FESTIVAL REVIEW: Burn It Down Festival 2018

The idyllic and quaint seaside town of Torquay, Devon is, quite frankly, the last place you’d expect to find a hive of activity for alternative music, yet Burn It Down Festival intends to change all that. Set across three different venues in the heart of the town, The Foundry, The Attic and The Apple And Parrot, the inaugural festival boasted a lineup of heavy hitters and emerging talent which for locals in the area, is a dream come true indeed.

HYPOPHORA – Jagermeister Stage

Falmouth-based punks HYPOPHORA kickstarted proceedings for Burn It Down by opening the Jagermeister Stage and set the bar high for acts to follow, thanks to their high-octane performance. Vocalist, Katie McConnell, kept the crowd upbeat and energetic throughout the performance, with small sprinklings of their new EP Douse to keep the crowd hooked. Stage lighting came from Future Technical Solutions Ltd and for this set they absolutely killed it. The powerful, fast lighting perfectly matched the feel of HYPOPHORA‘s adrenaline-surging set. Overall, the mix of the music was outstanding, but the tone and heaviness of the bass guitar took control of the set nicely. Ending the set with an emotional shoutout to an American couple who travelled across the sea to come and see the band play was a nice touch and set the stage nicely for the band to build a solid foundation moving forward. We can tell you now, this band are going places.

Rating: 8/10

AMERICANSIGNLANGUAGE – Fireball Stage

Striving for positive mental health awareness and support, Plymouth based emo band AMERICANSIGNLANGUAGE took to the Fireball Stage and gave a emotional, raw and heavy performance. In between songs, main vocalist Adam Hyman‘s hard-hitting monologues about the subject matter kept the audience transfixed but when it came to the music, they displayed a high level of energy with guitarist Matt jumping around the stage whilst Hyman would disregard his own safety and submerge himself into the crowd. With a few hardcore fans peppered throughout the crowd they filled the intimate venue very nicely, commendable for an emerging talent.

Rating: 8/10

VERIDIAN – Jagermeister Stage

Sextet alt rockers VERIDIAN followed suit and took to the Jagermeister Stage to put on a solid performance from beginning to end, with lovely backing guitar tone and clean crisp vocals, they set the bar high throughout. There was energetic crowd participation during the set, with the main vocalist, Simon Jackman, keeping the audience engaged throughout. For all of their musical swagger though, VERIDIAN‘s impact was somewhat letdown thanks to a frantically manic lighting, which detracted from the band’s impact. Despite this, VERIDIAN gave it their all and put on an awesome set at Burn It Down Festival; they should be proud.

Rating: 7/10

DEATH REMAINS – Fireball Stage

London-based metallers DEATH REMAINS tore up the Fireball stage from beginning to end at Burn It Down Festival. With riffs that were so heavy glass would shatter, and vocals so guttural children would be scared, they put on an intense performance to say the very least. With Benjamin Turner mixing the sound, the set was cleanly mixed and the tones suited the heaviness of the band. Both guitarists stood out thanks to their high energy and their buckets of enthusiasm; it was a thrill to watch. Thanks to the intimacy of the venue, the band’s hard-hitting riffs bounced off a packed crowd and resulted in plenty of crowd participation, a welcome sight that certainly heightened their impact.

Rating: 7/10

WOLF CULTURE – Pistonhead Stage 

Originating from the glorious seaside town of Bournemouth, pop punk rockers WOLF CULTURE brought the bounce to Burn It Down Festival in abundance. Hitting the Pistenhead Stage at The Apple and Parrot and put on a performance to be proud of thanks to a crisp, clear and clean sound which made their set very pleasant to watch, where nothing was to overbearing. With drums bearing the iconic skater punk snap tone to them, Jake Daniels should be pleased, as his punchy rhythms kept the crowd moving. With ample appreciation from the crowd for what the band were doing, WOLF CULTURE put on a lively show and maintained the positive vibes from the day’s proceedings.

Rating: 7/10

SHVPES – Jagermeister Stage

Birmingham-based outfit SHVPES took to the Jagermeister Stage as the venues started to brim with capacity. Thanks to their intensely high energy, their performance stood apart from the competition by leaps and bounds. All members of the band were incredibly dynamic, but vocalist Griffin Dickinson, kept us transfixed throughout the entire set. Jumping from one side of the stage to the other, diving into the crowd, climbing up the rigging, you name it, Dickinson reluctance to remain in one spot drove the energy of the band’s set and the crowd lapped it up. With a nice mixing of the sound, with emphasis to the drums and bass, and solid lighting accompanying the band’s sonic arsenal, SHVPES gave a performance that was truly impressive.

Rating: 9/10

PRESS TO MECO – Jagermeister Stage

With SHVPES having set an immensely high standard, the pressure was on fro alt rock trio PRESS TO MECO  to deliver the goods, but by hell did they not let us down. Displaying high spirits throughout their set, they were lively and tight sounding from start to finish. Thanks to the calmer, coloured lights suiting the band’s accessible alt rock soundscape, the band encapsulated the audience before cascading into strobes to accompany their more heavier passages in which the crowd let loose; it was a joy to witness. With charisma in buckets and an arsenal of great songs, PRESS TO MECO gave a solid performance, one which continues to build on their already bubbling momentum.

Rating: 8/10

DREAM STATE – Jagermeister Stage

Next to hit the Jagermeister stage were South Wales’ DREAM STATE. Hot on the heels from their impressive outings at Download Festival and 2000 Trees, from the off their sound was utterly heavy and the accompanying lighting was insane enough to match. Lead singer and charismatic frontwoman CJ demonstrated an immense level of energy from start to finish, going from the stage to the crowd, whilst delivering her crisp range of vocals to a brilliant standard. In between songs she talked about mental health awareness, adding an even more intense level to the band’s impact at Burn It Down Festival. With a strong band behind her, with riffs that swirled from delicious melodies to crushing breakdowns, DREAM STATE gave a performance to remember.

Rating: 9/10

ARCANE ROOTS – Jagermeister Stage 

ARCANE ROOTS performances are always an emotional affair, but with the news of their imminent demise hitting before Burn It Down Festival, their performance was heightened even further. Nevertheless, with heavy sounding drums and bass, the band performed to an intensely high standard from start to finish, giving one triumphant show before their impending demise. The band were tight as ever but it was Andrew Groves who stole the spotlight thanks to his angelic highs and impressively powerful vocals, which cut through the dense riffs like a knife cutting through butter and raised the hairs on the back of your neck. Delivering a good mixture of their best songs, from the lighter and more melodic-centric tracks to the heavier and aggressive numbers, the versatility of their material only heightened their flawless performance. It was a set of sheer quality and yet, with the end in sight, it felt bittersweet. God bless ARCANE ROOTS.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery from the day’s action at Burn It Down Festival here: