All the tickets have long since sold
out, the bands are ready to go and the beer is flowing from the bar, and for once the sun is beating down on
Leeds which can only mean one thing; welcome to Slam Dunk North 2013.
We had a feeling that with the line-up
on offer it was set to be the best year yet, and what a day it was…
MC Lars- Vans
Off The Wall Stage [Riley Smith Hall]
The
thing about Slam Dunk is that from the get go, as soon as the doors open, the
quality of the acts on offer is second to none. This could explain why even
though Californian rapper MC Lars is relatively early on the bill, the Vans Off
The Wall stage is packed out, full to capacity, with a hoard of eager fans
queuing at the door hoping to get in. The self-proclaimed originator of "post-punk laptop rap” is a breath of
fresh air on the rap scene. You won’t find him rapping about the usual suspects
of girls and money, instead literature and culture acts as his main topics. He
may only have a laptop and a projector screen but Lars’ shows are quirky,
engaging and fun as he shows off his impressively fast rapping skills in songs
such as “Download This Song”. He even gets a crowd member up on stage to join
him in the famous “Mr. Raven” based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem. No better way
to get the festival going. 9/10
The Story
So Far- Macbeth
Footwear Stage [Stylus]
Slam Dunk 2013 has only really just begun but the
crowd is well and truly warmed up and is going in to The Story So Far’s set at
full force. The venue is fit to burst and the busiest it would be all day as
the Walnut Creek
quintet tear through songs “Roam” and “All Wrong”. Their live shows, in a
relatively short period, have gained a reputation for being incredibly energetic
and unforgiving; and the crowd today wouldn’t want it any other way as they
crowd surf non-stop in the unrelenting heat of the crammed room. As they round
things off with “What You Don’t See” the entire venue is singing back every
word at front-man Parker Cannon. This appearance rounds up a sold out UK
headline tour and it couldn’t have gone much better; expect to see them jumping
further up the line-up very soon indeed. 9.5/10
We Are The
Ocean- Kerrang!
& Jagermeister Main Stage [Refectory]
The Essex four-piece have had a phenomenal past
year and new album “Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow” has seen them gain even more
commercial success meaning their set today on the main stage gathers quite a
crowd. We Are The Ocean don’t mess round as they get stuck in to flying and
aggressive opener “Trouble Is Temporary, Time Is Tonic”. Liam Cromby’s
distinctive raspy vocals ease through singles such as “Bleed” and the anthemic
“To Be Loved”. They are determined and aggressive and command the main stage,
spurring the audience on as they sing along, note perfect. “Young Heart”
concludes the set all too soon. It’s performances like this that have got them
an invite to play at Radio1’s Big Weekend in Ireland , meaning that they had to unfortunately
pull out of Slam Dunk South. We Are The Ocean have become synonymous with
gritty live performances, musically on point and Slam Dunk North firmly
cemented that reputation. 9/10
Chunk! No,
Captain Chunk!- Tiger Stage [Mine]
The name alone may be intriguing enough to get
you along to catch their set but the dynamic Parisians have the music and the
on-stage presence to back it up. This may be their first UK show in two
years, but the packed out venue on one of the smaller stages only serves to
confirm this. Non stop infectious chaos ensues and it is hard not to be sucked
in and it all fits into the festival feel. Urging the crowd to “open up this
f*****g pit and show me what you got”, they jump straight in to the heavier and
thrashy “Captain Blood”. Mixing melodic soaring choruses and deep screaming
vocals Chunk! No, Captain Chunk have a raw energy and if you didn’t know who
they were on entering then by the end you were completely won over. Playing
mostly hits from new album “Pardon My French” they even find time to throw in a
cover of Ke$ha’s “We R Who We R” Why not? Anything goes apparently and the Slam
Dunk crowd love it. 8/10
CLICK HERE to read our interview with Chunk! No, Captain Chunk at Slam Dunk North
Blitz
Kids- Tiger
Stage [Mine]
Perhaps there could be no better appropriate song
to enter the stage at Slam Dunk Festival than boyband 5ive’s infamous anthem
“Slam Dunk Da Funk”, and that’s just what Blitz Kids do. Good work boys and it
firmly puts the crowd in an upbeat mood even before their set begins. Typical
of Blitz Kids who are jokers and love a bit of banter, but importantly also have the musicianship. Opening with
the infectious “You’re Dead To Me” (taken from latest EP “Never Die”) the
quartet are on form this evening. Frontman Joey James thanks the crowd for
coming, pointing out that they clash with Sleeping With Sirens, and as the set
continues so too do the numbers in the room and deservedly so. And by the anthemic
EP title track “Never Die”, mid-point in the set, the crowd are giving it their
all as front man Joey goes down to greet them. As the set progresses “The
Comedian” sees the entire crowd singing along in enjoyment, before ending on
the soaring “On My Own”. One thing is for sure, it’s hard not to enjoy a Blitz
Kid show. 7.5/10
Bury
Tomorrow- Monster Energy Stage [Marquee]
The Southampton
quintet takes to the stage in a packed out Monster Energy Marquee, proving that
all their hard work is very much paying off. From beginning to end, the crowd
is captivated and just as energetic as the five-piece on stage. Feeding off the
audience and vice-versa Bury Tomorrow are passionate and aggressive from
opening track “Lionheart”. Playing mostly from latest album “The Union Of
Crowns” songs such as “An Honourable Reign” ignite total anarchy. With huge
hooks and heavy breakdowns it isn’t hard to see why the tent is packed out. Singer
Dani Winter-Bates is the perfect front-man and their fast paced high-energy set
is a sign of things to come. This year is going to be a big year for the
five-piece. Slam Dunk kicks off the start of a huge summer for Bury Tomorrow as
they go on to play Download and then main stage Reading
and Leeds . They just keep on getting better
and better. 8/10
CLICK HERE to read our interview with Bury Tomorrow at Slam Dunk North
William
Beckett- Keep
A Breast Stage [Pulse]
He may be most well known as the front-man of the
now defunct The Academy Is…but William Beckett is back and on his own and couldn’t be happier about it. He
doesn’t look out of place up there without the rest of a band. Tucked away in
the basement, the Keep A Breast acoustic stage is a hidden gem and his set
certainly brings in the crowds. Endearing and undeniably likeable, William
Beckett delivers upbeat guitar based pop songs. The crowd hang on his every
command to join in or clap, as he treats fans to a mix of solo songs such as
quirky “Oh, Love!” or The Academy Is classic “After The Last Midtown Show” and
even throws in a slice of No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak”. Slick but spontaneous,
William just knows how to do it and effortlessly switches on the charm as soon
as he walks on stage. He is joined by his “band in a box” (a pre-recorded
selection of digital beats) that he had teased us about in the interview before
the show. He also promised us a new song and he delivers. “Benny & Joon” is
an upbeat stirring anthem and even though brand new it attracts the same
response as more well known tracks. With his debut album out this summer there
is a lot more to come from this front-man. 8.5/10
CLICK HERE to read our interview with William Beckett at Slam Dunk North
Kids In
Glass Houses- Kerrang! & Jagermeister Main Stage [Refectory]
Welsh rockers Kids In Glass Houses recently gave
fans some new material in the form of single “Drive” and the great response it
received, alongside the band’s own belief in new tracks, sees them come back to
Slam Dunk with a new fighting spirit. Their set is non-stop as they tear the
main stage down with tracks such as the soaring “Sunshine” and the appropriate
“Saturday” which sees the entire audience clapping along. Even new single
“Drive” with its retro rock sound has the audience singing back every word at
front-man Aled Phillips. Kids In Glass Houses’ set marks a new era for the band
and proves that they still know how to put on a show. Ending with the anthemic
hit “Matters At All” it is clear to see that everyone present succumbed and
undoubtedly had fun; and throwing out some giant beach balls into the crowd
also helped raise the fun factor too. 8/10
Deaf Havana- Kerrang! &
Jagermeister Main Stage [Refectory]
Opening with a cover of the Robbie Williams’
classic “Let Me Entertain You”, Deaf Havana start as they mean to go on and to
the last note of the final song they put on an impressive show. Deaf Havana are
currently riding a huge wave of success off the back of last album “Fools and
Worthless Liars”. And if brand new song “Boston Square ” is anything to go by they
have turned things up another notch on the follow up. The classic rock feel
that the new single harnesses captivates the crowd just as much as Deaf Havana
classics “Leeches” and “The Past Six Years”. Joined on stage by soul singer
Grace Barrett, Deaf Havana are truly set for festival season and her voice adds
a new dynamic to the live show. Back and better than ever, 2013 is set to be a
phenomenal year. 9/10
Taking to the stage ahead of Monster Energy Marquee
headliners Pierce The Veil, Memphis May Fire the Texas metalcore five piece come on with a
fighting spirt and they certainly do not disappoint. Short, powerful opener
“Without Walls” begins slow and builds and builds before sending the packed
tent into a frenzy. Playing from “The Hollow” and current album “Challenger”,
Memphis May Fire’s set is filled with huge hooks and intricate riffs. Songs
such as “The Victim” and “Legacy” work to get the crowd moving, not that they
need any encouragement. A loyal turn out proves just why Memphis May Fire
feature so high up on the line-up. “Prove Me Right” packs a punch, equal in
melodic and screaming elements it is a soaring closing song. Having already
stated that the new tracks they’re working on are set to rival if not beat
those on “Challenger” we can’t wait to hear what’s to come. 9/10
CLICK HERE to read our interview with Memphis May Fire at Slam Dunk North
All Time
Low- Kerrang!
& Jagermeister Main Stage [Refectory]
They may come on stage a tad later than expected
and whilst some of the crowd grow angsty for the majority it only builds the
anticipation even more. And when the Maryland
four-piece do make it to stage they more than make up for it. It’s All Time Low’s first time headlining a UK festival and
after tonight’s performance the first of many no doubt. Their live shows are
renowned for being upbeat and energetic, and overflowing with the famous banter
between Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat, and it wasn’t in short supply tonight
either. “Coffee Shop Soundtrack”, “Stella” and “Lost In Stereo”, hit after hit
All Time Low are on point and we wouldn’t expect anything less. The main stage
is packed to bursting and every song a favourite. The roar from the crowd is
deafening as they sing along and try to drown out Alex. For the few people who are
seeing the band for the first time it is hard not to fall for their infectious
pop-punk anthems, “For Baltimore” and “Somewhere In Neverland”. New single
“Backseat Serenade” proves as much a hit as old classics. And as the quartet
are called back for an encore, and Jack and Alex dive down into the crowd on
finale “Dear Maria, Count Me In”, it is fair to say that All Time Low well and
truly brought the house down; a perfect way to close out another successful
year at the festival. Slam Dunk 2013, job well done. 10/10
CLICK HERE to read our interview with All Time Low at Slam Dunk North
Photo credit: Danny Peart Photography