Main Stage West
One thing to note about Slam Dunk is how it’s not the biggest breeding ground for surprises. Whereas festivals with a more sprawling undercard act as platforms to ignite the stars of the future, with Slam Dunk, there’s always at least a bit of groundswell there already, in pop-punk, metalcore or whatever associated buckets an act can fit into. It’s true across the board, but the main stages—this year, divided into west and east bills—really push that narrative hard. Just take a lot of this year’s tippy-top slot, filled by A Day To Remember who’s biggest benefit currently is that they’ve been around for a long time. And you know what? For the climes of Slam Dunk, that’s enough. As washed-up as some may deem them to be after some disheartening recent works, there’s certainly a reliability in the back catalogue that this festival prizes.
It’s similarly true of their direct supporting entourage, Neck Deep and New Found Glory. Within modern pop-punk, there’s few who’ve earned their stripes more definitively than these two, and the fact they’ve done so time and time again (many of which have been on these very grounds) should say all it needs to. Hell, Neck Deep were one of the headliners just a couple of years back; surely that’s a sign of their trustworthiness, right?
That’s kind of the prevailing theme across the Main Stage West—bands who aren’t pushing the envelope of pop-punk and emo, but will do a fine job with what’s asked of them. It certainly explains the inclusion of Hit The Lights and The Starting Line, representatives of the older guard for the purpose of sending nostalgia dials rocketing forward. For a ‘newer’ analogue, Knuckle Puck fit that bill perfectly, as do Movements in emo. Dig a little deeper into what emo can engender, however, and that’s were you’ll find the Main Stage West’s most interesting names. It’s genuinely great to see Hot Mulligan given a platform like this where their routine terrificness can shine all the brighter, while openers Sweet Pill stand as the most grateful beneficiaries of this sort of bigger stage. Both come flying the flag of the math-rock end of this sound, though again, there’s enough straightforward banger potential in both to feel right at home. When it’s this good, though, there’s nothing wrong with that at all.
Main Stage East
Do a 180 from one main stage and you’ll arrive at the other, where largely the same booking philosophy awaits. The difference is that the Main Stage East is home to this year’s heavier fare, curated to a pretty great degree. Electric Callboy are a stellar get to headline, honestly, not just as a band whose current world tour makes them feel bigger than ever, but as proprietors of party-metalcore that, to cap off a day at Slam Dunk specifically, works like gangbusters even on paper. Compared to A Day To Remember and their pop-punk runway on the other main stage, Electric Callboy do hold a clear demarcation as ‘headliners’ here. Below them, there’s really no one else that sounds the same (and seeing how few who do are even remotely as entertaining, there’s no complaints about that).
Instead, this year’s cut of metalcore takes on a few more standardised forms. Imminence’s use of classical influence might sit them a good tier or so ahead of the competition, but at the end of the day, it’s still a metalcore battering ram. As for LANDMVRKS and Defects, they’re totally in that camp of functional-yet-fleeting fare that’ll never be the most interesting thing in the world. Admittedly, the enjoyability factor does tend to lift in a live setting, so at least they aren’t perfunctory. Meanwhile, Stray From The Path carry some far more watertight strengths from themselves—they’re in metalcore, to a degree, but an intensity borne from rap-metal, hardcore and a famously demolishing live reputation make them clear ones to catch on the heavier end.
Filling out the Main Stage East is a rather impressive post-hardcore contingent, even if it, too, has its fingers explicitly in the nostalgia pies. The Used are frankly making no secret of it, given their plans for entire album playthroughs depending on the date—In Love And Death at Hatfield and their self-titled album at Leeds. Perhaps that’s a bit of a damp piece of news for anyone wanting a more extensive, hit-laden set, but when both albums are classics of 2000s post-hardcore, you can’t complain that much. (Plus, their slots are long enough to fit some additional songs in, so don’t worry, southerners—you’ll still probably get The Taste Of Ink regardless.) As for Finch, the throwback energy around them is far more blanketed, though once again, the bangers in their pocket can justify a lot. Finally, there’s Dream State, who still might be playing catch-up to where their previous incarnation left off, but easily have the live prowess to do some wonderful things. On a stage like this one, you wouldn’t bet against them.
Monster Energy Stage
For the ageing punks and ska-heads, this is the annual bone thrown to you. We’ve said in the past how it’s unquestionably a good thing that Slam Dunk keeps this side of its repertoire alive, and as long as they keep doing it, that isn’t going to change. It’s also where predictability is the easy to truffle out, but for the patrons who’ll get their money’s worth from this stage entirely (of which there assuredly a considerable number), is that a problem? Besides, you’ve got Alkaline Trio headlining, a long-running punk band who’ve ensured consistency is just as much a part of their brand as their slight spooky impulses. There’s also Less Than Jake and Zebrahead, who show up here that often, they could probably claim squatters’ rights. Yeah, as far as ska-punk goes, the pool of unit-shifters is a bit smaller, but clearly there’s demand when they’re here almost every year. At least the bench runs a little deeper, too, with Streetlight Manifesto, Save Ferris and a surprising little inclusion of The Aquabats! to round out this year’s brassy bunch.
As far as older punk goes, it’s more in the realms of a couple of ‘90s and 2000s throwbacks, plus the customary inclusion of a newer act that fits the same niche, this time the duty of The Meffs. The biggest name is The Ataris, the sort of well-loved, older-coded pop-punk band that’s a prime candidate for Slam Dunk, whatever the situation. Honestly, you could swap them out with The Starting Line over on the main stage, and there’d be very little difference. Home Grown are the other ones this time, a pop-punk band primarily active in the ‘90s who, after reforming last year, have experienced a lot of enthusiasm from the faithful, ergo making them ideal candidates for here. As the festival that seems to be the only one with a taste for platforming stuff like this, Slam Dunk continues to pull out all the stops when it comes to delivering on it.
And hey, if none of that’s your bag, just wait till the end of the day for the closing party with Millionaires, completely flying in the face of the older punk aesthetic for the exhumation of a few scene-kid corpses. Yay?
Kerrang! Stage
For the names for whom a main stage blow-up is all but confirmed, look no further than this year’s Kerrang! Stage bill, and the numerous acts who…probably should be up there right now. It’s no dig that they aren’t, but they aren’t exactly stressing about the all-important call, either. It’s especially true of headliners Hot Milk, on the cusp of their second album’s release that should only push them even further up pop-rock’s ladder. Twin Atlantic, meanwhile, are somewhat slumming it down here considering where their Britrock compatriots have found themselves on recent lineups, but being here at all can be enough. Their music has started to recalibrate back to the good stuff they made their name on, and a slow, tentative rise is more beneficial in the long run than blowing it all in one go. Much more exciting, though, is the return of As It Is, with Patty Walters back in tow and the 10th anniversary of Never Happy, Ever After waiting to be commemorated. As a band who’ve always been better than the wider world has given them credit for, it’s a lovely inclusion, and one that feels like a boon to pop-punk as a whole.
As for the rest, it’s a mixed bag. The good stuff falls out easily—Lake Malice’s savage, cyborgised post-hardcore is a great inclusion anywhere, and though they’ve both had their rough patches, NOAHFINNCE and Sophie Powers are both worthwhile to have, in pop-punk and alt-pop respectively. The rest, though? Wargasm being so high up is a bitter pill to swallow, not just in terms of their clattering nu-metal ‘update’ being difficult to stomach, but for how little attention has really been paid to them in recent years. Following that is a cavalcade of processed American post-hardcore, arranged in a gauntlet of Point North, I See Stars and Rain City Drive. In a situation like that, variety needs to be taken into account more than subjective views of quality, because at the end of the day, it’s where the healthiest festival lineups come from. So although it mightn’t be wholly exceptional, the Kerrang! Stage’s commitment to doing its job can’t really be faulted.
The Key Club Stage
If there were a dedicated ‘new band’ stage to be found at Slam Dunk, it’d most likely be this one. It’s the closest to it, packed with fast risers and soon-to-be-graduates onto the bigger stages up top. So let’s not mince words—in terms of what’s on offer, The Key Club Stage is the best stage at Slam Dunk this year. Aberrations are minimal—*cough* Delilah Bon *cough*—and what is here represents some of the most exciting corners of the Slam Dunk Sphere currently around. As headliners, Scowl couldn’t be a more welcome choice, sporting a DIY attitude that, in all honesty, doesn’t feel the most prevalent across this bill. It helps that they’re also on a considerable high right now, too, parading a fusion of hardcore with alt- and indie-rock that’s entirely its own thing, and doubly so deserving of the slot to show it off.
And if you look down the stage’s lineup, pretty much everything here falls into a similar camp, regardless of its style. Split Chain’s grungy, shoegaze-y take on alt-metal is only picking up exponentially more steam, while Graphic Nature are just on the cusp of seeing their rusted-over nu-metalcore turn into something gigantic. In emo, Free Throw have had some good stuff rumbling away for a bit now, while Heart Attack Man are capitalising on their best album yet in Joyride The Pale Horse, and the accumulated fortunes of Winona Fighter and Mouth Culture over the last year haven’t slowed down even slightly. As for the rest, South Arcade are the pop-rock breakthrough of the moment, ready for a packed summer of festivals to show that off. The return of Greywind’s cinematic alt-rock is a terrific thing in itself, and Kid Bookie’s genre-warping rap-rock is some of the best that nu-gen has to offer. All in all, then…can’t complain whatsoever.
Slam Dunk Festival takes place on 24th May at Hatfield Park and 25th May at Leeds Temple Newsam. Go to slamdunkfestival.com for more information.
Words by Luke Nuttall
