One of the day’s quirks is the World Cup screening of England Vs Panama that closes out the third stage, which means a number of attendees arrive sporting the peculiar combination of band t-shirt and bucket hat. Many of them attempt to end their evening positioned judiciously between stages so as to simultaneously listen to Converge and watch Harry Kane. Nonetheless, the dedicated fanbase associated with hardcore and metal remains ever-present, as does the supply of innovative festival performances.

Words: Ben Williams

Truck Violence

There’s something refreshing straightforward about the sludgy riffs that howl from the Marshall amps forming Truck Violence’s backdrop, even if the reality is more complex. The shirtless and tattooed Karsyn Henderson’s feral vocal performances belie the Canadians’ smartly crafted combinations of hardcore and folk. It’s a unique sound that’s further bolstered by the banjo added to ‘Guns buried in the front yard’ – a perfect contrast to the sludgy ‘Drunk to death’, which has the band at their most imperious.

Reclus.É

Having recently toured with A Perfect Circle, the duo of Soren Bryce (Tummyache) and musician/DJ Daniel P Carter deliver a balance of soaring melodies and piercing screams that show off Bryce’s depth as a vocalist. ‘Fire With Fire’ offers bite and grit, while some the less heavy moments have a more lugubrious demeanour. For an early afternoon performance in the sweltering heat, it’s an impressively dynamic showing from one of the lineup’s most creative performers.

Bodyweb

Bodyweb are insistent. “Get on the fucking stage,” yells frontman Louis Hardy. The band hasn’t actually played a note yet – they’re just that overwrought. Everything about this band is over-the-top, even down to the way their logo pulsates behind them like a radiation warning. Clearly worshippers of nu-metal, there are shades of Korn when we’re told to “get the fuck up” and touches of Slipknot when bizarre and off-kilter jungle breakdowns are shoe-horned amongst two-note riffs. It’s far from the most inspired of performances, especially given just how indebted the band are to their influences, but there’s still something enjoyable about the brute-force of Bodyweb’s antics.

Static Dress

Billed as ‘???’, Outbreak 2026’s mystery act is not Title Fight, despite the optimistic rumours and Static Dress’ decision to cheekily open with the intro to ‘Safe In Your Skin’. To add to the confusion, they jokingly introduce themselves as Guilt Trip (one of the other rumoured bands for this slot) but after much trolling, it is finally understood that the individuals standing on stage – who are clearly the members of Static Dress – are indeed the members of Static Dress. Despite a handful of individuals leaving upon realising this – did they really expect Title Fight? – the Leeds band are monstrously energetic, almost to a fault given the slightly forced shouts of “why the fuck are you standing still” from vocalist Olli Appleyard. It’s an overall consummate performance, but one that is more defined by the band who aren’t there than the one that is, thanks in no small way to Static Dress’ mischievousness.

Touché Amoré

Ten years on from the release of Touché Amoré’s ‘Stage Four’, the band arrive at Outbreak Festival ready to perform the album in full, much to the joy of one of the weekend’s most ecstatic fanbases. That said, no attendee quite matches the apparent happiness of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, who appears to be positively beaming at the occasion. Guitarist Nick Steinhardt meanwhile braves the heat in a full jacket for the opening portion of the show before eventually succumbing to the heat and removing it. The event brings with it a celebratory feel that’s devoid of the tough-guy nonsense that occasionally belittles the post-hardcore genre. Bolm’s decision to walk into the crowd sees him swamped by his adoring fans like he’s one of The Beatles. One gets the feeling that, while it’s not one for the newcomers, the already-converted will treat this as the weekend’s highlight.

Lip Critic

Bret Kaser and Connor Kleitz face each other with a couple of beefy electrics/sampling units between them. Their flanked by the band’s two drummers, whose in-unison bashing forms something akin to the backbeat of New York ‘90s hip hop. – apropos for four Brooklynites. Together, Lip Critic produce maximalist electronic hardcore that stands apart from the festival’s array of guitar-centric bands by offering a pleasingly feral energy. Kaser’s vocals are savage; he sounds more creature than human as he growls his way through songs from the band’s recent album ‘Theft World’. Other songs like ‘Sermon’ are ominous, with the listless Kaser bouncing amongst band members, conducting chaos as he goes.

Upchuck

The high ceilings of the BEC Arena do few favours for Atlanta’s Upchuck. The room gobbles up the intricacies of the band’s music, rendering the politically-conscious lyrics of vocalist KT difficult to hear. While the content of Upchuck’s words don’t necessarily translate, she nonetheless yells through the most savage of punk songs with ruthless aggression. The scraping of guitar against cymbals, a drummer who mid-set becomes the vocalist, and the combining of gritty bass tones and droning guitars remain remarkable, despite the muddiness of the acoustics.

High Vis

High Vis are one of the weekend’s tightest performers. The band seem to share a telepathic relationship as they traverse songs that contain as much pain as they do hope. It’s all centres on Graham Sayle, a passionate frontman whose honestly between songs is as inspired as his charismatic vocals. He delivers a lengthy speech about friendship and the importance of speaking to others during difficult times, with Sayle drawing upon his own experiences with alcohol with a stark honesty. By framing past difficulties as exactly that – in the past – the future looks bright. It means that his subsequently Olympian-like stage dives become euphoric displays of uninhibited joy.

Pup

Canadian pop-punkers Pup offer something lighter than the hardcore that dominates much of the weekend. This, alongside a fleeting downpour, delights a crowd that welcome the rain as much as a singalong. ‘Kids’ and ‘Reservoir’ offer the latter, as does the featuring of a selection of songs from the band’s debut album, ‘The Dream is Over’. The decision to so heavily feature a now decade-old album is in keeping with the nostalgia that has imbued the festival. Nonetheless, there remains an exciting rawness to the music. “I’m not gonna say very much, we’re just gonna fucking rip,” says frontman Stefan Babcock, which pithily summarises the experience.

Higher Power

For not the first time this weekend, a Leeds-based hardcore band take to Outbreak 2026. Having been recommended by High Vis a few hours prior, Higher Power draw from the aesthetics of ‘90s alternative rock to deliver something rather aloof. The band are mostly backlit, making it difficult to see anything more than a few profiles. This combines with the hazy guitars to create a unique atmosphere, over which High power blast through their set with workmanlike efficiency. With drums that are de-tuned to the point of sounding like timpani, and guitars that sounds ready to raw, it sums to an impressive showing.

Loathe

They’ve consistently performed live in recent years, but Liverpudlian’s Loathe haven’t released an album since 2021’s instrumental and ambient ‘The Things They Believe’. Knowing that another is on the way this summer means that the mere appearance of the band’s on-screen logo is enough to bring a sense that, though they never went away, Loathe are back. They’re old-fashioned in some ways – four musicians dressed in black playing heavy metal music. In reality, these songs are some of the weekend’s most complex. The 6-minute ‘Screaming’ shows off instrumental prowess and crunching riffs, all alongside Kadeem France’s talismanic charisma. “This is our favourite festival to play ever,” says France. It sounds like a trope, but given the symbiotic relationship between band and audience, it’s not so difficult to believe.

The Armed

Various performers at Outbreak 2026 could be described as chaotic. The Armed, however, take things further. In an unhinged display of madness, The Armed create pandemonium as soon as they clatter their way through the opening moments of ‘THE MUSIC BECOMES A SKULL’. Musicians are crowd surfing (with their instruments), a saxophone is made to sound like a pained animal, and ‘ALL FUTURES’ manages to manifest a mosh pit on the stage itself. Converge’s Jacob Bannon joins for a cover of ‘Homewrecker’ and bedlam ensues once more. For some, it’s sensory overload. For others. it’s a cathartic release. But for all it’s a performance that’s impossible to turn away from.

Alexisonfire

“Alright,” screams George Pettit. “This is from our hearts,” responds the jubilant crowd, as Alexisonfire launch into ‘Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints’. It’s been twenty years since the genre-defining ‘Crisis’ was released. Two decades on and much has changed. Pettit looks less tough-guy and more avuncular coworker; endearing with his floppy hair and leather jacket. Vocally, he sounds largely unchanged, as does Dallas Green, whose cleanly delivered vocals sound remarkably youthful. It’s a curiously young crowd in attendance, some of whom were likely too young to remember ‘Crisis’ upon its 2006 release. It results in a charming cross-generational audience of students and masters, all standing before Alexisonfire’s titanic presence.

Converge

There have been many whole-album performances across the weekend. This penchant for the music of the past brings mixed emotions. At times it is celebratory, while at others it feels regressive. Ideally, bands should remain innovative, with each new release able to sit alongside older songs with seamless integration. Converge are one of very few to get this right. Opener ‘Love is Not Enough’, the title track from one of two albums released this year by the metalcore legends, sends their audience into as much of a frenzy as classics like ‘Conduit’ and ‘Concubine’. Over three decades into what is becoming an illustrious career, Converge eschew nostalgia with new music that is every bit as gutsy as the band they were all those years ago.

None of the snap to ‘Devil In A Midnight Mass’ has diminished over time and the ability of Billy Talent to reel us in has only grown. While it’s been twenty years since the boys from Ontario dropped ‘II’, tonight is chock full of their trademark crispness that makes their sound inimitable. Somehow playing ‘II’ doesn’t feel like a nostalgia-fest or a game of tracklist bingo: songs like ‘Worker Bees’ are jet- propelled to new heights, fuelled by our singalong and stinging bass lines. Of course, ‘Fallen Leaves’ is pure uncorked lightning in a bottle, and three minutes of the sensation of a crowd and band pushing to their absolute maximum is an energy that can’t be matched. 

However, as soon as it’s done, the vibe immediately changes like a flicked switch. “That Song” is over, and now they can concentrate on just being a really good rock band. “The theme of tonight is going to be gratitude,” declares Benjamin Kowalewicz, and the first crowdsurfer drifts slowly to the front as they open ‘Where Is The Line’. We see their scrappy past in the frontman’s every movement, but also the stardom that came after, every chord and stretch an autobiography poured into our favourite songs. There’s a deeper beauty buried beneath ’Surrender’, and a smile hits his face as he sees our loving reaction. The longing at the heart of ‘Navy Song’ sets off a pit full of people who are old enough know better than to slam with all their might, and as we slide into a slow burning headbang on ‘Rusted From The Rain’, we’re seeing Billy with new eyes. As they put it, tonight is “a bucket-list dream come true,” for them and us.

There’s no band that can clip in and out of focus like Alexisonfire. They’re the musical equivalent of a hypnic jerk, and the booming open to ‘Drunks, Lovers, Sinners, Saints’ is mentos dropped into Coke for us. ‘Mailbox Arson’ brings a rush to the centre of your mind before they weaponise feedback to bring in ‘Boiling Frogs’, a song which unifies our rush to the front that a single metal barrier barely feels like enough to control the flood. Vocalist George Pettit circling one finger above his head is enough cue to make the floor tremble under the great, earthmoving riffs of ‘We Are The Sound’.

“What a beautiful fuckin evening!” exclaims Wade Macneil, and it truly is. For the first time in over a decade we get to hear the thrashing sincerity of ‘Keep It On Wax’ and the live debut of ‘Thrones’, which flows so naturally into the ‘Crisis’ era that the setlist alone feels like artistry.

The way that ‘Rough Hands’ is reimagined live feels the arena with a velvet emptiness that the studio record was missing, and the entire song is a hammer blow to your emotional control, its layers of harmonies enough to shatter a frozen heart. Alexisonfire have grasped something intangible about the human condition and pressed it into industrial mysticism, and we’re hooked by their punk callouts as they close by chanting The Clash’s ‘Straight To Hell’ to close.

Album retrospective shows are always a risk. Is it just a chance for a fading star or two to make a couple of quid from nostalgic fans, or is it an opportunity to present a record in a new light and wipe off the dust accumulated over decades? Tonight is the latter. Not only did we get a unique double headliner, but also heard two seminal albums in a way that brings them to life in new and unforgettable forms. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves tonight, but far more about Billy Talent and Alexisonfire. 

KATE ALLVEY

Words: Kate Allvey and Rob Dand  //  Photos: Penny Bennett and Paul Lyme

Gen and the Degenerates

“Cool is dead, this is post-cool!” Gen declares, ironically as she’s presenting a very cool start to the day. With melodic shouting, choppy guitars, and an acknowledgment of how brave we are to deal with the direct sunlight, they light up lunchtime with their everyday charm. New song ‘When My Ex Pulls’ is a punky indie gem, and ‘Big Hit Single’ (with its “very sarcastic” lyrics) is understated danceable gold. Gen and the Degenerates are disarmingly normal, which makes their sherbet cyanide music that little bit more special. [Kate Allvey]

Hidden Mothers

Dragging the pile of smouldering ashes that once resembled a crowd into another scorching morning are Sheffield-based post-hardcore four-piece Hidden Mothers. The band’s music deftly balances thick, bruising riffs with lighter melodic sections, weaving together harsh growls and more delicate vocals that call to mind a combination of Tom Waits and Dustin Kensrue. Opener ‘Defanged’ comes out of the blocks pretty fast, sounding like the lighter end of Converge meeting the heavier end of Thrice head on. Their short set showcases many of the highlights from last year’s debut full-length ‘Erosion/Avulsion’. There’s time for a rumination on the escalating horrors of the outside world, and the galvanising community of festival living, before an ethereal ‘Haze’ brings things to a close. Keep an eye on this lot. [Rob Dand]

Love Rarely

Love Rarely have drawn a huge crowd over on the Neu stage. Whether those gathered in attendance are mathy indie-screamo fans or just exhausted shade-seekers is anyone’s guess, but if a helping hand from Mother Nature is what it takes to put this band in front of more people, that’s no bad thing. Appearing at Trees for the first time, the Leeds-based four-piece sparkle through a set that includes a high percentage of their recorded output to date, including recent single ‘Disappear’ alongside older rabble-rousers like ‘And You Know it’ and ‘Say Yes’. An engaging early afternoon showing from a band with heaps of promise. [Rob Dand]

Last Hounds

There are no airs and graces about Birmingham’s Last Hounds. Their street-level brand of punk possesses a snarl and a swagger that feels both exciting and familiar. Frank Carter-era Gallows is such an obvious point of reference that it feels almost pointless to commit this sentence to print, but here we are anyway. Tattooed shirtless vocalist Mike Skelcher demands a lot from the weary Day 3 crowd, but he seems ready to go to war for his ambitious dream of “making the tent wobble”. He does manage to incite several circle pits, and even a wall of death stretching to the second king pole. Viral single ‘Growing Pains’ and 2023 cut ‘Bubbles’ illicit particularly strong responses, but the band close the set with a rousing rendition of ‘Snakeskin’, complete with a late surprise. Inviting “his friend Jason” on stage, Skelcher is joined by letlive’s Jason Aalon Butler for the climactic final throes – a cameo appearance that, true to form, he goes all in on. [Rob Dand]

Bad Sign

Croydon-based riff merchants Bad Sign are playing their first show in seven years here today on the festival’s smallest stage. It’s a low-key billing for a reunion that hasn’t really attracted any fanfare, but it still feels like a lot of people have turned up for this band – many of them most likely having discovered their music during those wilderness years. Perhaps understandably after so much time away, the set feels a little like a course-correction. There are one or two brief moments where more technical passages and higher notes aren’t nailed with as much ease as perhaps they used to be – notably on the otherwise rip-roaring ‘Square One’ – but the good news is this isn’t a one-time deal. The band are properly back, and new music is on the way. [Rob Dand]

Catbite

Summertime and ska go together like gin and tonic, so Catbite’s snappy ska-punk attitude is perfect for the afternoon. Folk in fancy dress gather at the front of the stage for the costume contest, jamming out to ‘Tired Of Talk’, all while Brittany Luna’s wail ties it all together. ‘Scratch Me Up’, complete with claws in the air overflows with the classic bittersweet ska territory into ferocious sass with a hint of Madness. Catbite are the burst of totally different refreshment on the 2000 Trees bill that we didn’t know we needed, their easy going rocksteady sliding into ‘Call Your Bluff’s party riot.  [Kate Allvey]

Humour

Up the hill, Humour are making waves. Their intriguing blend of everything intelligent and heavy, from post punk contemplation through to full rage-infused howls. The Axiom stays seated to appreciate the chill they cast from their ever-changing narratives, their music a brief respite from the busy outside. Always interesting and ambitious with what they aim to show us: sharp crunching rhythm, fuzz and inspiration.  [Kate Allvey]

Vower

Emerging onstage beneath the rays of the merciless sun, not a pair of shorts between them, Vower launch into ‘Satellites’, with a riff so meaty it should come with a side of peppercorn sauce. The main stage sound is almost always good here, but this could be one of the best-sounding sets of the weekend. The guitars sound deliciously crisp, and Josh McKeown’s soaring vocals are colossal, showcasing just why he’s comfortably one of the best vocalists in this sphere. The band members’ individual talents would be nothing without a collection of good songs – but thankfully, Vower have the songwriting pedigree to match. With only one EP and a smattering of singles to their name so far, their all-too-brief half-hour slot comes to a close with the mighty ‘Eyes of a Nihilist’, and while there’s sadly no room on the setlist for incredible new single ‘Moth Becomes the Flame’ (released almost immediately after the festival), it’s clear that there is much more to come from this band – hopefully soon. [Rob Dand]

Split Chain

Bristol’s Split Chain have, by their own admission, not travelled far to get here. A short hop up the M5, in fact. One of many Deftones-esque bands on the bill weaving hazy shoegaze with 2000s alt-rock, and adding a dash of hardcore, Split Chain are clearly happy to be here and similarly delighted with the size of the crowd they’ve managed to attract. Understandably, they lean heavily on material from their just-released debut full length, ‘motionblur’, opening things up with ‘Under The Wire’ and bringing down the curtain with ‘I’m Not Dying To Be Here’, the single that launched this new era back in January. Having opened up the much smaller Neu stage here last year, this mid-afternoon slot feels like a big (two-) step up, but the packed tent suggests they already have the following to give them a shot even higher up the bill in future years. [Rob Dand]

Future of the Left

Hollered drama and waterfalls of outsider guitar? Yes please. Every lyric from Falco feels like an intoned threat as we camp on the baked floor, before ‘Miner’s Gruel’ slams like a manifesto, pierced with visceral screams. The welsh act forsake genre definitions for blistering authenticity propelled by rocket-engine bass and a desire to blast out what’s on their mind. Even though we’re wilting, their force of will compels us to our feet.  [Kate Allvey]

Girlband! 

Nottingham’s Girlband! have the Neu tent more than packed out as we spill into the sunshine to chant along to the Neo-grunge sincerity- probably the busiest the side stage has been all weekend, in fact. ‘21st Century Suffragette’ and the dance moves it inspires proves that Girlband are getting stronger with every show. Catchy choruses and huge scale old school guitar solos prevail in their Trees debut, and ‘Talk Me Down’ is the best punk song Fleetwood Mac never wrote.  [Kate Allvey]

Vukovi

We’ve long suspected Vukovi might be cyborgs sent from the future to spread ethereal, vicious metal, but today seems to sadly disprove that theory. Janine Shilstone bounces in shining silver, starting a joyous pit, then can barely contain her giggles as a crowdsurfing fan in a huge disintegrating fridge costume crosses her path. She pops on a pair of comfortable crocs (“the floor is like fucking lava”) showing that she’s as human as the rest of us, but her glorious electronic tinged sound, choc full of vengeance and power like ‘Creep Heat’ are a hard reset to reinvigorate our energy.  [Kate Allvey]

Birds in Row

Eschewing the traditional stage lighting set up, as they frequently do, Birds in Row are illuminated predominantly from behind, with only sparse accents of colour allowed to escape from the bulbs overhead. This is the atmospheric backdrop against which the French post-hardcore three-piece emerge, as the stabbing intro of ‘Water Wings’ gets things off to a frenetic start. Much of the material in today’s set list is drawn from 2022 record ‘Gris Klein’, and most of it is fast and bleak, but the groove of ‘Noah’ and the slow build of ’15-38’, taken from 2018’s equally brilliant ‘We Already Lost The World’, does offer some variety. Despite the melancholic aesthetic, the band’s final message is one of hope, and there’s a promise of new music to come. We can’t wait. [Rob Dand]

The Hara

Without all their usual stage dressing to distract us, we’re forced to appreciate how much the Hara are one hell of a rock band. Within seconds of opening they’ve started a pit in the middle of the Forest stage. Of course, their electronica lingers but they’re absolutely focused today on the rock half of their sound: ‘Fire’ slams under its own merit without the distraction of visuals, the pounding riffs enough to impress. Frontman Josh Taylor struts and launches into the air, swimming and posing as he’s carried aloft, climbs the stage and rules the entire space, his emotions on ‘Trophy’ casting twilight through the trees.  [Kate Allvey]

La Dispute

After yesterday’s special set in the forest, La Dispute have ascended almost to the summit of the Axiom lineup, and right from the get-go it’s clear this is going to be a very different proposition. There’s not a poetry book in sight, and very few people are dressed like sick Victorian children, for one thing. Launching into ‘I See Everything’, the Michigan natives focus on some of their more up-tempo material, include early performances of ‘For Mayor in Splitsville’ and ‘Hudsonville MI 1956’. Only ‘Woman (in mirror)’ and ‘Andria’ are repeated, bookending a mid-set trio of new songs from forthcoming fifth album ‘No One Was Driving the Car’, their first full-length since 2019.

Towards the end of the set, vocalist Jordan Dreyer slows things down to give an almost identical speech to the one he gave among the branches and roots yesterday; but although the message is the same, the variations in his phrasing highlight a from-the-heart authenticity. He speaks in broad terms about the situation in Palestine and in Ukraine, as well as the struggles faced by those subject to prejudice, and it’s clear that he means every word. A born orator, Dreyer uses his platform to very respectfully hold the tent’s attention while he talks earnestly about some of the modern world’s most sobering issues, and the power of community in the face of hopelessness. There’s an airing for the rarely-played ‘Why it Scares Me’, taken from their 2010 split with Touché Amoré, before ‘King Park’ wraps things up with a now-predictable finale that has somehow lost none of its goosebump-inducing impact, despite being the band’s signature song. [Rob Dand]

letlive.

There’s a buzz in the air in anticipation of the return of letlive – and it’s not just the army of furious wasps that have bullied festival attendees for the past three days.

The band initially called it quits under something of a cloud in 2017, so tonight’s show promises to be part of a proper farewell. They arrive with a fearsome live reputation, constructed primarily around vocalist Jason Aalon Butler’s wild antics. To everyone’s delight, tonight’s show is no different. After only a few minutes, Butler’s crowdsurfed, dragged various monitors and the drum riser halfway across the stage, poured three bottles of water over himself and thrown one at his drummer, and somehow found time to sing a few songs. ‘Le Prologue’ kicks things off, before ‘The Sick, Sick 6.8 Billion’ and ‘Renegade 86’ continue down a path with foundations built from standout 2010 album ‘Fake History’.

Beneath the theatrics and seemingly boundless energy, connection to his audience is clearly a priority for Butler, but entertainment is never far from his mind either. He gives weighty personal context to ‘Muther’, before literally dragging someone dressed as an amp onstage to join the fun. His commitment to the bit is admirable, and he carries this enthusiasm into another interaction, bringing a fan onstage to enjoy the experience from a unique perspective.

The talking point of their incendiary set arguably comes right at the end, after Butler has relieved himself of most of his clothing and starts to haul his sweat-drenched body up the metallic shell of the stage. He manages to reach the lighting rig and continues set closer ’27 Club’ from here, with the crowd watching on in equal parts awe and horror. Only those at the front can hear the climactic breakdown, though, owing to the fact that the decision has been taken to cut the sound – save for the on-stage monitors. It’s a truly memorable bookend to a set that achieves everything it set out to do. Welcome back, letlive, and so long. [Rob Dand]

Calva Louise

They might be in the smallest stage, but Calva Louise can’t be ignored. ‘W.T.F.’ makes for a clashing opener, their small but very determined fan base loving every second. ‘Third Class Citizen’ emerges strong, sophisticated piano underlining throat-shredding screaming. The scale of their ambition and what the multi-instrumentalists create is what draws in more and more intrigued future fans, and of course the combination of haunting vocals and crunching riffs to get heads banging don’t hurt either.  [Kate Allvey]

Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes have played at Trees before, but not quite like this. It’s possible that a fair few in the crowd haven’t seen the band for some time, and those people are about to have their expectations ripped apart and put back together in front of them. At this point in their trajectory, it’s best to just accept that the band standing before us are not about to tear through any of their punchy early cuts like ‘Husk’ or ‘I’m Not Well’. Instead, what they choose to do with their 50-minute headline set on the Neu stage is take their time with just five songs, four of which aren’t on their newest record and one of which (closer ‘The Diving Bell’) is twice as long as the album version, courtesy of an extended jam that hangs in the air like butterflies dancing precariously at grill-height over the M5. It’s a delightfully contrary performance, and while it’s a shame that we might never hear some of those big, spiky rock songs again, there is pleasure to be found in watching Mark Holley’s journey of discovery play out. It’s an assured set from a unique band, who only write and play the music that feels interesting to them at the time. Long may they continue to do so. [Rob Dand]

As December Falls

The viciously independent alt-rockers draw everyone from children in dinosaur headphones to rave teletubbies, and as Bethany Hunter bounces across the stage to deliver modern Paramore vibes, we know we’ve made the right choice about who to watch. ‘Ride’ uplifts before ‘Angry Cry’ assertively smacks backs with throbbing bass and a giant chorus. We answer the call to ‘split the forest in two’, we sing our lungs out to ‘I Don’t Feel Like Feeling Great’ and we love every minutes of the band who won us over on the main stage last year with their melodic, unapologetic  tales of survival. ‘Ready Set Go’ hints at a direction with even more bite, with tense drops and drum thrills, and were treated to ‘Everything’s On Fire But I Feel Fine’- the title track of their upcoming album- which gets a live debut scorching enough to send a tiny girl dressed as a fairy crowdsurfing.  [Kate Allvey]

Alexisonfire

Walking out to the epic string crescendo of the ‘Last of the Mohicans’ main theme, as they generally do, Alexisonfire appear ready for a fight. Guitarist Wade MacNeil is literally sporting chainmail, and vocalist George Pettit looks the swelling crowd square in the eyes during the first chords of opener ‘Accidents’: “When this over, I want to see significantly less trees”, he snarls in reference to the festival’s name, and probably only partially joking.

Right from the very first opportunity for crowd participation, though, during the bridge of that first song, it’s abundantly clear that Alexis already have the crowd on their side. A band who head booker James Scarlett has very publically had on “the list” for several years, they already know what this festival means to the UK music scene, and they aren’t about to half-ass their headline slot with lazy nostalgia. Yes, ‘Accidents’ bleeds into the equally well-received ‘Boiled Frogs’, keeping the momentum going, but what’s really exciting is that the band have the balls to work some of their newer material into their set. ‘Sans Soleil’ comes next; a magical moment as MacNeil’s guitar line shimmers out over the heads of the crowd and up the hill toward the setting sun, its tyrannical grip finally loosening in the glowing evening sky.

There are a few fairly surprising omissions (some of them agonisingly cropping up elsewhere on their short run of dates either side of Trees), but otherwise the next hour and a half is a very confidently delivered collection of hits alongside slow-burns like ‘Rough Hands’. It’s a set befitting of main stage headliners who have always excelled at finding balance – light vs dark, humour vs gravitas, Dallas Green’s captivating cleans vs MacNeil’s signature rasp and Pettit’s feral scream, Charlie Sheen vs Henry Rollins. They always were head and chainmail-covered shoulders above most of the bands who tried to emulate their sound (and boy, were there a lot of those for a while back there).

As regular closer ‘Happiness by the Kilowatt’ slides out into the atmosphere, there are no fireworks. No confetti cannons. No pyro. Just the warm satisfaction of having watched five unapologetically individual characters turn in a memorable set that only they could have produced. [Rob Dand]

Words: Fiachra Johnston and Lisa Fox.  Images: Penny Bennett and Download Festival / Abbie Shipperley

Polaris

If I had a nickel for every time an Australian band opened up the Apex stage at Download Festival I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s strange how it’s happened twice in two days. Maybe it’s the way they can get a crowd moving at 12 in the afternoon? Polaris start up the dust storms that will continue throughout the day with a rendition of ‘Hypermania’ that immediately puts the speaker system to the test. It’s a basic but effective set, a classic explosion of metalcore as vocalist Jamie Hall violently wheels around onstage. This is sadly one of the last shows on their EU tour before having to recuse themselves due to the passing of their guitarist Ryan Siew. We send them all the love in the world, and we cannot wait to have them back with us soon.

Stray From The Path

Long Island residents Stray From The Path know where they are, and how to get the crowd moving. Right from the start of ‘Needful Things’, the vicious nu-metal throwbacks have the audience on their side, with front man Drew Dijorio directing them in a storm of circle pits. Launching into the ever-relevant “Goodnight Alt-Right” with a statement that minority communities that “will always be welcome at a SFTP show” and that “Nazi punk motherfuckers” will promptly meet a metaphorical boot heel only gets people going even more. Maybe this is how Dijorio is able to inject enough energy into a dust-covered, already exhausted crowd into bouncing for ‘Guillotine’. SFTP perform like they’re the last act of the day, and the crowd move as if they don’t have another 10 hours to go. Will it come back to bite us as we dredge through the 25 degree wasteland without shade? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Most definitely.

Ice Nine Kills

Half of the enjoyment of an INK set comes from vocalist Spencer Charnas’ antics on stage, and there are antics abound as they took to the Apex. From his role as a psychotic hostel customer in ‘Wurst Vacation’, to murdering a poor misfortunate banker in ‘Hip to be Scared’, to full on knife crime against the Download Dog for ‘The Shower Scene’, INK’s set is as much a horror film as it is a musical performance, one we can’t tear our eyes away from. Musically, they’re as talented as they’ve ever been, though they only pull from their two ‘Silver Scream’ albums, avoiding their more classic work in favour of further cementing themselves as a full-force, blood-fuelled, horror-themed band. Charnas kills it (pun intended) on vocals, the action on stage not detracting from the vicious breakdowns and tight guitar lines that avoid many of the tech bungles that other bands have been plagued with on the Apex.

Still, we feel bad for the poor Download Dog. Wonder what poor shmuck they roped into climbing into that thing…

Bob Vylan

Passing by Bob Vylan in the Avalanche tent, you can’t help but grin ear to ear. Bobby and Bobbie have turned the fit to burst Avalanche into a madman’s disco, with Fever 333 joining briefly for ‘Pulled Pork’ and nearly blowing out the nearby sound systems with ‘Wicked and Bad’. The announcement they would be doing an after hours set “well after Metallica’s bedtime” is met with raucous applause, and you can’t help but wonder how big Bring Me The Horizon’s Church of Genxsis could really be in comparison to the duo’s cult of personality. We later hear their secret set went so long security came to shut them down, leading them to crowdsurfing offstage by an enthusiastic crowd to further party elsewhere. Now that’s punk.

Motionless In White

It’s their fourth go around at Download, but it is always a joy to see Motionless In White at Donington. Evidently, many share the sentiment, as even before the first notes of ‘Disguise’ drop, the jam packed crowd is electric. Ever the burst of charisma, Chris Motionless celebrates the year anniversary of their latest record by conducting the crowd through ‘Scoring The End of the Word’. ‘Slaughterhouse’ sets the Opus alight even without Knocked Loose’s Bryan Garris, its breakdown maybe the most violent of the day, and ‘Reincarnate’ draws exclamations of joy as the 2014 classic adds a layer of nostalgia to the electricity onstage. It’s a pretty standard MIW set, not reinventing the wheel but never letting the energy fall below manic levels, and there’s no doubt Chris and co. will be more than welcome back with the crowd they’ve drawn.

Kid Kapichi

Kid Kapichi may not think they belong, with lead singer and resident “old man in a young man’s body” Ben Beetham’s little spots of self-derision throughout the set (“We probably sound like Miley Cyrus compared to what you’ve just heard but thanks for giving us a chance”) but the crowd certainly do by the time thudding bass of ‘Rob The Supermarket’ hits. The Hastings group are full of love for a receptive crowd, losing themselves at how packed the tents gets as their open, airy guitars cries out in ‘Death Dips’. There’s so much charisma on stage, its hard not to see why they were Frank Carter’s band of choice for his birthday, and as ‘Smash The Gaff’ is launched into with a battle cry of “What the fuck is up Denny’s?”, its clear that the mix of humour, sincerity and old school bash-your-head-in punk rock will carry this relatively young band a long way.

Alexisonfire

Alexisonfire are, like Bring Me The Horizon, something of an odd pick for Download 20, though only a few weeks off from the release anniversary of ‘Otherness’ – their first record together in over a decade – the Ontario post-hardcore outfit also have cause for celebration. Their scale certainly fits the Apex, and after combating with the sound system a bit with ‘Sweet Dreams of Otherness’, they settle into a rhythm. Apart from a few cursory introductions and crowd check-ins, vocalists George Pettit and Dallas Green are rather taciturn and clinical in their onstage performance, giving the crowd something of a breather in between some rather heavy hitters. It’s a solid set, one perhaps most mired by the heat of the day and some unfortunate mixing by the tech crew but the most dedicated of us are bellowing along to ‘We Are The Sound’, and the quintet enthusiastically retort with a powerful rendition of ‘Blue Spade’. Though they wouldn’t have been many’s first pick for a slot at the Apex, they certainly made their mark.

Deaf Havana

Fresh off a secret set last night at the Sidesplitter stage, Deaf Havana are here to nurse our hangovers. Sadly, there’s a frustrating amount of mic issues for the Veck-Gilodi boys and their backing members, impacting the otherwise wonderful renditions of ‘Fever’ and ‘Hell’. This doesn’t stop a loyal crowd from singing along to every hit however, heat and tech issues be damned. It’s cathartic then, when the issues are wrangled under control ‘The Present is a Foreign Land’, and much like their late night set the night before, the curious blend of folk and alt-rock makes them one of the unique sounds in the metal-laden Donington.

Monuments

Monuments have some of the most unfortunate luck, starting their set surprisingly late due to ongoing tech issues in the Dogtooth stage, yet it doesn’t dampen the audience spirit, continuously chanting for the band and hollering with glee when vocalist Andy Cizek pops on to help with mic setup. Cizek has only been with the band since 2019, but the man can scream. In what may be one of Download’s most eardrum-busting sets, Monuments absolutely hammer home how cohesive their current lineup is, debuting ‘Nefarious’ live for the first time to rabid reaction. The crowd is equally here to prove something, keeping the energy high, forming pits aplenty as ‘Lavos’ threatens to tear the tent of its supports. Somehow, the mass of bodies in here forgets about the stifling heat for one moment, resulting in a set that could have kept on the entire night if not for a frantic stagehand trying to keep sets on time. Please, if you get the chance, see these boys live, they will not disappoint.

Creeper

If people were angry about the Coheed and Cambria/Placebo clash before, the announcement of a surprise set by Creeper at the same time drove most over the edge. Of course, we couldn’t resist attending Fright Night at the Dogtooth and despite a late start similar to Monuments, it was worth every second. The tightly packed crowd is enamored as Will Gould and the band’s unique brand of goth punk sweeps through the tent, bringing out the live debut of a new track, ‘Sacred Blasphemy’ to a stellar reaction. The set will of course garner comparisons to tomorrow’s Opus headliners Ghost, but the suave nature of the band, how they go from the ‘Cry To Heaven’ to monstrously vampiric in ‘Poison Pens’ makes the tent wholly theirs. Criminally, the set is cut to shreds for time to make way for the headliners over at Apex, leading to ‘Annabelle’ being cut and a shortened version of ‘Hiding with the Boys’ (dedicated to the equally macabre Ice Nine Kills) before sending the crowd home ghoulishly grinning with ‘Misery’. As far as Download secret sets go, Creeper have carved their name into the annals succinctly but savagely.

Metallica

Throughout the day there has been a sea of camping chairs turning the journey to the front of the Apex stage into a human slalom course. With the heat sucking the energy out of every person in Donington (which no one can be faulted for), it makes navigating throughout the day feel like an escapade within a people-littered hedge maze. Fortunately, as what feels like the entire population of the festival descends on the main stage, the chairs are packed away, as everyone rises for Metallica’s second set of the weekend, and their record tenth Donington show.

Compared to Thursday, Metallica are praetorian in their performance, immediately picking up the pace from their entertaining, but slightly hollow Thursday show. ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ comes early and hits hard, reinvigorating a sun poisoned crowd back into life. ’72 Seasons’ like it’s Thursday brethren from the titular record, is as devastating as any classic Metallica track, feeling right at home on a big stage. The most noticeable change is how at home the demiurges of destruction now feel onstage. The band poke fun at this only being Lars ninth outing at Donington (“He’s playing with every band tomorrow to catch up) and making light at the bands weaker moments, as Hetfield compares a snare test to St. Anger: “Please stop, it’s torture”. Some dad jokes are thrown around (“the crowd at Download are in-tents!” to a chorus of groans). James struts and puffs gusts of smoke as the chug through ‘The Call of Ktulu’, and a little girl brought on stage bursts into tears standing next to Lars (poor guy can’t catch a break). It’s a energetic, charismatic outing that reminds us how the four of them have stayed in the hearts of so many for so long: this is ultimately a rip roaring gig.

Darkness finally envelopes Download to the chorus of ‘Wherever I May Roam’, and ‘Moth to a Flame’ incites the largest pyrotechnic display of the night, the funnels of flame able to be felt from the back of the park. Their rendition of ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ incites some pride in the Irish festival goers next (Is deas i gcónaí cuimhní baile nuair atáthar thar lear). James lets loose with a surprisingly animalistic scream for ‘One’, something we haven’t heard in a long, long time while ‘Enter Sandman’ gets the crowd moving for one final time. Of course, an explosive firework sendoff is in order as we walk away from the arena, and its deserved. Ten outings at Donington and Metallica have given a clinic of a performance. Three days in, against a crowd with dust in their lungs and sunburn on their backs, yet the quartet’s masterful command of the show make them seem like they were in the prime of their career. It’s easily the weekend’s most dynamic, and largest attended, performance.

Then again, Corey Taylor waits patiently in the wings.

Kicking off the evening are Higher Power, a band making a name for themselves in the UK, appearing as support act and sitting on festival bills all over the nation. Tonight, the crowd is sparse and somewhat tired throughout their 7:30pm set but Higher Power refuse to concede, relentlessly bringing the energy and playing their part of warming up the crowd as well as the environment allows.

Boston Manor face similar struggles. A band that ordinarily sees carnage from the first note, front man Henry Cox has to work hard tonight to loosen up this Brixton crowd and work hard he does. Midway through the set during ‘England’s Dreaming’, the crowd having been urged to move forwards and it finally feels like the band have won us over, subsequently engaging enthusiastically in the ‘Funeral Party’ call and response before being told to get sweaty – a request that’s quickly followed as moisture starts to fill the air, creating a sticky yet satisfying atmosphere. With crowdsurfers first appearing during ‘You, Me & the Class War’, this finally feels like a Bozzy show. Band and crowd alike feel more comfortable and everyone is more than ready for tonight’s main event.

Given their huge return with the release of ‘Otherness’ earlier in the year, the triumphant music that greets the band as they walk on stage seems apt, as do the deafening screams coming from the sold out crowd before them. It’s this same crowd that drowns out the band as ‘Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints’ kicks in – an old favourite from 2006’s ‘Crisis’ and a perfectly raucous way to kick off tonight’s endlessly chaotic set. 

This whole evening feels very much to be all about the fans, as guitarist and co-vocalist Dallas Green passes on the recent ‘Sans Soleil’ to us, noting that sometimes songs get a new life after being played live and that “this is yours, now”. It’s a particularly emotional part of the set that builds a connection between the band and every person in the crowd, wherever you might be located in the 5,000 capacity room. 

Even if you couldn’t feel the tangible connection tying everyone in the venue together, it’s clear to see as those in the seats stand eagerly, screaming along to every word ingrained in their minds. The energy, regardless of where you are, simply never waivers, helped along by the fact that carefully conducted instrumentals tie every song together seamlessly, never a lull to be found. 

Everything is cemented, too, in the concept of “otherness”. Not only is it the title of the band’s new album, but also an all encompassing theme of the band as a whole, something borne out of a phone call between Green and guitarist / co-vocalist, Wade McNeil wherein the former simply said that they can be “weird forever”. Alternative music is built on a foundation of outcasts and people who feel a little different, and tonight you can feel “otherness” become “togetherness” without anyone having to change who they are or what they stand for. 

This anecdote is followed by a stunning performance of ‘Blue Spade’ – an anthemic and almost celestial song that takes you to new heights and showcases the trio of complementary vocalists (McNeil, Green and the ferocious George Pettit), as well as cementing the musical prowess of all five members in this almost six-minute shining opportunity. 

‘The Northern’ is another one of these opportunities, prior to which there’s a venue-wide singalong of ‘Happy Birthday’ for the band’s lighting technician – further warming up our vocal chords ahead of the religious experience that is 2009 masterpiece, taking us to church whether we want to be there or not. The extended outro is one of many, but arguably the strongest of the night, leaving you rightly wondering whether Alexis’ claims of being “The only band ever” are more accurate than we suspected. It’s hard to imagine ever feeling quite so touched by a band as we are by this Canadian five-piece tonight, and whatever your faith (or lack thereof), it’s easy to believe tonight that there’s something greater than us out there. 

While encores are fast becoming a thing of the past, Alexisonfire continue to embrace the anticipation that comes with leaving the stage for a short moment, and as we’re still reeling from the cathartic singalong that is “Young Cardinals”, they’re back for three more of their very best. Starting off with ‘Committed to the Con’, it’s ‘This Could Be Anywhere in the World’ that really reignites our fire to an uncontrollable blaze – a forever favourite that helped define the youth of many of us here tonight – before ending the evening with ‘Happiness by the Kilowatt’. Yet another mind blowing performance, and the best way to end this phenomenal evening, we’re left wondering if there’s anything this band can’t do and it seems the answer is a categorical and undisputable, “no”. 

Walking out of one of our favourite London venues dripping with sweat and bursting with a deep love for this band, there’s nothing we would have changed about tonight. And while the long wait for new music may have fuelled tonight’s fire, we sure hope it won’t be another decade and a bit before we get to feel such energy again.

YASMIN BROWN