FESTIVAL REVIEW: Slam Dunk Festival – South 2019

Another year, another Slam Dunk. The one day affair has become a bit of a bastion for one day festivals in the UK, quickly transforming and growing into arguably the biggest single day for alternative music fans. The festival has transcended its original locations across various university campuses, and now that it has streamlined itself into just two days, we had the chance to see what the fuss was about at the southern date of the travelling show. After a successful if rainy day in Leeds the day before, there was a fantastic energy that was felt immediately upon arrival.

The line up was beyond stacked, with almost too much choice across the eight stages, with the diverse sounds ranging from the heaviest hardcore to the soppiest pop rock going. We got stuck in from the get go, and without further ado, here is what we made of the great day out!

CRUEL HAND – Key Club Right Stage

Being one of the first bands on, CRUEL HAND had a bit of a task in whipping up the crowd for the rest of the day, but they do well enough. The crowd gathers but it is clear that these hardcore chaps are a bit of a insiders band. Regardless, for those who feel inspired, there is ample room to warm up for the days events, and tracks like Dead Weight and Lock & Key are excellent soundtracks to the two steps and spin kicks. The band seem somewhat restrained, but front man Chris Linkovich does enough to spin up a bit of early morning chaos. A perfectly acceptable way to kick off what would turn into a truly excellent day.

Rating: 6/10

THE BOMBPOPS – Punk In Drublic Stage 

THE BOMBPOPS brought the Punk In Drublic Stage to life and really set the tone for the entire day, good vibes and good people enjoying good music. The four piece were full of energy and gave the crowd a proper wake-me-up, after all, it was only 11:45 on a Sunday.

Rating: 7/10

KUBLAI KHAN – Key Club Left Stage

10 Years without gimmicks is how KUBLAI KHAN announce themselves after a surprisingly heartfelt thanks to start their set. This kind demeanor is immediately shattered when they damn near incite a riot with their chunky, chunky grooves. The tone is instantly recognisable, and it plays off of Matt Honeycutt’s macho vocals with fantastic results. It culminates in a heavy and impactful set that causes insanity when tracks like No Kin kick in. It is The Hammer that finally solidifies this as an impressive set, as the final songs arrives and pulls a massive amount of bodies to the dancefloor. It’s great to see a band as hardworking as KUBLAI KHAN finally get their just desserts, and the fact they’ve spent 10 years honing their assault only benefits them. For a set so short, they did pack in as many breakdown heavy songs as possible, so a bit more pace and time could’ve elevated this even further.

Rating: 7/10

MILK TEETH – Dickies Stage

Opening the Dickies Stage for the first time – MILK TEETH brought their grunge-punk anthems to an already fervent audience. Despite being one of the smaller stages, crowd surfers flew over the barrier already to be received by security. The front row (in between having bodies pulled over their heads) screamed the words back the three piece – it was only 12:15, could every day be like this please?

Rating: 8/10 

ANTI-FLAG – Punk In Drublic Stage

ANTI-FLAG provided early noughties goodness to the endearing masses – the good weather just added to the ambience, everyone seemed to be having a great time. Lead vocalist Justin used the full width of the stage and really feeds off the crowd’s energy.

Rating: 8/10

HOT MILK – Key Club Left Stage

HOT MILK made their Slam Dunk debut this year and with the brand new EP Are You Feeling Alive? released only weeks ago, it’s warming to see the crowd singing the words back so excitedly. Pop-rock influences made for a jumping crowd and smiles all round to singles Take Your Jacket and Awful Ever After – they even opened with a brand new track. They’re definitely one to keep an eye on.

Rating: 8/10

KNOCKED LOOSE – Impericon Stage

A quick glance around the Impericon end of the stage minutes before KNOCKED LOOSE waltz on stage will reveal that the Oldham County hardcore lads have drawn what will be contender for the biggest crowd of the day. With a new album looming and a cult like status already, this was bound to be carnage; and carnage it was. Kicking off with a brand new song before segueing into the new version of All My Friends, the reception of this band is baffling considering how fucking intense they can be. Mistakes Like Fractures is crushing, and the crowd reaction to the beatdown of Billy No Mates is goosebump inducing, as one just takes in the scenes of a band writing some of the most aggressive music yet remain one of the most increasingly popular bands of this whole generation, let alone the scene. It says something when their status alone is what carries this set to the heights it reaches, considering the stage sound is there to exclusively amplify the breakdowns and ignores the nuances of the KNOCKED LOOSE sound (yes, they exist). With a better sound, and a bit more tweaking on their stage performance, and it’s scary to think of what this set could’ve been.

Rating: 7/10

PRESS TO MECO – Key Club Left Stage

At this point in the day, we finally experienced the notorious and frustrating early day queuing problems. Both the bar, and the toilets, caused us to miss the first half of TURNSTILE, but thankfully there was PRESS TO MECO to offer an arguably better time anyway. The British stalwarts have been getting better with every performance, their confidence clearly increasing with every passing show and album. As tight as a tories wallet, PRESS TO MECO impress their awfully meager crowd with the effortless sway from technical groove to indie chords, all whilst their almost perfect vocal harmonies sail over the top. Their crowd interaction gets stronger with every crowd, and it doesn’t matter if its 50 or 500 people, PRESS TO MECO always exude a joy to be on stage and a genuine thanks to everyone who gave their time to see them. If there are some gripes, it’s that there is too much of their short set dedicated to engaging with the crowd as opposed to dropping bangers, but it doesn’t halt their momentum one bit. If you haven’t seen PRESS TO MECO live before, you really need to get on it.

Rating: 8/10

Y3K – Key Club Right Stage

Running from stage to stage, we grab glimpses of WAGE WAR and AS IT IS which showcases the real variety of acts on this year’s bill. The (not-so) mysterious Y3K fill the Key Club Right until no one else can get in – it is of course BUSTED, opening with Air Hostess and giving everyone that nostalgia trip no-one really expected. Rounding off with Year 3000, everyone’s left having checked a band off their bucket list.

Rating: 8/10

CANCER BATS – Impericon Stage

CANCER BATS come out to Slam Dunk Festival with their fists clenched and looking for a fight. Well, maybe not a fight, but a party nonetheless. Songs are sped up, and Liam Cormier is on absolute form as he runs from one end of the stage to the next. His vocals are intense and take the first few songs to get into the swing of things, with the same being said for the rest of the band and indeed their sound. But by the time Sorceress kicks in the band have well and truly hit their stride and go about proving just why they are one of the best. Sabotage has an especially incredible moment when the bass gets turned UP for the final moments of the track, and Wade MacNeil of GALLOWS and Nikki Brumen from PAGAN both making appearances, the whole set turns into a bit of an event. This is a vital set that simply gives more energy to the crowd rather than taking it.

Rating: 8/10

OUR HOLLOW, OUR HOME – Key Club Right Stage 

OUR HOLLOW, OUR HOME also make their first Slam Dunk appearance on the Key Club Right Stage to a packed crowd. Performing tracks from both their debut LP Hartsick and sophomore release In Moment // In Memory make the set one of circle pits, huge singalongs and riffs galore.

Rating: 8/10

PAGAN – Key Club Left Stage

After appearing with the CANCER BATS a few moments ago, Nikki Bruman and her band PAGAN have to wait for OUR HOLLOW, OUR HOME to finish up a few minutes late before they come on and deliver their unique brand of disco-post-hardcore. It’s weird to put into words, and the sound really does nothing for the group’s unique noise, as the guitars and bass just get drowned out by the drums and Nikki’s shrill vocals. The vocals were fine for CANCER BATS, but when put over wafer thin guitars and bass that packs no punch, they become incredibly difficult to listen to, and do nothing for the overall performance. It’s disappointing to say the least, as PAGAN have a lot to offer to the small crowd that gathers for them, but they can do nothing to prove it apart from own the stage with their clear natural stage presence. It’s one of the days true missed moments, and a kick in the teeth for such a young band after a really successful UK tour.

Rating: 6/10

SILVERSTEIN – Jagermeister Stage

The Jagermeister Tent is filled with a sizeable crowd here for one thing, and that’s the boat loads of nostalgia SILVERSTEIN are able to deliver in spades. The crowd sing back every single word in what is a bit of an impressive display for an early evening band after everything that has preceded. The band hit hard and vocalist Shane Told is still a fantastic frontman who holds the crowd in the centre of his palm by the tail end of the set. This was never going to rewrite the rule book, but for those seeking some midday nostalgia there really isn’t a better choice of band who will deliver just that whilst also being a solid spend of an hour.

Rating: 7/10

Liam Cromby & Rob Lynch – Acoustic Stage

Over in the acoustic forest, Liam Cromby (formerly of WE ARE THE OCEAN) gave those wanting a bit of a relax exactly that; some songs were new originals with a few WATO songs thrown in for good measure. Rob Lynch followed with his self-dubbed “annual set” that saw plenty of familiar faces in the crowd: other bands, some that weren’t even on this year’s bill. Absolute mates fest. It feels as though acoustic stages are often overlooked at large festivals however Slam Dunk manages to gauge it just right.

Rating: 8/10

SHVPES – Key Club Right Stage

SHVPES brought the momentum back up to fever pitch on Key Club Right with material mostly from their recent Greater Than record, followed by EMPLOYED TO SERVE ripping apart Key Club Left. The double stages at this year’s festival were a welcome addition, there’s far less time standing around during changeover, more time for the music itself; the only thing that matters.

Rating: 8/10

THE BRONX – Impericon Stage

One of the most effortlessly brilliant bands the hardcore punk scene has ever birthed, THE BRONX are impervious to bad shows. Their confidence visibly oozes from every member as they dominate the stage, kicking right into The Unholy Hand and never letting the momentum drop for a second. Every song takes the baton and sprints for the finish, with Heart Attack American sounding particularly spicy and a life affirming rendition of Knifeman coming equipped with a genuinely uplifting message of encouragement from vocalist Matt Caughthran helps spur the ridiculous mosh pit that swallows him at the end of the song. By the end of the set it becomes apparent that anyone who made the choice to leave and catch EMPLOYED TO SERVE might have thought they were making a good choice, but they just willingly left on of the best sets of the day.

Rating: 9/10

STORY OF THE YEAR – Jagermeister Stage

STORY OF THE YEAR opened their set in a way that made it pretty obvious who’d played Need For Speed before, And The Hero Will Drown got the only reception it really could, rapturous screams from the crowd and a mosh that’d make 2003 proud. Vocalist Dan Marsala is as excited as the crowd – smiling all the while jumping around the entire stage. A high octane and ridiculously fun performance.

Rating: 7/10

NECK DEEP – Monster Energy Stage

It doesn’t take a sound engineer to immediately recognise how awful NECK DEEP sounded when they came on stage. The lead guitars were non-existent during the first half of the set, and the cavernous drums and poor mix just made the whole band sound like they were performing from the bottom of a canyon. When you add the faces like thunder a few of the members are wearing and it makes what should be a triumphant and stand out set fall disappointingly flat. The setlist is unquestionable, well thought out, and thanks to the ravenous NECK DEEP crowd there is a lot of energy, but it comes and goes far to much to really carry the set through the awful sound. It’s a real shame, because the pop-punk extraordinaires have their stage show refined to a T, which makes the let down hit all the harder.

Rating: 5/10

TOUCHE AMORE – Dickies Stage

Context can make or break a set, and when the rain begins to pour moments before TOUCHE AMORE walk on stage the potential for a truly miserable time was laid out. With the solemn nature of the material well known, TOUCHE AMORE come out the gates with a rocket up the proverbial. Flowers & You sounds impassioned and Jeremy Bolm is boasting a shit eating grin for the whole set, a sign of a fantastic show at the leeds site the day previous. The 15 song set list is well balanced, with a poignant and stand out performance of Gravity, Metaphorically owning the award of song of the day. By the end of the set, the band have expelled the rain away and bask in the rays of a warming sun, and if that isn’t metaphorical for the immense, positive power of music then we don’t know what is. A special set from a truly special band.

Rating: 9/10

BAD RELIGION – Punk in Drublic Stage

BAD RELIGION have absolutely nothing to prove to anyone and yet here they are, just off the back of releasing their 17th album. That is frankly obscene for any band, let alone with as much angst towards the world as BAD RELIGION are. Opening with the ever confrontational Fuck You, the band blast through a diverse setlist that boasts frantic riffs, huge guitar solos and the classic lyrical work from Greg Graffin. This is just a bit of a masterclass for any young punks in the crowd, even if the bands ridiculous back catalogue means that their set is always filled with some of the deepest cuts from the band’s deep song list. For those in the know its great, for the rest of us it’s just a good time.

Rating: 7/10

THE MENZINGERS – Dickies Stage

The first headliner of the day, THE MENZINGERS are purveyors of some of the best written and emotionally raw pop-punk on the circuit, and despite their meagre crowd, everyone is here for a good time. The Obituaries has everyone singing the iconic chorus back at them, and newer tracks like Midwestern States and Thick As Thieves are just fantastically easy listening this late into the day. THE MENZINGERS own the evening, as the sun gently begins to dip, the band throw the best vibes out into the crowd with beaming smiles from start to finish. The crowd throw everything back, and one thing that cannot be denied is the infectious mood that fills the crowd huddled around the tiny Dickies Stage. In terms of cherries on top of cake, this is the best damn cherry on top of what was a pretty delicious cake. And when you throw in songs like I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore and the news of them bringing a new album out this year, and for many this is the perfect way to end the day.

Rating: 8/10

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – Jagermeister Stage

Again, as their first time playing Slam Dunk Festival, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE closed the Jagermeister Stage to a huge crowd, with confetti and a stage production that wowed everybody. Their lighting was some of the best of the day to accompany a set that was filled with material both old and new, opening with Don’t Need You and closing with the utter anthem that is Waking The Demon. As Four Words to Choke Upon kicked in, everyone felt that slight twinge of nostalgia, and threw themselves into the first verse like it was 2005 all over again. Wonderful stuff.

Rating: 9/10

ALL TIME LOW – Monster Energy Stage

Given the notoriety of the sound throughout the day, it’s amazing to hear how crisp ALL TIME LOW sound when they come out to deliver the closing set of the day. The ravenous crowd is eager as ever for them, and the band bring bucket loads of energy, the kind they have been able to build their current legacy off. Damned If I Do Ya and Weightless both draw huge reactions and sing alongs, and with new song Getaway Green also sounding fantastic it shows ALL TIME LOW to be genuinely as vital as ever. The crowd are as keen as they have been all day, with crowd surfers making securities time a bit more difficult than they’d like, but it all comes together to create a headline set Slam Dunk should be proud of. With the closing bars of Dear Maria finishing the festival, it’s hard to argue with a better way to round off this years festivities.

Rating: 8/10

Words: Eddie Sims & Rhys Haberfield

Photos: A.M Photography & Rhys Haberfield Media