From weather warnings to car park closures, act dropouts to accessibility issues Slam Dunk North seemed to be over before it began. But despite the rocky start the Festival soldiered on.
Slam Dunk Festival has easily become an annual pilgrimage for all fans of the alternative music scene. Every year stages are dedicated to genres and scenes which mean if they want to do so patrons can pick the best spot on the barrier or keep that pit going from openers to closers. Slamdunk 2024 has come and gone, so lets have a look at how the day at Temple Newsam went down…
RORY: 7/10
She gave her all to this performance and as an artist she is an inspiration to never give up on your dreams. She is never one to shy away from telling her audience about her personal journey and struggles, and proves what hardwork really pays off. Although only 30mins long Rorys set was packed full of energy and emotions.
The crowd were even treated to a guest appearance of her “ex-boyfriend” gracing the stage in a nappy and pigtails. There is no doubt she’ll have gained a few extra fans after this weekend and it would be well deserved. On draw back was the sound sometimes could be difficult to make out depending where you standing in the tent but over all and artists to watch.
STICK TO YOUR GUNS: 8/10
Both the crowd and the band fed off each others energy for this one. Despite it being relatively early in the day with a 3pm set, the muddiness of this pit was off the charts. Although that only seemed to add to the atmosphere and the fun if you were already covered.
It was a set where people could release their inhibitions and the band were loving what they were seeing! While also making sure to commend the hard work of the security guards keeping everyone safe despite the messy conditions. They closed the set with Against Them All, and it was the perfect closer. I think everyone at that stage would have needed a breather after that set.
THE GHOST INSIDE: 9/10
The Ghost Inside are no stranger to the festival circuit and they electrified the crowd from the second they got on stage. This set was another one that required a little extra vigilance given the muddy conditions of the pit. The band did have to call a halt a few songs in due to someone being hurt in the pit. However, thanks to the efficiency of the security, and compliance of the crowd they were quickly gotten to safety and the two-stepping recommenced. In spite of the messy conditions, that did not hinder the band egging the crowd on to go as hard as they could and lose themselves in the music. The crowd fulfilled that request without any hesitation.
WE THE KINGS: 9/10
Check yes Juliet has lived in the hearts and minds of emo kids rent free since 2007 and SlamDunk 2024 proved that. The energy and catharsis of screaming ‘Run baby run, don’t ever look back’ with thousands of other festival goers is a feeling that’s difficult to beat. Bands like We The Kings are pros at getting anyone in the crowd onside.
Whether it’s someone just passing by or maybe someone sitting on the hill enjoying the view. The fun this band has on stage is contagious, with songs old and new making you feel like 14 year old again without a care in the world. They were blessed with clear skies for their set and it really did feel like peak summer while they were on stage (ignoring the mud underfoot.)
MALLORY KNOX: 8/10
It wouldn’t be Slamdunk without a reunion show. Mallory Knox did have a slightly delayed start to their set and had to deal with some severe sound issues. All the mics seemed to cut in and out, as well as the sound system issues where not much at all could be heard from the stage.
Despite this the band took it on the chin and powered through getting the crowd to fill in the missing pieces. It was an emotional appearance for them as they mentioned how long it had been since they played on stage together (7 years). Lead singer Mikey Chapman commenting on how a lot of their fans that stuck around now have less hair and more children. The band will also be taking to the road this October celebrating ten years of their album Asymmetry.
PALE WAVES: 8/10
If theres a band who know how to kick a crowd into gear it’s Pale Waves from Manchester. Fronted by Heather Baron-Gracie, if she tells you to jump you ask how high.
They slowed the set in the middle with She Is My Religion, but made sure to pick things back up again by closing with fan favourite Jealousy.
BOYS LIKE GIRLS: 9/10
Slamdunk Festival and serious nostalgia bands go hand in hand, this year was no different. Much like We The Kings, Boys Like Girls are veterans of the scene but are still as silly and as full of energy as they always were.
They too have those songs that people just love to scream at the top of their lungs, you can’t just shyly sing ‘Throw it away, Forget yesterday’ Their setlist albeit short was excellently executed and slowed to an acoustic rendition of Two Is Better Than One.
PALAYE ROYALE: 9/10
The brothers from Las Vegas are no strangers to theatrics and put their heart and soul into every show. Lead vocalist Remington should consider changing his name to Remington ‘needs to climb everything’ Leith Roth.
This show was no different to any other in that if there were rafters to swing from he’d most certainly be up there. Crowd interaction is always a nice touch and it seemed every other song someone from the band was getting into the crowd as well as chatting in-between songs and expressing their gratitude to those who came to see them.
They didn’t shy away from highlighting that this weekend of shows was especially tough for the trio as they were the first performances since their mother passed away. In dedication to her, they closed the set with an emotional rendition of Fever Dream.
WATERPARKS: 9/10
Waterparks have a dedicated fanbase which was clear to see from a barricade full of red hair and green crosses painted over their eyes. Each member seemed to have numbered jackets alluding to new music on the horizon and Awsten Knight, lead singer, graced the stage in a red sequence mask. They kicked off the set with the high energy watch what happens next that got everyone on their feet.
I’m sure even those who had sought refuge from the rain in the Kerrang tent could get behind the this kind of intro. Even though it was getting on in the day and the audience at each stage was gradually getting more and more muddy it did not deter people from crowd surfing, and why not its a festival! Waterparks set was no different and saw multiple mud coated crowd surfers pulled to safety over the barrier, thanks again to the stellar security staff.
ALL AMERICAN REJECTS: 10/10
After ten years the Rejects were back and they hit the stage with the gusto only a band like All American Rejects can. The Charisma and stage presence of Tyson Ritter is undeniably captivating. Before launching into ‘Move Along’ in order to get the crowd ready to give them all they had Ritter goaded them with “Whether you like it or not we raised you Mother F’ers”. And it’s certainly hard to argue with that statement, they dominated music stations during the 00’s and 10’s as well as featuring in movies. That line was quite enough to get anyone who planned on just mouthing the words to sing the song with their whole chest. There also was a tender moment (as tender as their maturity would allow) when it was announced this was their keyboardist’s last performance with them. He was presented with a plaque and a cake, however he was only given the cake after Ritter took handfuls of it and threw it into the crowd.
YOU ME AT SIX: 10/10
And now the piece de residence of the whole weekend, You me at six’s final ever festival appearance. To say it was an emotional set would be putting it lightly.
The significance of the night was not lost on the band or the attendees. You Me At Six are a band that seems like they’ve always been there. Once they they perform their last song in London next year there will be a big hole left in the scene.
At this stage they know exactly how to put on a show and pull out all of the stops. The staging matched perfectly and the setlist made sure to take the crowd on a journey through the ages.
Playing their hits like Bite My Tongue and songs many fans I’m sure thought they’d never hear live again like Always Attract. But having the crowd sing “we are believers” in unison only 3 songs into the set gave people the heads up this would be a rollercoaster of emotion.
The band were even joined on stage by Sean Smith from The Blackout to perform The Consequence. You Me At Six stepped onto that stage with one goal, and that was give the crowd a night to remember. It would be hard to believe there was a single dry eye left in that field by the end of the night.
