Tonight? Well, this afternoon. The early stage time means that THE EXPOSED?s set is pretty much done with as we arrive. Thank you, friendly corporate venue. Warm-up duties are therefore left to DIRTY REVOLUTION [4/5], another band that Punktastic is more than familiar with. Tonight the Cardiff quintet?s set is slick and tight. A three-in-a-row presentation of new tunes mid-set overshadows staple tunes such as ?50p? and ?I Love Reggae? suggesting that the future is looking upbeat. Bring it on.

THE SLACKERS [5/5] play their twentieth year of songs exactly as they have the 19 previous; a well-stocked set featuring fan favourites, dusty gems, and a heap of audience requests. This ?Supper Time Set? (as christened by saxophonist, Dave Hillyard) mixes up the haste of ska, the mellowness of reggae, and the ease of rocksteady, all into one aurally delightful, double-celebratory (it?s also bassist, Marcus Geard?s birthday) sonic treat.

So what?s on offer in this particular party-bag? You can check-off the likes of ?Watch This?, ?What Went Wrong?, ?Feed My Girl? and ?Run Away?. There are admirable tributes to band influences, Lloyd Knibb (The Skatalites) and Glen Adams (The Upsetters), both of whom passed away recently. Add in curiosities like ?Rider? and a cover of The Misfits? ?Attitude? and you go some way to getting the vibe; standard Slackers fare.

The band are onstage for nearly two hours, and that?s not enough. Not for the near capacity crowd, nor the six men on stage. It?s a testament to The Slackers? quality. How many other bands out there would you listen to for this long? Ultimately, when the show does come to an end it?s a triumphant one. 20 years down the line and this bunch of middle-aged guys are still kicking it better that the young ones. ?NYC?s finest purveyors of Jamaican rock ?n? roll? may be a tag, but it?s a well-fitting one. Here?s to another two decades of The Slackers.

ALEX HAMBLETON

Photos by JOSEPH DUNCAN

Having spent the past two weeks in the studio recording their sophomore album, tonight?s solitary support act, THE SKINTS [4/5] come out with a need to play live. A deep 45 minutes set ensues with a chunk of the songs played coming fresh out of the studio. True to the suited-and-booted band?s ever-evolving style, those established tracks that are lucky enough to get an airing (?Murderer?, ?Get Me?, and the likes) are delivered with a renewed vigour and a heady dose of tinkering. An album recital this is not. Another high quality outing for one of the UK?s finest.

As the band stroll through the set, it?s impossible not to consider how effortless it all appears. Malinowski?s soulful voice reaches every set of ears, a superb accompaniment to the charmed mix of reggae, ska and world pop. ?12:59 Lullaby? comes over charming as the crowd takes on its vocals, earning a doffing of the cap from the band. It?s a long set but by the moment ?Stand By Me? segues into ?When The Night??, the surface barely feels touched. A medley of reggae classics ?Israelites? and ?54/46 (That?s My Number)? filters into an encore presentation of ?Rolling Stone? (new) and ?Nothing To Say? (old), a pairing that sums up the night; a catalogue spanning collection of passionate and exquisite tunes.

ALEX HAMBLETON

Photos by JOSEPH DUNCAN

‘Live In Japan!’ is, you guessed it, a live album recorded in Japan – Osaka on the main island of Honshū, to be specific. It’s also plays as a recap of 2009’s ‘Roll The Dice’ album with all but two tracks being pulled from that previous record. Recording-wise it’s pretty standard, sounding rougher than its studio equivalent but not quite horrible cell phone quality. You get the idea. Inside the gig it’s probably hot, sweaty and fun, but none of this transfers through your speakers. This isn’t as much a dig at ‘Live In Japan!’ as it is live albums in general.

With regards to songs, VOC are decent enough. The resemblance to fellow Floridians, Less Than Jake is impossible not to make, not only in terms of horns and upstrokes but also the fact that vocalist Michael Smyth sounds a dead ringer for Chris Demakes. ‘This Riot Used To Be A Party’ is the big, anthemic, skank-inducing, party number. ‘Tiny Sleeves’ has that token mellow opening that ends up throttling along. It’s all comfortably familiar sounding stuff.

Basically, ‘Live In Japan!’ does a good job at introducing VOC but you’d probably do better to check out ‘Roll The Dice’, which for production values alone is worth an extra half star. Having said that, this may well be one of those bands that excels in a live setting. Good news: Victims Of Circumstance debut on UK shores this June.

ALEX HAMBLETON

Allen’s approach is generally straight forward, although it’s a bit more advanced than one man and his guitar. Backed by the ethereal sounds of violin, this EP has an enchanted feel to it at times, a stark contrast to some of the brutally bleak lyrics on offer; expect stories of drug and gambling addictions, jail cell heart attacks, and desolation. It’s the sort of record that doesn’t reach out and grab you so much as subtly links arms and drags you off. That being said, it’s quite a tough listen. Not one for those sunshine soaked Sunday mornings.

Comparisons to Frank Turner are obvious, but not unfair, although Ducking Punches lacks the big-time hooks Turner can craft. This is simplified stuff from an artist early in the developmental stages. Think Mike Scott (Allen’s current labelmate) a few years back, although with a little less venom, or a more sombre Beans On Toast. ‘Put The Bottle Down, Chinaski’ isn’t the finished article yet, but it exhibits potential nonetheless.

ALEX HAMBLETON

The band are at their best when they balance the pop-heavy fusion, and this is the strongest example, although final track ‘Winners Can’t Be Choosers’ rounds the release off well as a catchy number with an engaging guitar solo to boot. The trouble is that the songs don’t hit anything new or original. Entertaining for their playing time, there’s nothing particularly memorable that sustains the release as an EP to play over and over again. So, while ‘Let It Show’ has promise, it doesn’t deliver as anything out of the ordinary.

JOSIE MARTIN

Our coverage for the fest will be going up in our festivals section – use the link in the header above or click on the image to the right to keep up with what’s going on.

Team Punktastic is out in full force this year – if you’re on Twitter, follow @aylott, @andypunktastic, @maryamphotos and @TrifectaFilmsUK for up-to-the-minute coverage and don’t forget to tag your tweets with the #ptslamdunk hashtag to see them magically appear in our live festival feed.

If you’re after some chilled out, stripped down action at any point, Punktastic.com is proudly sponsoring the Acoustic Stage, which today is located in The Old Bar in Leeds. As well as sets from the likes of LOST ON CAMPUS, SAM LITTLE, BABAR LUCK and more, there are a few ‘secret’ sets on the line-up too. Have a dig around our Facebook Page and you’ll find out who soon enough…

To all at Slam Dunk, have fun, stay safe and if you see us – buy us a beer, yeah?

http://www.rocksound.tv/blog/article/ep-stream-gunning-for-tamar

Be sure to check these guys out live this week and next at one of the following dates:

MAY
26 – SOUTHAMPTON Avondale House
27 – RYDE Black Sheep
28 – STAINES The Hobgoblin
31 – TWICKENHAM The Bear
JUNE
03 – NORTHAMPTON The Labour Club
04 – NEWPORT Le Pub

uk.sonispherefestivals.com