Slam Dunk Festival truly means the start of the UK festival season. Yes, there are a few events before (such as the excellent Takedown Festival), but the May bank holiday weekend with thousands of pop punk, emo and metal fans descending on Hatfield and Leeds is truly when things kick off for the UK alternative festival scene. Unfortunately this years’ Slam Dunk South in Hatfield is beset by logistical issues; Problems with traffic, congestion and parking means that among thousands of others, Team Rock Sins are held up getting to the festival. Once on site at Hatfield House, the team quickly got down to covering the action.
Now, if Kesha and Korn made a baby, you’d be somewhat in the ball-park for Scene Queen (7.5). Not one to be pigeon-holed, she is the maker of the most familiar, unfamiliar music around at the moment. With her nursery rhyme singalongs to nu metal breakdowns we see Scene Queen bringing her Bimbocore to the masses, especially judging by the size of the crowd she had drawn to the small outdoor stage, something she even admitted she was shocked about. Whilst watching this set I was more intrigued than anything. There was many a punter standing there mouths agape as she introduced her “Twerklepit” for all (as she put it) “bad bitches” out there, encouraging people to twerk instead of circle out. Scene Queen is making money moves in the UK right now, selling out dates left right and centre. This review may not do her justice but believe us, her live show is definitely worth your time. Good breakdowns, witty lyrics and feel good with a dark undertone. What more could you ask for at an emo festival? NA
This is the third time seeing Wargasm (7) and the second time seeing them on Slam Dunk festival stage. The band is still giving big prodigy-meets-Honey-Bunny-and-Pumpkin (the couple in the diner at the start of Pulp Fiction) energy. As the band walked on stage they were greeted by a field of screaming fans. You can see the growth in fan base, a visible representation of how the band is developing. As they open with the track Minigun the crowd explodes in an exchange of energy from band and audience, Sam Matlock shouting to the crowd that he wanted more from them. He does like to repeat himself that they travelled all the way from Boston for this show.
It’s when track Fukstar kicks in the audience opens up and a massive circle pit ensues, again Matlock screaming to the audience to make it bigger. The short and sweet set seems to be a taste of what is to come from the band. I feel 2024 will be the introduction to bigger venues for this band and with the release of their eventual debut album we can only see them going from strength to strength. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea but the fans they have are feral for them and we can only hope that musical touch paper is lit and brings it to the masses. NA
Despite the aforementioned travel issues the arena is nicely full for the triumphant return of Kids in Glass Houses (7), who take the stage looking incredibly dapper and playing so tight it’s like they’ve never been away. Opening with Fisticuffs and Easy Tiger the set plays like a celebration of debut album Smart Casual. Because it is. 2023 is the 15th birthday of the album and to celebrate the chaps have not only played this storming set at Slam Dunk but have just announced a UK tour in celebration, tickets for which can be found here. GL
Now there are two things to come from Scranton Pennsylvania, The Office and melodic punk rockers The Menzingers (8.5). Stand down Dwight we are here for the Menzo’s. The elder emo is strong in the audience. There is certainly a whiff of the over 30s as you look around the crowd, and in all honesty they are my kinda people. Having seen The Menzingers last year at their sold out Roundhouse show I knew we were in for something special. The band opened with Charlie’s Army but it wasn’t until second song I Don’t Want To Be An Asshole Anymore that the Hatfield choir was out in full force, screaming every word back at the band. Considering the last time the band played Slam Dunk the UK was still in the EU, they have the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand. With hits like America and Burn After Writing bringing the crowd to fever pitch, the band play a brand new track from their forthcoming album. If the song There’s No Place In The World For Me is anything to go by, the new record will be a banger. Never change Menzingers there will always be a place in punk rock for you. NA
Maggie Lindemann (6) took to the Key Stage as the sun set, but her particular brand of goth-pop-rock would have been better suited in a slightly darker environment and it’s somewhat ironic that the weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sun stayed out until the bitter end.
Maggie performed well, somehow cramming 13 songs into her time slot all of which had a very Evanescence vibe to them, without ever sounding like imitation. There did, however, seem to be a big reliance on backing tracks.
And reverb. So much reverb. Even when addressing the crowd.
With other bigger bands on at the same time it was good to see the turn out for Maggie and she seemed to be a positive influence for a lot of the younger female fans in attendance. GL
The Kerrang Stages seemed to run like clockwork, as soon as the band finished at one end the next one would start just minutes later on the opposite stage. Unfortunately, this did seemingly mean a lack of any real soundchecking as particularly evident during Creeper (8). Swaggering on looking like T-Birds the British answer to AFI launch into Ghost Brigade and Born Cold before shifting into a big clump from breakthrough album Eternity, In Your Arms. As 2 friends of the band agree to marry each other in front of everyone it’s nearly the end and after Annabelle and the biggest singalong of the day so far, Misery, it’s all over. GL
As the greatest intro tape in the world for “the greatest band in the world” echoes from the Dickies Stage PA the excitement of a Bowling For Soup (9) festival set is reaching fever pitch. Kicking off with all the bants and audience participation before playing a single note, the band have everyone immediately singing to that refrain as they launch into High School Never Ends, which is soon followed by basically whatever song you think you might have wanted to hear and a couple of others. Emily? Sure. The Phineas and Ferb Theme? Yup. Ludicrous amounts of talking between songs that probably could have fit another 2 tracks in? Oh absolutely. Oh and attempt at a “square pit” over a circle pit, because hey, it’s Bowling For Soup. Throw in the obligatory Girl All The Bad Guys Want and 1985 and it’s a very good time. GL
A bad set from Billy Talent (10) is something that just doesn’t happen and that trend continues at Slam Dunk South. The band came out all guns blazing opening with Devil In A Midnight Mass into This Suffering then into Afraid of Heights and then Rusted from the Rain… is this getting you all hot under the collar, the crowd certainly were, with over 30s throwing shapes like there is no tomorrow or in their case, chronic back ache. The band continue to get us all worked up dropping track Try Honesty into Surrender. At this point the band hadn’t stopped to talk, motoring through 6 tracks in a row.
When the band eventually take a break to introduce a new song Reckless Paradise from their latest album Crisis of Faith, lead singer Benjamin Kowalewicz thanks the crowd for being one of the first countries to take the band under its wing when they started over 20 years ago. Which lead to the whole crowd feeling old as Kowalewicz explained they would be releasing this summer a special version of the self titled album to celebrate its 20th anniversary. As the band finished up their set with fan favourite and church like sing along Red Flag we couldn’t help but think how 20 years has passed so quickly and yet this band has only gone from strength to strength each record as potent and visceral as the next. Here’s to the next 20 years Billy Talent! NA
Back in the Kerrang tent it was all systems go for the return of Yellowcard (7), who “haven’t been a band for about 7 years” and come out of the gate swinging big time with the most energetic performance of Way Away anyone could possibly have ever performed. The huge crowd lap up every single note, lyric, bead of sweat and violin stroke as the band absolutely kill it like it’s still the early 2000’s and confirm that yes they are doing an Ocean Avenue 20th anniversary tour, but at the time of writing no UK dates have been confirmed. GL
As the sun FINALLY begins to set on thousands of sunburnt and frankly exhausted members of the public who forgot 20 years had passed since they discovered half of the bands on the bill, The Offspring (7) take to the stage and immediately kick off with Come Out and Play followed by Staring at the Sun. A seemingly trimmed down Dexter Holland is in fine voice and the band sound tight, but interest starts to wane when they dip into material from Let the Bad Times Roll and Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. The energy picks up a bit with Genocide and a good old sweary shout for Bad Habit, but then they decide to let lead guitarist Noodles jam on a bunch of random metal songs, before finally settling on actually playing Blitzkrieg Bop and then getting into the big hits. Encore You’re Gonna Go Far Kid and Self Esteem are sucked in and enjoyed by all in attendance, but as everyone leaves and makes the pilgrimage home it was clear that were it not for the legacy and way paving of The Offspring, Bowling For Soup would have been the headliners. And the crowd would have loved it. GL
And so another Slam Dunk Festival South (also known as Slam A Diddly Ding Dong, if you know, you know) comes to an end. Here’s to 2024, with all of the musical fun and less of the logistical problems next time around!
Reviews by Nick Allan (NA) and Greg Latham (GL). Photos by Jemma Dodd.
