On Tuesday 11 June, the band will perform ‘Punk In Drublic’, ‘Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing’ and ‘Pump Up’, with support from Descendents, Codefendants, Pulley and Last Hounds, while on Wednesday 12 June they’ll play ‘So Long & Thanks’, ‘White Trash’ and ‘The Decline’, with support from Circle Jerks, SNUFF, The Meffs and The Last Gang.

Renowned as one of the world’s most controversial and significant punk bands of their era, they are no strangers to pushing boundaries at their live shows, and the second leg of their final tour will be no different. NOFX will deliver about forty songs each night, encompassing different albums and rarities, and they will make sure to never repeat a setlist to guarantee that each performance is unique.

The announcement follows the release of new music from the band – their latest single ‘I’m A Rat’ is out now, and is taken from their upcoming album ‘Half Album’, which is due for release on Friday 19 April via Fat Wreck Chords. “Was it worth it? Was it worth spending five years finishing the five songs on my double album project that I thought were the worst of the bunch?” asks Fat Mike. “Was it a good idea to spend so much time raising the runts of the litter? Was it an error in judgement when I wrote a song about the magnitude of my arrogance? I think the answers to all of these rhetorical questions might be found by listening to this half-sided album… but I seriously doubt it.”

Tickets on sale 10am Friday 15 March 2024 at ticketmaster and o2academybrixton

‘Suicide By Pigs’ is one of the most raw, nihilistic songs to emerge in a long time, like carving a heart into your arm rather than wearing it on your sleeve. As a single, it’s the post-it note that reminds us that Fat Mike is capable of deep emotional intensity in the midst of the rest of his flippant lyrical commentary. It’s tragic and beautiful and still somehow hopeful that friendships will be what survives after a struggle, summoning the urge to text all the punk kids you hung out with when you were a punk kid and remind them of the nights when you’d talk about “turning pipe dreams into pipe bombs.”  That outsider spirit continues in second single ‘Abscessed’ by trapping you in a tight, pent-up clicking guitar before a release into a flying pop punk chorus. Dropping in two very contrasting vocalists isn’t a new tactic, but it’s always a good one; give us high melodic freedom mixed with a tense, assertive hip-hop vocal and you’re onto musical gold. 

Codefendants promised us a “completely genre-fluid album – a cross between hip hop, new-wave, flamenco, and the Beatles,” but don’t assume that means each song is a mashup of Hey Jude and 99 Problems. ‘Fast Ones’ is dark and dominated by a blurry repeating sample, the kind of song designed to played on car stereos at a tinnitus-inducing volume at 2am, and ‘Sell Me Youth’ is sarcastic eighties electronica put through a grinder and re-rolled into something far more politically conscious. But there’s one thread which unites this diverse set of songs: a desire to pull the listener into the questions that each song raises. “Heroes are human, and humans can be trash / That includes you listening, you’re not immune” sings Sam on ‘Brutiful’, and from the outset ‘Disaster Scenes’ asks us to define the difference between trauma dumping and laying your soul bare as an artist. We are as much a part of the album as the band are, and that’s both an unsettling and intimate experience. 

In some ways ‘This is Crime Wave’ summarises itself on ‘Brutiful’: “It’s brutal and beautiful, to some it’s art; to some it’s sh*t.” This album is going to be a shock for the fans expecting NOFX but with a rapper involved, and it’s not necessarily going to be a project which changes the musical landscape. It may even get a few listeners to turn away from Fat Wreck. However, it is indeed both brutal and beautiful, taking the confessional moments from Fat Mike’s earlier work and combining them with a sense of the world these punks inhabit without resorting to cliches about ‘growing up on the streets’. Other artists with a yearning to make themselves seem gritty, take note; the bar has now been set for genre-hopping punk rock introspection. 

KATE ALLVEY

The highs of ‘Punk in Drublic’ are a distant, 27-year old memory. Since then, there have been some utterly forgettable additions to the NOFX canon, and it was reaching a point where Fat Mike and co became the band you just wanted to play the hits. However, 2016’s ‘First Ditch Effort’ marked one of the best records the group has written since their late-90s heyday.

Five years on, NOFX pick up where ‘First Ditch Effort’ left off with ‘Single Album’, their 14th studio record. It’s dark and deeply personal, revisiting some of the same motifs – addiction, death of loved ones, and crumbling relationships. It contains some of the best songs NOFX have written to date, and continues what has been a very much unexpected renaissance from one the elder statesmen of punk.

Opening with ‘The Big Drag’, a track which Fat Mike has already labelled one of his “favourite NOFX songs ever”, it’s a slow-burning post-hardcore track imploring the protagonist to make the most of life. Surprisingly, for a NOFX record, this is one of the more optimistic songs on ‘Single Album’.

We delve into the depths of Fat Mike’s struggle with addiction on ‘Birmingham’ which describes a tale of relapsing. Meanwhile, ‘Fish in a Gun Barrel’ pulls out the Hammond organ, saxophones and upstroke guitars as he reels off the various questions that are asked every time a mass shooting occurs, ending with the pertinent line, “Only a lunatic would sell a lunatic a gun”, a barb at the US’ gun culture stance.

In among the darkness, however, there is the trademark NOFX sense of humour such as ‘Fuck Euphemism’ where Fat Mike pictures his first “gender pronoun bar fight” in brutally discussing his own sexuality. Then ‘Linewleum’ pays homage to their biggest hit – ‘Linoleum’ – and gives the 1994 classic a send off that only NOFX could provide, by parodying it to the absolute hilt.

It’s the closing triple header of ‘Grieve Soto’, ‘Doors and Fours’ and ‘Your Last Resort’, though, that cements ‘Single Album’ into the highest echelons of NOFX’s vast back catalogue. Dealing with the death of Adolescents’ front man Steve Soto, the rampant drug abuse and overdoses of the 1980s LA punk scene and the trauma of a failing relationship, respectively, they display some of the most poignant songwriting the band have done to date.

To say that a group can mature after 40 years together seems churlish and overdramatic but ‘Single Album’ continues the devastating themes that ‘First Ditch Effort’ laid the foundations for. It feels that rather than going through the motions, NOFX are breaking new ground and confronting topics that would’ve brushed under the carpet 20 or so years ago.

The lyrics are devastating, the commentary is razor sharp, the tempo is fast and sneering, and the guitar solos drop in all the right places. After – in their words – 40 years of “fuckin’ up”, ‘Single Album’ may just be the most memorable record Fat Mike, El Hefe, Melvin and Smelly have produced.

TOM WALSH

We’ve seen reunions of bands we thought were long gone, experienced anniversary tours of our favourite albums, even lost some of our most beloved band members… You name it, we’ve been through it, and while it’s been a rollercoaster of emotion – life is life, after all, and it’s not always as perfect as we’d like – it’s each of these moments that have set up the industry for the decade to come.

The Punktastic team has chosen the 11 moments we think have changed the industry this past 10 years – for both better and worse. Check them out below!

Don’t forget to check out our Bands Of The Decade, Albums Of The Decade, and Bands of the Next Decade articles.

Contributors: Liam Knowles [LK], Romy Gregory [RG], Dave Stewart [DS], Tom Walsh [TW], Gem Rogers [GR], Yasmin Brown [YB], Fiachra Johnston [FJ]

Refused – Comeback (January 2012)

Refused released ‘The Shape Of Punk To Come’ in 1998, but split up the same year before it really had time to gather much traction. In the wake of the band’s demise, the album became a cult classic and is rightfully lauded by many as a masterpiece, the album title ringing true as it became one of the most influential hardcore / punk albums of all time. This meant that a lot of frustrated punks would never get the chance to hear these incandescent tracks live, leaving Refused as little more than a legend; an intangible concept on an immovable pedestal. Fast forward to 2012, and after a couple of years of rumours, Refused finally reformed and the live shows around this time carried all the politically charged fury, limitless energy and the glorious feeling of fresh relevance that the album had captured 14 years earlier, a feeling most bands wouldn’t be able to carry forward so long after creating the work. Granted, the albums they’ve released since, 2015’s ‘Freedom’ and 2019’s ‘War Music’, have had mixed reviews, but that initial comeback was an inferno that most people never thought they’d get a chance to witness, and nothing can undo that. [LK]

The Ghost Inside – Post-crash comeback show (July 2019)

In November 2015, hardcore heroes The Ghost Inside were involved in a tragic and fatal bus accident, seriously injuring the entire band and taking the lives of crew members and passengers of the other vehicle involved. Vocalist Jonathan Vigil had to undergo intense physical therapy in order to walk again, bassist Jim Riley lost part of his foot, drummer Andrew Tkaczyk even lost one of his legs. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer band, and it devastated fans and peers everywhere. Donations for the band started to flood in from around the globe, including a song Stray From The Path where every penny was given to the band to aid their recovery. Their record label, Epitaph, even stopped taking their cut from record sales so that the band could get every penny they needed. The love was just growing and growing, everyone yearning for some better news. So, in 2017 when they started hinting that they were still striving to get back on stage, that support jgrew even more. Each member of the band was physically improving, their mental battles being won every day, and everyone stuck right by them through their arduous journey to recovery. And then it happened – they announced their first show in 4 years, taking place in their hometown in July 2019. No support acts announced, no set list hints, nothing – just a date, a place and a time to arrive. Those lucky enough to attend were part of an outdoor show, a sort of TGI headlined mini festival, and when the band took the stage it was an emotional and powerful moment. There wasn’t a single person without goosebumps, regardless of whether you were there physically or watching a live stream. They performed like the injuries had never happened, and though it will have taken an incredible physical toll on them they sure as hell made it clear that they wanted to keep the flame alive. It was one of the most emotional and intense moments of the decade. The bus incident had the potential to destroy their careers, but their passion for music kept it alive. Undeniably inspirational. [DS]

Architects – Tom Searle’s death & the unifying of the metal community (August 2016)

The metal world is often heralded for the love and support within the community, and a blindingly bright light was shone on that community after the death of Architects guitarist Tom Searle became public knowledge. In August 2016 when drummer Dan Searle announced the tragic death of his brother, bandmate and founding member, it shook the entire genre. What was seemingly an out of the blue announcement for the world had actually been years in the making, with Dan explaining that his brother had been suffering from cancer for the last few years, choosing to keep it private and make the best of the time he had left. It also became apparent that ‘All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us’ was largely centred around Tom’s illness, turning the already stunning album into an emotional and poignant swan song. The outpouring of love and support that flooded Architects was truly beautiful, coming from both bands and fans alike. So many stories started to come to the surface, all of them highlighting how Tom was, and how unique a sense of humour he had. Not only that, but the way Architects handled it all was beyond admirable, seeing out the rest of their scheduled tour dates and dedicating everything they did to his memory – something they’re still doing to this day. Tom is still sorely missed by his former band members and by the metal community but his legend still lives on, his untimely passing demonstrating just how beautiful heavy music and those involved with it can be. [DS]

Arcade Fire – Winning Album of the Year (February 2011)

Ah, 2011: Where Rebecca Black was soon to rise to infamy and we still trusted Facebook. The grunge of the 90s and the heavy rock and nu-metal of early 00s were very much echoes of their former selves, the holy quartet of The Strokes, Vines, Hives, and White Stripes had left their eternal marks on the industry, and emo and pop punk had hit their peak and were entering the silver age. Yet a new beast loomed on the horizon. As Billboard pointed out in their own end-of-decade retrospective, the rise of modern indie in the 2010s had a marked effect on the rest of the genre, on how rock music was produced by artists and how it was viewed by fans. While there are many events to draw examples of this from, Arcade Fire becoming the first indie rock band to win Album of the Year at the 2010 Grammys was perhaps the tinder that started the fire burning. With a swell of support from magazines like Pitchfork (at the time having an astute focus on indie), Arcade Fire’s third album, ‘The Suburbs’, became a sleeper hit near the end of 2010, leading to the Canadian group picking up the the award in February of 2011 and their most acclaimed album yet, jumping forty places on the Billboard 200 to number 12. Suddenly, bands like The National, Alt-J, Two Door Cinema Club weren’t just the outsider new kids or eternal B-players in the business, they were the norm, reaching the top of the charts and headlining festivals globally. Indie bled into other genres, into alternative, into pop-punk… In a hilariously cyclical twist it bled into genres that the original understanding of indie rock ended up inspiring. It was in our homes, corrupting our children, making them all vaguely melancholic and longing to stare off into the distance from the balcony of an apartment, cigarette twirling in their mouth, all in black and white. Whether it was to your taste or not, the coming of indie was huge turning point in the rock industry, and this moment was the linchpin of it all. [FJ]

Gallows – Frank Carter’s departure (July 2011)

Gallows broke the mould in UK hardcore. The chaotic live shows coupled with a bold, innovative approach to songwriting made them one of the most exciting punk bands in the country, even drawing comparisons to the Sex Pistols. Led by the enigmatic front man Frank Carter, the Watford five-piece produced the visceral ‘Orchestra of Wolves’, a tour de force of bile boiling hardcore, before creating the masterpiece concept sophomore album ‘Grey Britain’. However, with heightened exposure and an exhausting touring schedule, Gallows were always flying close to the sun. After being dropped from Warner Brothers, post-‘Grey Britain’, there was radio silence and the sporadic live shows didn’t feature even the hint of new material. Then in the summer 2011, Carter announced he would be leaving Gallows. Subsequent interviews described a band pulling in different directions with guitarist Steph Carter telling Alternative Press that his brother wanted to be a “big, successful, straight-up rock band, like Queens of the Stone Age”. Frank would go on to form the ill-fated Pure Love before returning to heavier roots and gaining heightened success with Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. Gallows would remain and enlist Alexisonfire’s Wade MacNeil on vocals, recording a further two albums, and while the change was passable, it would never quite reach the excitement and quintessential British sound of the band’s early work. Just as explosive as they entered the punk world, it was only fitting that this is the way it would end. [TW]

Green Day – Reading + Leeds anniversary performances of ‘Dookie’ (August 2013)

As the annual Reading and Leeds Festivals prepared to host their 2013 edition, it was a tumultuous time for Green Day. Almost a year had passed since Billie Joe Armstrong’s infamous intoxicated rant at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas and reception of what would be an ill-advised trio of albums had been considerably lukewarm. After such an illustrious career, this start was now on the brink of collapsing. However, 2013 presented the 20th anniversary of ‘Dookie’, a masterpiece of snotty punk alienation that turned three working class kids from the Bay Area into global stars. It was a record that was a catalyst in the immersion of a thousand punk bands. In the almost monsoon conditions in Leeds, a newly-sober Armstrong led the celebration of this iconic album. Played in its entirety, the performance seemed to completely reinvigorate the fading aura of Green Day, the timeless classics of ‘Welcome to Paradise’ and ‘When I Come Around’ cutting through the pouring rain and the rare airings of gems such as ‘Sassafras Roots’ and ‘Coming Clean’ taking us back to those endless 90s summers. The run of shows over 2013 and 2014 took Green Day back to basics and gave them time to consider the real ethos of the band. The overthinking had gone by the time ‘Revolution Radio’ was released in 2016, a throwback to the Insomniac-era anger that had lacked in anything post-American Idiot. These ‘Dookie’ shows reminded everyone just how special this band is to so many people and while in Leeds, at least, we were all head to toe in liquid mud, those 45 minutes felt like being bathed in warm sunshine. [TW]

My Chemical Romance – Return (October 2019)

It seems strange to think that we’re both starting and ending this decade with My Chemical Romance alive and kicking. For a while, it felt like we’d never witness our favourite emo band on stage ever again; a bittersweet resignation that comes with understanding that while it hurts, it is for the best for everyone. MCR fans spent the past 6 years since the initial break up feeling grateful for the time we had with the band, and despite rumours flying around, we never really believed we might get them back. But just a few months before the decade draws to a close, following the slow yet clear dropping of hints across social media, MCR came back to us. The announcement saw polarised responses – this is, after all, a band that saw accusations of becoming sell-outs thrown at them from all directions following the release of ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ – but ultimately, the people that matter most – the fans – couldn’t be more ecstatic to see the reunion fo their favourite band. This is a band that you can genuinely say saved lives, even during their six-year hiatus, and their reformation not only comes with the potential for new, exciting music, live shows, and interactions, but also the potential to reach new kids and revive the MCRmy of 2005. It’s a late entry, but this reunion is undoubtedly one of the most important moments of this decade. [YB]

Linkin Park – Chester Bennington’s death (July 2017)

Linkin Park was the gateway into music for a lot of the PT team, myself included. They compounded a love for heavy music, hip hop and art, and while we may have drifted away from them after the third album, ‘Hybrid Theory’ and ‘Meteora’ can easily be said to be the reason behind our love of this art. When we were angsty, uncertain teenagers, they provided the words that made the most sense to us. They guided us when we felt unsure or felt unappreciated, so when Chester Bennington died in 2017, it didn’t just break the hearts of Team Punktastic, it broke the heart of music lovers worldwide. Chester was a kind, compassionate singer who struggled with depression for most of his life. He didn’t shy away from that, accepting it and speaking openly, becoming a pseudo-advocate for openness and mental health awareness. In a time where it was unusual for men to talk about how they really felt, Chester did so with frank honesty. It’s becoming less unusual for bands and musicans to talk about their struggles but Chester was ahead of his time. I personally believe that, without Chester being open about depression, we wouldn’t have a generation who talk honestly about it now. So Chester, thank you for opening the door. Thank you for the music. Thank you for letting us know it’s okay to not be okay. [AJ]

Taking Back Sunday – Reformation of the original lineup (March 2010)

Over the past year, Taking Back Sunday have been celebrating 20 years as a band, although the lineup hasn’t always been as it stands right now as we move into the next decade. From 2003 to 2010, founding member and co-writer of the band’s debut album ‘Tell All Your Friends’, John Nolan, left the band to pursue other projects, but returned in 2010 to start a whole new journey as their guitarist. While the albums that were released in the 7 years Nolan was working elsewhere are arguably some of TBS’ best to date, it wasn’t until his return that it really felt like Taking Back Sunday again. TAYF is a persistent fan favourite, and Nolan’s return led to an authentic reunion tour followed by a 10 year anniversary tour and, this year, a 20 year anniversary tour that saw the album played live in full every single night. It’s only really in hindsight that we can see the impact that this reformation had on the success of the band and the intensity of the fanbase, and admit that Taking Back Sunday was just never really the same without John Nolan. It was one decision, but it changed the entire future of this band. And I ask this question sincerely: Can you imagine a TBS show without Adam Lazzara’s southern drawl introducing “John Nolan on the gee-tar”?! [YB]

Frightened Rabbit – Scott Hutchison’s death (May 2018)

What is there to write about Scott Hutchison that hasn’t already been said? Scott was a phenomenally talented musician and artist who wrote raw, soul-baring music in both Frightened Rabbit and his solo project Owl John, and the outpouring of love after his passing in May 2018 showed how he touched countless lives from afar. For so many, the lyrics Scott wrote vocalised their struggles with depression and anxiety, making them feel heard and less alone. There are endless stories of acts of kindness Scott regularly undertook, such as a heartfelt note of support sent to a fan going through a difficult time, that show his remarkably generous nature. Scott’s death still remains devastating in that he was unable to overcome the issues his music helped many others weather, but his legacy is defined by the wonderful light he brought into many of our worlds through his music and his art.

I was in Glasgow around a month after Scott’s death and gathered up the strength to listen to ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’, an album I hold dearly close to my heart, for the first time since the news. I walked the early morning streets of the city and thought of him, and when the line “as manic gulls scream “It’s okay”” kicked in, a flock of seagulls suddenly circled overhead. I won’t pretend it was much more than a small, yet startling, coincidence, but it was a sign that, as Scott once said, “when it’s all gone, something carries on”. Scott’s spirit will forever live on in his music, his art, and in the charity set up in his memory by his family, Tiny Changes. [RG]

Bonus moment: A personal and awkward encounter between our very own assistant editor, Andy Joice, and NOFX (May 2014)

This is more of a personal moment (hey, no one said they had to be genre affecting). And no one said they had to be positive either. This moment goes back to May 2014 in a small hotel in Belgium I was camped out in for Groez Rock. As we check in, an American sidles up to us, looks at a flan left on the reception counter and says, “Mmmm, Cake”. Before I can think of a snarky response, I look up to realise it’s El Hefe of NOFX. Now, we assumed that if Hefe was in the hotel, the rest of the band were likely to be skulking around too and he wasn’t just there for a free slice of flan – and sure enough, come the morning, he was eating what looked like corn flakes and croissants for breakfast. Later that day, after a few beers in the village, we walk back into the hotel, only to realise the entire band were behind us. After holding the door open for the band, Fat Mike turns to me and asks where the toilet is. I’ve got no idea, so I looked him squarely in the eyes, pointed at a door and proceeded to bolt up the stairs as fast as my legs would carry me. It was at that point, I heard him say, “that’s the fucking closet”. I almost died – partly from running up stairs, partly from misdirecting one of my musical idols to a cupboard. To this day, I still don’t know if he found the toilet. [AJ]

The weather is grim (what would a festival be without rain?!) but spirits remain high as we make our way from stage to stage (to stage… to stage…) to enjoy this year’s outstanding lineup.

Words: Yasmin Brown [YB] / Tom Walsh [TW] Images: Penny Bennett / Matt Higgs

It’s always a happy surprise when the first band on your list of acts to see also happens to be one of your favourites, and this was almost certainly the case for plenty of Slam Dunkers this year. Boston Manor are causing a ruckus; ruffling feathers with their controversial yet insightful views about the world today and – of course – those of us who inhabit it. As a result, they’re connecting with their fans in a way they never have before, resulting in absolute mayhem when it comes to their live shows. Taking to the stage with his face covered in a white balaclava, front man Henry Cox is every bit as lively and energetic as you’d expect from someone who wrote the angry lyrics that make up the band’s sophomore album, ‘Welcome to the Neighbourhood’, and the rest of the band aren’t far behind when it comes to energy levels, bounding around the stage and feeling every moment of their 30 minute set right down to their core. And we feel it, too. From a man on crutches fearlessly crowd surfing, to the three minutes of cardio the crowd happily agrees to as one mosh pit turns into an exercise regime, there isn’t a moment of calm. Cox’s vocals are on form, seamlessly transitioning from clean to rough vocals, and the band work tightly together to put on what many might already feel confident in calling the best performance of the day. [YB]

NOFX have brought a little gift to Slam Dunk this year. The Punk In Drublic tour has been making waves across the US and Europe, and Fat Mike has bestowed this celebration of double time drums and craft beer onto Yorkshire and Hatfield. Who better to wake the early crowd from their slumber than Anti-Flag? We’re entering an era where the smell of revolution is thick in the air and Anti-Flag have been a band forever willing to lead the charge. Every song sounds like a battle cry; from the confrontational opener of ‘Die for the Government’, to the raging ‘Fuck Police Brutality’, there is no let up in intensity, even if it is still very early in the day. Closing with ‘Brandenburg Gate’, both bassist Chris Head and drummer Pat Thetic climb down into the crowd to thrash through the last few bars. Just like that, everyone seems very much energised for the day ahead. [TW]

It’s barely 2pm but there’s already strong competition for most energetic performance of the day, as one reunion we all hoped for – but never expected would come to fruition – is realised. Busted are back, baby, and turning up to the Key Club stage just five minutes after the start of the band’s not-so-secret set sees many fans struggling to catch a glimpse of the stage as they sing along to ‘Air Hostess’ from outside the crammed tent. Initially, it’s strange watching pop-punk fans crowd surf to a band whose fanbase in 2003 consisted mostly of 10-year old girls, but when you consider that those 10-year olds are now in their mid-twenties, it all starts to make more sense. Everyone loves a nostalgia trip, and although Busted make sure to add some of their newer releases to the setlist (‘Nineties’ goes down a treat), that’s exactly what this performance is. That’s not to diminish this band’s talent, though. Charlie continues to be host to one of the most recognisably soothing and husky voices in the industry and, as a band, they sure know how to amp up a crowd. As they close the set with ‘Year 3000’ – singing about naked, triple breasted women – it feels as though this is exactly where Busted belong. [YB]

Over at the Impericon Stage, US metalcore band Wage War are laying waste to the tent. It’s an impressive Slam Dunk debut from the Florida natives, as they combine chugging, melodic riffs with the dual vocals of Briton Bond and Cody Quistad. Dipping in to their studio albums ‘Blueprints’ and ‘Deadweight’, it is their latest single ‘Low’ that reverberates around the tent. Wage War do hark back to a metalcore genre of circa 2010, but the soaring clean voice of Quistad provides that stand-out factor. [TW]  

Despite their Australian roots, Trophy Eyes are embraced like family for the duration of their set on the Marshall stage. Not once did the energy let up, with both crowd and band working tirelessly to make this one of the most memorable sets of the day. It’d be easy to assume that smaller stages such as this and the Dickies stage often see fans just passing through, killing time or trying to unearth hidden gems among the bigger names, but Trophy Eyes seem to have pulled in a dedicated fanbase made up of people who connect to this band’s often painful yet incredible music. As the set draws to a close, and Trophy Eyes launch into ‘You Can Count on Me’, there’s a huge sense of togetherness, reflecting the lyrics and creating that safe, comfortable space that so many of us turn to music in order to find. They’re talented musicians, sure, but it’s this ability to create a community that makes them really, really special. [YB]

If you had ever wondered what it would be like to see an amalgamation of a well-built Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison front a hardcore band, Turnstile are here to make that dream a reality. Brendan Yates brings all the sass and swagger that would make these rock and roll icons nod in approval. It feels like a riposte to the often machismo ethos within sections of the hardcore scene to see Yates strut around the stage before hotfooting up the tent support poles. It is not just Yates’ flamboyant performance we’re here to see, Turnstile crank out some delicious chugging and grooving riffs. The thrashing melodies and the guttural screams demonstrate why they are quickly becoming the must-see hardcore band in town. There is an extra treat for the uber Turnstile fans as they end on ‘The Dream’, plucked from their very first EP. [TW]

As streaming and miscellaneous playlists take over from the traditional, structured way of listening to music, genres are becoming muddled. No longer can you honestly say you exclusively listen to pop-punk or hardcore or metal or pop – while many artists have their roots, most are taking influence from elsewhere and Our Hollow Our Home are no exception. Their set is a glorious combination of metalcore and hip-hop, making their heavy sincerity incredibly catchy, too. As a member of the crowd, this means you can dance as much as you can mosh, and they grab this opportunity firmly by the throat, propelling themselves at one another while also fulfilling their dreams of being an extra in the Step Up movies. It’s intense, it’s emotional, it’s raucous and, most importantly, it’s really bloody fun. It’s everything a Slam Dunk performance should be. The wall of death feels anything but frightening as fans help one another off the floor without skipping a beat, immediately throwing themselves back into the pandemonium caused by the equally mad scene occurring on stage. If you haven’t heard of Our Hollow Our Home, it’s about time you rectify the situation. [YB]

The Interrupters’ rise has even taken the band themselves by surprise. “We’re still wondering how we got here”, guitarist Kevin Bivona announces as they begin their short and sweet Punk In Drublic stage set. Their latest record, ‘Fight the Good Fight,’ has gained traction among the punk scene eager for much more of those nostalgia-filled Rancid-esque riffs and anthemic protest songs. It is a hit-laden set with vocalist Aimee Interrupter leading the masses to chant back the words to ‘Take Back the Power’ and ‘She Got Arrested.’ They blend the ska-punk vibes throughout, before ending on the duo of the massive ‘She’s Kerosene’ and the arm-in-arm anthem of ‘Family.’ [TW]

If ever there was going to be a time during the day for a singalong, it was going to be during Simple Plan. Ever wise to their fanbase, their setlist comprises mainly older material, taking the crowd back to the angst-ridden days of their youth. Despite the inherently melancholy nature of songs such as ‘I’m Just a Kid’, ‘Welcome to My Life’, and set closer, ‘Perfect’, front man Pierre Bouvier doesn’t for one second stop smiling, likely due to the “I say jump, you say how high” kind of obedience the crowd are providing him with. This set reminds us exactly why and how this festival started in the first place; it’s the epitome of hating this town (wherever that may be), and feeling misunderstood, yet paradoxically, in this moment, these pop-punk kids have never felt more understood. This much is clear through the passion with which each crowd member sings the lyrics back at the band and how, even after almost 20 years, Simple Plan still draw in the masses as though it’s still 2001. While we know these songs like the back of our hands, there are still some surprises in store, as we see beach balls being launched at us to reflect the theme of ‘Summer Paradise’, and drummer Chuck Comeau switches spots with Pierre, launching himself into the crowd during his five minutes as the ever popular lead singer. If nothing else, this set is proof that Simple Plan are timeless, that we’ll always stay loyal to our pop-punk origins, and that everything is more fun when inflatable beach balls are involved. [YB]

While Slam Dunk definitely has a reputation for being a pop punk festival, it wouldn’t have been the same these past few years without some of the heavier bands that have graced stages such as the Jägermeister, Punk in Drublic, and Impericon. This year in particular, one of the most notable bands that fit into this heavy category is Story of the Year. Effortlessly packing out the Jägermeister tent, they waste no time with slow build-ups, choosing instead to launch straight into it, blowing our minds (and our ear drums, for that matter) the moment they take to the stage. While this band has a back catalogue of five studio albums, there’s a portion of the set where we find ourselves watching an emo cover band taking on all of our favourite tracks of the early 2000s. Story of the Year gave new life to My Chem’s ‘I’m Not Okay’, Taking Back Sunday’s ‘Cute Without the ‘E’’ and The Used’s notorious ‘Taste of Ink’. The highlight, however, is a little more off-brand, as they launch into Yellowcard’s ‘Ocean Avenue’, only to be joined by the pop-punk band’s front man himself – William Ryan Key. While it does seem strange to fill such a short set with covers when your band’s history stretches back 14 years, Story of the Year more than prove their unwavering talent through their unrelenting energy and ability to make old songs feel new again. [YB]

“This is the reunion of the year!”, Liam Cormier triumphantly declares. Cancer Bats are back in the UK for what feels like the thousandth time this year, and they’ve come to party. Cormier is hyped to see all of his friends and the swelled crowd are hyped to one of Canada’s finest exports – after maple syrup and curling. With the pleasantries out of the way, it’s time to get this place moving and Cancer Bats know exactly how to do it. All the stars come out for this 40 minute set with newer tracks ‘Brightest Day’ and ‘Winterpeg’ sounding even more huge. The biggest pops, however, are naturally reserved for the anthemic ‘Hail Destroyer’ and ‘Pneumonia Hawk’, which features a hugely enthusiastic cameo from Pagan’s Nikki Brumen. Cormier has been to this rodeo before and knows how to elegantly command his baying public, and he plays the role of conductor in the breakdown of the homage to the Beastie Boys, ‘Sabotage’. During the breakdown, he implores quiet and you can almost hear the breeze of the oncoming storm waft through the Impericon tent before launching into a rasping scream to signal the crescendo of an end. The chugging riff of ‘Gatekeeper’ brings its all to a close and, yes, now we’re fully warmed up. [TW]

“It’s time to get angry,” declares grandson, aka Jordan Benjamin, as he launches into his 30-minute set inside the Key Club tent. For any fan of grandson, this comment seems redundant, as a large part of his appeal is the anger that infiltrates each one of his songs, but still, we listen, and boy do we get angry. Everything about grandson is incendiary, from his ‘RIP America’ t-shirt, to his speeches about forceful yet peaceful resistance, and it’s only natural that anyone in his presence gets fired up too. If passion is the fuel, the tent is a wildfire, and we are set ablaze. While much of what grandson has to say is fuelled by the dire state in which much of the world currently finds itself, it also encourages positive change, and this is never more apparent than when he asks us to turn on the lights on our phones, and to look around to see just how other people can light up your darkness. There are moments where you might feel bummed out by grandson’s message – and for this he earnestly apologises – but ultimately what this performance is, is a reality check. It opens your eyes to the truth of the world and refuses to allow you to turn a blind eye to the mass shootings, to the systemic traditions that lead to endless cycles of poverty, poor mental health and sheer desperation. As grandson beats his chest and spreads his arms in avidity, you can’t help but feel his passion, too. His performance has all the elements of a great rock show, but it also leaves you feeling empowered, energised, and like you have the ability to make a difference. It’s a rock show, sure, but equally, it’s undeniably a political statement. And for this, as grandson confidently and vehemently states, he will not apologise. [YB]

There is something just effortlessly cool about The Bronx. Whether its Matt Caughthran’s beaming grin and southern Californian drawl, the mustachioed swagger of Joby J. Ford, the grooving tunes, or the raucous atmosphere that their shows create, it’s just done with an attitude oozing cool. The LA hardcore punks stride out on stage and straight into the ode to the working class, ‘The Unholy Hand’. Caughthran’s gruff voice screams of the hardships of being in dead end jobs to make ends meet, before pausing to remonstrate to everyone that we need to “live for today, forget tomorrow, just enjoy everything right here and now”. A huge rendition of ‘Shitty Future’ follows. Caughthran’s presence swings between rock and roll legend to preacher to local comedian, with an aura surrounding him, yet still seeming like someone who’d happily share a beer with you. The Bronx front man continues, “you’ve got a great thing going on here Leeds, there’s so many good and a couple of bad bands, but that’s all cool”, which is met with a knowing laughter from the audience. The Bronx treat us to a rare outing of ‘Cobra Lucha’ before Caughthran drops down into the pit to get up and close with his adoring public, reiterating the mantra of “forgetting tomorrow” before joining the crowd surfers for a celebratory version of ‘History’s Stranglers’. The finale sees him being triumphantly carried back to the stage – this is how a cool party ends, right? [TW]

Four years have passed since Gallows last took to a stage and the rustiness shines through in this highly disjointed set. From the moment they have to stop opener ‘Misery’ so front man Wade MacNeil can join the somewhat static pit, the tone has been set, and bassist Stuart Gili-Ross offers an apology – “sorry, we haven’t played these songs in years.” Fans begin to look on in amusement as Gallows approach the nadir of the set by thrashing into their calling card track ‘Abandon Ship’, only for MacNeil to sing the lyrics for ‘Belly In The Shark’. The faux pas causes another restart and another apology from Gili-Ross. Even the appearance of Liam Cormier to share vocal duties on ‘Last June’ and a shoulder-shrugging cover of The Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ can’t save a mess of a set. While this maybe a fleeting appearance from Gallows, it is notable that the band opted against airing any tracks from the outstanding ‘Desolation Sounds’ album, instead going for the fan favourites of ‘London Is The Reason’ and ‘Come Friendly Bombs’, which have always felt awkward in the post-Frank Carter era. Ever since the departure of the Carter brothers, Gallows have seemingly struggled to forge a proper identity and break free from a sound that made them so special. While this 12-song set did give fans that pang of nostalgia, it is not one that will have them clamouring for new material. [TW]

With the layout of the Key Club stages, the transition between sets remained smooth throughout the day, with one band setting up on the left, while another played on the right. This means that the aggression and anger that flowed through the crowd during grandson’s set quickly dissipates when LIGHTS takes to the stage, filled with attitude and her sultry and powerful vocals. This is LIGHTS’ first time playing to UK crowd in some years, but you’d never guess that she’s been on a low-key hiatus with the number of fans that fill the tent, singing along in delight to every song. For those who may be unfamiliar with LIGHTS’ music, however, we’re treated to a cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’, ensuring that everyone in attendance felt equally involved as each other. Making her way into the crowd for ‘Moonshine’, gripping onto fans’ desperate hands, LIGHTS proves herself to be an excellent performer as well as a talented musician, and Slam Dunk is lucky to have her. [YB]

As anyone who has been to Leeds Festival can attest, an outdoor music festival in Yorkshire is a blatant provocation to the Rain Gods, and Slam Dunk North’s first open air event falls victim to a springtime downpour as legendary punks Bad Religion take to the stage. A little rain isn’t going to dampen the excitement for one of big hitters of the Punk In Drublic stage, though, as Greg Graffin pokes his head out into the steady rain with a beaming grin before launching into ‘Them and Us’. It is a big year for Bad Religion with their first album in six years, ‘Age of Unreason’, taking a typical repugnant look on the world from one of the original political punks. Even as they near 40 years as a band, there is a still vehement anger and this courses through newer tracks ‘Chaos from Within’ and ‘My Sanity’. The riffs are there in abundance, squealing from the guitars of Brian Barker and Mike Dimkich, while Graffin’s signature vocals are as soaring as ever. They take us on a tour through their extensive back catalogue with favourites such as ‘Generator’, ‘Social Suicide’ and ‘Sorrow’ making the diehard fans forget all about their increasingly damp clothes. There’s even space for a rare outing of the excellent ‘Skyscraper’ and the raging ‘Fuck Armageddon…This Is Hell’. The closing double header of ‘American Jesus’ and ‘Punk Rock Song’ finish a frantic, energetic set, and provide a timely reminder that Bad Religion are the undisputed kings of punk. [TW]

It’s left to the band whose seminal album inspired the name of the stage they stand on to wrap up proceedings on the Punk In Drublic stage. As the rain continues to fall, NOFX struggle to continue the standard set by Bad Religion in a slapdash, plodding set. While they have never been renowned for their live performances, there is something entirely sluggish about tonight’s closing act. Fat Mike’s rambling monologues seem to cause agitation among a now sodden crowd with one audience member exasperatedly shouting “just play a fucking song”. When NOFX finally get into their rhythm there are early renditions of ‘Bob’ and ‘The Brews’, which kind of feel like bargaining chips to keep the hardcore fans interested. Much like Bad Religion, NOFX’s latest record ‘First Ditch Effort’ felt like a sea change in the band’s approach with much more personal and angry tracks. There are airings of the excellent ‘Six Years On Dope’ and the poignant ‘I’m So Sorry Tony’, before which, Fat Mike gives a heartfelt ode to the late Tony Sly, whose death provided the inspiration. NOFX finish on a celebratory note with ‘Linoleum’ and a cover of Bad Religion’s ‘We’re Only Gonna Die’, to rectify what threatened to be a damp squib of a headline set. [TW]

While we’ve been consistently soaked by varying levels of precipitation throughout the day, it turns out that All Time Low might actually be pop-punk’s very own Mother Nature. Not only has the downfall cease just in time for their headline set, but everyone in attendance is delighted to note that ATL have “made a rainbow, you motherfuckers! One whole rainbow!” As well as the stunning scenery that now surrounding us, with it being 10 years since the release of the band’s sophomore album, we’re treated to an ode to what many maintain is All Time Low’s best release to date – playing eight out of the 12 tracks on ‘Nothing Personal’, including a cameo performance from Waterpark’s Awsten Knight on fan favourite ‘Break Your Little Heart’. Tears are cried during ‘Therapy’, but quickly dried when the gates to the stage are opened and countless fans join All Time Low for a manic dance party during 2011’s ‘Time Bomb’. Despite Jack Barakat’s countless inappropriate comments, and minor confusion caused by Rian altering the finale of ‘Lost in Stereo’, it’s an otherwise joyous end to an incredible day. [YB]

Slam Dunk continue to bring in the best bands and artists from our world, and we can’t wait to see what next year has in store for us.

The impressive new announcement sees the already confirmed NOFX and Bad Religion joined by Less Than Jake, Lagwagon, Millencolin, The Interrupters, Mad Caddies, Anti-Flag and The Bombpops.

The festival will this year be held at Temple Newsam Park in Leeds on Saturday 25 May, and Hatfield Park on Sunday 26 May. Tickets are available now here.

NOFX, New Found Glory, Waterparks, Story Of The Year, Mad Caddies, Silverstein & Gallows (!) will be joining headliners All Time Low on the 25th & 26th May 2019.

After the huge success of Slam Dunk’s move to Hatfield House last year, the festival has also announced plans for a new site for Slam Dunk North, moving to Leeds’ Temple Newsam Estate. Sadly this means no more Slam Dunk Midlands (you will be missed) but  bigger sites mean even more pop-punk fanatics can make their way to the definitive date of the alternative diary.

Tickets are on sale Friday 19th October at 9am fromhttp://slamdunkfestival.com/ 

Ticket Price £59. All subject to booking fees.

The song was originally released as part of the ‘7 Inch of the Month Club’ series in 2005. So why release a video for it now? Perhaps it has something to do with a certain US president coming into office.

The first will be ‘Oxy Moronic’ on December 16th, which is the third instalment of the Fat Wreck ‘Original Demo’ series. It will be followed by a four track EP, ‘Hepatitis Bathtub’, on December 23rd.

Pre-orders are available now from Fat Wreck Chords.

If you’ve been a long-time fan NOFX, you’ll know that they didn’t need to make this album. It flies contrary to the face of their politically energised, apathetically personal punk rock politics; this is the band that once defined their mission statement as “total, self-debasement and not giving our all.” But after a rough few years of divorce, death and, erm, drop-kicking someone’s head, something needed to give. If you read their recent book ‘The Hepatitus Bathtub & Other Stories’, some of the subject matter here won’t be so surprising. That said, opener ‘Six Years On Dope’, a minute and a half frantic blast about drummer Smelly’s heroin addiction, is still eye-opening. Honest, gut-wrenching and self-loathing, it sets a new tone for a band that have previously been celebratory of their excessive drug use. Smelly sees himself as “a human trashcan, shortening my life-span,” caught up in the waste of his youth, years lost to drug abuse.

It’s a theme that runs throughout the album, the Linoleum-esque ‘California Drought’ seeing Fat Mike mixing his clean living with the recent water shortage in California. “I just gotta try it once, but I say no, cos I got three months” he spits, new-found sobriety clashing with his instinctual desire for a new high. Drugs permeate the album. From the conspiracy theory riffer ‘Sid & Nancy’, to the comical ‘Oxy Moronic’ assault on Big Pharma, peddling pills and the medical-industrial complex, the drugged-up comedown taints the album.

It’s not just a one-track record chiming on about drug abuse. It’s also an album that delves into troublesome relationships that haven’t been fully resolved, like on the venomous ‘Happy Father’s Day’ or the terrified experience of being in an abusive relationship akin to Vietnam on ‘Dead Beat Mom’. And Fat Mike’s revelation about his lengthy cross-dressing history on ‘I’m A Transvest-Lite’, mixes NOFX’s trademark humour with a candid struggle of accommodating his fetish into a macho punk-rock scene, succinctly summed up by Mike as “I’m not transgender, I’m just a lazy cross-dresser who thinks make-up is too much of an ordeal”.

The devastatingly apocalyptic closer ‘Generation Z’ finds Fat Mike terrified at the world’s prospects for his 11 year old daughter. It’s not a moment of Helen Lovejoy hysteria, but a sobering realisation that this civilization may potentially be on the brink of annihilation, “a world that is bleeding, like an animal in slaughter”, whilst simultaneously hoping that the next generation may grow up with optimism in combating corruption, steering humanity away from extinction. ‘First Ditch Effort’ finds NOFX with their guard down on a world that’s – both personally and politically – on the brink. All they can do is take a look in the mirror and work out where they can go next. But at least they’re finally looking.

MATTHEW WILSON