Our first and probably heaviest band of the day. Defects waste very little time hyping up the crowd over on Main Stage East. Starting off their set with End of Days, it doesn’t take long for a serious circle pit to open up. To the visible delight of frontman Tony Maue who barks repeated orders to open it up even wider.
Clearly still well warmed up from their set the day before, Defects sound just as tight as ever. With guitarists Luke Genders and James Treadwell locked in perfect sync. Which is made even more impressive at one point when Genders manages to chug down a beer funnel mid-song without missing beat!
Their ferocious set is mostly made up of tracks from their debut album, Modern Error. They take a little break in between Dream Awake and Broken Bloodlines though to debut a new track, Heretic. Which goes down particularly well. Especially the breakdown, during which Maue orders everyone down on one knee, Slipknot style, unleashing utter chaos when it hits and the audience leap to their feet in unison.
You wouldn’t think the crowd would have any energy left after all that. But even though it’s still early in the day, they manage to pull off a pretty savage looking wall of death during Defects final track, Recurring. Bidding the band a fitting farewell and leaving the bar set very high indeed for the rest of the day!
After a much needed breather, it’s over to Main Stage West for our next band of the day, Illinois natives, Knuckle Puck.
Lead vocalist Joe Taylor might be channeling his inner Gallagher with his rain mack and sunglasses. However this is cassic pop punk at some of its best. Upbeat, energetic and packed with chorus lines written seemingly explicitly to make you grin.
They start things off with a double bill of Wall to Wall and Disdain. With drummer John Siorek absolutely pounding away at the drums, powering them through. However, the weather has other ideas. As the wind has picked up, washing out a little of the sound across the main stage.
Thankfully it doesn’t last for long, and by the time they’ve hit the half way point of their set with Evergreen, the sun is out, Taylor’s rain mack is nowhere to be seen and it’s full steam ahead for the Chicago pop punkers. Who manage to cram another five songs into their relatively modest run time. Before bringing it to a close with a powerful rendition of Untitled.
Sticking with Main Stage West, it’s time for Movements up next and despite only being their second appearance here at Slam Dunk, the four piece post-hardcore outfit from Orange County have quite the crowd waiting for them when they arrive.
The delicate arpeggios and solid chorus line of Afraid to Die get things going. However, it’s the grinding bassline and thumping kick drum of Lead Pipe that really ignites the audience. Sending crowd surfers over the barrier at an exponential rate.
From then on, anyone that was on the fence or cheerfully enjoying some cheesy chips in the background is fully on side. As Movements pile on even more punk rock attitude with Fail You. They sound oddly reminiscent of early Alexisonfire. Managing to blend introspective lyrics with an anti-establishment rhetoric perfectly. While not taking themselves too seriously to have fun at the same time. Making them a real treat. So much so in fact, their set seems to fly past in the blink of an eye.
Before we know it, they’re onto fan favourite and penultimate track, Daylily. Which receives probably the biggest ovation so far and has half of the crowd singing along and the other half desperately clinging to their camera phones to capture the moment.
It’s a shame that their set feels so short, however as they wrap things up with a suitably rowdy performance of I Hope You Choke. We’re left in little doubt they’ll be invited back to Slam Dunk for a third time before long!
It isn’t long before it’s time for our next band of the afternoon, Hot Mulligan. Who have become darlings of Slam Dunk over the last few years. We can see why too, as their set proves to be one of the highlights of the afternoon.
There’s no simpler way to put it than it feels like Hot Mulligan absolutely belong here on the main stage. With their blend of pop punk enthusiasm and mid-west emo melancholia. They sit perfectly in the mix of todays line-up. From the infectious groove of tracks like, It’s a Family Movie She Hates Her Dad. To the straining catharsis of Fly Move. There’s a little something for everyone to enjoy here.
Guitarist Chris Freeman definitely adds a few laughs along the way as well. Pausing at one point during Hot Mulligans set to express his unrequited love for Charli XCX and starting his own little chant with the crowd. We hope the videos find her too Chris.
With a smile now firmly locked in on all of our faces, it isn’t long until Hot Mulligan bring their set too a close with BCKYRD. Which goes down an absolute storm and proves that Hot Mulligan can pack out a main stage with the same ease they’ve employed in the festivals smaller tents over the years.
Veterans of the scene, New Found Glory are a band that should need no introduction. Proving pop punk is nowhere near its sell by date since 1997, the five piece from Florida haven’t appeared at Slam Dunk since back in 2018. They’re a man down today too. With guitarist Chad Gilbert off the road due to his recent cancer diagnosis. We’re sure he’ll be able to hear the cheers as New Found Glory take to Main Stage West this afternoon though. As the audience erupt with such enthusiasm you’d think Leeds was the bands hometown.
What follows is practically a punk rock masterclass. With New Found Glory working the crowd for all they’re worth. Cramming in seventeen tracks in sixty minutes. With only one new song in the set, the aptly named 100%. It’s a wall to wall nostalgia-fest and even though a good portion of the audience probably weren’t alive yet when the band dropped hits like Dressed To Kill. Somehow, they still know all the words!
Their cover of Sixpence None The Richer hit, Kiss Me goes down predictably well too. Leaving the audience right in the palm of Jordan Pundik’s hands ready for the bands predictable final farewell of My Friends Over You.
Back over on Main Stage East and it’s time for German techno rockers, Electric Callboy and their unique brand of synthesiser driven mayhem. Something seems off as we make our way over though. With almost as many people trying to leave as there are trying to make their way to the front.
The problem becomes evident pretty quickly. They’ve been booked on the smaller of the two main stages and the resultant mass of bodies makes it difficult for anyone but the earliest of early birds to catch a glimpse of the stage. Which is a real shame, because with former Sum 41 drummer Frank Zummo behind the kit, Electric Callboy sound absolutely huge. They’ve brought all the big production tricks with them too. Bathing the stage with confetti canons and pyro as the smash through a catalogue of bangers like Elevator Operator and Spaceman. Even throwing in a cover of Still Waiting by Sum 41 in honour of their stick wielding compadre.
It’s not all dance hall inspired chaos though. With Callboy breaking out the firepit for a few ‘intimate’ acoustic numbers. Including covers of Crawling by Linkin Park and I Want It That Way by the Backstreet boys. Before ramping things back up again with the schlager inspired Hurrikan.
They lose a little momentum during MC Thunder. When the crowd get a little too energetic and someone hurts themselves in the pit. Electric Callboy more than make up for the lost ground in the end though. Finishing off an epic set with a triple threat of Hypa Hypa, RATATATA and We Got The Moves. It’s just a shame they lost part of their audience to the decision to place them on the smaller of Slam Dunks main stages.
Finally, it’s time for the main event, A Day To Remember. While being a near perfect headline act on paper. It has taken years for ADTR to finally get the nod from Slam Dunk and be given a headline slot. The Florida quintet come out swinging too. Seemingly out to prove the point that they belong here. Starting off their set with a one-two combination of The Downfall of Us All and I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of? That leaves the crowd reeling.
As we found with Knuckle Puck earlier in the afternoon, the sound isn’t always perfect. With the guitars sounding a little muddy in the early going and the wind playing havoc with the overall mix. Which thankfully improves as their set goes on. However, despite delivering more hits than Tyson in his prime. There are unfortuntely times when A Day To Remembers performance feels a little phoned in. Particularly on the part of frontman Jeremy McKinnon. Who seems to fluctuate between genuine excitement and knocking it out for the paycheck.
When they’re on form, it’s impeccable and the audience doesn’t really seem to care either way. They’re putting on their own show. Happily screaming out the words to all their old favourites. Hurling themselves at the barrier and beaming from ear to ear when little treats such as the bands cover of Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone find their way into the setlist. Take away the lense of nostalgia though and it is sometimes apparent that while this might be the best night of their lives, to ADTR, this is just another Sunday night.
All that said, if you judge them purely by the atmosphere they’re creating. A Day To Remember more than get the job done and when they do really find their groove on tracks like Resentment and All I Want. They are a sight to behold. Especially as they wrap things up with All Signs Point To Lauderdale. Bringing Slam Dunk North to a fittingly raucous conclusion. Leaving many, if not all in attendance with at least one special memory to take home with them!
For more information about Slam Dunk, you can head over to the festivals official website. Or, if you want to stay up to date on next years event and be the first to snap up those early bird tickets, you can also give them a follow on social media.
