Words: Kate Allvey, Rob Dand Photos: Penny Bennett, Abbi Draper-Scott

As Everything Unfolds

Kicking things off on the GoPro stage, the festival’s loose home for its delegation of heavier bands, As Everything Unfolds ushers in the first mosh pit of the day before the end of set opener ‘Slow Down’. The band proceeds to rattle through highlights from their two full-lengths, peaking at just the right time with the now-familiar closing duo of ‘Felt Like Home’ and ‘On the Inside’. The one slight dull edge on an otherwise razor sharp performance comes when niggling technical issues resulting in the sole guitar intermittently cutting out, illuminating just how much heavy lifting the backing track is doing. Nevertheless, the energy is there in abundance and vocalist Charlie Rolfe in particular turns in a strong showing. Slam Dunk 2024 is officially off and running. [RD]

The Dangerous Summer

The Slam Dunk stage openers dish out heartbreaking optimism with the heart of Ataris, offering a furtive start to our day with a bass heavy punch of Americana and emo. The spirit of Brian Fallon watches over their dashes of guitar and ‘The Permanent Rain’ smoulders like dying, thoughtful embers, at odds with the congenial atmosphere surrounding their set. If they were playing at 2am, or sharing a slot with The Wonder Years, The Dangerous Summer would be sublime; as a first act, they’re still really damn impressive. [KA]

Honey Revenge

The first IYKYK band, judging by the crowd running in as soon as they spot the hot pink co-ords onstage, Honey Revenge announce their presence with a gawky wave. ‘Seeing Negative’ makes for a subversive bubblegum eighties start with sonic bass, and vocalist Devin Papadol is overjoyed to be here. “Welcome to our first ever festival set, baby,” she squeals like a Barbie customised with koolaid and safety pins. Brand new song ‘Recipe For Disaster’ swerves past self-loathing and into hit status, and ‘Are You Impressed?’ swings wildly between adorable chiming, frustration and rocket launch bass. ‘Airhead’ ends their set on a high, eliciting eager and unironic horn signs as they stride offstage. [KA]

As December Falls

As December Falls are in a celebratory mood, marking their first main stage billing at Slam Dunk with an effervescent set spanning much of their discography to date, including several cuts from last year’s top 20 album ‘Join the Club’. Opening with old favourite ‘Ride’ and closing with the exuberant ‘Carousel’, the band attack every opportunity with their infectious enthusiasm, and today’s sun-soaked fiesta will likely win over some new converts. [RD]

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Third on the lineup but first in our scarred emo hearts, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus open with ‘Brace Yourself’ and its gorgeous payoff after the intro. They endlessly twist between loud and soft to intensify the impact of each lyric, and ‘False Pretence’ draws a static but observant crowd to appreciate Ronnie Winters’ vocal gymnastics amid the song’s live hardcore ferocity. ‘Damn Regret’ seems to move in slow motion as we’re finally ready to jump, and dropping in a cover of Blink 182’s ‘All The Small Things’ is an easy win to create a positive energy across the field, drawing in those otherwise distracted to appreciate the joy radiating from their set. [KA]

Head Automatica

The surprise return of Daryl Palumbo’s Head Automatica to the UK festival circuit was one of the more eyebrow-raising points of note on the Slam Dunk roster. We’re ostensibly gathered to mark 20 years since the release of debut album ‘Decadance’, a flamboyant maelstrom of post-hardcore, soul and danceable indie rock. Unfortunately, some early technical issues derail disappointingly loose renditions of ‘At the Speed of a Yellow Bullet’ and ‘Brooklyn is Burning’, and while the band persist to find something resembling their stride as the set progresses, Palumbo’s delivery seems loose; almost pained at times. Despite this, Slam Dunk most definitely came to dance, and while the Hatfield crowd becomes the first to hear new song ‘Bear the Cross’ in a live setting, it’s the older material – and most notably set closer ‘Beating Hearts Baby’ – that predictably gets the most raucous reception. It’s not quite the vibrant canvas it was supposed to be, but the smiling faces and questionable dance moves suggest that plenty of people used their imagination to paint by numbers and fill in the blanks. [RD]

One Step Closer

One Step Closer draw a modest but committed crowd over on the Key Club stage. It’s possible that they fly just below the radar of a typical Slam Dunk attendee, which is a shame, because their brand of melodic hardcore is consistently enjoyable and very accessible. Their sound is evocative of early 2010’s Deathwish/Bridge Nine favourites, with newer songs like ‘Giant’s Despair’ adding a touch of the alt-rock flavour brought by bands like Basement and Balance And Composure. Their set focuses on material from recent record ‘All You Embrace’, and their impassioned performance is another fine showing for a band that are slowly winning over UK crowds. [RD]

RØRY

Opening with a predatory electro pulse as we stampede towards the front, RORY has tapped into a shared waterfall of emotion with her music, and the world outside the tented Kerrang stage seems to shrink away during ‘Anti-Repressant’. More than a few in the crowd tear up for ‘Alternative’, and security drop their professionalism and start to film the vocalist as she lays her pain out for us to find strength in. That’s not to say that this is a po-faced set by any means; she serenades a guest dressed as baby in the character of her ex-boyfriend during ‘Baby Vendetta’, and new song ‘Blossom’ lets electro synths water the seeds of rage and triumph under the shade of Evanescence at their most pop. This is RORY’s first festival set, and it definitely will not be her last. [KA]

The Skints

The Skints have “done a lot of Slam Dunks,” as guitarist Josh Rudge explains, and only seem to be cementing their reputation as mainstays in the punk section of the lineup. ‘Mindless’ is a soft opener, but it’s ‘Rise Up’ that attracts curious onlookers with its rapid fire echoes and seismic bass drops. ‘Ratatat’ is the song that makes this sunny corner feel like how you’d expect a festival to feel. “If you know what a ‘capdown’ is, and what it means to your heart,” calls Rudge in reference to the defunct iconic British ska punk outfit before launching into a blistering cover of ‘Ska Wars’, leaving us with a sense that the Skints are the strongest torch bearers of the UK ska punk revolution. [KA]

The Blackout

The boys from South Wales draw a huge crowd, probably the largest outside of the headliners. ‘Save Our Selves’ (The Warning)’ is thrown into the deep waters of heavy rock and swims, not sinks, directed by Sean Smith and his magnificent mullet with help from guest Charlie Rolfe of As Everything Unfolds. ‘Top Of The World’ comes across far cuter live, like a little burst of Blink-ish optimism in the sunlight, and the racing clap-along for ‘Said And Done’ starts a huge pit. It’s the fifteenth anniversary of the Blackout’s ‘Best In Town’ album, and we’re gently chided for singing happy birthday to the band instead of the record. ‘We’re Going To Hell…So Bring The Sunblock’ (“Our attempt to be metal,” according to Smith) fills the field by the Go Pro stage with candy floss fronds of friendship and there’s a tangible, warm bond between us, the band and all the others on the lineup with whom they seem genuinely thankful to be friends. [KA]

Mallory Knox

It’s been five years away from Slam Dunk for Mallory Knox, and seven for returning vocalist Mikey Chapman, who left a little before the band originally called it time. There’s a slightly awkward dynamic onstage as Chapman references his extended break (“Whose fucking fault was that?” asks bassist Sam Douglas  – the man who stepped into Chapman’s shoes for their final self-titled effort – with most of his tongue in cheek, if not all). But from the moment ‘Beggars’ twinkles into life until the final defiant chorus of ‘Lighthouse’, their hard-edged pop-rock soars over the Hatfield crowd and marks a triumphant return. [RD]

Against the Current

Somehow, Against the Current have never performed at Slam Dunk, despite slotting perfectly into the lineup. Newly independent, and with a slew of recent singles just aching to be launched out into a festival crowd, they do not waste the opportunity that their debut appearance brings. We’re treated to an enthusiastic rendition of ‘Running with the Wild Things’, and older cut ‘Gravity’, but for the most part the band are focusing on their newest material, with vocalist Chrissy Costanza covering every inch of the stage in her efforts to connect with the large crowd that has gathered. Their first Slam Dunk, but undoubtedly not their last. [RD]

The Ghost Inside

Legend has it that it never rains on Slam Dunk South, but if any band could cause the clouds to open, it’s the heaviest band on the earliest part of the bill: The Ghost Inside. Live, ‘Mercy’ is dark, sludgy and somewhat polarising (with many retreating to the sunnier climes of The Selector’s set), but with a hidden complexity which tunnels through the compacted grass and up into our spines. ‘Pressure Point’ is fuelled by a violent purity and ‘Wash Away’ evokes less a domestic task and more a weather warning as unexpected keyboard lines contour up nu-metal memories. Disruptive drumbeats and ironic raving from the crowd make this a set of epic proportions. [KA]

La Dispute

La Dispute came crashing out of the blocks over a decade ago with a gloriously brash debut, before crafting a more reflective sound on their genre-defining follow-up. Today’s set largely sidesteps these two towering behemoths of the scene, however, and leans most heavily on material from third album ‘Rooms of the House’, now celebrating its 10th anniversary. In truth, some of the more introspective numbers are hampered by the positioning of the Key Club stage, and anyone further than 30 feet from the monitor is treated to a jarring mash-up of State Champs and the Bouncing Souls drifting in from either side. Regardless, set closer ‘King Park’ snakes in like muscle memory for virtually everyone in attendance, twisting through its breathless build toward its heartbreaking conclusion. The sound of a few hundred people screaming “Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?” may not seem like an obvious mid-afternoon festival highlight, but ‘King Park’ is both some of their strongest material and a high-watermark for the entire genre, and worth sticking around for. [RD]

Asking Alexandria

Eschewing a buildup or lead-in, Asking Alexandria appear as a sudden lightning slam of brutal guitar that dissolves into 8-Bit keyboard. In the pit, a man dressed as a mime climbs onto his friends’ shoulders and films, the only spot of colour against the black backdrop and equally funereal band. Asking Alexandria keep their sound sharp and harsh, leaping between steely cold roaring guitars and vocal ripples. Vocalist Danny Worship folds one arm behind his back like he’s delivering a lecture before passing the metaphorical baton to guitarist Cameron Liddell for a solo that dispels any lingering loneliness. Most of the crowd are flagging in the heat as we draw on the same core of molten lava that the band do and push ourselves to even higher jumps. The clouds finally part during ‘Dark Void’, such is the power of Asking Alexandria. [KA]

Pennywise

A lot of bands have joked about being old over the course of the day but ironically, as one of the oldest bands on the bill, Pennywise show they’re still a force to be reckoned with. ‘My Own Country’ slams harder than it has any right to while still maintaining the strutting nineties rhythm popularised by the Hellcat stable. Pennywise’s sideways slide into full on street punk is working for them, with their coarser sound fitting in with who they’ve become. Of course, there’s a bit of silliness in the form of covering Men At Work’s ‘Land Down Under’, but we can forgive their missteps when ‘Fuck Authority’ is still as fury-filled and urgent as ever and ‘Bro Hymn’ inspires those with mohawk to full-throated song. [KA]

Funeral for a Friend

Atop the Hatfield site’s only hill, Funeral for a Friend take to the stage along with guest vocalist Lucas Woodland. One arm held aloft, a familiar sight for Holding Absence fans, he stands ready to conduct the gathered crowd. As if there was ever any doubt, Slam Dunk is about to witness one of those special performances that will be talked about for years to come. Uniquely positioned to do justice to Matt Davies-Kreye’s impressive legacy, with both the talent and humility in spades, Woodland confesses to his admiration for the band, having grown up in their shadow as part of the vibrant South Wales scene of the time. Energised by his obvious deep connection with the source material, the band deliver an absolute masterclass, seeming as fired-up as they have in many a year.

The crowd mirror this exuberance, singing back every word to a hit-filled set that reminds us just how important this band was in shaping the British response to the largely US-dominated post-hardcore scene at the turn of the millennium. Bathed in the glorious golden hour light of the early evening, this is Funeral for a Friend viewed through Instagram’s Valencia filter – warm and familiar. They’ve played Slam Dunk before, but this is something else entirely. It’s an absolute triumph and quite possibly the standout set of the festival. [RD]

Goldfinger

John Feldman has returned to these shores, briefly removing his mantle of pop punk mogul to revert to his original incarnation as Goldfinger’s frontman as the sun begins to set over Slam Dunk. A lot of the older ska acts really can still pull it out the bag when it comes to an energetic show, and Goldfinger are no exception. Vocally, Feldy can’t seem hit the heights he was able to back in the nineties, but in the midst of the angst and emotional outpouring across the Slam Dunk site, Goldfinger provide an oasis where we’re having fun, counting the days and dancing like we’re still kids. With an incredibly strong fanbase willing to overlook the weaker parts of their set, ’99 Red Balloons’ can’t fail to hit the mark, especially when it’s backed by Reel Big Fish’s brass section. [KA]

The Wonder Years

If there’s one thing that’s abundantly clear, it’s that despite some logistical challenges in recent years that have led to a lot of soul-searching, Slam Dunk is still held in incredibly high regard by many of the artists. None more so than the Wonder Years, who recall a time in 2010 when their career trajectory changed – something they attribute to their performance here. Ever since, they’ve answered the call in return, even pulling a double shift in 2022 when a last-minute slot on the lineup became available.

They may only be playing the smallest stage at the festival tonight, but they wear their Key Club headline slot like a badge of honour, in solidarity with the bands lower down the bill who embody the old-school approach to carving out a career in the music industry. Opening with the quickfire double of ‘I Don’t Like Who I Was Then’ and ‘Low Tide’, the band take us on a journey through their discography, spanning from old favourite ‘Washington Square Park’ to newest track ‘Year of the Vulture’ – which is played for the first time live here tonight, and gets the appropriately feverish response it deserves from the pit.

The set ends in familiar fashion, with a buoyant performance of fan favourite ‘Came Out Swinging’. More familiar still is the way in which vocalist Dan Campbell has no qualms in stopping his bandmates mid-flow and cutting the song short by a few seconds in order to allow an audience member to receive medical treatment – just as he did here two years ago. The Wonder Years love Slam Dunk, and Slam Dunk loves The Wonder Years. [RD]

You Me At Six

The big ticket item for most of the Slam Dunk crowd has to be the final festival appearance of You Me At Six before the band split next year. Some are taking it poorly (the main banner featuring vocalist Josh Franceschi becomes steadily covered in graffiti as the day goes on), but for many, this is an emotional moment. ‘Save It For The Bedroom’ and ‘Reckless’ are a safe start to their set, but it’s ‘We Are Believers’ which begins the cascading tears and chest-clutching from the audience before the sweetness and forceful vocal downstrokes within ‘Kiss And Tell’ cause the sentiment we feel to be transformed into the urge to dance.

It takes a good twenty minutes for the band to hit their stride and bring out the harder songs, but when they do, we revel in their command of a “nice loud communal singalong”, as Franceschi puts it. The splintering riff and gutsy bridge on ‘No Future? Yeah Right’ and Sean Smith of The Blackout’s chanting appearance on ‘The Consequence’ remind us how very good You Me At Six are at what they do, and makes it all the more poignant that this will be their last festival show.  The band are fully aware of this mixed sentiment, and absolutely make the time to squeeze the last remaining juice from our sunburnt emotions. ‘Stay With Me’ bursts with life and starts a long, lazy line of swaying right to the back. “Thank you for making our dreams come true for the last twenty years,” gasps Franceschi, “this is our love letter to you,” before the lilac magic of ‘Always Attract’ fills the air and friends hug each other tightly before the lovely slide into ‘Take On The World’. Thousands upon thousands of tiny phone lights glow in the night on each tender line.

A gentle bounce to ‘Beautiful Way’ grows and intensifies as thousands take their last chance to enjoy You Me At Six; the desperate slam like their lives depend on it, the sensible begin to stream away into the darkness to rejoin the real world. It’s a masterful set that toys with the emotions and leaves you with a sense of both privilege and loss. [KA]

For all the Joker rhetoric, the first single ‘Psycho’ sounds like Maroon 5 cosplaying as a metal band. “I love to get attention, attention’s all I need,” brags vocalist Danny Worksnop. However, don’t let that clunky line or a relatively weak choice of initial drop put you off ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’. Similarly, the soap opera schmalz of the title track, which closes the album, isn’t reflective of the rest of the tracks. Why they decided to finish with sub-par Ed Sheeran nonsense is a mystery, unless they’d worn themselves out recording the good stuff and needed a little rest.

In all fairness though, everyone needs a lie down after a track like ‘Bad Blood’. This is the sound of the band Asking Alexandria were always meant to be. It’s complex, playful and blasts heat like a flamethrower wielded over the crowd; in short, it’s what Asking Alexandria could do all along. Maybe they’ve had a lot of Red Bull, or switched breakfast cereal brands. Ultimately, what’s caused their sudden spike in energy is irrelevant because the result is songs like ‘Things Could Be Different’. Hyper-real in its video game drama, it featues layers upon layers of neon degradation. ‘Let The Dead Take Me’ is another strong offering, with a move towards more challenging lyrics that extend further than just playground taunts. In the interim between 2021 and now, Asking Alexandria have finally shaken off their lethargy and learned to fly.

Thankfully, they’ve also reined in their tendency to believe that slower songs automatically have more emotional intensity. Instead, they’ve turned towards atmospheric buildups and near-silent vocal focus to highlight their increasingly intelligent sentiments, used to maximum effect on ‘Dark Void’ and ‘Let Go’. The latter’s grinder guitars add gritty industrial energy to an already impressive track. Asking Alexandria also gets massive points for including one-minute-long grindcore screamer ‘Kill It With Fire’, which is so at odds with the rest of the album but serves as a palate cleanser between the more worthy tracks.

Where does Ask Alexandria go from here? They’ve set the bar very high for their future records, barring a few lacklustre songs that don’t mar this eighth outing too much. With a high profile US tour in their near future, there’s the potential to use this strong album release to rid themselves of a turgid back catalogue. Now they, and we, know what an Asking Alexandria record should sound like. This album is bound to be remembered as the point when their careers made a huge leap forward.

KATE ALLVEY

Watch ‘Alone In A Room’ here:

The band will be appearing at Download Festival in June.

The balanced, 16 song set, covers their entire back catalogue (excluding the forgotten album ‘The Black’) with newer tracks fitting snugly alongside older material. Going from ‘Alone in a Room’ straight into ‘The Final Episode’ brings both sides of Asking Alexandria together, even with Worsnop turning the refrain of the latter song into a rendition of Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’. Launching into the ferocious ‘Not The American Average’, the crowd scream along with every word before two acoustic songs gives them a breather. Asking Alexandria’s resurrection is complete by smashing through the colossal ‘Where Did It Go?’ before ending on ‘Moving On’ and ‘The Death Of Me’.

Following Asking Alexandria on this kind of form is a daunting task, but not for a band as confident as Black Veil Brides. Striding on stage and laying waste to Brixton on the first song is a feat not many bands are able to achieve, but it’s made possible by Andy Biersack, who may be one of the most underrated front-men in the world. Biersack prowls the stage like a mad man, inciting chaos as he bellows lyrics in his unique tone. The glam-metal genre is much maligned, but Black Veil Brides prove that it should be taken seriously.

Black Veil Brides aren’t always spoken about positively, but with the songs to back up their talent, it’s hard not to be impressed. A stunning ‘Faithless’ leads into ‘Coffin’ as they click through the gears quickly. ‘Rebel Love Song’ and ‘Shadows Die’ sound massive in this venue and when they decide to slow things down with ‘Lost It All’, the crowd participation is spine-tingling. Ending the main set on a triple hit of ‘The Legacy’, ‘Wretched & Divine’ and their first ever song release ‘Knives & Pens’, they leave on a high, before returning for an encore of ‘Fallen Angels’ and ‘In The End’, to put a perfect end to this spectacular show.

Billed as a co-headlining tour, both bands got the same amount of time to impress their audience and Brixton Academy looked massively satisfied. Both bands are playing Download Festival later this year and on this kind of form, both sets could be up there with the best of the weekend.

ADAM ROSARIO

Orange County quintet Stick to Your Guns kick off tonight with a set that’s full of vitriol and anger, fuelling their stomping tracks. They thickly layer on beautiful riff after beautiful riff, offset by Jesse Barnett’s ferocious growls and vocals. It’s a short set, but one that allows Stick to Your Guns to get the crowd warmed up for the rest of the evening.

Asking Alexandria are truly like Marmite – you either love them or hate them, and the room is split clean in two over this band. From the beginning, the set feels like an absolute sham. Danny Worsnop is no better than a strutting, flashy peacock: he’s all walk, no talk. The backing track is grating and, with vocals that suggest Danny’s been castrated in the last 24 hours without the use of anaesthetic, it comes across as a dull, formulaic show with no spark or substance.

From the start, Parkway Drive are simply on another level. With stadium-sized production, they get no less than three circle pits going at any one time and create such a euphoric feeling that people are more than willing to part with their £3+ pints to fling them across the crowd.  From ‘Wild Eyes’ to ‘Destroyer’, they crush speed and aggression to create charged, earth-shattering tracks. The riffs are well-oiled but simmer with visceral power, exploding during the likes of ‘Boneyards’.

Parkway Drive only have one setting and that’s ‘Go’. At no point do they slow down, and frontman Winston McCall calls for more circle pits, for more people to get off the ground and jump. The likes of ‘Carrion’ sees the crowd untie and sing the lyrics for the band; it’s a song that’s just about contained within the venue walls. Their cover of Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Bulls On Parade’ goes down an absolute storm, while ‘Bottom Feeder’ sees their rotating drum kit kick into life.

Put simply, tonight’s been a celebration of what Parkway Drive have achieved over the years and what a celebration it’s been! Full of pyrotechnics and an incredible light show, they show just how utterly fantastic they are – and, hopefully, always will be.

JESS TAGLIANI

The folk of BBC Radio 1 are revamping Radio 1 Rocks, shifting things slightly into the Radio 1 Rock All-Dayer. As well as the usual promise of exclusively playing guitar led music all day, they’ll also be hosting a intimate show in the evening.

Set to take place on Wednesday 8th June, the show will see blink-182 play an acoustic set, plus plugged in sets by Asking Alexandria, A Day To Remember, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Moose Blood, Creeper and Against The Current.

That line-up would be good anywhere right? Well, to make things even more mind-bending, it’s all taking place at the station’s Maida Vale studios. That means there’s only 40 pairs of tickets up for grabs, all of which are available to apply for via the BBC Radio 1 website.

Head over there before 11:55PM on Sunday 5th June to be in with a shout of grabbing a pair. If you can’t get hold of them, because there’s only 40 pairs, you can listen to it all on Radio 1.

In the meantime, listen to blink.

Twin Wild – Jagermeister Stage

Opening the Jaegermeister stage at Warped were newcomers Twin Wild and with only two singles under their belt, we were intrigued to see how their performance would go down. Unlike many of the acts on the bill today, there were no dramatics, no mosh pits and no egos. Instead, the early birds at Alexandra Palace were treated to some great British rock music with just a hint of an indie twang. Soon to be recording their debut album, 2016 looks to be an exciting year for Twin Wild. 

Black Foxxes – Kevin Says Stage

Being the first band on the smallest stage is a tough slot, especially when that stage is slumped away in the basement under the beautiful architecture that is Ally Pally, but Black Foxxes turn out to be easily the most exciting band of the day. Whilst Warped Tour prides itself on its diversity of music on offer, it’s bands like this playing raw and honest material that make a line-up something special. Having only been around for two years and a single E.P. released – Black Foxxes are able to control a room with singer Mark Holley’s gravely twisted story-telling.

While the audience slowly drifts in as more and more people enter the venue, the performance stays punchy throughout. Reminiscent of the ringing instrumentation of The Xcerts’ ‘Scatterbrain’ mixed with the vocal style of Pianos Become The Teeth’s Kyle Durfey, Black Foxxes are something exciting to come out of this scene and something to genuinely put your faith in. Songs like ‘River’ bring a touching compassion through lyricism with the power to turn you into a miserable slump while singing your heart out. It’s ferocious and ballistic and it’s raw as hell. 

Tigress – Kevin Says Stage 

Returning to Warped Tour under a different moniker, Tigress (previously known as The Hype Theory) hit the Kevin Says Stage to show us all what they’ve been up to over the past year. And, whilst the new material has a lot of potential to be huge, heart-pounding alternative anthems, the performance overall doesn’t leave the impression we were expecting. Having taken a more synth based route, they rely heavily on backing tracks and effects pedals, most of which are controlled by singer Katy Jackson, which in turn restricts her from being the performer we know she can be. For a band who are attempting to give themselves a clean slate and new chances, they’re gonna need to step up a little more to impress. 

The Word Alive – Monster East Stage

For an act coming from overseas, playing on only half a stage, running 20 minutes late, in one of the largest and most prestigious venues in the UK, The Word Alive prove there’s no time to waste, getting the crowd down on the ground then up in the air by the end of their second song. Musically brilliant and expertly executed, the musicality in their set is one of an experienced band, and with members like drummer Luke Holland there’s no wonder why this metalcore outfit have seen such rapid success.

Keeping in mind the band are embarking on a US tour literally the day after Warped UK there is nothing held back. Drops filling the vast room and shrieks to match Chino Moreno, there was a lot to be impressed by in their set and when crowd-favourite ‘Life Cycles’ comes in there’s nothing to stop the now large crowd from getting involved and ready to start a day full of music. 

The Rocket Summer – Monster East Stage

It’s been far too long since The Rocket Summer graced the UK shores and having spent three years working on the follow-up to 2012’s ‘Life Will Write The Words’ this Warped UK performance is a special treat. Disappointingly, the crowd is extremely thin due to the fact Fearless Vampire Killers are performing at the same time. That said, Bryce Avery still has bundles of energy and passion which spreads joy to everyone who had made the effort to see him perform. Despite a slightly unusual rendition of ‘Walls’, the set is full of gleeful hits such as ‘So, in this Hour’ and ‘Do You Feel’ and if anything we can’t stop smiling from start to finish. Plus, with hints at returning next year alongside the new album it looks like we can all welcome The Rocket Summer back into our lives.

Man Overboard – Monster East Stage

Considering the hot topic of the death of pop-punk, it’s a pleasure to see what are the ‘defenders of pop-punk’ grace us with their infamous presence. What is a shame is the disappointment of a show they put on. Despite a hefty back catalogue of crowd-pleasers to drill through, Man Overboard are not a live band it seems. Both vocalists sacrifice genuine audibility for hair flicks and fist punches and respond rather timidly to the small turnout.

Despite the lack of excitement Man Overboard are able to bring, songs like ‘Love All Your Friends’ and ‘Montrose’ are still sing-a-long magic in any situation and manage for a small celebration in what is one of the most popular modern pop-punk acts fighting as hard as they can to play the music they love – it’s awkward and there’s a sharp tension to the room, but you’ve got to respect the artists for what they do, and that’s play wholesome, friendly pop-punk. 

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Jukely Stage

With a reborn love for hatred, Frank and his entourage, The Rattlesnakes, are exactly what this line-up needed in the anger department – too many hardcore breakdowns can be boring after a few hours. There’s a huge expectancy of carnage that follows Frank Carter wherever he goes and it’s only fitting that he plays ball and turns the over-sized venue into an over-sized circle pit. By the time Frank jumps into single ‘Juggernaut’, there’s a spiral of people making their way round the crowd and it seems as though Frank’s new project is worth the wait.

It’s something easy to comment on seeing Frank Carter perform live, yes he’s nuts, yes he just told the crowd to move without saying please. But the only reason he is able to have this control over an audience is his innate ability to create adrenaline-fuelled punk rock. ‘Blossom’ is a heck of a debut for the man and with sold out tours all over Europe it’s no surprise that tonights set is a belter. Finishing his set with ‘I Hate You’, it’s awe-inspiring to see an act who can play like rockstars and perform like headliners. 

Creeper – Kevin Says Stage

When there’s a security guard on the door of a stage, trying to cram in everyone eager to see a band, you know it’s going to be something special. Southampton punks Creeper are welcomed by an uproar from fans and the next half an hour is a blur of flying bodies, a room of raised fists and sing-a-longs louder than the band themselves. Frontman Will Ghould is as flamboyant and fabulous as ever, whilst tracks such as ‘Honeymoon Suit’ and ‘VCR’ cause sweat to drip down the walls. It’s an exciting time for UK underground bands right now and Creeper are practically skipping down the path to success.

Moose Blood – Jagermeister Stage

Having dominated Warped in the US over the summer, it only felt right that Moose Blood joined the UK bill, and what a reaction they receive. It would appear the UK crowds are somewhat proud of this Canterbury emo outfit, as they perfectly perform tracks from their debut full-length ‘I’ll Keep You In Mind From Time to Time’ whilst heads bop and sing to the heartfelt lyrics. The great thing about Moose Blood is they don’t need ambitious stage performances or gimmicks, they’re as honest as they come and that is exactly why we’ve all fallen head over heels for them.

Young Guns – Jagermeister Stage

Having stormed back onto UK soil with album ‘Ones and Zeros’ this summer, Young Guns are well and truly making their mark as one of the great British bands of our current generation and their evening slot on the Jagermeister stage only proves this. Strobing lights accompany tracks such as ‘I Want Out’ and ‘Infinity’ whilst Gustav and the rest of the band bounce around the stage, their energy infectious on the crowd. With a line-up boasting hardcore bands galore, it is refreshing to see a powerhouse such as Young Guns deliver a set of passion and talent, without the need for breakdowns. 

Heck – Kevin Says Stage

Heck… It’s been a few years they’ve been taking apart venues and constructing their own stages between every song like they’ve got the attention span of a toddler, getting bored of what they made after a few minutes. I can’t think of a better stage to destroy than the Kevin Says Stage. While an army of emotional teenagers are upstairs watching Black Veil Brides, it’s a sweaty topless picture of chaos in the basement.

Charging through their growing setlist Heck, despite their ‘we’re mental’ gimmick, are actually a bit of a musical spectacle. It’s sloppy in all the right places and polished where it needs to be. It seems guitarists Jonny and Matt are telepathically linked, able to call and receive from one end of the room to another, more surprising considering their few months break form the stage. All of this said, there is a note of emptiness to the set. After a hefty legal battle over their previous name (Baby Godzilla) the band have had some time out to write and focus on producing more music. The appeal of being an incendiary live act can only take you as far as your songwriting. 

Reel Big Fish – Monster West Stage

Well, is there really ever any doubt Reel Big Fish are going to be the most entertaining act of the day? Of course not. Despite becoming an act booked almost as a sure way to keep crowds amused for an hour, Reel Big Fish are a captivating live act. With big personalities and bigger songs, the 20 year-old band have no problem pulling off something brilliant in the slot that’s given to them.

‘S.R’ takes up 10 minutes of the performance, and after four versions are played, what was a tiresome gimmick, turns into everyone’s favourite song and something the crowd of misfit hardcore fans can bond over.

Dressed in their usual slapstick, mod-ska attire, their musicality is far from comical. From ‘Trendy’ to ‘Take On Me’ the 6-piece ska heroes fire through a hit-filled setlist to warm up the crowd for their two headliners, although it could be argued that neither can compare to the sheer excellence that is the Reel Big Fish.

Anti-Flag – Jukely Stage

Fresh off an American, Oceanic and Asian tour and at the first date of a European tour in support of new album ‘American Spring’, Anti-Flag headline the Jukely stage to revellers aplenty all raring to hear the thought-provoking songs of their youth as well as songs from the new album that punch as hard as ever in response to what has been the most politically challenging year for some time. Following on from Frank Carter and his Rattlesnakes, Singer Justin Sane keeps the adrenaline pumping through songs like ‘Die For Your Government’ and ‘Turncoat’, injecting his usual activist personality into their between-song-dialogue.

Sporting garments form various charities and causes it’s obvious this bands fuel is still in abundance. ‘American Spring’ addresses a lot of relevant and global issues and Anti-flag make it their role to both inform and entertain. New songs like single ‘Brandenburg Gate’ are less trashy and more stadium sing-a-long without taking away from the impact of the lyricism. It’s obvious these guys are far from done. Anti-Flag put in what is arguably the best headline performance to a disappointingly sized crowd.

Asking Alexandria – Monster East Stage

Here it is, the long-awaited performance from Asking Alexandria after their first UK show with new vocalist Dennis Stoff was cancelled earlier in the year, and what is their biggest ever UK headline performance. Opening with new single ‘I Won’t Give In’ the band gives us a surprisingly impressive performance in terms of production value, performance and audience engagement. Sadly, this is all we get. From this point on it’s a mediocre performance from a band not ready to headline a festival of this size. Dennis struggles through any previous work, especially songs like ‘The Final Episode’ and ‘The Prophecy’. Despite Dennis’s high range, his movement between clean and screamed vocals isn’t up to the standard of the rest of the band.

For their first performance on UK soil, Asking Alexandria captivated the nervous crowd and gave a clean-sounding rendition of their previous set. This is largely down to the wealth of live experience had on their stint at US Warped Tour, although an unforgivable element of this performance is the cheap use of backing track. It’s expected for an act of this stature playing in a venue as vast as this to have some backline production, but complete lip-syncing of some songs and a backline so loud that the vocalist is inaudible at times is not only embarrassing, but disrespectful to fans that came to hear how the new line-up sounded live. Dennis has a long way to go to earn the respect of longtime fans of the band.

MAX GAYLER & TAMSYN WILCE