Slam Dunk Festival continues to go from strength to strength, and our Hannah Calver and Alex Goose witnessed its triumphant return to Hatfield!
Yep it’s that time of the year again! After what has seemed like an interminable wait, Slam Dunk Festival season is upon us, and we excitedly join the colourful throng of people snaking their way into Hatfield Park, all seeking their fix of various flavours of punk (pop, ska, etc.) and all things ‘-core’. Our pens are at the ready, and here we go!
Hannah's report
I started off my day with The Meffs on the Monster Energy Stage. I have seen this band once before and absolutely loved them, and was hoping I could get to see them again. So when I saw they were playing Slam Dunk, I had to add them to my list! Two piece punk band who are loud, fast, heavy, sick, and just overall a great band to watch. They interact with the crowd a lot and have them creating mosh pits and participating with the lyrics. They were definitely the best band to open up with and helped me get hyped up for the rest of the festival!
The next band I saw was Hit The Lights, a pop punk band from Ohio, on the Main Stage West. I had never heard of them but wanted to give them a go as I really like pop punk bands. They didn’t disappoint. They had some Good Charlotte vibes, but also had some slightly heavier moments. The crowd responded well, dancing and singing along, and definitely had some headbanging moments. They played a new song, ‘Get Your Ass To Mars’, which I don’t think is out yet as I can’t find it anywhere! It was definitely a treat to hear it.
Headed back to the Monster Energy stage to see The Ataris, and I am so glad I saw them! A lot happened during this set. They were the first band I saw to get people crowd surfing, and at one point someone’s shoe flew onto the stage! They were loud, got everyone excited and jumping, and played an absolute classic that everyone knows – ‘The Boys Of Summer’.
Staying at the Monster Energy stage, this next band absolutely shocked me! I had heard a lot about them and wanted to check them out for a while. The Aquabats were one of the most entertaining bands I’ve ever seen! They had inflatable sharks, pizzas, and beach balls flying into the crowd. The singer had multiple bottles of water and was just chucking the water into the crowd to get everyone wet, including myself! They were fun, interactive with the crowd, had some ska vibes in a couple songs, and had so much energy!
Continuing with the Monster Energy Stage, the next band to play was Zebrahead. They were running a little late, but when they played it made up for it! Unfortunately I only saw about 20 minutes of their set due to needing to get to another stage to watch another band, but those 20 minutes were awesome! They were fast and heavy, giving the crowd a lot of energy to start circle/mosh pits and crowd surfing, and played some crowd pleaser songs to sing along to.
Heading back to the Main Stage West to see a band I’ve been dying to see for a while – New Found Glory. This is a band I was extremely excited to see! They were definitely one of my favourite bands of the day! They played a lot of classics, played some covers including ‘Kiss Me’, and were very energetic on stage! They ended their set with their most well-known song, ‘My Friends Over You’, and what a great song to end on!
Electric Callboy were playing on the Main Stage East, and what an absolute amazing set that was! Lots of smoke, fireworks, fire, confetti, and colourful lights coming from the stage! A very entertaining and fun band to watch. Very upbeat and heavy in parts, playing both their own songs and covers, including their new song ‘Revery’, which was released the day before. They also had Frank Zummo, former drummer for Sum 41 drumming for them.
Lastly, another band I’ve been dying to see for a while, A Day To Remember, playing on the Main Stage West. I have listened to this band since I was a teenager, and I am so happy that I got the chance to finally see them! They played so many classics and covers, including ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’, and had the crowd singing, dancing, and crowd surfing throughout the whole set! Definitely another one of my favourites of the day. Their last song ‘All Signs Point To Lauderdale’ was accompanied by toilet roll and streamers flying into the crowd and smoke coming from the stage. They also had lots of colourful lights, fire, and confetti throughout their whole set. They really know how to end a festival in the best way!
This was my second time going to Slam Dunk, but first time reviewing it, and I have to say I had so much fun! I already can’t wait to see the lineup for next year!
Alex's report
I join Hannah for The Meffs, and then stick around in the Monster Energy tent for Save Ferris. It’s a rather grey day, so it’s pretty handy that Monique and co are here to bring a bit of SoCal sunshine to proceedings. How on earth they have so much energy after all these years is beyond us, but ultimately, we’re too busy bouncing like demons on hot coals to a bold, brassy ‘The World Is New’ to really ponder that question in detail. By the time they close with their evergreen cover of ‘Come On Eileen’, the tent is a mass of sweaty smiles, and the first shot of the day’s ska-punk salvo has hit dead centre
After going on a brief coffee-hunt and also enjoying great sets from The Ataris and The Aquabats, it’s left to Finch to entice me out of the Monster tent for a while. It’s been twenty years since they dropped their sophomore record ‘Say Hello To Sunshine’, which was quite the departure from the melodic post-hardcore (I won’t say the dreaded ‘e’ word) of their debut, and it received a mixed – at best – reception. Personally, I thought it was great, and my inner awkward bastard likes that they re-visit some of it today. Of course, epic renditions of old favourites like ‘Letters To You’ and ‘What It Is To Burn’ were always going to get the loudest and craziest reaction, but the overall impression is of a band still very much true to themselves – and hey, we wouldn’t want Finch any other way.
Back into the tent now, for a belter of a set from Streetlight Manifesto. Well, with a five-man horn section, they were never going to sound anything other than massive, were they? I’ll fully admit to not being as au fait with them as I ought to be, not least as everyone else present seems to know every word of every song, but suffice to say that the New Jersey crew do anthems – and highly addictive ones at that. The rapid-fire delivery of ‘The Three Of Us’ gets us all dancing like never before; these guys are undoubtedly the thinking man’s ska-punk band, but in the live setting, they bring the celebrations like few others can. Job done, and done superbly.
Slam Dunk is 100% on board with Less Than Jake – that much is obvious from the sound of a packed tent singing along to the intro horn line of a delightfully groovy ‘The Science Of Selling Yourself Short’. These guys are festival veterans, and neither the energy nor the quality dips at any point during their set. Highlights include a rare reappearance of Mr Skull during the all-conquering ‘All My Best Friends Are Metalheads’, a brassed-up rendition of the underrated ‘Rest Of My Life’, and – of course! – the constant between-song wisecracking, worthy of a set in itself. So they last played here only two years ago. Who cares? The clutch of more recent songs are proof enough that LTJ are still firing on all cylinders, and on this kind of form, they’re sure to be welcomed back with open arms whenever they next return.
Monster headliners Alkaline Trio may not have the stage presence of the previous few bands, but my goodness, do they have the tunes – and the backup of one of the day’s most devoted crowds. This evening, they strike a perfect balance between fan favourites and deep cuts; delivering ‘Armageddon’ with an extra shot of pure punk rock venom, and whipping up mayhem in the pit with a rocket-powered ‘Fatally Yours’. For a band approaching their 30th anniversary, they certainly don’t come across as being ready to rest on their laurels just yet, and whatever’s fuelling their gallows humour on record sure makes for thrillingly furious and frenetic live sets.
It all comes to a close with ‘Radio’, and there are serious goose pimples all around as the crowd sings that “I’ve got a big fat fucking bone to pick…” chorus line in unison. As a masterclass in how to close a festival stage, this will take some beating, and we’re already looking forward to seeing how Slam Dunk are going to attempt to top it in 2026. Here’s to another successful year!
Thanks to Slam Dunk Festival for having us! Keep an eye on www.slamdunkfestival.com for info on 2026’s edition.
Main photo credit: EDDY MAYNARD
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