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

The band started making a few noises in 2015 with a number of one-off shows, special deluxe boxsets and surprise singles making their way into existence, but it always felt like a band prolonging their goodbye, making sure they’d said their every single one of their farewells before shuffling into the shadows. Now, though, with the eagerly anticipated brand new album ‘Otherness’ becoming reality rather than hopeful rumour, those farewells now feel more like reassurances that they were never going to leave. It is so good to have them back.

There’s something so uplifting and evocative about Alexisonfire making a proper return, and all those feelings are amplified tenfold by the album being as wonderful as this is. Reunions generally go one way (the good way) or the other (the “maybe you shouldn’t have gotten back together” way), and it’s genuinely heartwarming that a band that so many hold so close to their hearts has returned to release an absolute blinder of a record that doesn’t just pay homage to their legacy, but extends it.

Opening number ‘Committed To The Con’ brings you right back into their inimitable world, with George Pettit’s vicious snarls laid bare over velvety grooves to be later joined by the voices of the gritty Wade MacNeil and the angelic Dallas Green to elevate the chorus into the stratosphere. Following track and first single ‘Sweet Dreams Of Otherness’ continues those vibes, turning the distortion up as far as it can go as those grooves swell into walls of sound, with the whole band showing that they haven’t lost any of their power whatsoever.

Long term fans will be pleased to know that there’s a whole host of classic Alexisonfire material here to tickle your nostalgia bones in all the right places. It doesn’t sound like they’re just rehashing old ideas, though – far from it. It all sounds fresh and new, yet manages to retain that ever-desirable quality to push the buttons in the deepest parts of your brain, sending fiery signals through your body to make your hairs stand on end in sheer ecstasy. There’s the menacing and eerie tones creeping throughout ‘Survivor’s Guilt’, the infectiously fizzy punk vibes spilling out of ‘Conditional Love’, the soaring rock anthem that is ‘Reverse The Curse’ and so much more – no box has been left unchecked.

There’s some really wonderful epics on here too, all beautifully dotted through the record to compliment its flow. The almost hymn-like ‘Blue Spade’ really spotlights Green’s soulful tones, almost taking on a gospel feel as the lead guitar lines scream and wail beneath him. ‘Dark Night Of The Soul’ starts off in the same manner but quickly shifts gears and becomes a moody and spacey opus, driven by Chris Steele’s slick bass lines and Jordan Hasting’s dynamic and tasteful drum work.

The final track, though, is the real show stopper here. ‘World Stops Turning’ is an eight-minute-long slice of heaven, essentially serving as a masterclass in everything this band is capable of evoking. The sweet subtleties of their softer moments and the beauty in their calmness, their innate ability to turn up the intensity so gradually that it happens with you noticing, the undeniable power of all five members firing on all cylinders to erupt your senses – it’s easily their longest song to date, and it might also be one of their finest moments, closing out one hell of an album.

After your first listen of this record, something should be blatantly clear to you, and it’s this; ‘Otherness’ is the natural next step from where they left off all those years ago. It may have taken thirteen years to take this step, but they’ve planted their collective foot exactly where they wanted to and there’s a real confidence and aplomb that radiates from the print it leaves. This looks back fondly to ‘Old Crows / Young Cardinals’ in places and expands their sound into realms that it looked towards in others, and the end result is their most well-rounded and bold work yet.

They experiment with new sounds and textures, but not so much that it takes away from their charm. They dip their toes in other worlds, but not for so long that they lose their way. They’re a little older now – and you can definitely hear that maturity in the songwriting – but have they lost even an inch of their edge? Absolutely not. Alexisonfire are a fine wine and if I had a cellar I would fill it to the rafters with this. One of the most stunning and emotionally charged returns that you’ll ever witness.

DAVE STEWART

 It may have only been nine months since we were last here, but today couldn’t come soon enough. Here’s what we got up to…

Words: Yasmin Brown [YB] and Catie Allwright [CA]; Images: Penny Bennett & Slam Dunk

CASKETS

After a forced name change back at the start of 2021, Caskets have returned with a vengeance, with fans quickly forgetting they ever existed under a different alias. Today, they fill the tent that protects us from the intermittent sun and equally threatening clouds at The Key Club Stage, playing to an overly excitable crowd despite this early set time. Even from the back of the tent, the clean and dirty vocals complement one another stunningly, the heaviness never once overbearing the melody and, despite minor setbacks, this is a band who have mastered their sound and will soon be climbing up the ranks at festivals such as Slam Dunk. Today is made for them, and they are made for this crowd – we can’t think of a better way to have kicked off our day. [YB]

CASSYETTE

Hot on the heels of her My Chemical Romance support shows, Cassyette opens the Jagermeister tent with remarkably fierce energy. It’s only midday so we’re still waking up and sipping on our first pints, overlooked by ominously grey clouds, but that’s soon forgotten by everyone listening to Cassyette’s phenomenal, husky voice and getting enthusiastically stuck into a pit. It’s a short but punchy set with popular tracks including ‘Dear Goth’, ‘Mayhem’ and ‘Prison Purse’, as well as her new single ‘Sad Girl Summer’ (add this to your Spotify playlists and thank us later). A regular Slam Dunk punter, this is the 29-year-old’s first time on stage at the festival – but with Cassyette’s voice and energy, it definitely won’t the be the last. And we’re willing to bet that next time, it won’t be a warm-up act. [CA]

THE BRONX

Bringing the California sunshine to Hatfield for their final show of the tour, The Bronx are next on the Dickies stage and are looking positively pumped to be there – despite losing absolutely everything on their flight over from New Zealand. Thanks to the generosity of stage-mates The Suicide Machines, The Dropkick Murphys and Hot Water Music, the quintet make it work with borrowed instruments, proving that the “community of motherfucking punk rock” is very much alive and well. 

Slam Dunk’s ‘rock and roll policy’ wouldn’t allow a charity crowd surf, with $5 donated by The Bronx to mental health crisis centres for every sweaty body lifted over the barrier, so they opt instead for $10 for anyone who climbs onto another’s shoulders. This gets a disappointingly lukewarm reaction, and allegedly the southern crowd can’t bring the noise as loudly as the north the day before, but there’s still a huge circle pit (monitored closely by security staff in high vis). It’s vocalist Matt Caughthran’s goal for everyone to move their bodies and have a good time and we do just that… whilst playing by the rules, of course. [CA]

YOURS TRULY

Fresh of a last-minute support slot for You Me At Six at this same venue just two days prior, Yours Truly are more than warmed up for today’s set. Mixing up the setlist slightly, those in attendance earlier in the week are treated to something new, and those who are catching the band for the first time are certainly seeing Yours Truly at their best today. Front woman Mikaila Delgado, who wastes no time wishing everyone “Happy Pride!”, continues to bring the energy throughout, bouncing around the stage with ease, her charisma overshadowing the fact that her usually ferocious vocals and the vital backing track are disappointingly drowned out by her bandmates. Regardless, the crowd are clearly delighted to be here with this Australian four-piece today, screaming as each next song is announced, for the most part making it easy to ignore any sound issues. Here’s hoping they return soon so we can witness these up and comers reach their full potential. [YB]

HOT MILK

No strangers to festival lineups, it’s been almost a year since Hot Milk opened up the main stage at the Download Festival Pilot in 2021. Since then, they’ve only become more comfortable on such stages, improving as time has passed and building more of a fanbase with every set. Today, they sound stronger than ever, bouncing off the walls for the duration of their thirty minute set. It’s clear today what the fan favourites are – ‘I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M DEAD’ and ‘Candy Coated Lies’ to name just a couple – but each song is met with excitement from the busy Rock Scene stage. The chemistry between the band members is tangible, in particular vocalists Han Mee and Jim Shaw, each interacting with each other throughout without missing a beat. As the clouds start to dissipate, fans leave the tent looking delighted with the experience and we can’t think of a more apt way to kick start the bright and sunny afternoon. [YB]

SILVERSTEIN

Back at the Jagermeister stage, which may as well have been dubbed the Canada stage for 2022, Silverstein are here to party with some early emo anthems like ‘Smile In Your Sleep’ and ‘My Heroine’. Slam Dunk always strikes the perfect balance between bittersweet nostalgia and showcasing emerging talent (or just new material), so Silverstein’s hit singles including ‘Afterglow’ and brand new tracks like ‘Ultraviolet’, from the freshly dropped album ‘Misery Made Me’, land almost as well. After making a name for themselves back in the early noughties, Silverstein are now “on their 22nd lap around the scene” and still feel like they’re only getting started. Seeing their lively performance and one of the biggest crowds of the afternoon, it’s more than believable that they really do have so much more to offer. For fans who enjoyed (or missed) the show, be sure to grab tickets for their Camden and Birmingham dates at the end of the year. [CA]

CANCER BATS

Cancer Bats have waited a long time to be back on stage in the UK and it feels “real good” – just take one look at the elated expression on drummer Mike Peters’ face. The hardcore fans of hardcore are familiar to lead vocalist Liam Cormier, who is all too used to seeing their contorted faces screaming back at him, but the wider crowd are formally introduced to the motherfucking Cancer Bats. He calls out the “sick lineup” with so much representation from Canada – Silverstein, Cancer Bats, Counterparts and the world-class headliner Alexisonfire (with vocalist George Pettitt joining for his guest verse in ‘Pneumonia Hawk’). 

Cancer Bats have played at Slam Dunk “7, 8 or maybe twelve times” so it’s an old stomping ground for most of the band, except guitarist Katie Lamond who’s playing in the UK for the very first time. She’s more than up-to-speed with the band’s discography, tearing her way through tracks including ‘Sabotage’, ‘Hail Destroyer’ and ‘Lonely Bong’ from their latest release, ‘Psychic Jailbreak’. For such angry music, it’s an upbeat set with everyone both on- and off-stage absolutely pumped to be there. [CA]

WITH CONFIDENCE

How to accurately convey the joy that With Confidence bring to Slam Dunk? There’s barely a bucket hat in sight at Slam Dunk today and yet front man Jayden Seeley breaks the mould, wearing his with pride, alongside a grin that never once subsides over the 35-minute set – a grin reflected on the faces looking up at the stage. This is Australian pop-punk at its finest and if you close your eyes you could almost be on Warped Tour with the searing heat now beating down and catchy riffs filling your ears. There’s an appropriate level of confidence exuding from the band who seem to know that fans will sing along word for word from the moment they start playing, a well-oiled machine made up of four slick musicians making it very easy to love them. It’s been three years since the band were last here but they’re met like old friends, talking to the crowd as though they are, too – from call and responses to that endearing Australian banter, the time between songs is filled well, making every moment enjoyable and leaving you wishing it might never end. [YB]

HOT MULLIGAN

Hot Mullligan haven’t played a single note yet and they’re already demanding that a pit opens up in the Key Club stage’s crowd. Today’s rammed and already sweaty crowd obliges without question before ‘Something About a Dead Dog’ kicks in and they happily follow yet another request: “If you know the words, sing it”. Beers they’ve queued an hour to purchase for an extortionate price are flung into the air, soaking those below it, and it’s very quickly clear what a chaotic half hour this is turning out to be. You’d never guess from the band’s wild popularity that this is their first time in the UK; as each song passes, increasingly more crowdsurfers sprint out from in front of the barrier, adrenaline coursing through their veins, ready to do it all over again. It’s hard to pinpoint a fan favourite here today, as each song is met with the same level of enthusiasm as the last, and with the four-piece being so perfectly in sync, playing each to perfection, it’s not hard to see why. This may be their first time on our shore but if today proves anything, it won’t be their last. [YB]

THE WONDER YEARS

Under the canopy of the Rock Sound tent, anticipation is palpable as we wait for The Wonder Years to begin their double set. It’s off to a go with a chant for guitarist Nick Steinborn, who was in COVID quarantine until this very morning. And what a day to have the freedom to play again; the album ‘Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing’ came out in 2011 and its 10-year anniversary celebration is now long overdue.

With so many changes and hiccups in the band’s formative years, vocalist Soupy (Dan Campbell) admits he wasn’t even sure they’d be on stage a year later. But here they are, coming out swinging to the opening track ‘Came Out Swinging’, with hundreds of people singing along. And not just singing, the kind of screaming that rips from the pit of your stomach through your hoarse throat, with well-rehearsed words that clearly mean so much to every person there.

The Wonder Years are far too humble, claiming to be a band who plays basements rather than festival tents, and are always surprised to see people waiting for them as they walk out on stage. But they didn’t simply play this year’s Slam Dunk, they retained an engaged crowd through two albums played in their entirety – with ‘The Upsides’ (2010) following ‘Suburbia’. So they might be the underdogs, but at Slam Dunk it’s where they belong. As Campbell said himself, it’s here they’re home. [CA]

MAGNOLIA PARK

Somewhat new kids on the block, Magnolia Park have recently made a name for themselves, deservedly picking up a host of new fans, finding themselves on the cover of Kerrang! back in May and collaborating with Mayday Parade’s Derek Sanders. It makes sense then that the band’s set today should go down like a house on fire, with those fans standing front and centre screaming along to each and every word as they make their way through the setlist. A surprise cover of Fall Out Boy’s ‘Sugar We’re Going Down’, while not necessary, picks up those hanging around the edges, bringing them further in and getting them just that little bit more on board. This band pushes boundaries, sounding unlike anything we’ve heard today, and their performance is sure to see them picking up new loyal followers aplenty. Shortly from the end of the set, the band encourage the whole Key Club tent to get down on the floor before jumping up at ‘that moment’ in the song. This energy carries us through to the end of the set and beyond, leaving us more than satisfied and endlessly intrigued to see what’s coming next. [YB]

BEARTOOTH

In your chest, you can feel the power pulsating from the speakers before Beartooth have played a single note. They’re here to do one thing and one thing only, says frontman Caleb Shomo, and that’s “to rip our fucking faces off with rock and roll”. It’s loud and intense and, of course, there’s a healthy amount of naked flame. 

The weight of the music and guttural vocals are beautifully juxtaposed against the grinning face of every single crowdsurfer who’s running past the barrier and diving straight back in to experience it all over again (and again).‘Disease’, which Shomo hates singing alone, and ‘In Between’ get the biggest and most powerful reaction – the crowd is vast and alive. Ending with ‘The Last Riff’ is an unusual choice, with little opportunity for spectators to get involved as the five-piece jam on stage, but maybe this is a moment just for the band.

You can’t underestimate the catharsis of seeing live music, which Shomo talks about, having had conversations with fellow bands about how we’ve all been sorely missing these opportunities to let loose, let go of our bullshit and rid ourselves of everything we’ve been holding in. With it being the first proper festival season since pandemic restrictions were lifted, it has even more gravity this time around. The truth, Shomo says, is that music isn’t just ‘something’. It’s everything: the blood coursing through his veins, his first language and it truly means the world when people come and watch Beartooth play. [CA]

THE STORY SO FAR

Stepping into The Wonder Years’ very big shoes are Californian four-piece, The Story So Far. Rivalling their predecessors for the largest crowd at The Rock Scene stage today, it’s no surprise that this band has been on the scene for 15 years as they receive a roaring welcome when taking to the stage. Today’s set is made up of hit after hit, each seeing the crowd all but drown out front man Parker Cannon (sometimes taking over entirely as in ‘Roam’) as they easily recall the lyrics from their old favourite songs. It stands, then, that the energy never once wanes, arms stretching in the air desperately, reaching for an unknown prize, and crowd surfers’ limbs flailing – an energy that’s matched by those on stage. After 15 years or so of practice, their performance is polished and goes off without a hitch and it’s clear to see how this band have persevered in a cut throat industry for such a long time. Here’s to the next 15. [YB]

ALEXISONFIRE

Today’s strongest performance without a doubt comes from the mighty Alexisonfire. After a hiatus that lasted far too long for anyone’s liking, AOF returned back in 2015 and yet despite a handful of singles, have yet to bless our ears with a new studio album since 2009. This come and go nature generally makes their shows more exciting but today, with their brand new album just weeks away, their Jagermeister stage headline set ignites something brand new in us – a fire that blazes more wildly than ever. 

The three vocalists, George Pettit, Wade MacNeil and Dallas Green complement each other as perfectly as ever, their differing tones each adding more texture to the performance and working together with the excellent musicianship to create something truly magical. Whether you’re singing along to your favourites (hello, ‘Boiled Frogs’) or moving in time to the instrumental opening of ‘.44 Calibre Love Letter’, there’s not a moment during this set where you won’t find yourself truly entranced by the scenes on stage and the sounds hitting our ears. 

As Pride Month is upon us, it’s only right that we feel safe here today, and Alexisonfire’s shows are pinned as such simply by the inclusion of ‘Accept Crime’ on the setlist – an inclusion that has never been limited to the month of June – and with today’s interchangeable weather, it wouldn’t have been too surprising if in this very moment a rainbow had appeared over the stage. The inclusion doesn’t stop there, either, as a call and response ensues during 2006’s ‘We Are the Sound’ before ‘Pulmonary Archery’ takes a beautifully chaotic turn and ‘Young Cardinals’ presents itself as the most impressive performance of the set. 

This band is on top form, better than they’ve ever been even after 21 years – our only complaint is that this couldn’t go on forever and ever. [YB]

NOVA TWINS

Nova Twins have seemingly burst onto the alt music scene since their first release in 2016, and have already secured a well-deserved headline slot today at Slam Dunk. It’s an intimate crowd, in unfortunate competition with the nostalgia trip Sum 41 offer and powerhouses Deaf Havana, but the pair are more than up for partying with the loyal fans who made it to the Key Club stage. As we’ve come to expect from Nova Twins, their set is politically driven and celebrates bodily autonomy, overthrowing oppressive systems and being fearlessly feminine. The crowd, though small, are mighty in their own way, even singing and dancing along emphatically to music that’s never officially been released. It’s clear that the integrity of this Kerrang! cover band has allowed them to grow monumentally since their inception, however their catchy sound and ferocious energy undoubtedly got them on the map in the first place, allowing them to spread their message far and wide. With a new album out now, this band is sure to continue to grow and next time there will be far more there to witness the beautiful carnage.  [CA/YB]

DEAF HAVANA

Like many bands, lockdown wasn’t easy on Deaf Havana, who almost called it quits last year, but today sees them back with a brand new lineup joining brothers James and Matt Veck-Gilodi as they introduce us to a shiny new era. While the sound isn’t quite up to scratch (although James V-G’s vocals are stronger than ever) and, as with Nova Twins, they’re battling the Sum 41 headline set over at the Dickies stage, they’re met with a delighted reception from those fans that are in attendance tonight. That’s not to say the crowd is small, necessarily, but certainly smaller than what you’d expect from a band of this calibre and general popularity, and you can’t help but feel they deserve so much more. With a setlist that spans their discography, there’s something for fans old and new, with 2018’s ‘Rituals’ songs ‘Worship’ and ‘Sinner’ in particular receiving some of the fiercest responses across the set. The newer material shines brightly through the falling sun, with many fans already knowing all the words to the fresh songs that have made it onto the setlist, some of which have barely been a month or so at the point of playing. With a headline tour coming our way in November, this is a perfect warm up and introduction to this new era of Deaf Havana – we’re very excited to be aboard this ship with them. What a way to end a truly glorious day. [YB]