27 May 2019 (gig)
28 May 2019
The sun is shining as we gratefully exit the sardine-tin conditions of our train from London, and make our way to Hatfield House Park. Slam Dunk 2019 has finally arrived, and we're itching to get our ears around some quality bands.
Taking the Right Key stage before midday, CRUEL HAND really deserve a larger audience than the one that greets them, but give it their all anyway. Their fist-pumping hardcore anthems hit the mark even at this ungodly hour, and they're clearly as stoked as we are to be here. On the nearby Dickies stage, MILK TEETH are similarly firing on all cylinders as they launch into opener 'Vitamins', but the clouds are already drawing in, and they struggle against a wind that robs their sound of much of its power.
We then head west for some quality ska, courtesy of the Punk In Drublic stage. MAD CADDIES' set evokes many fond memories of the early noughties ska-punk boom, but ultimately they pale in comparison to younger upstarts THE INTERRUPTERS. They're arguably the most sharply-dressed band of the festival, but that wouldn't count for much without rootsy, spirited songs like 'Fight The Good Fight' and 'She's Kerosene', delivered with no little panache and humour. "The first time my brother made love to another human being was last night, here in Hatfield!" declares guitarist Kevin, who wisely leaves it to vocalist Aimee to do most of the talking. By the time they close with a Rancid/Operation Ivy medley - a tip of the hat to their SoCal roots - anyone who isn't dancing really should check their own pulse. A triumph.
Things soon take a darker turn, though - quite literally, as we head into the tent that houses the Impericon stage. Baltimore hardcore crew TURNSTILE released a critically acclaimed second album in 'Time & Space' last year, and the sense of anticipation is almost tangible. 'Dreams' is the spark that ignites an explosive pit in an almost capacity tent, and the band - who come across as humble, genuine guys - seem both stunned and thrilled that the crowd have already claimed this record's songs as their own, roaring along to every word as the security are kept busy by a steady stream of folks tumbling over the barrier. As bassist Franz steps up to croon his way through an anthemic 'Moon', you can't help but wonder if this is the start of something big for Turnstile. At any rate, tent stages like these won't contain them for much longer.
Wind problems threaten to spoil MILLENCOLIN's mid-afternoon set, but ultimately the Swedish skate punk quartet's tunes see them through. '22' still speaks to the confused, directionless youngster in all of us, and their closing rendition of 'No Cigar' is no less enjoyable for being predictable. Back at the Impericon stage, THE BRONX are as gloriously unhinged as ever, with vocalist Matt taking up residence down at the barrier as his band unleash a scorching 'Heart Attack American' onto a maelstrom of a pit. Goodness knows who'll inherit their hardcore rock n' roll crown, but on today's evidence, they won't give it up without a fight.
The rain starts falling once again as we emerge from the tent, but it can't stop LESS THAN JAKE from playing a serious contender for set of the day. "Check out the one guy in the crowd who can't live without his umbrella!" shouts singer/bassist Chris, to laughs and applause from what looks like the largest PID stage crowd of the day. The Floridian ska-punks may be getting long in the tooth, but songs as good as 'The Science Of Selling Yourself Short' and 'Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sell Outs' simply do not age, and that's why they can still whip any self respecting crowd into the kind of glorious skanking, bouncing mass we see before us. Kudos to trombonist Chris Rhodes for doing such a sterling job of filling in for an absent Buddy, too. As they finish with 'All My Best Friends Are Metalheads', the sun is shining for the first time since this morning. Result!
BAD RELIGION vocalist Greg is a magnetic figure; coming across as part punk rock vocalist, part university lecturer (he is) and part mime artist (he definitely isn't). However, after Less Than Jake bringing such a joyous sense of occasion, his band's set seems somewhat lacking. Sure, the likes of 'Generator' and 'Sorrow' still sound great, but at times it's hard to shake the feeling that this is just another Bad Religion show.
"I'm here for what they say as much as for what they play!" says Chris from Peterborough, as Fat Mike and his NOFX cohorts treat us to yet more sarcastic/bizarre/nonsensical between-song banter. They don't quite deserve their own Comedy Central series, and would do well to dial it back a bit in favour of actually playing a few more songs, but the San Franciscan quartet aren't going to change their spots this late in their career. When they really kick into gear, though, they're excellent; be inciting moshpit chaos with 'Dinosaurs Will Die' and 'Linoleum' or one of the loudest sing-alongs of the day with 'Bob'. Fat Mike himself increasingly resembles a dishevelled punk rock peacock, and he seems self-aware enough to know that whilst NOFX shows are sometimes frustrating, they're never boring. Hey, that was probably their plan all along.
Slam Dunk Festival 2019, then; a success all round, despite the British bank holiday weather's best efforts, and with a punk rock rainbow in the sky to boot. See you next year, guys!
