Under the blazing sun and extraordinary heatwave, I was surrounded by thousands of pop punk, emo and hardcore fans in one of my favourite locations.
Temple Newsam, for many years, has served as the home for this late-May spectacle. It has hosted Leeds Festival, it has hosted Live at Leeds In the Park, and in fact it has hosted quite a few of my friends’ weddings. But perhaps, none is as grandiose nor as well-organised as Slam Dunk Festival. Whether rain or shine, each year thousands of alternative fans and good times enjoyers frequent the farm and the fields for a stacked lineup. Its purpose? To balance nostalgia with the names of tomorrow. It proves once again just how valuable music festivals are to the Great British summertime.
The heat was impossible to ignore from the moment gates opened. Beyond 25 degrees in the countryside, it cast reminders on everybody just how removed from the winter weather we truly were.
The weather did not stop some festivalgoers, however, as the committed “cosplayers” of sorts arrived, whether dressed as ducks, a mime…and even a lobster. Yes, a lobster.
Drinks assuaged the thirst of the masses. This was not just another year for the celebrations to take place – it was the 20th anniversary of Slam Dunk. One security guard even took it upon himself to douse the crowd in water during President’s set – of course, I imagine the photographers, Emma Gibbon namely, had a different take on the unexpected refresher.
After parking up and collecting passes, we tiptoed over to the Press tent to be reunited with familiar
faces.
As always, the Press tent served as a haven of creativity and was a hustling, bustling beehive through the main part of the day.
Few festivals feel as socially connected as this, with generations and waves of fans from all different backgrounds coming together to commemorate such a common bond.
The first stop was Madina Lake on the Monster Energy Stage, delivering one of the more nostalgic acts of
the day.
Packed with energy from the opening moments, the band reminded everyone what made them a
staple in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Frontman Nathan Leone repeatedly launched himself into the crowd amidst classics like “Here I Stand”, sparking singalongs throughout the field.
Over at Main Stage West, Zebrahead brought chaos in the best possible way. Despite being festival veterans, there was no sense of fatigue from the band nor their loyal fanbase.
Crowd surfers flew overhead whilst inflatables bounced throughout the audience. By the end, the crew somehow brought about an inflatable dinghy to join in among the early summer madness.
It was absurdly loud and energetic, with the band’s punk meshing with its rap and pop hooks, sounding fresh as ever.
A welcome change of pace came inside the shaded Key Club Stage – at this point, I’d like to express my
condolences to the friends and family of the late Scott Hickinson, after whom this stage was named. A
longtime promoter, he had a keen hand in managing Slam Dunk for well over a decade, and sadly
passed away earlier this year.
Origami Angel are a band who are no strangers to me. I’ve seen them on a handful of occasions; a two-piece with an insatiable appetite for chaos, the band produced a larger-than-life sound filled with melodic guitars packing an emotional punch. The Pokémon influence was clear as day, from the guitar to vocalist Ryland Heagy’s matching shirt. Of course, they played one of their hits titled “HM07 Waterfall”. For many, it may have been their first taste of the band, and judging by the infectious reaction, it hopefully won’t be the last on this level of stage.
Back at the Monster Energy Stage, Australian pop punk favourites Stand Atlantic delivered one of the
most enjoyable sets of the day.
Mixing newer material with old favourites, the band’s chemistry came across completely organically, like a group of pals genuinely enthused with playing onstage together. Bonnie Fraser’s charisma carried effortlessly across the field, and the band repeatedly expressed their joy in returning to Slam Dunk.
Sticking with female-fronted acts, Tonight Alive followed with another strong performance. Even for those less familiar with their catalogue, the set offered variety, presenting plenty to enjoy.
Jenna McDougall’s commanding stage presence sold the whole set on the crowd, whether new or old. Her vocals are really something, and joined at times by those of members of Stand Atlantic and South Arcade.
President were the showstealer of the day, taking over Main Stage East, carrying an air of mystery that
few new bands manage to create. No photographers were allowed in the press pit to preserve their
anonymity, and speculation continued that the masked frontman was a certain Charlie Simpson.
Longtime listeners of Busted, Fightstar and his solo material, the identity behind the mask was hardly
difficult to guess. Nonetheless, President was darker, more progressive, combining in crushing heaviness
paired with electronic textures and melodic hooks. I can just imagine the unbearable heat of playing in a
field in 26°C, inside of a full suit AND mask. But the frontman maintained such a gripping presence that they did not sell the weather’s hardship one bit.
No Slam Dunk schedule would be complete without a classic dose of pop punk, and State Champs
delivered exactly that over on the Monster Energy Stage.
Packed with singalong moments, the relentless energy of the audience provided a tailor-made feel to the Festival.
Their setlist leaned into the relics and established State Champs’ fans as one of the day’s most energetic crowds.
Night fell, and the festival split in two directions. Some headed to the punishing hardcore anarchy
associated with Knocked Loose. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them plenty, and they always create a
show of flailing limbs, Mickey Mouse-like screams and blisteringly heavy breakdowns.
On the other hand, many rose-tinted fans of old ventured towards Main Stage West, for another flavour of old turn-of-the- millennium nostalgia: Good Charlotte.
Headlining the stage, the band celebrated their third decade as a group. They sounded remarkably
polished, left untouched by the sands of time. For many UK fans, this marked a long-awaited opportunity
to see the band that helped define their youth.
The set was balanced between classics and newer stuff, including the recent single “Rejects”, proving the band still know how to write massive, catchy hooks. They got the pyrotechnics across the stage, as friends wrapped arms with one another, screaming the words right back at the lyricists. It was that kind of emotional, communal and intimate set that Slam Dunk always deliver to thousands upon thousands of people.
As the masses filtered slowly from Temple Newsam, fireworks lit up the night sky in commemoration of
the 20th anniversary of Slam Dunk – a fitting end to the day.
Twenty years in, Slam Dunk still feels special.
Even in the exhausting heat, the Festival delivered yet again on the perfect mixture of chaos, community and catharsis that keeps fans returning year after year.
Photography by Emma Gibbon.
