Slam Dunk 2023: North

Slam Dunk Festival North Temple Newsham Park, Leeds 28th May 2022

The UK's premiere pop-punk and emo festival returns to Leeds with another of its stacked line-ups. Louder Than War's Dave Beech was there.

Arriving at Temple Newsham Park around mid-morning, any worries about delays are soon replaced with expectation, as we join hundreds of others in waiting for the gates of Slam Dunk North to open. Reports of traffic chaos at yesterday's southern iteration of the festival means that there's a degree of concern about getting in on time, though thankfully any such thoughts are put to bed quickly.

As such, it meant we’re able to quickly get well and truly stuck into the bands that the festival has to offer, no bad thing given the stacked line-up across the myriad stages across the site. The Kerrang tent is our first stop, for Canada's Sincere Engineer on the tent's right-hand stage. There's a brief wait as one band finish their line-check on the other stage, before things kick off at bang on 11:30.

There are some expected early niggles in the sound, including a low vocal and too much treble on the guitars, though these are soon ironed out as the tent begins to fill up impressively around us. It takes a few tracks to for the band to break into their stride, but they time the likes of Corn Dog Sonnet No.7 and Trust Me roll around, Sincere Engineer have already proved they’ve got it on stage as well as off. The perfect start to the day.

Next up we head to the Amazon Stage across site for Scottish rockers VUKOVI, who succeed in fusing Noughties-era metal with a heavy dose of contemporary pop production. The band appear first, followed by frontwoman Janine Shilstone clad in a trench coat, proceeding to tell the audience to "open that fucking pit up".

They’re only too happy to oblige, and as the band fly through a set that's hinged on more recent material, including the likes of C.L.A.U.D.I.A, KILL IT and LASSO, Shilstone spends as much time off stage as on it, standing on the barrier at the front of the crowd, prowling the space between them and the stage. It's impressive energy for an early set. And though slight sound issues plague a couple of the first tracks, it does nothing to hamper the band, or indeed the crowd, who by now are feeding off Shilstone's infectious attitude. By the time the finale rolls around, she's back on the barrier and berating the crowd for "pathetic size of the pit". It's a call to arms, and a massive pit opens as the band launch into an impassioned outing for La Di Da, before quickly leaving the stage as we tell ourselves we need to catch them on their own show soon.

Elsewhere, American skate-punk stalwarts Teenage Bottlerocket hit the Main Stage for a rare UK appearance. With the crowd already nearing the sound desk, it's clear that the Wyoming punks are a big draw for today, and as they rattle through a breakneck set of skate-punk classics such as Skate Or Die and Bigger Than Kiss, it's easy to see why.Back on the Amazon Stage, Trash Boat bring their idiosyncratic blend of punk and metal to a baying crowd, with many running towards the stage as the band hit the first notes, singing back as the track progresses. A cover of Linkin Park's Given Up is a nice touch, as is frontman Tobi Duncan's between song chat, which is at times genuinely moving. Final track He's So Good feels more subdued to begin with than the rest of the set, yet ends with Duncan standing on the barrier, singing into the crowd.

Back at the Kerrang stage, the first of the day's issues arises, with a crowd far bigger than capacity attempting to watch Hawthorn Heights. It's a scene that repeats itself as the day goes on, and while we manage to catch the final three tracks, (and succeed in reliving our youth, if only for a moment), it seems that at this point the festival is oversold. Something that only becomes clearer as the afternoon wears on. And though it was certainly welcome to hear the likes of Nikki FM and Ohio is for Lovers live again, I’m not sure for safety's sake I’d have dared venture further than the fringes of the tent.

Thankfully, the crowd dissipates somewhat and we’re able to find a decent position for Spanish Love Songs, who start almost immediately at the opposite end of the tent. As we follow a sea of plaid shirts (mine included) into the tent, the band launches straight into Routine Pain, and it's clear that despite their early billing Spanish Love Songs are a band that already means so much to so many. With a set hinged on material from their, quite frankly devastating, second album Brave Faces Everyone, it's stark, cathartic and oddly uplifting punk-rock made by millennials for millennials. And though songs about addiction, debt and suicide might not feel the most upbeat, everyone walks away from that set feeling at least a little bit cleansed.

Over on the Key Club stage (left) Scene Queen is turning heads and proving why she's an equally important booking for a whole different reason. Appearing on stage to Aqua's Barbie Girl, before launching into a Kesha-esque opening number, Scene Queen's blend of modern metal, trap and pop might well have the grizzled punks on the main stage running for the hills, but her messages of sexual empowerment and gender identity are just as punk as anything from the ‘70s and ‘80s. And though she might not appeal to everyone, she's a perfect example of just how diverse the alternative scene is. A bold and vital booking for the festival organisers.

Thankfully that's one good thing that can be said about this evening, as from this point on the organisational issues become all too obvious. From queuing for food for over an hour or more only to find the vendors have sold out, to overflowing urinals and the resulting rivers of piss, it's clear that too many tickets have been sold, and that there's much that needs addressing ahead of next year's festivals. Thankfully, it proves quicker to head across site to a reasonably quiet bar, and watch emo-rockers Underoath from the hill above the Amazon Stage than to risk missing The Menzingers.

Though a band who played a big part in at least two of my teenage years, it's difficult not to feel at least a little underwhelmed by them today, and whilst early outings for It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door is welcome, from up on the hill the sound isn't ideal, so we make an early bid for a good spot for The Menzingers. Standing almost exactly where we were for Spanish Love Songs, it takes little time for the band to emerge onto the Kerrang Stage (Right), but soon, The Menzingers kickstart a set that sees them at perhaps the strongest we ever have.

Opening with new song Irish Goodbyes is something of a bold move, but a welcome one, yet it takes little time for the singalongs to start. I Don't Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore is a welcome a rowdy follow-up, whilst the likes of The Obituaries, Midwestern States and Lookers all send the crowd into a state of ecstasy. Yet another band who seem to perfectly encapsulate the issues faced by millennials in 2023, there's a reason they’re are so well loved and seemingly on a huge upward rise.

A further new single in the form of No Place in the World for Me is another welcome inclusion given that it means there's an album in the not-too-distant future, but it's final track After the Party that provides a massive song along, and three minutes of utter bliss for those of us once again in plaid shirts.

With time well and truly ticking on, it's over to the main stage to see Less Than Jake for the second time this weekend, this time celebrating the release of seminal album Hello Rockview, an album that almost single-handedly introduced me to ska-punk.

Indeed, it's a joy to hear both classics and deep cuts, with the likes of Nervous In The Alley and Danny Says still as exciting as they were 25 years ago. Of course, fan favourites like Last One Out of Liberty City and All My Best Friends Are Metalheads go down excellently, the whole crowd dancing and swaying and skanking. Between their self-deprecating on-stage banter and seminal ska punk anthems, they’re a band who never disappoint, and tonight is no exception. A surprise outing for closing track Gainsville Rock City sees ends things on a particularly glorious note.

Though by this point bellies are certainly starting rumble, the queues for food vans are still totally ridiculous and so it makes sense to totally bypass any form of food in favour of further Dark Fruits. Afterall, nothing's more punk than an empty belly full of overpriced cider.

Back over to the Kerrang Stage once again, and UK punks Creeper take to the right-hand side stage. A band who we’ll undoubtedly be seeing plenty more of in the coming years, they harbour the theatrics of bands such as My Chemical Romance, with a rawer, darker twist of the likes of AFI – a welcome return for punk rock goth pomp.

A lone woman walks out on stage clutching a severed head, before disappearing and returning with the rest of the band, all of whom are thankfully in one piece. Red Lighting and smoke fill the stage as they go into opening number Ghost Brigade. A crowd incident sees a momentary pause in proceedings, in which frontman Will Gould briefly disappears before apologising and asking the crowd to look after each other. It's a sentiment that Slam Dunk has always embodied, yet one that pockets of the crowd across the festival seem to either ignore or are unaware of. Thankfully the rest of Creeper's set goes off without a hitch, and the likes of Cyanide and Annabelle all make well-received appearances.

An acoustic version of Misery seems an odd way to end proceedings, yet as the song draws to a close, the band stay stationary, Gould starts the whole crowd singing, before drums come in, smoke fills the stage once more and streamers erupt from above us. That's more like it.

There's not far to go for the next band. Literally turning just 180 degrees and making our way to the far right of the tent for a brief bit of air, it takes a little longer than expected for Yellowcard to kick things off. Technical difficulties plague the opening five minutes, to the understandable frustration of frontman Ryan Key. It's not the first time the band have had technical issues at Slam Dunk North either, something that Key voices his frustration at further.

Thankfully, it takes little time for things to be sorted out, and the band launch quickly into Way Away. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their seminal album Ocean Avenue, it's a surprise that tent is only half full, though with the likes of Billy Talent and Bowling For Soup to contend with on other stages, it's perhaps not so surprising. It does however mean we get an excellent view of the majority of Yellowcard's set. Having seen the band on this album tour back in 2003 or 2004, it's a record that played an important part in my early teens and seeing it in its entirety is a delight.

Of course, Ocean Avenue is an obvious early highlight, but elsewhere the likes of Death of a Salesman, Only One and Miles Apart all prove to be beautifully nostalgic and, at times, embarrassingly emotional. Due to earlier technical issues however, we have to cut the set short, ensuring that we manage to catch the start of both the headline sets. It's a disappointing end to one of the highlights of the festival, but we leave glad we managed to see the majority.

Back on the main stage, it's clear one of the main draws of the weekend are The Offspring, who seemed to have drawn the biggest headline crowd we’ve ever seen at Slam Dunk. And again, it's easy to see why. One of the biggest names in contemporary punk, the band have been playing their trade for nearing forty years, and they’re bloody good at what they do. It's a shame then, that tonight's short headline set time means that much of their set feels somewhat rushed, and the between song banter predictable. Of course, there's plenty of classics in there to get the crowd going Want You Bad, Staring At The Sun, and Hit That all make early appearances, though a mid-set medley of classic rock covers certainly stymies the set's pace and seems like time that could have better been used on originals.

Indeed, the likes of Original Prankster, Million Miles Away, and a trio of classics also close out the main set in the form of Why Don't You Get A Job, Pretty Fly for (A White Guy) and The Kids Aren't Alright, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, the latter causing one teenage lad near me to burst into tears. Don't worry kid, we’ve all been there… An encore of You’re Gonna Go Far Kid and Self Esteem close things out well enough, but we can't help thinking that, having seen The Offspring several times before, this isn't one of their better days.

Thankfully, things seem much better back over on the Amazon Stage, where UK rockers Enter Shikari continue their ascent to the very top of their game. And it's obvious they intend to do just that. Fireworks from the outset suggest that the band aren't here to mess about. Opening with Pls Set Me On Fire, before launching into Sssnakepit, Juggernauts and, Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour…, it's an all-out assault of Shikari classics old and new, and a sure-fire way to get the crowd on their side, as if they even needed to.

Frontman Roux Reynolds is perhaps one of the most modest and down to earth frontmen in rock, and his approach and attitude is nothing short of inspiring. Once again tonight is no different. "We reject hatred, greed, tribalism…tonight this is our place where we care for, welcome, and trust each other. Pick each other up when we fall. That's the society o want to live on. We show that community will not be something displayed at a museum."

It's a rousing speech, and one that displays Shikari's ethos perfectly, making it clear just why they’re a band loved by so many. They’re joined on stage by Wargasm for an outing of The Void Stares Back, where elsewhere the likes of Bloodshot, Satellites and It Hurts take us all the way to Shikari's trademark quickfire round, this time comprised of the likes of Bull, The Last Garrison and last year's remix of fan favourite Sorry, You’re Not A Winner. However, it's the closing pairing of Live Outside and { The Dreamer's Hotel } that really cement Enter Shikari as tonight's true headliners.

While Slam Dunk once again knocks it out of the park in terms of line-up, it would be remiss as a review not to revisit the organisational issues that seem to plague the festival from the moment it begins to get busy.

As things stand, it appears the layout (a bottleneck with food vendors strategically placed) a lack of toilet cleaning, and an unawareness of which bands would be popular, is just an oversight from the organisers, and nothing more malicious. We are also lucky and manage to leave the festival site quickly and without any issues; plenty aren't so fortunate, meaning that car parking is just another major issue the organisers need to address next year, if they’re to rebuild any lost faith.

From a personal perspective, we’re more than happy to attend again next year, with fingers firmly crossed that organisers can learn from mistakes made this year and bring Slam Dunk back up to the standard their customers are used to.

~

Words by Dave Beech, with additional words by Sally Hirshman. Dave is a music writer based out of Manchester. Links to his work can be found over at his blog, Life's A Beech, as well as his Louder Than War Author Archive. He also tweets as @Dave__Beech.

Photos by Nathan Robinson

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