Another day, another outrageously good festival line-up announced....
This time we’re talking about the Strange 80s benefit concert and bowling tournament that will set off the When We Were Young Festival.
Organised by Charity Bomb and Unite the United Foundation, the event will take place on Friday 20th October, the day before the full festival (which is now sold out) kicks off.
Charity Bomb founder Matthew Leone shares:
“Strange 80s is a one-of-a-kind fundraising event, uniting musicians & music industry vets to help children grow mental muscle in the wake of disrupted schooling, lockdowns & suspended extracurriculars.”

The event has confirmed some big names as headliners and attendees can expect a rotating cast of musicians performing the anthems of the 80s, in addition to headline sets from Sum 41, Bowling For Soup and Plain White Ts.
Other appearances will include:Lilith Czar, Monique Powell (Save Ferris) and Chris DeMakes & Roger Lima (Less Than Jake).
Sponsors include: Beatbox Beverages, Vans, idobi Radio, Emo’s Not Dead, Hopeless Records, Happy 2B Alive, Epitaph Records and The Punk Rock Museum.
Tickets to this charity event- which is taking place at the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas- are extremely limited and expected to sell out, with general on sale set to begin this Friday, August 18th at 10am PT.
Attendees will be able to enjoy a full concert experience, in addition to watching the Unite The United Foundation Bowling Tournament.
In between performances they can also look forward to playing Emo Millionaire, hosted by Gunz of The Gunz Show, for a chance to win prizes like signed drum heads, Emo’s Not Dead gift certificates, and more.
Many artists from When We Were Young Festival are expected to be in attendance, either performing, bowling with friends, or mingling and catching up with friends. All proceeds will be split between Charity Bomb and MusiCares, providing children with EQ education as well as supporting musicians in need.
All for a good cause and plenty of punk rock shenanigans, it’s set to be a fantastic day!

Follow When We Were Young Fest on Their Socials
Need more Punk In Your Life?


Live review: MoonPunx #5, LVLS, Hackney, 29th June 2025
Friends, punk family, and bands. What more could you ask for?! Family Of Strangers singer Lou Moon put on this lovely afternoon gig in a


Live review: The Uprising, The Pipeline, Brighton, 27th June 2025
What an incredible showcase of bands this was! Fluffy Bunny, the host of Underwrld, definitely knows how to put on a banging gig! With Mirrors

Live review: Guana Batz at Facebar, Reading, 3rd July 2025
It’s forty years since Guana Batz released their debut ‘Held Down to Vinyl…At Last’ and there has been a seismic change in the music scene


EP review: Petrichor release their self-titled debut
The kids are alright, folks. Washington DC quartet Petrichor are probably sick of journos like me mentioning their age (all between 13 and 15 years


Terminal Sleep/Spaced, London New Cross Inn, 8th July 2025
Truly, Real Life Presents has been on a roll recently, with a week of great hardcore shows now coming to a close with a beast


Shake Some Acton gig #102, London The Lexington, 5th July 2025
There are plenty of gigs happening tonight, including a fair few rock n’ roll ones, but we rest assured that we’ve made the right choice
I’m Molly Tie- I Love punk! I play drums (badly), write a lot about punk (not as badly) and I’m particularly interested in issues relating to women in the music scene.