Back for its seventh instalment, the festival with the largest inflatables budget in the South West only ever seems to get bigger and weirder, and what’s clear, this year more than ever, is that Burn it Down is no longer just putting Torquay on the map. The work is done – it’s already been scribbled there in Sharpie, and is arguably now a bigger draw for touring bands than nearby cities that are double its size.

With last-minute curveballs including a fourth stage, an indoor halfpipe, a wrestling tournament – and oh, an entirely unexpected bonus third day (not reviewed here) – the team are at it again.

Friday

prom

Brighton three-piece prom are one of Friday’s first bands  in The Attic, the upstairs venue traditionally reserved for the festival’s heaviest bands (and its rowdiest crowds). Their energetic brand of grungy post-hardcore is piercing and immediate enough to make sense in this setting, going down well with the early crowd, despite the fact that they’ve been releasing music for only just over a year.

Tropic Gold

Graduating from the festival’s smallest stage in the Apple & Parrot, Tropic Gold are back for their second Burn it Down in as many years – this time with a main stage slot. Having recently played (and sold out) their debut headline show at Camden’s Black Heart pub, after many years of festival and support slots, the band’s blend of mournful electronica and riffs like landslides is a comfortable fit for this nightclub setting. The band’s EP, ‘SICK TO DEATH OF EVERYTHING’, released in March of this year, forms the basis of their energetic set. On this showing it’s hard to bet against seeing them back here in future.

Still in Love

With former members of Dead Swans, Bring Me the Horizon, Throats and more in their ranks, and arriving at Burn it Down after a summer that saw them link up with Architects’ Sam Carter (on recent single ‘Preserve & Cherish’, which received airplay on Radio One) and ex-Funeral for a Friend vocalist Matthew Davies-Kreye (as their UK/EU booking agent), it’s easy to see why Still in Love have drawn a curious crowd to The Attic.

Unfortunately, some flailing limbs in the crowd land in some unwelcome places early on, and things threaten to bubble over on several occasions. This leaves some of the more casual attendees a little distracted, and in no mood to agree to vocalist Nick Worthington’s repeated requests to step further forward into the bullring. Regardless, Still in Love are on the rise and in fine form. Their set scratches all the itches you’d think it might, given the collection of bands that have led to Still in Love’s forming. Ahead of the imminent release of debut album ‘Recovery Language’, their set is lively and engaging. Ones to watch for sure.

God Complex

The crowd emerges from the chaos of The Attic and filters down to the main stage – but just like Kevin McCallister stepping into that Central Park taxi in Home Alone 2, it soon becomes clear that ‘it ain’t much better in here, kid’.

God Complex are not here to mess about. They probably don’t know what messing about is. Likely the heaviest band to ever grace the stage at The Foundry, their bruising set of sludgy metalcore is quite frankly terrifying. It’s hard to argue that letting the heavier bands invade the bigger stages this year wasn’t the right call, given the committed reaction from the sizeable crowd, but there is noticeably more ‘Burn’ for your buck at the festival this time around – whether that was by design or coincidence. I guess we’ll find out next year.

Glare

On paper, and even on some other surfaces, Glare’s blissed-out shoegaze might feel like an odd fit for sub-headliners in a venue that has previously witnessed Elmo and the Cookie Monster two-stepping on this very day – but their lucid, contemplative set offers some much-needed diversity and feels like an opportunity for the crowd to reset. That’s probably a good thing for all concerned, not least the tireless security team.

Playing cuts from well-received debut full-length ‘Sunset Funeral’, initially delayed due to the pandemic, as well as plenty of older material like early career standouts ‘Blank’ and ‘Void in Blue’, the Texan natives cover a lot of ground during their hour-long set. Still adjusting to performing as a four-piece after parting ways with vocalist and founding member Christian Resendez earlier this year, the band are surprisingly tight, making it work with two guitars rather than three, while also sharing vocal duties. An atmospheric rendition of ‘Sungrave’ brings things to a close, but the feeling of quiet contentment that their music instils will linger only for as long as it takes to change the stage over.

Static Dress

Another band making their return to South Devon, Static Dress are stepping up to the plate as headliners, promising a special performance of debut album ‘Rouge Carpet Disaster’ in full. However, it becomes immediately apparent that there’s still room for a little bit of creative license here, as the band open with their most recent single ‘face.’, followed by fan favourite ‘clean’, before the record we’re technically gathered to celebrate gets any flowers whatsoever. Later on, a touching rendition of the ballad-like ‘marisol’, complete with fake snow, acts as a set closer, before the band re-emerge to finish the job with the actual last song on the album, ‘cubical dialogue’. Technically, this is played as part of the encore – which also includes a new song – before the band bring down the curtain with the anthemic 2024 single ‘crying’.

Album sets can sometimes feel a little disjointed. Not every song translates well to the live setting, and setlists seldom naturally mirror an album’s tracklist. Static Dress are admittedly helped by the fact that ‘Rouge Carpet Disaster’ is already a much-loved entry into the canon of British post-hardcore, but by refusing to play it completely straight, the band ensure we get the best of both worlds. It’s a triumphant return to the Torquay stage, and a perfect example of what a successful ascension to a festival headline slot looks like.

Saturday

Mouth Culture

Mouth Culture are in many ways the perfect Saturday afternoon main stage band. Their soulful and anthemic melodic rock is well-received by good-natured push pits, a myriad of crowdsurfers and various unusually-dressed characters on the dancefloor. Opening with recent single ‘Regret 101’ and ‘Sharkbait’, there are arms aloft and singalongs aplenty. ‘Ratbag’ and set closer ‘Don’t Pull Up’ also illicit strong reactions.

Blood Command

Crawling onto the stage on all fours, Blood Command vocalist Nikki Brumen is clearly in as mischievous a mood as ever. Decked out in their traditional all-Adidas stagewear, most of which Brumen will shed before the end of the set, the (mostly) Norwegian riot-starters launch into the snaking ‘Ctrl+Art+Del’, followed by a thumping rendition of ‘Cult Drugs’, before turning their focus to newer material. With her guitarists flanking her on either side like lane bumpers, Brumen is a human bowling ball careening straight for the crowd. True to form, she is chaos personified. Mid-set stomper ‘Forever Soldiers of Esther’ is a particular highlight, as is the closing one-two punch of ‘A Villain’s Monologue’ and ‘Cult of the New Beat’. It’s a cool, confident, barely contained set that acts as a shot in the arm for anyone daring to let the early afternoon languor creep in.

Guilt Trip

Billed as the festival’s first-ever ‘no barrier’ main stage set, Guilt Trip’s sub-headline slot attracts probably the biggest crowd of the weekend. A large percentage of those in attendance are warmed up, well lubricated and ready to get involved, but even in the wings there’s plenty of general curiosity surrounding the success of the barricade-less experiment, and what that means for the festival going forward. Taking their cue from Outbreak festival, a half-height platform has been installed in front of the stage, and after a shaky start when the crowd gather on the platform rather than stage dive from it (vocalist Jacob Valentine does his best to sum up stage-diving etiquette for the uninitiated), things start to flow and it feels like the situation is self-polices itself pretty well.

The set itself draws heavily from the band’s 2023 album ‘Severance’, a record that Valentine says “changed everything” for Guilt Trip, but there’s room for some older material and even a Machine Head cover. Overall, it’s hard to describe their pulsating set as anything other than a festival highlight and a resounding success.

Karen Dió

Closing out the evening in the Apple & Parrot, Karen Dió is keeping things breezy. Her elastic pop-rock, backed by husband, writing partner and Dinosaur Pile-Up frontman Matt Bigland, is making waves at the moment. Coming off the back of a busy summer of support slots and festival appearances, her setlist and stage patter has been sculpted into shape and feels sharp and engaging for the most part. Opening with the melodic power trio of ‘My World’, ‘Stupid’ and ‘Cut Your Hair’, she stalls a little toward the mid-point of the set before bringing things back on track with a Chappell Roan cover. She definitely has the energy to headline this stage, but if we’re being completely honest, she doesn’t quite have the songs yet – perfectly illustrated by the fact that biggest single to date, ‘Sick Ride’, gets played twice to close the set, simply because she’s run out of material. Nevertheless, it’s a fun 45 minutes that does nothing to harm the likeable Brazilian’s continued upward trajectory.

Cancer Bats

When Cancer Bats were announced as Saturday night headliners, it’s fair to say that a few eyebrows were raised. For a festival that digs deep into the UK underground, it felt slightly unexpected to see a road-worn Canadian band at the top of the bill – particularly one playing their only UK set of the year. Then again, unexpected is what Burn it Down does best.

One of the highlights of the traditional Burn it Down festival experience is being able to scientifically observe the reaction of international touring bands to giant inflatable ducks. As is customary, one such floaty fellow gets hoisted airborne during the early set highlight ‘Hail Destroyer’, much to the delight of the crowd, who afford their returning hero the respect he deserves by repeatedly crowdsurfing on top of him.

Halfway through, things do start to get a little flat, particularly when compared to the absolute carnage of Guilt Trip just an hour or so earlier. That being said, Cancer Bats know how to sit at the top of a Saturday night festival bill, and it’s the closing salvo of the Beastie Boys’ ‘Sabotage’, their own swaggering anthem ‘Lucifer’s Rocking Chair’, and Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’, dedicated of course to the recently departed Ozzy Osbourne, that really gets the crowd riled up – how could those three songs not? Overall, despite feeling like a slightly strange headline booking, the band’s party vibes and likeable personas win almost everybody over.

It’s been another great year of music and madness, and tickets for next year’s instalment, confirmed once again to take place over three days, are already being snapped up.

We’re going to need a bigger duck.

Words by: Rob Dand

Friday

Defences

Getting Burn it Down bingo off to a strong start by announcing to the early crowd that “This is the first time we’ve ever played in Torquay”, Defences deliver an earnest and muscular set on the main stage. Combining soaring vocals and flecks of electronica with melodic stop-start riffs, it’s safe to assume that a few musical boxes are being ticked for those on the other side of the barrier; attendees of a festival where bands with similar DNA have previously inspired absolute carnage. A few songs in, we’ve got the first mosh pit of the afternoon, kicking off before the working day has technically ended. This is why we love festivals, and bands like Defences are the reason it pays to turn up early.

Cotoba

Across the street, the Apple & Parrot is offering a generally less metallic take on live music this weekend, acting as the festival’s second stage. A small sign optimistically advertises some upcoming international football fixtures, but there’s no danger of that this evening, as the many screens protruding from the venue’s walls are only interested in what’s happening on stage.

Cotoba are a Korean band specialising in angular math-rock, and they too are – you’ve guessed it – playing in Torquay for the first time. Positioning passages of fuzzy, distorted guitar alongside jazz-influenced extended instrumentals, they offer up an endearing set of melodic, danceable music that is both fresh and accomplished.

Ithaca

Ithaca are the real deal. Having unfortunately dropped off the 2021 edition of the festival, the band are back with a point to prove, now armed with cuts from last year’s excellent second full-length ‘They Fear Us’. Their pummelling post-hardcore is everything it should be; technical and chaotic, anchored by some curious melodies and a perpetually seductive rhythm. One of the weekend’s standout sets.

Heriot

Heriot are probably one of the heaviest bands on the main stage this year. Their set is by turns brutal and hypnotic, delivering an unsettling intensity that has understandably been coveted by a host of outdoor festivals across Europe and the UK this summer. Arguably, though, the faux-industrial décor of The Foundry is a better fit for their claustrophobic sludge metal, which prowls around every inch of the venue with venomous intent. Cider-soaked, sun-kissed anthems, these are not. A majestic and memorable showing.

Angel Du$t

In a weird way, tonight’s set is a release party of sorts for Angel Du$t, accompanying as it does the release of fourth record ‘Brave New Soul’. One imagines that playing to a dwindling Friday night crowd in a small town 3,500 miles from home, having replaced festival alumni Loathe on the bill at the eleventh hour, was not how they’d have chosen to mark the occasion. Nevertheless, those who have stayed get nothing less than 100% from the dogged Baltimore crew. Some of the transitions between old and new material can seem a little disjointed, and possibly a little too demanding for a crowd who have been burning it down all day, but it’s an engaging set from a band who still sit in the shadows of their more readily celebrated peers, despite the fact they’ve been crowbarring unusual points of reference into their music for just as long.

Saturday

Lizzy Farrall

Lizzy Farrall brings an appealing melodic presence to the mid-afternoon main stage. The shimmering pop-rock of 2020 album ‘Bruise’ glistens with a melancholic broodiness, tiptoeing the line between dark and light – like the soundtrack to ‘Drive’ if it were based in a senescent seaside town. It’s the familiar cuts like ‘Addict’ and ‘Barbados’ that get the most exuberant response from the crowd, but now that we’re three years out from her debut full-length, it’s no surprise that Farrall opts to bed two new songs into her set, including recent single ‘Room 42’, which pulses with a fluorescent defiance. A snappy and uptempo performance.

Lake Malice

Despite what recent single ‘Stop The Party’ might suggest, Lake Malice are definitely here to get blood pumping and bodies moving. Their aggressive mash-up of metal and drum ‘n’ bass sounds like a condensed version of Mick Gordon’s ‘Doom Eternal’ soundtrack, if it were remixed by Vukovi. Just two years after their lockdown formation, the two-piece are already making a name for themselves on the live circuit, and will soon be smashing down doors across Europe with the mighty Enter Shikari. They aren’t the only band playing here this weekend to straddle musical genres, but their set elicits an enthusiastic reaction from the early evening crowd.

Dream State

Much has changed for Dream State since they last took to the stage at Burn it Down four years ago. What is clear, though, is that the much-documented hard reset has not dampened this crowd’s love for the band, who gave such memorable performances here in both 2018 and 2019. In many ways, though, this is a different band even to the one that emerged from the rubble post-pandemic.

They seem definitively at ease with each other and are confident enough to lean heavily on newer material, opening with ‘Comfort in Chaos’ from February’s ‘Untethered’ EP. Indeed, five of the songs played tonight (including one yet to be released) are attributable to the current lineup, and while it feels kind of sad for a song as massive as ‘White Lies’ to be buried quite so early in the set, having once been the surefire riot-inducing closer, one can’t help but feel it’s a necessary evil in order for the current lineup to grow creatively and play to their strengths. Having worked doubly hard to re-stablish themselves for a second time, the band have proved all summer long that there is much more to come.

As Everything Unfolds

It wouldn’t be Burn it Down Festival without a questionable inflatable in the air, and although we’ve already seen several beach-themed props, this year’s star showing comes from a giant inflatable duck, glimpsed gathering his thoughts side-stage before As Everything Unfolds emerge and launch into opener ‘Ultraviolet’. It doesn’t take long for the duck to make his intentions clear, as he accompanies a near-constant stream of crowdsurfers during the band’s set.

Alongside Dream State, As Everything Unfolds are completing a hat-trick of Burn it Down appearances this weekend. Last time they were here, it was 2018 track ‘Divided’ that really got the crowd moving, but there’s scant opportunity to delve so far into the back catalogue this time around. Bringing some huge tunes from this year’s new album ‘Ultraviolet’, the band turn in a slick and precise set of soulful and colourful modern metal that has been honed over a busy summer on the festival circuit. A welcome return to Torquay for the Buckinghamshire five-piece.

Being As An Ocean

Tasked with closing out proceedings, Being As An Ocean arrive in Torquay towards the tail end of a mammoth European run that has seen them take in the bright lights of Milan, Paris and Berlin. Quite what they made of the English Riviera is anyone’s guess, but this is exactly why Burn it Down is such an important event. To see little old Torquay up there on the poster alongside infinitely larger cities still feels surreal, and should be a source of pride for the festival’s organisers.

Much like Friday night headliners Angel Dust, they offer a more challenging brand of heavy music, sometimes eschewing tropes of genre entirely. Most of the set firmly puts the ‘post’ in post-hardcore, veering between twinkling guitar passages and big, anthemic chords. A guitarist ascends a stack of amplifiers, silhouetted dramatically and ominously by the band’s logo lit up behind. Vocalist Joel Quartuccio makes a point of addressing virtually every member of the crowd on an individual basis, conducting an almost continuous one-man tour of the premises. His meanderings, accompanied by two security officials getting their daily steps in, culminate in a successful attempt to throw himself off the first-floor balcony into the crowd below. A hard-hitting and emotive set from a band who probably didn’t know this building existed six months ago. Now they’ve seen every inch of it.

ROB DAND