|
Push to Fire Review: Slam Dunk 2008
This year, though, Slam Dunk evolved into a fully fledged and hotly anticipated festival, able to boast multiple stages, impressive names, and sell-out ticket figures. Over 25 bands across four stages plus meet-and-greets, a merch village, BBQ, and an after-show club night, all for under £20, this year's Slam Dunk was certainly the biggest yet. But was it the best?
After spending a good ten minutes, nay on an hour for some people, establishing just where exactly everything was, it was time to get down to business and check out some bands. Ticket-buyers got a good lesson in the art of queuing, but pretty much made it to catch the first of the bands, unlike the still queuing guest-listers, like pushtofire.com editors Suzy and Rachel.
Once in, it was straight to the gym-style hall and it’s Glamour Kills stage, which handily enough had the UK Now stage at the back of it. First band up were pop-rockers Valencia. Comfortable and competent on stage, they had a number of fans already in the room and were quickly making work of those who’d never heard of them before. Solid tracks performed with enthusiasm kept everyone’s interest for the full set, the deep vocals of their lead singer making them stand out from the crowd of similar-sounding bands (though only just).
Feeling more suitably rock, the Atticus stage sat bathed in purple light surrounded by bars, balconies and a steadily filling mosh-pit. The reason? An extremely good Glaswegian band by the name of Flood of Red. Having seen them tear up small venues with a blistering live energy and even more lethal sound, I was interested to see what they’d be able to do with six times the amount of people. Unfortunately, those expectations were quickly deflated. The sound was flat, the songs repetitive, the band mediocre - and none of these words I would have expected to attach to a band who, otherwise, are electric live. Disappointing.
After failing to get excited by two bands I was expecting good things from, it took a trip to the underground vault of the Non-Stop stage to brighten spirits. Third on was Mr Shiraz, whose singer appeared to be having a whale of a time with his band and an enthusiastically skating crowd. This is what they call ska-core, apparently, and you know what? It is sounding pretty good. The beats aren’t one-hundred per cent on cue, but that’s what you get when you’re letting lose and enjoying your band rather than trying desperately to imitate your records. It is during this performance and because of the atmosphere of the Non-Stop stage that I thus rechristened it the ‘unpretentious fun-time party village area’.
Returning to the Glamour Kills stage then, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus are impressing young girls with their non-offensive pop-punk. For a few songs, it’s quite nice - they’ve obviously played a good few shows, they know how to write a nice pop tune, and they put on a fun show. Then there’s screams as they announce the last song as ‘Face Down’. This, of course, means nothing to me - until they hit those opening chords. I then quickly vacate the area.
This resulted in me being front-row at the UK Now stage for a band who’ve been recommended our way many times as something pretty special. They’re called Twin Atlantic, and based on their show today, you better note this name down for future reference and begin hunting their recordings out immediately. A rather hairy four-piece from Glasgow playing pop-rock - on the surface of things, they seem nothing special. Then they play, and these really are active musicians - there’s real thought behind what they’ve written, how they’re playing it, the sounds they’re weaving together, the way the vocals and lyrics work. It’s sensible and sensitive, without losing any of the fun and simple pleasure of a good pop song. And Sam McTrusty’s vocals with their undisguised Scottish accent are just a joy.
From the unknown to the very familiar, it was time for me to get reacquainted with a little Welsh band called The Blackout. After following around Lostprophets for what seemed like forever, it’s nothing short of a delight to see this band standing on their own two feet as an established rock outfit. And all that touring has done them a world of good - this band are just explosive on stage. As soon as you think they’ve torn apart the place with one impressive number, they slam straight into the next and blow your ears off and your eyes out all over again.
A de-tour to the Non-Stop stage, and the party’s still continuing, this time with Sonic Boom Six showing why they’re so very much adored by ska fans in the UK.
This is the second time Sonic Boom Six has played the festival and having seen them over five times now I'm a big fan of their live shows. They did not disappoint. They played a range of old and new material and some of the songs featured brass riffs from trombonist Nick Horne (Howards Alias). Despite always being out on tour, they still had as much energy as their dedicated fans in the tiny, yet packed room. A very enjoyable and energetic set which is what we have learnt to expect from SB6.
Then there’s just enough time to catch a few song by Kids In Glass Houses at the Glamour Kills stage - it doesn’t take a reviewer to tell you that this band have been and continue to be ones to watch, with their live show just as coolly confident as their superb recorded tracks.
Meanwhile at the Atticus stage, the bouncers are pulling their hair out as fan after fan tries desperately to cram in the venue to see the next band up. After years now of trying to be established as a regular rock band and have their music heard for what it is, rather than for what their lead singer may have done in the past, it’s a reassuring relief to see Fightstar finally get the attention they deserve. Their late arrival on stage does nothing to deter the crowds enthusiasm, and their atmospheric and epic live sound works its charm over the venue to cement the performance as another Slam Dunk highlight.
Equally as busy was the Non-Stop stage when Big D and the Kids Table began their set. The room had filled once again and was packed with ska fans. Big D played a brilliant set with talented musicians backing a great frontman. The band were clearly admired by both fans in the pit and other musicians watching from the side of the stage.
And so, over twenty bands later, it falls time for the festivals headliners to show everyone how it’s done. On the Atticus stage, the job was left to US rockers Story of the Year. Like a lot of bands at Slam Dunk today, Story of the Year also have their defining track that everyone knows - the uplifting ‘Until The Day I Die’ but this was at the end of a long list of exceptionally performed songs that the band delivered tonight. Using the stage and working the crowd to full advantage, every band member in the five-piece gave a hundred and ten per cent to the performance, delivering a set that was tight and energetic in equal amounts.
| |||||||||||||||||||
Zebrahead were the headliners for the Non-Stop stage and the room was so packed that a number of fans who got there just a bit too late were unable to see the band's set. I last saw Zebrahead in 2004 and they played and left the stage without leaving much of an impression. But at Slam Dunk they did not have this effect. The band members interacted with each other on the stage, always moving and giving us something to watch. They paid attention to their crowd and at one point got everyone to sit on the floor before telling them to jump in the air. The Zebrahead experience can only be described as fun!
Festivals aren’t just about the music, of course. There’s the atmosphere, the experiences shared with friends, the meet and greets and the merch shopping and the fast food eating and the countless memorable moments you end up making throughout the day. But music is the reason you’re there, and this years Slam Dunk had the potential to make or break your year.
| Pop-punkers and ska fans may have been let down by the sound issues on the Glamour Kills stage and the small venue of the Non-Stop stage, despite both areas having impressive band line-ups. So it was those wanting explosive performances and mosh-pit antics who inevitably had the best deal, experiencing an impressive venue, a decent live sound, enthusiastic crowd and excellent line-up over at the Atticus stage. So with another successful Slam Dunk festival done and dusted, there just leaves one question - what on Earth are they going to pull out for next year’s fest? | ||||||||||||||||||
