Words: Kate Allvey // Photos: Paul Lyme, Penny Bennett

Call Me Amour

Glittery shirts and a whole lot of love for Call Me Amour kicks off the day, along with what must be the inaugural circle pit. It’s their first time playing any festival at all, and judging by the way ‘Bloom’ gently flowers into a chorus as pretty as its namesake, it won’t be their last. ‘Where’s The Chemistry?’ pulses with dark summer refreshment, and by emphasising the rock end of their sound, we’re fizzing from their Slam Dunk wake up call of a set.

Unpeople

Twiggy Ramirez grooves and summertime anthem energy? Yes please! Unpeople are joyful and heartfelt in their cross-genre rock appeal. ‘Going Numb’s grunge edges fade into indie screams as they take us on a voyage through their own sonic landscape through the dark recesses and sweeter rises of ‘Kangareuben’. They’re a dream of what the nineties scene could have led to had we taken different roads and a hopeful delight from start to finish. 

Cancer Bats

A shot of high-jumping adrenaline, Cancer Bats bring a invigorating and furious thunderstorm of raging punk and outside energy to the East field. It’s been two decades since they released ‘Birthing The Giant’ and they’re determined to celebrate with a set dominated by their debut; ‘Shillelagh’s prowling desert rage blasts with drum-driven intensity, led by an infinitely bouncing Liam Cormier. Their highly refined lack of polish makes for an absolute mid-afternoon kick.

Hawthorne Heights

“I’m not sure if Emo music is the right vibe, there’s blue skies everywhere,” frontman JT Woodruff apologises, but he’s wrong. Hawthorne Heights lure a packed crowd to the far corner of the field, and we sing out the melody to ‘Pens And Needles’ like our lives depended on it, barely recovered after the piercing honesty and stirring honesty of ‘We Are So Last Year’. A full wave transforms this corner into the most sincere pit of the weekend as Hawthorne Heights’ self-proclaimed “Emo throwback bangers” send us back to the happy places of our youth.

Zebrahead

Inflatable grim reapers, an onstage bar and the Team America soundtrack herald the arrival of Zebrahead, a band who have been stuck on the B-List for far too long. However, with punchy solos from the start and ska rhythms illuminating ‘We’re Not Alright’, that’s got to change. Ali Tabatabaee spits bars as crowd surfers flip forward on ‘Hello Tomorrow’ and ‘Rescue Me’ has reached full scream-it-out anthem status, the spectacle of the band obscured by the dust flung upwards by a roaring circle pit. Goldfinger join in for ‘The Perfect Crime’, a highlight of a set that’ll put Zebrahead back on the map. 

Trash Boat

“How the fuck did ten years go past so fast?” Tobi Duncan asks, and he’s determined to celebrate a decade of ‘Nothing I Write Can Change What You’ve Been Through’ ahead of their anniversary show this October. The smallest tent is packed with a fanbase fuelled by devotion, revelling in hearing a setlist that hasn’t seen the light of day in years. ‘Second Wind’s uplifting distortion gives way to the overflow of emotion that is ‘Catharsis’, and ‘Strangers’ feels like an emotional call to arms to send us back into the shocking brightness of the outside world.

Goldfinger

Can anything top ska punk in the sunshine? Goldfinger are just always reliably a good band to catch, and the way ‘Counting The Days’ echoes back across the field would melt the most icy and cynical heart. ‘Freaking Out A Bit’ wraps the jaded lyrics in brassy professionalism, and dropping in covers of NOFX and Metallica adds a jaunty humour to the afternoon. Previous years would have seen them on the corner stage in the ska-punk ghetto, but the decision to give Goldfinger room on the main stage lineup is undoubtedly an amazing move.

Boston Manor

There are two types of festival-goer: those that want the fun, and those that want the heaviness. For today’s crowd, the latter half have eschewed Goldfinger for the emotional earnestness of Boston Manor. With guitar lines like blades and an emotional urgency that demands you take notice, Boston Manor are proving to be the right choice for fans of the assertive, blunt and heavy. For those who opted to attend, ‘Laika’ acts as a reassurance that we were right to be here, as we stand strong in the packed out stage-front.

The Home Team

It’s The Home Team’s Slam Dunk debut and they’re bringing the party. ‘Brag’ grooves are a welcome respite from the heavier music with a focus on pure fun, their boyband energy extended to the most explosive and powerful rock conclusion. From the infinitely danceable ‘Overtime’ to the celebratory, grind-worthy ‘Loud’, each tune is more of a slap than the last, providing the festival feeling we’ve been craving.

Dashboard Confessional

The bustle of the day feels still as Dashboard Confessional present an oasis of semi-acoustic calm with ‘The Best Deceptions’, followed by the resonant universal truths of ‘The Sharp Hint of New Tears’. Of course, as Chris Carrabba explains, they “specialise in singing very sad songs,” but their set becomes a clearing full of joy in today’s forest of bands. 

The Menzingers

We’re hypnotically dragged across the field by the choppy strains of ‘I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore’, the sound of The Menzingers unfiltered by sub-genre suffixes. They slide between the nihilistic optimism of ‘The Obituaries’ and the sly connection with the British crowd posed by ‘America (You’re Freaking Me Out)’, plus, of course, the Springsteen-esque realism of new song ‘Chance Encounters’ which gets its UK debut. As Greg Barnett’s roar grips our chests and sends hands aloft, we’re one again fortunate to have caught the Menzingers in their natural habitat.

President

The masked and tuxedoed politicians continue their meteoric rise with a set marked by a lengthy power cut and an absolute wave of devotion from their fanbase. ‘Fearless’ is gritty and explosive, their crashing sound growing in strength with every show, and ‘Dionysus’ smashes beyond the inevitable comparisons to Sleep Token. With unfortunately limited time onstage, they make every second count with some of the most blistering tunes of the day.

Taking Back Sunday

Even vocalist Adam Lazzara is astounded by the love he received from the crowd as Taking Back Sunday weave sophistication into the setting sun over the West field. He shakes his head in disbelief as we take over vocals on their iconic ‘Cute Without The ‘E’’, but how can he be surprised when we’ve already been slamming to the slinky bass permeating ‘Miami’ and rejoicing to the crisp solos in ‘Error: Operator’? The instantly danceable emo hits Taking Back Sunday lay on us are always a winner.

Motion City Soundtrack

‘L.G. FUAD’ is like a firework going off on the Monster stage, a beacon for those of us still up for a party. Motion City Soundtrack know very well how to create fuzzy anthems, ‘My Favourite Accident’ cresting as a wave of positivity, the vibrant guitar keeping our spirits high. There’s no Patrick Stump guesting on ‘Particle Physics’, but who needs him when we’re buoyed aloft by MCS’ sweet and sour tunes to brighten the early evening?

Sublime

It’s Sublime’s first UK show, and with Jakob Nowell taking over his dad’s role on lead vocals we knew all along we were in for a historic treat. They pay homage to the past with the inflatable Lou Dogs onstage, but with an undoubtably modern reinvention; covering Fallen Idols’ ‘Prince Of Sin’ gives Nowell a chance to shine on rapid-fire vocals in a set that dips and weaves between classic South Beach skate punk, dub and stoner rock. ‘Until The Sun Explodes’ might be played extra fast but it’s just as tender, and ‘Santeria’ feels like the homecoming every MTV kid was waiting for.

Malevolence

Rowdy and with a rhythm to shake the earth, Malevolence’s Alex Taylor is ready for anything in his pseudo-bulletproof vest. ‘So Help Me God’ poses and burns, ferocious and compelling, calling forth a colossal circle pit from those who want their evening exceptionally heavy. Their set passes in an instant, the kind of half hour you can lose yourself in, each song a tribute to the power of maximum noise.

Knocked Loose

It feels inevitable that one day Knocked Loose would have festival closer status, and today they’re as glitching and complex as ever, and their sound works tremendously on a huge stage. ‘Don’t Reach For Me’ shocks and jars, a song for a band revelling in their own chaos, and silhouetted by bare lights, we’re confronted by a band who have reached the place that they wanted to be all along. The ‘real’ closers for those flitting between the heaviest bands, Knocked Loose propels themselves through endless raging bass to create a massive hardcore finale. 

Good Charlotte

The Brothers Madden and co are the star attraction at this year’s Slam Dunk with their first UK show in seven years and a setlist that’s crammed full of hits to spark waves of throwback fever. Even when they play their “emotional song”, ‘Hold On’, we’re swept up by their sound blasting into the night to the point that no one dare move to catch an early train home: we’re gripped by their retrospective, from the tightly-plotted ‘Riot Girl’ through to the galactic club energy of ‘The Chronicles of Life and Death’.

While they might be larger than life now, Good Charlotte have kept themselves firmly rooted in their teenage outsider perspective. ‘Rejects’’ dreamy harmonies keep the loner message light, and ‘Little Things’, dedicated to “every kid who ever got picked last in gym class”, slaps hard, the field a sea of glowing hands. “We’re going to turn this into a very 2001 Good Charlotte show right here,” declares Joel Madden, and reliving our teenage years is what we’re here for. We’re word perfect on ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ – and we’ll ignore the irony considering the Maddens are married to Nicole Richie and Cameron Diaz when the live version of their hit is this good – and closing out with ‘The Anthem’ is an incredibly satisfying conclusion to our months of anticipation at seeing Good Charlotte live again. Okay, we won’t have too long to wait as they’re back in the UK in November, but as the fireworks send us on our way, we’ve got absolutely no complaints about our pop-punk favourites giving it their all. 

KATE ALLVEY

Crucial to understanding Motion City Soundtrack’s sound, and how it has developed, is understanding where it came from. A mixture of early ‘90s indie and post hardcore – Pixies, Weezer, Fugazi, and Jawbox, to name a few. The result was a musical style that was as happy playing in a melodic meadow as it was willing to dabble in darker edges. Discovering them as a teenager in the mid-2000s was revelatory. Here was a band that had a similar energy to the pop punk bands of the era but felt somehow more evolved, more mature.

Those influences shine on ‘The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World’. It opens on ‘Some Wear A Dark Heart’, which twirls soft guitar melodies together with Pierre’s distinctive vocals before exploding into an alt rock anthem. Its a deliberate introduction, simply and shortly constructed, reacquainting fans with old familiar components that have matured over the years. Pierre’s vocal melodies are where that maturation rings through most; effortless and comfortable.

Lead single ‘She Is Afraid’ comes next, bringing in the poppy, catchy energy that Motion City Soundtrack are best known for. Again, the vibe is far closer to ‘90s pop rock acts like Weezer and Fountains Of Wayne than to pop punk. The pace is unhurried, trusting in the riffs, punchy chords and vocals to keep the listener hooked. It succeeds, building towards a brilliant final chorus that overlaps two catchy vocal lines in a way the band have been doing since ‘The Future Freaks Me Out’.

‘Particle Physics’ was written in collaboration with Patrick Stump, twenty two years after Pierre sang on ‘Chicago Is So Two Years Ago’ with Stump on Fall Out boy’s debut album. As could be expected, the two vocalists create intricate harmonies that play over an upbeat, poppy number. The Moog is out in full swing, the lyrics trip over themselves – this is Motion City Soundtrack in classic form.

The energy on display during ‘The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World’ is that of a band who aren’t worried about the direction of their career, but rather are able to reflect upon it. ‘You Know Who The Fuck We Are’, the second single to be released, feels like a natural evolution from the band’s latest output, ‘Panic Stations’ – perhaps more than ‘She Is Afraid’, which was originally written for that album. And yet it fits right alongside ‘Particle Physics’, a song that not only could easily have been written twenty years ago, but was explicitly begun by Stump as ‘a song Motion City Soundtrack would have written but haven’t written yet’.

Even with this level of reflection and an abundance of songs coated in catchy hooks, there are parts of ‘The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World’ that stick out as darker, more infused with the band’s post hardcore influences. ‘Your Days Are Numbered’, which features Mat Kerekes of Citizen delivering powerful vocals, alongside ‘Mi Corazón’ and ‘Bloodlines’, are the best examples of this. These songs feel newer in spirit and catchy in their own right, but in a very different way to the poppier parts of the album. The Moog becomes more of a textural element than a lead line, the chord progressions are darker and the vocals lean into a harshness that Pierre has always been capable of but rarely displays.

It is apt, then, that the closing title track hits somewhere between the two. Its lyrics deal with trying to move away from nostalgia. aiming to live in the ‘here and now’. It’s the album at its most anthemic, which is saying something, and yet still pushes boundaries. The song, and album, end with the booming instrumentals collapsing in on themselves, leaving Pierre alone with an acoustic guitar while the ghosts of feedback echo around him.

‘The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World’ is a labour of love. While many people have been wanting this album since Motion City Soundtrack reformed in 2019, there was no expectation for them to write and release new music. It felt as though ‘Panic Stations’ had marked an end for their songwriting that could have been insurmountable. With ‘The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World’, the band have proven that they can still flourish creatively, especially when the burden of expectation is stripped away and all that is left is their love of the music.

WILL BRIGHT

The first headliner to be revealed is Don Broco, whose Slammy D set will be their UK festival exclusive for 2020 and so is definitely not one to be missed.

Broco will also be joined by State Champs, The Wonder Years, Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong, Knuckle Puck, Bayside, Issues, Ice Nine Kills, Motion City Soundtrack and Hands Like Houses in a weekend long, pop-punk bonanza.

AND there are still plenty more acts to be announced.

Tickets on sale now!

Prices range from £59 for a limited number of early bird tickets up to VIP tickets at £99.
Please visit www.slamdunkfestival.com for more info and to buy tickets.

MAY
23 SLAM DUNK NORHTH – LEEDS, Temple Newsam
24 SLAM DUNK SOUTH – HATFIELD, Hatfield Park

Nottingham-based Lacey were first up but their slick melodic rock was less than captivating. A sparse crowd and some disinterested between-song interaction from the band didn’t help, but a poor sound mix and the decision to concentrate largely on their newest material meant that all but a dedicated few could really engage.

The Xcerts initially seemed to suffer from sound problems of their own, commenting that their set would be a “30 minute sound check” but they soon overcame any issues. Helped by the charismatic presence of front man Murray Macleod they mixed a couple of slower numbers with anthemic crowd-pleasers such as ‘I Don’t Care’ and ‘Live Like This’ to get the crowd truly warmed up. Dinosaur Pile-Up took the final support slot but they couldn’t build upon the momentum of The Xcerts and their grungy rock didn’t fare as well as expected.

However there was no doubt at all who everyone had come to see and the anticipation alone seemed to cause the temperature to rise in the packed venue as Motion City Soundtrack arrived on stage to sound of The Beastie Boys ‘Shake Your Rump’. With such a strong back catalogue to choose from there was going to be some hard choices to make for the set-list, and although more recent tracks such as ‘Anything At All’ and ‘True Romance’ got an airing and were sung along to whole-heartedly, the emphasis was on the classic songs from ‘I Am The Movie’, ‘Even If It Kills Me’, and ‘Commit This To Memory’ which were rapturously received.

Motion City Soundtrack have never shied away from tackling themes of mental health, loss, and addiction alongside tales of failed relationships and the lyrics to songs such as ‘A Lifeless Ordinary’, ‘Even If It Kills Me’ and ‘The Words She Said Destroyed My Planet’ were given extra poignancy by the fact that, for many, this would be the last time they would be able to benefit from the catharsis of singing them back at the top of their lungs. Motion City Soundtrack were clearly aware of what tonight meant to the fans and they posed for a handful of photos with the whole crowd in the background.

After a short encore that built up to the much loved and iconic ‘The Future Freaks Me Out’, all that was left was for Justin Pierre to deliver heartfelt thanks on behalf of himself and the band to those in attendance for their love and support over the years. Never have ‘Last Night’s lyrics been more fitting. “This is goodbye, this is the end.

CHRIS HILSON

Check out more photos from the show in our gallery.

“We have no idea what the future holds, but for now we are done,” Motion City Soundtrack said in a statement shared on Facebook. “Needless to say, we’re feeling all the feels – you may be as well. If so, or if you’ve ever been touched by our music, we ask you to come out and sing along with us one last time in 2016.”

AUGUST
17 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
18 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute 2
19 LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town

“We have no idea what the future holds, but for now we are done,” they said in a statement shared on Facebook. “Needless to say, we’re feeling all the feels – you may be as well. If so, or if you’ve ever been touched by our music, we ask you to come out and sing along with us one last time in 2016.”

AUGUST
17 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
18 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute 2
19 LONDON KOKO

“We have no idea what the future holds, but for now we are done,” they said in a statement shared on Facebook. “Needless to say, we’re feeling all the feels – you may be as well. If so, or if you’ve ever been touched by our music, we ask you to come out and sing along with us one last time in 2016.”

A “very special” tour announcement is due this Monday according to the statement, available to read in full below.

Both bands recently unveiled ‘(Sort Of) A Song For Patsy Cline’, which saw Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack take on The Wonder Year’s ‘A Song For Patsy Cline’ in advance of hearing the finished track.

Both can be streamed below, plus the recent video of the bands explaining the project in more detail.

‘It’s (Sort Of) A Pleasure To Meet You’

‘(Sort Of) A Song For Patsy Cline’

The Wonder Years and Motion City Soundtrack Present: “A Split 7” Experience