This festival proved to be the best yet, with the likes of Friendly Fires, Meggie Brown, Inhaler and more playing across the stages, showcasing a fantastic plethora of acts.

Friday

Entering the arena as Seagirls were ending their set, we traipsed towards the main stage to see Band of Skulls. Roaring guitar riffs and entrancing melodies welcomed and urged festival punters closer to the stage. With a cool, calm and collected stage presence, Band of Skulls blew us away through the way they captured every single person in their magical web of intrinsic sounds.

Meggie Brown | Photo: Amy Butcher

Laundry Meadows was our next destination to see Meggie Brown and Flamingods. As we arrived, the harsh hard hitting vocals of Meggie Brown rang out into the arena drawing more people to see her performance. Channelling vibes similar to The Streets but mixed with brass instruments, we were in awe of the passion in the way she interacted on stage with the band and pointed aggressively into the crowd as she sang. What we love about Standon Calling is the way it brings together all kinds of artists and bands across the stages, and this was certainly the case for the next band. Flamingods were the complete opposite to Meggie Brown – bringing groovy bass lines, psychedelic guitar melodies and energetic drum percussion. When they switched instruments between songs, it was prominent how talented this band were in their songwriting and performance.

Flamingods | Photo: Amy Butcher

It was time for headliner Rag’n’Bone Man to close our first day, and he came out in full force – entering to the screams and cheers from the crowd, Rag’n’Bone Man was all smiles as he took to the stage. Since his debut album release, we haven’t heard much from the soulful singer-songwriter, but his set reminded us and the crowd of how talented he really is. 

Rag’n’Bone Man | Photo: Amy Butcher

Saturday

3:20pm With the rain pouring down, we started our Saturday trundling through the mud to see Lavz on the BBC Introducing stage. Not knowing what to expect we were pleasantly surprised by the Luton born artist; hypnotic hip hot beats and expressive vocals filled the tent, getting everybody on their feet in the dismal weather. 

Lavz | Photo: Amy Butcher

We had no idea we needed the next band in our lives until we saw them live – Elvana, a Nirvana tribute band fronted by “Elvis Presley”, was everything we needed to lift our spirits in the rain. Whether it was Presley’s ‘A Little Less Conversation’ or Nirvana’s ‘Heart-Shaped Box’, the high energy and spirit of the crowd was infectious. A memorable moment for us was during ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ when yellow balloons with smiley faces were launched into the crowd spurring on jumping and chanting. 

After 10 years, Friendly Fires returned to Standon Calling for the most frantic and energy-filled set we’ve ever seen. As the first note began, singer Ed MacFarlane moved and grooved along to the sounds in the way he is known for – it was truly a sight to behold, especially during ‘Jump In The Pool’ where every crowd member was dancing along, smiling and singing every word. Racing to the Laundry Meadows stage, we managed to catch the first few songs of Kate Nash’s explosive set. With a pink neon ‘Kate Nash’ sign, the singer was a firecracker on the stage; jumping and bouncing across the stage, singing to the crowd, beaming at the festival punters that had gathered for her set. 

Friendly Fires | Photo: Amy Butcher

Wolf Alice were our Saturday headliner, and boy were they out in full force. Bringing their grunge rock melodies and catchy lyrical hooks, it was a truly memorable moment during ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ as the crowd, ourselves and the band sung ‘What if it’s not meant for me? Love’ at the top of our lungs. 

Sunday

12pm Opening our last day was Beezley, an indie rock four-piece from London, they brought 90s grunge rock guitar riffs and infectious anthems melodies to the Laundry Meadows stage. Dublin based quartet Inhaler followed delivering smooth rock ‘n’ roll vibes – taking their inspiration from The Stone Roses and Joy Division, we loved the energy and suave they brought to the festival. Drawing more people as their set continued, as a viewer we were transfixed on the cool aura they were giving off whilst playing so effortlessly. 

Inhaler | Photo: Amy Butcher

With their recent single ‘It’ll Be Alright’ giving us all kinds of summery jangly vibes, to say we were excited to see Only Sun play the BBC Introducing stage was an understatement. Launching into their set, they were instantly bounding and thrashing across the stage with extortionate amounts of energy. Their addictive guitar melodies and serene vocal harmonies soon had everyone up and dancing along to the infectious sounds. Smiles on their faces, they clearly felt at ease and comfortable on stage and this showed in the way they played; this was just five friends having a good time playing their music.

Only Sun | Photo: Amy Butcher

5pm It was now time for the ‘Scottish Beyoncé’, Lewis Capaldi. With the fast success of his single ‘Someone You Loved’ and debut album, it was no shock to see the biggest crowd turn up for the Scottish artist. Screams of ‘I love you’ from the festival goers wearing funky glasses, Lewis Capaldi entered to the now infamous ‘Here Comes The Money’ by Naughty By Nature to a deafening scream. Opening with ‘Grace’, his soft powerful vocals merged with the delicate sounds his band were producing throughout his set. 

Traipsing to the Laundry Meadows stage, we were able to catch headliner The Big Moon before the almighty Nile Rodgers & CHIC took to the main stage. The London based four-piece delivered their edgy alternative sounds to an excited array of festival goers. Grinding into their guitar riffs, feeling the power of their baselines and just having fun in stage, they were a pleasure to watch. 

The Big Moon | Photo: Amy Butcher

Warming the crowd up with 80s disco classics, the legendary Nile Rodgers & CHIC was ready to close the festival on the main stage. Featuring hits such as ‘I Want Your Love’, ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’, and ‘Le Freak’, it wasn’t until ‘Good Times’ where the festival audience were invited to join Nile Rodgers on stage for a boogie and singalong. For a festival closer, Standon Calling couldn’t have picked a better act and as we left the arena with the faint sounds of Nile Rodgers & CHIC in the air, smiles spread across our faces from another fantastic festival weekend. 

Standon Calling is the perfect festival for everyone; whether you’re a teenager, child or parent, there’s always something for you to do. With the impressive plethora of artists and bands on the bill as well as kids entertainment, comedy and the costume parade, you’re never bored.

There was a sense of joy and euphoria we felt walking around the arena, and as we were taking in the smells of the food stalls, faint sounds coming from the stages and the all-round positive spirit that lingered in the air, Standon Calling 2019 will certainly be one to remember fondly. 

Early bird tickets are already on sale for Standon Calling 2020 and with it being the festival’s 15th anniversary, this is one you are not going to want to miss. Tickets are available to buy here.

After it’s creation from a birthday garden party in 2005, Standon Calling has become one of the most exciting festivals to come out of Hertfordshire. With mere weeks to go until the festivities begin, you may be in need of some inspiration on who to see and we’ve got you covered.

Lewis Capaldi

With the fastest selling album of 2019 so far, performances at some of the UK’s biggest festivals including Glastonbury, and a sold out tour across multiple countries; this 22 year old Scottish singer-songwriter needs no introduction. We cannot wait to hear the likes of ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Grace’ and more during his set on the main stage and you should not miss it.

Sea Girls

Having announced a headline UK tour for October, including venues like the O2 Kentish Town Forum, Sea Girls’ 2019 is better than ever. Bringing their indie rock musings to Standon Calling this year, we’re pumped to see tracks such as ‘Closer’ in live form.

The Japanese House

Buckinghamshire based artist The Japanese House recently released her debut album earlier this year, and with backing from iconic bands such as The 1975, you do not want to miss the sweet synth stylings she will bring to Standon Calling next weekend.

Honey Lung

For those of you who want to add a grunge rock vibe to your festival weekend, Honey Lung are the band to see. Set to support Basement on their August tour, Honey Lung will create a raucous across the stage and festival arena during their set with their addictive rock vibes and we’re going to be right down the front watching.

Only Sun

The High Wycombe based indie-rock five piece will deliver their soft jangly sounds, infectious stage presence and upbeat tracks to Standon Calling this year. With the recent release of their single ‘It’ll Be Alright’, we know it will be more than alright when we see Only Sun next weekend.

Kawala

Last, but by no means least, on our top pick is London based alt-folk band Kawala. Having just finished a support slot for George Ezra and their own headline tour later this year, Kawala will be bringing their soothing, catchy sounds to the main stage at Standon Calling 2019.

Full line-up announced so far: 

Music: Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Wolf Alice, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Echo & The Bunnymen, IDLES, Lewis Capaldi, The Go! Team, Band of Skulls, Kate Nash, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, The Big Moon, Sea Girls, The Joy Formidable, Warmduscher, Flamingods, Elvana, The She Street Band, Iris Gold, Laurel, Saint Agnes, Meggie Brown, Honey Lung, The Howl & The Hum, Emily Burns, Juniore, Monty Taft, Big Society, Shiivers, Maddox, The Cuban Brothers, Erol Alkan, Simian Mobile Disco, Norman Jay MBE, Fleetmac Wood, La Fleur, Hospitality Takeover, Soho Radio: Delia Tesileanu, Emily Dust, 4 To The Floor, Tasty Lopez, Club de Fromage, Feeling Gloomy, Age Against The Machine, Bowie Disco, Special Guests: Friendly Fires, Roisin Murphy, Mahalia, Steam Down, Kawala, The Daniel Wakeford Experience, Sado Opera, Emma McGrath, Fangclub, Babeheaven, Hattie Whitehead, Inhaler, Beezley, The Reverse, Defect, Allright, Jaydee, The Japanese House, Annabel Allum, Maven Grace, CC Smugglers, Connie Constance, Everyone You Know, Alexis Kings, JGrrey, Lavz, Gwen and the Good Thing, Banton, Only Sun, Kaleem Taylor, Byfyn, Lydia Maddix.

Family: Dick & Dom DJ Battle, Mr Bloom & His Band, How To Train Your Dinosaur Live and Indie Kid’s Kids Disco.

Comedy: Russell Kane, Angela Barnes, Jen Brister, Sarah Keyworth, Abandoman, Cally Beaton, Amy Gledhill, and Jacob Hawley.

Hospitality Takeover: Danny Byrd, Metrik, Fred V, Makoto, Hugh Hardie, Lens, MC Carasel, Ruthless MC.

Groove Garden: Crazy P Soundsystem, Luke Solomon, Eli Escobar, Ray Mang, Justin Robertson, Kid Fiesta, Club De Fromage, Feeling Gloomy, Bowie Disco, Pumpers.

Standon Calling takes place on 25 – 28 July 2019 in Hertfordshire. Weekend and day tickets are available to buy here.

Even with an apparent lack of female representation throughout the bill, we still had a brilliant time seeing some of our favourite bands in London’s Finsbury Park.

12:45pm Californian rock n roll four piece SWMRS delivering chugging guitar riffs and pure drum power and came alive when they were on the main stage. You could tell they were great friends in the way they grooved along to the music they were producing. 

APRE are one of our ones to watch for this year, and at this year’s Community Festival they proved why. Having only been a band and releasing music for the last year or so, it was pleasant to watch how confident and passionate they performed on stage. Feeding off the buzz of the festival crowd, clinging onto every word every single body was off their feet in the July sunshine. Singer Charlie Brown gave high energy as he sung ‘Come Down’ – merging with the funky bass lines and tight drums, it was definitely a highlight of the day. Although we did end up in an involuntary mosh pit during ‘Without Your Love’, which felt very strange considering the upbeat synths and jangly guitars — if APRE’s festival set is anything to go by, we cannot wait for their UK headline tour later this year. 

APRE | Photo: Harry McCulloch

Racing to the main stage, we managed to catch a glimpse of The Hunna mid set; packing quite a punch, we were instantly hit with gutsy guitar riffs and gritty melodies. Full of a humble confidence, constantly smiling and embracing the crowd they’re performing for, The Hunna emit such an aura that’s all smiles and dancing.

The Hunna @ Community LDN | Photo Credit Zac Mahrouche

Ambling in the sun towards the N4 stage, The Academic had already drawn a huge crowd as they began their first song. Having not played in London for a while, the Irish rabble launched into ‘Bite My Tongue’ and instantly the four-piece were on fire upon the stage; sweet guitar jangles, soothing bass lines and kick-ass drums embraced the festival arena. 

The Academic | Photo: Harry McCulloch

5:15pm It feels kind of strange to see Don Broco nestled amongst indie champions The Kooks and The Academic, but their performance on the main stage is nothing short of ferocious. Whizzing guitar riffs, insane vocals from Rob Damiani and consistent mosh pits were present throughout their performance. If you’re a fan of Don Broco, you’ll know during ‘T-Shirt Song’ that basically everyone in the crowd takes off their shirt and swings it round their heads – they did just that at Community Festival, and it was truly a sight to behold.

Don Broco @ Community LDN | Photo Credit Zac Mahrouche

With the release of their sophomore album ‘Future Dust’ earlier this year giving the band a boost in the mainstream chart rankings, The Amazons did not disappoint over on the N4 stage. When they launched into ’25’, we were blown away by the sheer talent and progression of this band since first seeing them live in the smaller venue, London’s Oslo.

The Kooks @ Community LDN | Photo Credit Lewis Evans

Closing the day were The Kooks, known affectionately for their 2006 debut album ‘Inside In/Inside Out’, and on the main stage are welcomed with open arms on one big nostalgia trip. Iconic tracks such as ‘Naive’ and ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’ had the crowd singing back the words as if their life depended on it cherishing the seemingly short 90 minutes they had with this band. With 15 years as a band under their belts, The Kooks were the perfect headliner to finish what was another fantastic day at one of London’s best all-dayer festivals.

Although as we always seem to with most festivals these days, there was sadly an apparent lack of female representation on both stages, yet that didn’t stop us having a jolly old time drinking pints and enjoying some of our favourite bands in the sunshine. Bravo, Community Festival!

With a diverse line-up on four stages across three days:: from Slayer taking up farewell duties on the Zippo Encore Stage, Slipknot laying waste to the main arena and Whitesnake enticing the sun out to play and proving they’ve still damn well got it, this years event not only took us down the highway to hell, but showcased some of the best new talent in the heavy world set to conquer bigger stages in years to come.

Conjurer

This year, The Dogtooth stage is proving to be a popular destination. Whether that’s just to shelter from the weather, perhaps we’ll never know, but boasting a clamorous line-up too it’s not a wonder it’s almost rammed to the rafters for all three days. Of course, Birmingham’s Conjurer pack it out to the point of bursting. Armed with their 2018 EP ‘Mire’, the metal stalwarts have by this point easily shaken their ‘newcomers’ tag, turning their stage into a maelstrom of wind-milling and moshing. For those not already committed to the Conjurer cause, the four piece seem hell bent on winning the whole crowd over into submission, and it’s proven the moment vocalist/guitarist Dan Nightingale steps away from his mic to growl his way through ‘Retch’. Enticing everyone into silence so tense you can almost hear a pin drop, the moment they lapse back into the slow, brutal assault of ‘Hadal’ there’s not a single head not banging, or a single mind not completely blown away by their sheer, commanding prowess.

Here I Go Again

Whitesnake | Photo Credit James Bridle

“A thousand thanks for your hospitality!” rambles a very smiley David Coverdale under his luscious blonde mane just as the sun finally makes a rare appearance for the day. Certainly nothing short of entertaining, Whitesnake prove there’s still life in the old dog yet. Almost eclipsing the rest of the main stage line-up on old man day (for us young-uns this is a term of endearment, honestly. #sorrynotsorry) the band set about giving classic hits a good old airing. ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Slide It In’ begin a wonderful trip down memory lane, interrupted by new offerings ‘Trouble Is Your Middle Name’ and ‘Shut Up & Kiss Me’ both of which are marred by a string of back and forth guitar solos that begin to feel a little tired midway through. Of course the closing duo of ‘Here I Go Again’ and ‘Still Of The Night’ ensure that everyone who stuck around is singing-along en-masse, and with a stomping drum solo from Tommy Aldridge to boot, Whitesnake prove they’ve still got it…baby.

Sadly, it’s impossible to get anywhere near The Dogtooth stage for Ukranians Jinjer, with bodies spilling out of the tent and half way down the hill towards the main stage. So it’s a quick hop and a jump (and a very long bar queue later) over to the Zippo Encore stage for the one, the only, Rob Zombie.

Living Dead Girl

Rob Zombie | Photo Credit – Sarah Koury

This is the third time Mr Zombie has taken up headline duties on the second stage at Download Festival, and despite the missing props and pyro, still manages to put on one hell of a show. Sadly his untimely clash with Def Leppard means we only catch the beginning of his set — ‘Meet The Creeper’ and ‘Superbeast’ serving as a stomping start to a raucous evening. ‘Living Dead Girl’ sees Zombie leave his post to get intimate with the crowd, who are giving him everything just short of adoration in return, while ‘More Human Than Human’ is received with an almost deafening reception.

Pour me some sugar

Def Leppard | Photo Credit – James Bridle

Def Leppard are charged with closing Friday night, and having just finished up a world tour playing their best-selling 1987 album Hysteria in full, tonight it’s Doningtons turn to see the record live in all its glory. With all the hits emerging so early in the setlist, ‘Animal’ and ‘Love Bites’ has the crowd singing back every word with glee, which of course is raised to deafening levels as soon as the first refrains of ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ ring out over the speakers. Flanked by huge screens, Joe Elliot isn’t afraid to give himself a work out – working his way up and down the catwalk commandeering those screaming out in ardor down at the front. Closing a six song encore with ‘Rock Of Ages’ and ‘Photograph’, they leave Download in wanting with hoarse voices and aching necks – and it’s only day number one – with anthems uncontrollably leaving lips trudging merrily off into the night.

Saturday is the home of METAL

Alien Weaponry | Photo Credit – Sarah Koury

On Saturday morning the main arena begrudgingly comes to life bright and early…ish. Kicking off proceedings to a groggy crowd on the main stage, Lewis De Jong, Henry De Jong and Ethan Trembath of Alien Weaponry succeed in destroying any wanton hangovers into submission with their brand of raging, tribal thrash metal. Decidedly delivered in their ancient Maori tongue, the New Zealand trio are barely into their adult years (having started the band 10 years ago at the tender ages of 7 and 10) and their performance is something that even the most experienced should take cues from. Henry’s menacing call to arms at the beginning of ‘Kai Tangata’ from behind his kit is enough to give you chills, while his band mates rent through raging blast beats and dizzying swathes of guitar that are gloriously bathed in savagery. If there was any doubt that Alien Weaponry arrived at Donington with something to prove, they leave the hallowed grounds crowned as kings.

Queen Zee | Photo Credit – Georgia Penny

Up at The Dogtooth Stage, queer punks Queen Zee get a pogo pit going with ease. The misfits from Liverpool are on the cusp of going from underground pioneers to mainstream counter-culture, yet aren’t afraid to stick their middle fingers in the air and say fuck that. Brazen gushes of guitar riffs race with a vibrancy that pushes their sound from gritty to glam: inherently danceable while still a shouty distorted mess, that at its heart is a wonderful display of punk togetherness and glorious anthems.

Extreme metal at its finest

It’s not often extreme metal get’s a chance to devastate the main stage, particularly at Download Festival, but in the afternoon Polish titans Behemoth claim their right to decimate a crowd of this size. Armed with extraordinary amounts of fire (quite literally) and a theatrical stage show taken straight from the realms of black magic and medieval rhetoric, the charismatic Nergal and co deliver a set that is equal parts brutal and captivating. From brazen wizardry of ‘Sabbath Mater’ to the riff twisting ‘Bartzabel’, there’s not a single soul — even to those not wisened to the genre — that can take their eyes off the stage, and today the band manifest the notion that extreme metal is on the rise…and quite rightly so.

Behemoth | Photo Credit – Sarah Koury

Carrying on the black metal theme, Batushka are perhaps one of the most anticipated performances of the weekend, sadly fail to live up to their reputation. Having materialised from the ether with their 2015 record ‘Litourgiya’, the band most known for their Eastern Orthodox inspired chanting and get up are now divided into two bands of the same name. This version (known as the Metal Blade version) are gearing up for the release of new album ‘Hospodi’, the success of which could ride high on their appearance at Download. Starting 10 minutes late, spending the duration of their set lighting candles and waving them about over what can only be assumed is a bible, this time Batushka are not as captivating as they should be. The easily distracted crowd resort to singing ‘Happy Birthday’ every time a cloaked figure appears to light yet ANOTHER candle, and by the time they’ve self-indulgently spent another 10 minutes in silence, they finally play a song. Two songs later, and they’re out of time and quite frankly with a chance to win over a UK crowd is embarrassing: disappointingly deferring to style over substance that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

In need of a pick me up, The Wonder Years provide a pop-punk respite from all the metal over at The Avalanche stage. Opening with ‘Sister Cities’, taken from last years album of the same name, and working through a set of choice cuts from their 14 year career; the tent is a constant sing-along from start to finish and bodies begin to crowd surf for the closing coda of ‘I Don’t Like Who I Was Then’ and ‘Came Out Swinging’, leaving everyone in high spirits and eager for the onsalught of the main act to come.

We are not your kind

Slipknot | Photo Credit – Matthew Higgs

If there’s any notion that Saturday of Download Festival doesn’t belong to Slipknot, then you’re wrong. There’s a lot at stake here tonight, not only for those of us in attendance about to lose our live Slipknot virginity; but they’ve also got just over an hour and a half to prove they’re still the real deal. With a career spanning two decades and just as many years worth of suffering to match, which Slipknot are we getting tonight? Are they simply going to go through the motions of being Slipknot but without any punch? How big is their stage show? Are they going to live up to their reputation? Duh.

Barely seconds into ‘People=Shit’, the main arena descends into chaos. New masks, new members and a new era, tonight the band are 110% on form and are showing no signs of slowing down at all. OK, so Corey Taylor’s new mask does look like he’s a kid smushing his face up against the window, but their thunderous descent into anthems ‘(Sic)’, ‘The Heretic Anthem’ and ‘Disasterpiece’ are bone-shakingly magnificent. ‘Unsainted’ and ‘All Out Life’ are delivered with such reverence you can barely tell they’re new, and with their new mantra “We Are Not Your Kind” pasted around the festival and emblazoned across peoples backs for the last two days — both songs mark that a new era is on the horizon and it’s going to decimate us all.

Slipknot | Photo Credit – Matthew Higgs

‘Psychosocial’, ‘Before I Forget’ and ‘Duality’ are of course the heavy hitters here, particularly given new life with the addition of Tortilla Man (yes that’s what we’re calling him, and he recently replaced Chris Fehn on the oil barrels/kegs) and his perfect timing with The Clown — who despite recent events is delivering a terrifyingly brilliant performance. ‘Spit It Out’ closes the set with as much pyro as you can throw at the stage, and with Corey renting out screams enough to bust a nut, Slipknot leave the stage as champions. Gruesome champions, but long may they reign.

Day 3

It’s a slow start on the Sunday, but LA’s Badflower get things going on the Zippo Encore stage in the early afternoon. The clouds are still threatening to spew, but the band are unaware of the jacket on/jacket off situation going on in the crowd as they work their way through songs taken from their debut album ‘OK, I’M SICK’. Vocalist Josh Katz treats us to some mild acrobatics, death dropping during the climax of ‘xANAx’ while ‘Heroin’ get it’s first Download outing much to our delight as voices raise to sing back every word.

Black Peaks | Photo Credit – Georgia Penny

Down at The Avalanche Stage, the crowd swells for the appearance of Brighton’s Black Peaks. Rumour has it vocalist Will Gardener has been severely ill, so their show today is nothing short of a miracle ‘Say You Will’ gets the biggest response as Gardener screeches like a banshee one moment before falling into guttural growls that have us all 100% there with him. At Download, the band pull out all the stops, including pyro in a mother flipping tent, as ‘Electric Fires’ and ‘Home’ gets a huge circle pit going. Finishing up with ‘Glass Built Castles’, Black Peaks are one of the hottest bands around (as you would expect with all that fire). Their penchant to marry math-style time signatures and doomier riffs is second to none, coupled with Liam Kearney’s precise drumming they’re showing no signs of slowing down, and for good reason.

The vikings are back

Amon Amarth’s 3pm slot cements that the Swedish vikings don’t do anything by halves. Riding high off their new album ‘Berserker’, not much has changed in their stage show. From drummer Jocke Wallgren bashing his way through Norse rhythms atop a giant helmet to a giant serpent snaking it’s way across the stage, and of course lots of fire, the Swedes know how to keep us entertained on the last day of a festival. ‘Guardians Of Asgard’ and ‘The Persuit Of Vikings’ has the front half of the main arena attempting to Viking row (it’s a whole thing), while ‘Raise Your Horns’ gets those further back stomping around in the mud with glee. Threatening to shake the Gods themselves from Valhalla, Amon Amarth don’t need the cover of darkness to put on a show, and their 45 minutes of cheesy war tales and fabled mythology has the remnants of Download smiling despite feeling broken, bruised and drowned.

Amon Amarth | Photo Credit – Sarah Koury

French post-rock outfit Alcest set about causing an existential crisis on The Dogtooth Stage. Their beautiful use of echoing riffs and screams is enough to be shiver inducing on record, but live is whole new experience all together. Starkly contrasting delicate melodies slow slung synths, particularly in ‘Kodama’ and ‘Autre Temps’, their set today is mercilessly mesmerizing that it’s no wonder the tent is once again rammed. Gearing up for the release of a new record at the end of the year, Alcest are achingly brilliant and crush their slot with ease.

Strength In Numb333rs

In 2018, there was a fever coming to Download Festival, and exactly one year on the fever is infectious. Having debuted their live show on our shores a whole year ago, Fever 333 have been spreading their truth far and wide to audiences across the globe. In the growing hostility outside of these fields, particularly towards women, people of colour, LGBQ+ and immigrants, Jason Butler and co stand as a beacon of light in all the misery. Pointing out the disproportionate ratio of minorities in the rock and metal community, their set is not only a safe space to say fuck you to the people who would rather keep it that way, but a glorious descent into political punk that’s as raging as it is welcoming — both live and on record.

Fever 333 | Photo Credit – James Bridle

Of course, the moment ‘Burn It’ kicks in The Avalanche stage is pandemonium, which is mirrored by the band who continue to treat the stage like a playground. One moment Aric Improta is backflipping from a stack of amps towards his kit and the next Butler is trying to drag him – while playing his kit — towards the ensuing crowd. To complete the riotous affair, all three members of the band descend into a thunderous, tribal drum solo that threatens to make the ground shake; and while yes, watching a bunch of dudes fling themselves at each other is fun to watch, their underlying message and position to use their voices for us is perhaps one of the most important things witnessed this weekend.

Slayer

Goodbyes are never easy, especially when saying goodbye is to a band as iconic as Slayer (yes, we said it). This isn’t the bands first rodeo closing the second stage at Download, but tonight the thrash metal behemoths are pulling out all the stops to ensure an unforgettable show to sound out their career. Their ferocious foray into a back catalogue spanning almost 38 years feels like they’re 20 years old not closer to 4 decades. Storming their way through ‘War Ensemble’, ‘Born Of Fire’, ‘South Of Heaven’ et al, they manage to pack in 20 songs in just over an hour and half, and for the duration the crowd are going absolutely berserk in return.

Slayer | Photo Credit – Sarah Koury

There’s a continuous stream of bodies making their way over the barrier, appearing almost instantly caked in mud as if emerging from battle to launch themselves into the onslaught all over again. Of course, the moment the first chugging riffs of ‘Raining Blood’ emerge there’s no end to the circle pits opening up across the thousands strong audience, and are only spurred on by the endless out pouring of fire engulfing both stage and band. By the time ‘Angel Of Death’ rolls around, there’s just enough time for one more head bang, one more windmill and a final shove — and it really is time to say farewell. Bowing out with their heads held high, Slayer unite Download Festival with tears, cheers and horns firmly raised to the heavens as their reign on the thrash metal world is over, but will certainly never be forgotten.

Download Festival pulled out all the stops this year, despite the weather. Attempting to go full on sustainable (although they definitely need to up their bin game), and with a far more diverse line-up than in previous years, there wasn’t anywhere we would rather be than moshing in the mud for three days. We can’t wait to see what is in store for 2020!

Taking place in Finsbury Park in London, Community Festival boasts a plethora of emerging artists from 90s inspired duo APRE to California’s SWMRS, as well as the likes of The Kooks, Blossoms and Don Broco closing out the day in style.

APRE

APRE’s latest single ‘Come Down’ is a 90s infused, creative take on pop that will certainly have you throwing back to the good old days. Having missed their set at Bushstock earlier this month, it will finally be a delight to see them perform in the summer sun.

SWMRS

Known for having the nicest fans in the world, we’re looking forward to having a great time seeing SWMRS at Community Festival this year. Having released their sophomore album earlier the year, the California born rock ‘n’ roll band will be opening the festival with their loud, brash sound.

Vistas

Sadly, Blaenevon have had to cancel the remainder of their shows for 2019, including Community Festival. Heroically stepping in comes twinkly, jangly Vistas, who will be guaranteed to be an infectious danceathon over on the N4 stage. Don’t miss them!

The Amazons

This band need no introduction, but for those of you who haven’t heard of The Amazons, they’re a four piece rock band from Reading that pack a fierce punch live. With the recent release of their second album ‘Future Dust’ we’re excited to hear and see them play some of their new tracks like ‘25’ live. 

Fuzzy Sun

Fuzzy Sun are our last, but no means least pick from Community Festival – bringing their music that’s for “brain and booty”. Having supported the likes of Blossoms, the Stockport based five-piece have their fair share of experience live – you can expect them to deliver catchy synths and bold tones to the festival this weekend.

Full lineup: 

The Kooks, Blossoms, Don Broco, The Hunna, Kate Nash, Gerry Cinnamon, Sea Girls, SWMRS, The Amazons, The Night Café, Vistas, The Academic, Bloxx, Fuzzy Sun, APRE, Lazy Day.

Community Festival takes place on 30 June at Finsbury Park, London. Tickets are available to purchase here. 

Gunnersville, taking placed in Gunnersbury Park, London, is a three day concert series with headline shows from Doves, You Me At Six and The Specials. You Me At Six are set to play all of their singles in chronological order, so for those hardcore fans this festival is for you.

See the video for ‘Rat In A Cage’ by The Blinders:

Also set to play are the likes of Sundara Karma, The Maine, The Blinders and more for what is set to be a fantastic addition to the London festival circuit and the perfect closer to the festival season.

Full lineup announced so far: 

You Me At Six, Doves, The Specials, Sundara Karma, The Maine, The Blinders, Jimmy Eat World, Deaf Havana, Ocean Colour Scene, General Roots.

Gunnersville takes place on 6-8 September at Gunnersbury Park, London. Tickets are on sale Friday 24 May here. 

NEN: How do you feel about playing Community alongside the likes of The Kooks and Blossoms?

We’ve played shows with The Kooks around North America and Europe and it’s always a pleasure to play with those guys who were a big influence on us when we were just starting out. Blossoms are a great band too with solid tunes so it’s obviously a privilege to play on the same bill as those guys!

NEN: How do you prep for festival season?

We don’t really prep, we just dive right in. Festival shows can be wild and unpredictable so best not to prepare really. Makes it more fun.

NEN:  What’s your one festival essential that you bring with you?

Sunglasses, you’ll thank yourself in the morning…

NEN: Have you got a favourite festival memory?

We opened for The Strokes at a festival in Hyde Park in London a few years back and it was an extra special show as they were a massive band for us growing up.

NEN: Do you prefer tours or festivals?

It’s hard to pick one over the other to be honest, but festivals are great because you get to see plenty of other bands play and you bump into friends that you haven’t seen in ages. You don’t necessarily get that on tours.

NEN: You’ve just announced a UK tour. What can we expect from it?

New music! This will be our first time back in the UK with music that isn’t our debut album. We’re excited to get back to the UK, we had such a great time last time out!

NEN: We’re loving your latest single ‘Superlike’, it’s slightly different to ‘Tales From The Backseat’. what was the writing process like?

Yeah we wanted to make sure going into studio that the approach to songwriting changed. Leaving behind the traditional indie rock approach we started using drum machines and synths as a foundation before looking at guitars. It was exciting and gave us a new lease of life in the studio.

NEN: What was the inspiration for the song?

I just remember hearing the phrase ‘Superlike’ on a bus one day and thought it was an interesting way of telling somebody how you feel. I didn’t know it was a dating site turn of phrase at the time.

NEN: Who would you say are your biggest influences musically?

Recently I’ve been getting a lot of influence from the 80’s. New order, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and The Human League.

NEN: Anything exciting planned for later this year? Apart from tours, any more music in the pipeline?

Yeah new music is our major focus right now. We’ve got a lot of songs that we are really excited to work on and release.

Finally it was time for the long awaited all day multi-venue festival, Bushstock 2019. It never really feels like festival season has started until we get to jog-run around Shepherd’s Bush to catch our favourite bands’ short 30 minute sets. 

2pm Naomi Kimpenu was first on our list and what a way to start the day. The London based singer-songwriter brought her elegantly soft vocals and intricate piano melodies to The Courtyard stage at K West Hotel. She held herself with such a calm stature, you could tell she was comfortable up on that stage. It was during ‘Only’ where it was as if you could almost hear a pin drop; all eyes were transfixed on Naomi and no one dared turned away for fear of missing a single note. 

Bushstock 2019 | Photo – Amy Butcher

Speeding over to The Defector’s Weld, London based indie rockers Paulo Post Future were in full swing; jangly guitar, tight drums and killer bass lines embraced the crowd as they nodded their heads in time, eyes focused on the quintet. What’s fantastic about a venue like The Defector’s Weld is how it showcases the level of energy artists and bands are giving during their set – for acts with intense vigor, they appear as if they should be on a stage 10 times the size and those with low levels just manage to fill it. Today, Paulo Post Futures managed to hit the middle ground of both extremes at Bushstock; you could tell they were still a bit nervous, but it was this very nervousness that transitioned into an obvious passion for what they do. 

LION was next up at The Defector’s Weld with her fierce rock attitude. Having already supported the likes of Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and an upcoming support slot for Band of Horses, LION is no stranger to translating her record into a live setting. She oozed confidence on stage as she played her latest single ‘Second Hand’, but there was a cool suave to her performance too. Sadly, we had to cut the gig short in order to dash over to the Sindercombe Social to catch On Video’s set.

Bushstock 2019 | Photo – Amy Butcher

4pm Waiting in anticipation for On Video, we were instantly in awe of the London based garage rock band as they launched into their song ‘Past Tense’. Rapid upbeat drums, flawless guitar solos and powerful vocals filled the tiny venue, as the foursome gave off an energy similar to the likes of Spring King and VANT in their stage presence; a brash finesse of passion and effortless talent.

Due to set time delays at The Courtyard stage, we were surprised to catch the end of MarthaGunn’s set when we expected Mosa Wild and what a pleasant surprise it was. Rich guitar licks, titillating fusions of bass and drums and Abi Woodman’s encapsulating vocals spun the crowd into a frenzy of dancing, singing and clapping. We were gutted to only catch the end of their set, but felt lucky all the same to see their modern take on 70s rock in live form. 

Bushstock 2019 | Photo – Amy Butcher

Traipsing to The Defector’s Weld to shield ourselves from the oncoming rain and a little defeated by the closure of The Courtyard stage due to technical issues, Yoke Lore succeeded in lifting spirits. The American singer-songwriter leapt onto the stage with a spring in his step, cheering at the crowd giving off an instant warmth with his presence and setting the tone for his live performance. Juxtaposing loud and intrinsic drums set to a bed of soothing vocals and comforting guitar melodies, Yoke Lore has a knack creating a soundscape that shouldn’t work but does, particularly present in tracks like ‘Goodpain’. Yoke Lore put his all into the 30 minute slot; sweat dripping down his face and thrashing about on the stage.

With a quick switcharoo of instruments, Marsicans clambered onto the stage launching straight into ‘Your Eyes’. Twinkly, upbeat melodies transitioning into edgier rock sounds showcased the vast ability within the four-piece to not only write quality tunes, but also songs that can be impressive live. Grinning from ear-to-ear throughout and interacting with one another jokily, it was clear they were friends just having a good time – this energy was certainly infectious, so much so we found ourselves nodding and grinning along with them. ‘Too Good’ was the absolute highlight; opening with four part harmonies of “You got me caught in a dream, stuck in a world where to all seems too good, too good to believe” and every person watching was caught hook, line and sinker in The Defector’s Weld. Marsicans are meant for big things in the future and we’re looking forward to watching them get there.

Bushstock 2019 | Photo – Amy Butcher

Clean Cut Kid became the unofficial headliner to finish the day due to the technical issues over on The Courtyard stage.  The Liverpudlians threw raw passion and vibrancy into their slot on The Defector’s Weld’s tiny stage; Mike Hall’s sweet, serene vocals danced on top of the edgier, methodic guitar riffs. What we loved about watching this band live was how much they enjoyed playing with each other on stage – constantly smiling, sneaking glances to each other and just clearly having a great time. This was truly prevalent during ‘Evelyn’, a song Mike wrote for bandmate/wife Evelyn Halls, and they managed to capture the attention of every single person in the room – it was remarkable to witness.

Bushstock is well known for being the festival to highlight the best in new music and gives artists a platform to showcase their talent.  Each artist had a glint of passion and love for music in their eyes and there wasn’t a single disappointing set. Apart from the unexpected technical issues causing delays in showcases and the unfortunate closure of one stage, Bushstock 2019 is one of those all dayers that pushes festival season into full swing perfectly. With each year entrancing it’s audience in its uniqueness in finding some proper diamonds in the rough (of which this year is no different), Bushstock deserves hats to be tipped — what another great year.

Engulfed in the muffled chatter of festival goers, smell of street food stalls and faint sounds homogenising from the various stages, All Points East hit us like a brick to the senses as soon as we entered the festival gates. Here’s how our day went…

The Collier were the first we band we made a beeline for, taking to the Firestone stage. Bringing their gut-wrenching guitar riffs and punchy melodies to the festivities, it was a sight to behold. Their stage presence was confident for a band of their calibre and the way the old friends interacted on stage was infectious – we may have well have been part of the band. Sadly, we only managed to catch the end of their set, but they still managed to impress us. Next time, folks.

We then sauntered over to the JägerHaus stage to catch funky soul outfit Gently Tender in action. They came onto the stage calm and collected to the cheers of excitement from the audience. Full of intricate keyboard sounds and beautifully-woven vocals, we were captivated by how quickly they grasped us with their music; by the end of their first song, we were already putty in their hands. Yet we were only able to catch a few songs before quickly legging it across to the Firestone stage.

It was now time for us to see the long-awaited Plested. The singer-songwriter has been on our radar for quite some time, and we had been waiting to finally catch him live. So we did. Known for writing iconic pop songs such as ‘Touch’ by Little Mix and ‘Fire In Me’ by John Newman as well as his own sweet idyllic tracks, such as ‘Either You Love Me Or You Don’t’, it’s safe to say we were quite excited to see what was about to go down. We were not disappointed by the soft vocals and intense passion he showed as he played the guitar melodies, and so Plested was one of the highlights of our day.

KOKOKO! were grooving away as we sauntered to the main stage, pint in hand, and it was a pleasant surprise to be hit instantly with the euphoria and high energy from the crowd. The Congolese collective added a pinch of pizzazz to the festivities with their DIY instruments and unique blend of musical styles. From the get-go they had everyone dancing and cheering, as they played out their tangled sounds; the contagious energy and smiles they had on their faces brought the sunshine out and made the whole day come alive. Not only that, but during ‘Tongos’a’, we realised the band were playing away on sustainably-produced instruments. Such a delight!

It was then we witnessed the ultimate highlight of our whole All Points East experience: Steve Davis & Kavus Torabi’s DJ set back over at the JägerHaus. Bringing us tunes from the likes of Talking Heads, Public Enemy and more, everyone in the area was drinking, grooving and feeding off the endless cool suave of retired snooker player-turned electronic DJ. It was the intense charisma oozing from the duo that fuelled the crazy dancing scenes from festival punters sipping on cans of Red Stripe and Jägermeister concoctions, making barefoot shapes on the dusty grass. If the queue outside was anything to go by, boy were we lucky to have witnessed the carnage.

Moving to the North stage, we marked our territory for the next couple of hours to see Ezra Furman and Mac DeMarco; a total juxtaposition in artists, but what a bill to witness. Ezra Furman came first, and we succumbed to the raspy exhilarating vocals Furman endowed upon us. With an album on the horizon in ‘Twelve Nudes’, he was on top form playing his latest single ‘Calm Down AKA I Should Not Be Alone’. Donning a vibrant red crackle patterned jacket and a lipstick to match, Ezra Furman was definitely another highlight for our All Points East experience as the fast-pace drum patterns and punk guitar riffs rung out into the crowd and into the field beyond. Quickly rushing to the portaloos and grabbing a drink from the bar, we just managed to make it back in time as Mac DeMarco strolled onto the stage wearing his infamous cap and baggy t-shirt, with half of the crowd dressed not too dissimilar, if not the exactly same as the Canadian singer-songwriter.

If we could sum up DeMarco’s set in one word it would be: “lively”, and even though it was a little bit over the top at some points, we still fed off the vibes he was giving us. To most, DeMarco’s sound needs no explanation, but if you *do* live under a rock…it’s all about yummy jangly surfer pop guitar melodies, jazzy baselines and effortless vocals from DeMarco himself – you’re sure to be swayed.

Headliner Bon Iver closed the final day of All Points East with his eloquent vocals, impressive passion in his face, for absolutely capturing every single festival punter in the arena and introducing two new songs as the festival closed. Of course there was ‘Skinny Love’, too. Who doesn’t want to see that played out live, half-cut, a belly full of street food, singing along with your mates, knowing that festival season is well and truly open.

All Points East is all the best bits of a festival: the euphoric atmosphere, mouth-watering food stalls, and a huge selection of talent. From the showcase of some smaller acts on the Firestone stage to the edgy, indie feel in the JägerHaus, the cracking main stage line-ups…get down there with your mates next year and sleep in a real bed afterwards.

Having only just finished its second year, we’re excited to see what’s to come in 2020.

A hot mess. This bloody train, every bloody year, the sweaty beads of hairy arms smear awkwardly onto the bare legs of some other poor, deeply dehydrated soul. A long awkward gaze follows, but is abandoned for want of some refreshment, whether it be a cheeky M&S mojito or a banana Yazoo (we don’t know what the kids are into these days): it’s safe to say we’re feeling rather smug sitting in our first class seats, strange napkin pillow seat cover thing and all. It should be reiterated now to the National Rail society of train bits that we 100% had first class tickets and definitely didn’t accidentally cough up some hay fever shaped mucous and hide it under the seat… both of those things should be abundantly clear.

Anyways, it is here, on this precariously steamy locomotive that we start our noble quest, to the shire of Slam Dunkingtons, a cavern full of your idols, legends, and future nostalgians, not to mention us extremely groovy journalist slap bang in the middle, just waiting to affect your mood, one way or another!

Boston Manor show no signs of slowing down anytime soon

There’s a huge turn out in the muggy heat of the afternoon for Blackpool’s Boston Manor. Being no stranger to Slam Dunk Festival, the band set about laying waste to the Monster Energy stage as the blazing sunshine makes way for the arrival of lukewarm drizzle. Perfect. Having conquered stages on both sides of the Atlantic since their second album ‘Welcome To The Neighbourhood’ dropped in the latter half of 2018, the huge turn out takes no time in getting a circle pit started as the fiery synth of ‘Flowers In Your Dustbin’ swell across the amassed bodies. Sadly, the majority of the stages are plagued not just by the changing elements but by a bout of bad mixes too. Nevertheless Henry Cox and co are undeterred from the bad sound, working their way to squeeze as much energy into their set in the form of ‘England’s Dreaming’, ‘Stick Up’ and ‘If I Can’t Have It No One Can’, while old timer ‘Laika’ ensures as many bodies make their way over the barrier, encouraged to clamber over as many heads as possible by the band who show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

We catch the first few songs of a set in the queue for the neighbouring tavern: a quaint little bar with a delightful white trim above it. ‘BAR’ it reads, and there it stood, in all it’s necessary glory. Whilst waiting with the rest of the peasants in an orderly fashion, I couldn’t help but think, completely unrelated: what has Manchester really got in the way of musical prowess? Oasis? Meh. The Stone Roses? The stone who’s? The Smiths? With a name like that we’re supposed to remember who they are. No. It’s time for something really serious, something that’s gonna come out of the wall like a motherflicking chameleon and get you all warm in your pants. The band we are talking about is, of course, Hot Milk.

Hot Milk and their hot rise to success

We find out very early that this is the kind of band that can have their co-lead singer wear a camo co-ord and not get instantly booed off the stage. That’s big dick energy in anyone’s books.  A relatively new band, they seemed to be instantly at home on the big stage, filling the tent with tracks new and new. ‘Take Your Jacket’ is bounced and kicked around the oversized gazebo like an inflatable banana (of which there was a severe lack of) before the banana was popped and burst and left to fly around the place like a harpooned dragon (so topical, somebody stop me) by the absolute anthem that is ‘Awful Ever After’. As the crowd cried back to band “you know I can’t stay sober” we felt nuance and irony, and then the rush of blood to the head that comes with not staying sober, not necessarily in that order.

Y3K

It’s a short but claustrophobic shuffle over to the next stage, which is located approximately 7 inches to the right of the last one. It’s quite hard to put into words how this next band took over so many lives back in 2002, which is annoying as it’s kind of our job. So, once upon a time there was a band, a band that crossed the divide between pop punk and mainstream pop that nobody knew needed crossing. A band so edgy they had lyrics in their songs about boobs but mainstream enough that your mum would let you listen to it in the car on the way to your Nan’s. This transcendent trio, hailing from arguably the greatest place on Earth, that’s right, it’s The Only Way is mothertrucking Busted!

Charlie, Matt and James come out to the most cathartically rapturous cheers and applause it sends shivers down spines. As they move swiftly into ‘Air Hostess’ those shivers turn very quickly to little globby beads of sweat coming out of our eyeholes. But gosh darn, to see all your solo bedroom sing-alongs come to life in front of you, from a band you never thought you’d get to see, is quite the moment. It’s a batch of old and new, separating the Busted posers from the real fans, (that’s right, I said it, they have a new album don’t you know, frauds!) with classics ‘That’s What I Go To School For’ and ‘Crashed The Wedding’ causing raucously friction-full bouncing, while lighters were mounted on fingers for the iconic, yes, iconic, power ballad ‘3AM’. ‘Shipwrecked in Atlantis’ was a fun furore into Busted’s present, the former new wave pop of the previous album significantly left behind for the fun loving Busted we all fell in love with all those years ago. They finish off with ‘Year 3000’, a song full of hope and promise, a much needed stark contrast to the world we’ve left ourselves looking at today.

Tigers Jaw

Yep, I got serious at the end, because this music stuff is serious business. Almost as serious as Tigers Jaw are at having a nice time (pretty sweet segue that). The sometimes loungey sometimes shouty duo from Pennsylvania looked home at once, and yet somewhat awkward on the Dickies stage — the setup of which is akin to something you might see a cover band play at a carnival somewhere rural and suburban. But awkward and homely is kind of what you expect from Tigers Jaw, in the best possible way. An understated performance that lets you into the emotive little land that the Tigers Jaw family occupy, warts and all, just as they’d want it to be. It’s subtly intricate, basic by design, and as the sun shines down on this carnival cover band, a certain Bill Withers track comes into our mind and Tigers Jaw remind us why.

Queues, queues everywhere!

With queues for practically everything including the toilets, bars and food stalls turning Slam Dunk South into a battlefield trying to navigate across the site, Phoenix’s The Word Alive draw a substantial crowd over on the Jagermeister Stage. The band, who have been churning out their brand of sickly sweet metalcore for near on a decade now, rent through new stompers with as much excitement as a kid in a candy shop, and considering today is the last of a string of dates around the UK, The Word Alive don’t let on they’re road weary. By the time ‘Misery’ rolls around there’s a pit in full swing down the front, while vocalist Telle Smith demands the crowd to part for ‘Trapped’. “You know what to fucking do Slam Dunk!” screams Smith, and just like that, the tent erupts into chaos as a wall of death gives the band the that extra kick to take them over the finish line with closer ‘Why Am I Like This?’

Pagan will be a force to be reckoned with

Australia’s Pagan attempt to prove their chops on the Key Club Stage. Sadly, as with most of the performances within the tent today – the sound has been cursed with a bad mix. Barely making her guttural screams audible over the droning of guitars and bass that barely draw any punches, vocalist Nikki Brumen sets about winning us over with her…err…charisma. Xavier Santilli and Dan Bonnici grind away on their guitar and bass with avid confidence, and when they find their groove there’s a taste of magic that proves musically Pagan will be a force to be reckoned with.

Also marring their performance is regrettably Brumen, whose vocals are undeniably as brutal as they are commanding, but her conviction in her actions make for an uncomfortable watch. Beginning like a tiger luring her prey before death staring the audience into submission; by the time the third song in their set is reached the ceaseless dribbling of red wine down her chest and timid twerking on top of the drum kit feels like she’s sheepishly playing into the hands of so many behaviours fans of the pop-punk scene are trying to eradicate. Nevertheless at times there’s a spark of fierceness and inherent fun that makes Pagan’s brand of dizzying disco-punk-hardcore one of the most exciting sounds around.

It’s a complete nostalgia fest

To complete the nostalgia fest, it takes us to a band that are mocked by many, yet revered by so many more. We first felt this bands warm juicy coating on our first ever furore into the now sadly defunct Astoria. Simple Plan are a band that brought the emo’s and the pop punkers together: an alternative war-torn landscape had covered our community for too long, and Simple Plan decided to get all emo in the pop punkers, and that is how Lil Peep was conceived. Today, Simple Plan are magnetic and charismatic and everything that’s been great about them for the last two decades. Oldies but goldies ‘I’d Do Anything’ and ‘Shut Up’ invoke emotive teen angst we thought lay dormant, but now sits bubbling and simmering on the cusp of our hearts (which were consequently situated on our sleeves).

A real contrast follows as the beach balls come out to play in the sunshine with the Sean Paul duet ‘Summer Paradise’, before we descend into a terrifyingly troubling trio of tracks. Troubling because we are worried that the nostalgic part of our brain might cack its pants and all the glittery poops of my memories will spill out of my ears and leave sparkly slug lines on my already shuddering shoulders. Now back to that trio; ‘Welcome to My Life’, followed by ‘I’m Just a Kid’, which sees the unlikely scenes of drummer Chuck Comeau crowdsurfing and thankfully for the front row it was without his instrument. This is all left pale in comparison to the final crescendo of fuax-American accents belting back at Simple Plan as the acoustic-come-rock-ballad ‘Perfect’ closes the emo fringe curtains of a wonderfully sentimental set that played our heart like a puppet, tugging on all those heartstrings.

Positively lovely

If you thought watching Hellogoodbye would be a complete throwback to the summer of 2006, well, you wouldn’t be wrong, but you wouldn’t be right either. Dressed so elegantly in a white suit, Forest and his band take us on a journey through hits and promising bangers – just as the heavens attempt to rain on our parade. ‘Finding Something To Do’ is positively lovely, as is ‘When We First Met’ which sees a carpet of pointing fingers reach for the sky in time to the melody while Forest clutches his mic like he had stepped out of a 1950s musical performance on the BBC. But it’s not until the first throbbing synths of hit ‘Here (In Your Arms)’ kick in that he turns the crowd from a pleased jigging mass into a clamorous mob entrenched in euphoria. It’s a glitter spangled affair (without any actual glitter) that gets the band so hyped they decide to run over their time and treat us to a short minute of ‘Touchdown Turnaround’, enticing a huge sing-along en masse. Positively lovely and all smiles in the pouring rain.

Atreyu are sonically triumphant

As with the majority of the bands playing on the Jagermeister stage at Slam Dunk South, Atreyu set about ripping the festival a new one. Despite missing vocalist Alex Varkatzas who sadly had to miss the UK leg of the band’s tour for health reasons, drummer Brandon Saller and bassist Marc “Porter” McKnight completely step up on vocal duties and slay their stand-in roles. With barely any room to get into the tent, there’s just enough time to squeeze into the swealtering press of bodies ready for ‘Becoming The Bull’. With voices screaming back at them in unison, new offerings ‘The Time Is Now’ and ‘House Of Gold’ still receive the same appreciation as the oldies, while the aural pummelling of ‘Ex’s and Oh’s’ and ‘Bleeding Mascara’ are sonically triumphant.

The Menzingers bring an all smiles end to Slam Dunk

There’s an emotional wrecking party going on and it’s arrived in Hatfield in the form of The Menzingers. Still riding high off their 2017 release ‘After The Party’, there’s no letting up in rampant sing-alongs today. With a penchant for delivering songs that transport you to a place of nostalgia and heartbreaks, watching The Menzingers you’re as much driving off into a fantastical sunset in the midwest as you are staggering around a field in the South of England with a warm beer in hand. ‘Tellin Lies’ has Slam Dunk eating out of the palm of their hands, and the sucker punch one-two of ‘Midwestern States’ and ‘Casey’ keeps everyone 100% there with them for the duration of their set. Of course the arrival of ‘I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore’ means the band are barely audible over the din, and by the time ‘After The Party’ rolls around there’s not a single person not off their feet as the sun finally dips behind the Dickies Stage and the heavens once again threaten to open. Promising the release of a new album later this year, The Menzingers ensure there isn’t a single person left without a smile on their face, and with a performance this good we can’t wait for them to return to our shores soon.