Festival review: Slam Dunk in Millennium Square, Leeds

Getting in to Slam Dunk 2018 nice and early was one of my better ideas.
Good Charlotte at Slam Dunk festival in Leeds. Picture: Neil ChapmanGood Charlotte at Slam Dunk festival in Leeds. Picture: Neil Chapman
Good Charlotte at Slam Dunk festival in Leeds. Picture: Neil Chapman

I had already semi-planned which bands to see, but as always there were always going to be some clashes especially as the day went on, but at least I had somewhere to start. The Fireball stage.

King Prawn kicked my day off to a cracking start (after I had sussed out where everything was) with some hard hitting and jaw-dropping ska tunes from Camden Town, encapsulating the very spirit of the Slam Dunk festival, which has grown phenomenally over the past 20 years in to the beast it is today.

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I did manage to catch a few bands whilst on my journey of discovery like The Dangerous Summer on the Monster stage and Loathe absolutely tearing things up on the Impericon stage.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes at Slam Dunk festival in Leeds. Picture: Neil ChapmanFrank Carter & The Rattlesnakes at Slam Dunk festival in Leeds. Picture: Neil Chapman
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes at Slam Dunk festival in Leeds. Picture: Neil Chapman

This is where things started getting difficult with band clashes; Creeper on the Jagermeister stage belting out their hits to a packed arena, and Save Ferris hitting the spot just right over on the Fireball stage.

Twin Atlantic were up next on their usual form, absolutely swamping Millenium Square with their wall of sound.

Bearing in mind, I was trying to take in as many of the bands as I could, but the festival (as to be expected) was so busy traversing from stage to stage was an achievement all on its own.

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I can confirm that Zebrahead’s Dan Palmer is still rocking his glorious handlebar moustache, and the band are still sounding as sweet as they did eons ago.

PVRIS at Slam Dunk festival in Leeds. Picture: Neil ChapmanPVRIS at Slam Dunk festival in Leeds. Picture: Neil Chapman
PVRIS at Slam Dunk festival in Leeds. Picture: Neil Chapman

I wanted to catch Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes over in the First Direct Arena before Taking Back Sunday back over on the Monster stage.

Goldfinger are still supermen, and Good Charlotte were singing about girls and boys to a heaving arena – there was a lot of love in that room for them as they haven’t played Leeds in years.

I checked out early to try and catch Jimmy Eat World, and caught the last few songs with them ending the night with ‘The Middle’, one of the biggest pop-punk hits of the century.

Needless to say, while all this awesome music everywhere you went, there was still time for the obligatory rubber dinghy crowd surfing in a panda suit – who ever you are sir, I salute you.