only prove why they were so peerless to begin with. There are people who were born after these albums came out catapulting themselves from the stage as though Understanding In A Car Crash was the song of their high school summers. And that’s what it’s all about this weekend. THURSDAY are just one of many to drive home that the rise in popularity of hardcore and the heavy music scenes is a powerful force, creating communities, paving the way for new genre progressions, up and coming talent, and forging friendships over one shared passion. All while saluting the trailblazers that made so many fall in love in the first place.

Rating: 10/10

AMERICAN FOOTBALL – Main Stage 

Closing out Outbreak Fest to a picturesque cloudy sky with glimmers of blue and silver linings and a cool wind chill are Midwest emo legends AMERICAN FOOTBALL with their trademark shimmering guitar tones and cinematic soundscapes in front of the visual screen showing a video of the iconic house from the album sleeve. Supporting the iconic crystalline guitar parts is even a glockenspiel mirroring their glistening clean tones, leading to an almost classical feel to the set. Their music is a series of beautifully arranged complexities, overlapping subtle melodies and rhythms, leaving your eyes and ears permanently gripped. Mike Kinsella’s subtle spacious melodies, never rushed, wait for their turn in this intricate clockwork musical structure. The intricacy of the instrument swaps for each member and the interlocking nature of the parts makes it feel as much a theatre experience as a live gig.

Surprisingly or not the group succeed in provoking a few crowd members to dance across the stage as well as some crowd surfers with the uplifting Honestly?, truly nothing will stop the Outbreak Fest faithful. I’ll See You When We’re Not So Emotional builds the energy up with arms raised to sing along and a heap of dancers flock across the stage. The predictable climax to the set is the now infamous Never Meant, which inspires a stage invasion during the ending instances of the ever so recognisable looping riff, atop which Kinsella leaps, being held in an almost religious pose by the adoring faithful. This is the pinnacle of how to experience AMERICAN FOOTBALL – biblically engrossing, sonic poetry at its finest. There is a reason why they are so magnificently endeared to hardcore and emo fans, and if you haven’t experienced it live, it is beyond comparison.

Words: Ed Truby, Dev Place

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