Outbreak Festival comes to London for the first time, and makes one hell of a splash!
Well, it’s taken twelve years, but Outbreak Festival has finally arrived in The Smoke! A true DIY operation that originated in Sheffield, it’s not just a hardcore festival anymore, but that seems fitting, given that headliners Turnstile are arguably not just a hardcore band anymore. One thing’s for sure; they’ve put together a great bill, and whether you’re here for relentless mosh action or fancy mixing things up with, say, some fuzzed-up indie rock or crossover hip-hop, there’s not a dull moment in store today.
We wander into the second stage tent, and are greeted with a barrage of scattergun beats from electro-punk duo Kumo 99. They sound quite unlike anything else on today’s musical menu, but can more than hold their own in terms of intensity, and the small but hyperactive bunch of folks dancing down the front is a fine example of the enthusiastic and anything-goes vibe that permeates Victoria Park today.
“If you try stagediving, you’ll die, so crowdsurf til you can’t do it no more!” That’s Drug Church frontman Patrick Kindlon, probably not endearing himself to the photo-pit security (who, it must be said, do a great job managing the ensuing chaos). Second song in, they drop the Pixies-gone-hardcore ‘Slide 2 Me’, and it’s a glorious sight as the whole tent bounces for the first time today. Last year’s ‘Prude’ album saw the Albany quintet on top form, and they unleash the likes of ‘Demolition Man’ (much better as a song than as that godawful film!) and ‘Myopic’ with obvious relish, not least as every single word is roared back at them. A triumph.
Speed, though, take things to a whole new level. Goodness knows the crowd are ready for them; the chants of ‘Speeeeeeeed’ start a good fifteen minutes before the Australians even hit the stage, and as they kick off with a brutal ‘We See U’, the place erupts into an absolute war zone of a pit – and stays that way.
Clearly delighted by such a heroes’ welcome, vocalist Jem Slow delivers a heartfelt speech about starting out “playing small rooms for friends and family, then getting on a plane, and seeing two thousand beautiful people here!” Well, as they rip through aural smart bombs like ‘Real Life Love’ and ‘Not That Nice’, we can’t help but reminisce back to seeing Turnstile similarly pack out the second stage tent at Slam Dunk Festival 2019; could Speed be headed the same way? On today’s evidence, you wouldn’t bet against them – Australian hardcore is now well and truly on the map.
In need of an escape from the now very humid tent, we wander over to the main stage to see Los Angeles trio Julie do an excellent job of channelling the sound and spirit of early 90s alt-rock. Worn-down instruments, including a battered Fender Jaguar? Check. Sweet melodies spliced with abrasive guitar noise? Check – the late brace of ‘Flutter’ and ‘Clairbourne Practice’, in particular, would have J Mascis and Kevin Shields nodding in approval. Folks in the crowd truly letting their hair down and pogoing around together in a big sweaty mass? Check – and quite a lot of them, actually. Are those shouts of “one more song!” we hear at the end? They’re certainly deserved; watch this lot closely.
Back in the tent, Glassjaw vocalist Daryl Palumbo barely needs to sing a word, and with good reason – today’s set is comprised only of material from their first two records, both of which made a huge splash around the turn of the millennium, with their experimental approach. ‘Ape Dos Mil’ and ‘Cosmopolitan Bloodloss’, in particular, are probably embedded in the musical DNA of many of those present, and that would certainly explain why they’re greeted like long-lost friends. Daryl doesn’t have much to say between songs, but that’s understandable, given their limited set time, and today Glassjaw strike quite a blow for the old guard – and for the avant-garde.
This is my first time seeing Knocked Loose, and I’m somewhat conflicted. The Kentucky crew definitely fall on the heavier side of hardcore – I prefer mine faster – and if I’d done a shot of whiskey for every granite-strength breakdown in their hour-long set, I probably wouldn’t have survived to write this. There’s no doubting their conviction and dedication, though; and the opening ‘Blinding Faith’ probably gives the tent’s foundations their sternest testing so far. When they do speed things up, most notably on an eviscerating ‘Piece By Piece’, they reach Slayer levels of intensity, and at one point incite no fewer than five separate moshpits among a rabidly partisan crowd. Impressive.
This is Turnstile’s first UK show in nearly two years, and the sense of anticipation is almost tangible as the whole festival gathers in front of the main stage. We all sing along to the intro of ‘Never Enough’ (the title track of their freshly-released new album), and all that anticipation turns to relief at how good that guitar riff sounds (and feels!) as it kicks in, instantly shattering any doubts that Turnstile are ready to headline a festival of this size. Halfway through their set, it starts to rain, and we couldn’t care less; we’re about as close to hardcore heaven as it’s possible to be today.
Putting together a setlist to please everyone was always going to be a daunting task (personally, we would have loved to hear bassist Franz Lyons take centre stage for ‘Moon’), but tonight the band just about pull it off. Be it the mid-set brace of earlier hardcore favourites ‘Real Thing’ and ‘Drop’ (which sparks utter pandemonium in the pit), the synth/funk-led workout of newie ‘I Care’, or the slew of tracks from 2021’s ‘Glow On‘, everything is welcomed with open arms. This is a band who’ve long since realised they can do anything, yet as vocalist Brendan Yates takes the time to acknowledge how far they’ve come (they first played the UK as part of Outbreak 2013), it’s clear that their feet remain firmly planted on terra firma.
After all, there are few genres that foster a sense of family and community like hardcore does – it’s just that in Turnstile’s case, that family is now thousands-strong. As an encore airing of ‘Blackout’ pushes the energy levels sky-high once again, you can’t help but feel sorry for the so-called ‘purists’ who haven’t stuck around to see them spread their wings as widely as they do tonight. For them and for Outbreak, this feels like a moment – and we’ll be hoping for many more.
Main Photo Credit: ALEX GOOSE
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