We booked our tickets for Fest 19 way back when they went on sale back in April 2020. This was a time before most people really understood what effect COVID-19 would have on the world. We mostly decided to go due to our great friends Triple Sundae and Burnt Tapes getting booked to play the festival and we wanted to celebrate them accomplishing something they’ve worked so hard to achieve with them. Sadly, but understandably, Fest 19 was pushed back a year and our tickets rolled over. The effect the pandemic had on the world continued and more and more bands (particularly the international bands) had to drop out. I, being equal parts naïve and optimistic, still had high hopes that we would still be able to attend so I spent my summer listening to every single band on the line-up so I could work out what I thought would be the perfect schedule for me.
Heartbreakingly the day came when we had to make the decision to refund our tickets as it became clearer and clearer we wouldn’t be able to travel. Because of all the effort I’d put in to listening to all the bands, I still wanted to write a preview for the Fest. Perhaps anyone reading this will find a band they hadn’t previously checked out and be encouraged to go and see them. I’m writing this in a way that describes what I would have done if things could have got better and we could’ve jumped on the plane to Gainesville. Fingers crossed we can make it to Fest 20 instead.
Friday 29th October
I’d start my day and the festival with Plastic Flamingos at Mother’s Pub (15.10–15.40). Based in North Carolina, the four piece are a late addition to the festival and I was really pleased to see them added. Lead singer Brian has long been a popular member of the Fest Friends community and I know they must be absolutely delighted to get on the line up. Plastic Flamingos play a fun combination of surf rock and power pop that always puts a smile on my face when I listen to them. American Television (16.50–17.20) released my one of my favourite albums of 2020 in the shape of Watch It Burn. That title feels so appropriate given everything that happened in 2020. They play energetic pop punk music with big choruses. The majority of themes of the band’s songs are growing up and watching the world fall apart, something all of the Fest attendees will relate to I’m sure. Last year they also released a five song covers EP, I’d love to hear their cover of Officer by Operation Ivy live.
From Mother’s Pub I would go over to Heartwood for an early evening of ska courtesy of Bad Time Records. First up is New Orlean eight piece Joystick (17.40–18.10). I Can’t Take It Anymore is one of the best ska punk releases of the year. Swapping between third wave ska punk and skacore, it’s fast, fun and aggressive. It’s also extremely thoughtful and touches upon some heavy subjects. Following on from Joystick are the mighty Omnigone (18.30–19.00). Former Link 80 guitarist Adam Davis’ newest project are one of my favourite bands in the world. Their debut album, No Faith, is a skacore masterpiece and some of the latest songs the band have released look to continue on in the same form. Omnigone were the band on the line up I was most excited to see and I’m so sad I can’t be down the front singing my heart out to the band. Also playing at the exact same time as Omnigone are Boss’ Daughter at The Wooly. They are another band I was very keen on seeing but clashes are always an inevitability on any decent festival line up. The third of a triple threat of Bad Time ska bands are Catbite (19.20–20.00). The Philadelphian band are on their way to becoming the biggest ska band on the planet and, again, I’m desperate to see them live. Taking on an updated version of traditional ska and two tone, I imagine every Catbite set is a super fun dance party full of massive smiles.
After catching a little bit of Kill Lincoln at Heartwood (20.20–21.00) I would make my way to Knockin’ Boots Saloon for The Eradicator (20.35–21.15). From the moment I first discovered the squash loving punk rockers I’ve been very keen to see them. I imagine it’s a very entertaining and unique live show that also results in the crowd getting all the kinds of rowdy. Musically I would describe The Eradicator as a super aggressive melodic pop punk style. Really catchy songs screamed into your face – often about squash. What’s not to love? I would have to leave Knockin’Boots a little before the end of The Eradicator’s set to head to Loosey’s for City Windows (21.00–21.40). City Windows were one of my favourite discoveries when researching all the bands on the line-up. The beauty of festivals is the chance to discover new bands you were previously unaware of. Overseas festivals add an extra bonus of getting the chance to see new bands before they make it to your own country. City Windows are a four piece based in San Diego, California, who play melodic gruff punk. They feature plenty of my favourite musical device – gang vocals. My memory of Loosey’s is that it’s a reasonably small room so I would be looking forward to getting sweaty with a room full of new best friends singing along to this awesome band. Speaking of new discoveries, next up is Bashful (21.50–22.20) at somewhere called Vecinos. Bashful play that wonderful kind of pop punk that you would expect to find at Fest. High octane and melodic with fantastic vocals and plenty of opportunity for singing along with the band.
As much as I love to check out new bands at festivals, it’s always fun to see old favourites as well. After Bashful’s set I would head back to Knockin’ Boots for Broadway Calls (22.35–23.15). I was excited to see Broadway Calls on their UK tour with The Flatliners in 2020 but sadly that got cancelled. Fest was my opportunity to catch them again but here I am stuck in the UK. In 2020 the Oregon based three piece released the excellent Sad In The City on Red Scare Industries and I imagine that the set would have been packed with songs from that album, alongside many of their bangers from their back catalogue. After Broadway Calls I would head back to the ska party at Heartwood for the legendary Mustard Plug (23.30–00.00). I love that headlining a day full of so many of the new bands who are dragging ska back into the punk scene’s attention is an act that’s been going strong for thirty years. I’ve only managed to see Mustard Plug once live (at Fest 15 in 2016) and I’ve been desperate to see them again. I’ve been hoping for a UK tour but alas, no such luck. Mustard Plug are a perfect pick to close the ska stage – I can close my eyes and imagine the massive “whoa-ohs” from the crowd during Beer (Song).
Following Mustard Plug I would rush back to Loosey’s for the final two bands of my day. Firstly The Slow Death (00.00–00.40). The Slow Death are a band I’ve been aware of for ages but for some reason I never checked out properly until I started my Fest research. It turns out that The Slow Death are a midwest punk rock super group with members of Dillinger Four, The Ergs and Dear Landlord among others. Three of my favourite bands, so I really should’ve been paying more attention. The band recently celebrated 10 years of their classic album Born Ugly Got Worse and I guess are celebrating by playing Fest. If you know what those bands I listed sound like then I’m sure you have a great idea of what to expect from The Slow Death. The final band of my Friday at Fest are Tiltwheel (01.00–01.40). Tiltwheel have the exact sound I think of when I think about a traditional Fest sound. Raspy voiced melodic punk to shout along to in a sweaty room. At this point in the day I’m sure that plenty of Festers will be on their last legs and Tiltwheel strike me as the perfect band to send everyone into the night after one final party.
Saturday 30th October
My Saturday starts off early and peacefully with a trio of acoustic acts. Tim Browne of Elway (12.00–12.30), Jen Pop of The Bombpops (12.40–13.10) and Kali Masi (13.20–13.50) will all be performing at 4th Avenue Food Park. This seems a great way to ease into another long day watching some of the best bands in the world. The first full band performance of the day for me would be Goalkeeper at Fox Lounge (14.20–14.50). Goalkeeper are a three piece from Philadelphia. The band play more of a cleaner sounding pop punk style similar to the likes of The Ataris, New Found Glory or Real Friends and I feel like they would have a nice nostalgic feel. Let’s face it, most of us grew up listening to this sound and still enjoy it from time to time. I will get the opportunity to see Goalkeeper at Bristol Booze Cruise next summer so that’s something to look forward to. Staying at Fox Lounge for something completely different, up next it’s Hans Gruber & The Die Hards (15.10–15.40). Hans Gruber & The Die Hards are one of the few ska bands playing that aren’t signed to Bad Time Records. Playing a bit of ska, a bit of punk, a bit of thrash and any other sound they fancy, HG&TDH are one of the most unique sounding ska bands in the scene currently and I would expect a wild and crazy live show where anything could happen.
Next I’m off to the Heartwood stage for Dollar Signs (16.00–16.40). Dollar Signs were my must see act of the Saturday. I’ve been dying to see them for years and their newest album, Hearts Of Gold, is currently my album of the year. Even on recoding they are this incredible ball of frenetic energy so I can only imagine what they are like live. I very much feel like this could be one of those big Fest moments that people will be talking about for a long time. The band write hugely relatable songs about growing up, trying to fit in and living with mental health problems and they do it all whilst putting big smiles on the listener’s face. Luckily for me the fine folk who organise Booze Cruise are bringing Dollar Signs to Europe next summer.
At the conclusion of Dollar Signs’ set I will rush over to The Wooly for Telethon (16.40–17.10). Telethon are an Emma Prew favourite, she loves the band’s last two albums Hard Pop and Swim Out Past The Breakers. The five piece don’t seem to confine themselves to one particular sound, combining power pop, indie, punk, folk, ska and anything else they feel like. This makes me think that they’ll be very entertaining to see live. Staying at The Wooly, Madison Turner (17.30–18.00) are up next. This is another band I only discovered thanks to my extensive Fest research. Madison started out as a solo artist before going full band on their latest effort, A Comprehensive Guide To Burning Out. Much like Telethon it seems that no genre is off limit for Madison Turner, mixing together folk, scrappy indie, pop punk and ska upstrokes. There are also loads of delightful harmonies on the record which I think will translate brilliantly to a live setting.
I’d probably have to leave Madison Turner a little early to head over to High Dive for Nightmarathons (17.50–18.30). I’ve been a big fan of Nightmarathons since hearing their 2019 album Missing Parts. It’s been on regular rotation at CPRW Towers since its release and I’ve never got to see them live. Something I really enjoy about Nightmarathons is their use of multiple vocalists and, of course, their gang vocals. The style creates such a big opportunity for a big sing-along that you would always expect from a band playing Fest. Next I would head to Vecinos for Almost People (19.00–19.30). Almost People play fantastic pop punk music with very smart lyrics. They remind me a lot of Spraynard whenever I listen to them and that’s always a good thing. As I mentioned earlier, whenever I go to a festival abroad I always make a point of checking out bands that aren’t as likely to find their way to the UK and Almost People fit into that category.
Dikembe (20.00–20.40, Heartwood) seem like a band you have to see at Fest at least one time. The band are a big part of The Fest team and play every year. The four piece play a crossover of jangly emo and alternative grunge music and their discography offers a lot of varying sounds. This should make for a very interesting live set in front of a passionate hometown crowd. Following Dikembe I would head back to High Dive for Devon Kay & The Solutions (20.50–21.30). I can only imagine the amount of fun that this set is likely to be. I’ve seen Devon play a few times with Direct Hit in the past and he is always great to watch on stage, so it would be great to see what he’s like as the actual front man of his own band. Something that I think is really cool about DK&TS is how much their sound changes between albums, this has got to make for a spectacular live set.
In 2019 Gainesville punk legends Hot Water Music (21.30–23.00) did two nights at the Camden Underworld in London. One night they played Caution in full and the other they played A Flight And A Crash. I only managed to go to the Caution night so Fest would have given us the opportunity to see A Flight And A Crash in full. And to see them do it in Gainesville would have been such a special and unique moment. Like the time I got to see Less Than Jake play Gainesville Rock City in Gainesville. Obviously this will take place at Bo Diddley Plaza, in front of what I’d expect to be a capacity crowd.
I have to admit, I’ll probably leave HWM a little early to go and catch Rad Owl (22.40–23.10) at Fox Lounge. Rad Owl are one of a number of fantastic bands I’ve discovered due to being on this line up. Featuring ex-members of bands such as Samiam, Gratitude, Align, The Stereo and The Tank, Rad Owl play melodic punk rock packed with big hooks and plenty of moments to sing-along to. I’ll continue to hang out in Fox Lounge for the next band Bricheros (23.30–00.00). The band are originally from Peru but now are based in Denver and LA. Another great discovery for me due to them being on this line-up, they play some of the best Ramonescore pop punk I’ve heard in some time. I feel like they offer the Fest line-up something a little different whilst also fitting in perfectly. If it wasn’t likely to be super hot, I fully expect the room to all be wearing their leather jackets, straight jeans and Chuck Taylors for the Bricheros set.
My penultimate band of Saturday at The Fest will be Debt Neglector (00.00–00.40) at The Wooly. Debt Neglector are a politically charged melodic punk rock act that perhaps also fall into the skate punk bracket. Every time the band came on on my shuffled playlist they really made me stand up listen. I especially enjoyed the vocals from the band. There is a sharpness to them that really make you take in every word they say and have you itching to scream them back at the band – if you’ve got the energy to do it that is, it’s way past my bed time at this point. The last act of the day for me would hopefully be Radon (00.50–01.30) at High Dive. Radon are Fest legends and I feel like I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t go and see them at Fest. I would fully expect this set to turn into a big sweaty mess with massive pile-ons and big sing-alongs. If you don’t know Radon, they play straight forward punk rock with elements of country fused into their sound. They definitely make for a late night drunken sing-along in a room full of friends, old and new.
Sunday 31st October
My Sunday would start off with seeing the wonderful Raging Nathans (14.00–14.30) at Vecinos. I’ve been a big fan of The Raging Nathans after seeing them at Manchester Punk Festival a few years ago. Unfortunately I’ve managed to miss them every other time they’ve been to the UK since so I’ve got to take this opportunity to see them. Since I last saw them, the band have been very busy releasing the excellent Oppositional Defiance and Waste My Heart – two albums packed with pop punk bangers. Next I would head to Knockin’ Boots for Wolf-Face (14.50–15.30). Wolf-Face are a band I feel like you need to see before you die. It looks like such a fun experience. I’m amazed the band haven’t found their way to the UK yet as I imagine they would go down an absolute storm. The band dress up as wolves and many of their songs feature wolf puns but I think it’s very unfair to class them as a gimmick band due to the strength of their songwriting and musicianship. The songs definitely stand up on their own without the theatrics. A must see band.
Next I would head back to Vecinos for two bands. First would be Atlanta’s Reconciler (15.50–16.20). I’ve been a fan of the three piece since discovering their album Set Us Free in 2019. Reconciler play a mid-tempo brand of punk rock with a vocal that really sets them apart from many of their peers. I’d argue that Jospeh Lazzari has the best voice out of almost everyone playing the festival and I’d love to witness it live. Following on from Reconciler we have Xed Out (16.40–17.10) who have recently released an excellent EP titled Give Me The Night. Xed Out hail from Richmond, Virginia, and feature former members of Smoke Or Fire and The Bled. That shows a band with some fantastic calibre. Listening to the EP, I’m really impressed with the way the band use a smooth, clean vocal alongside a raspy harmonising one. It creates such a cool sound and stops the band sounding like a lot of other acts. Give Me The Night could be one of my favourite EPs of the year and I’m gutted to miss this opportunity to see the band live.
It’s off to Downtown Fats for the first time of the day for the next two bands. First is Saint Augustine’s Kid You Not (17.00–17.40). It seems as if Kid You Not have become a Fest staple over the years. This makes sense as they certainly have a big Fest sound. I’ve loved the band since discovering Never A Dull Movement in 2017, playing that melodic sing-along punk style that I love so much. The gang vocals give their music a huge sound and the band get better with each and every release. Kid You Not feel like they could be one of the best kept secrets in punk rock, it baffles me that more people in the UK aren’t talking about them. We then switch things up with a return to some ska punk. I couldn’t not go see more ska bands could I? Flying Racoon Suit (18.00–18.40) are a seven piece band from Ocean Springs, Missouri, who play their own unique style of ska punk. Featuring dual vocalists and an extremely tight horn section, I imagine that you don’t get the full Flying Racoon Suit experience unless you’re witnessing them live. With influences ranging from metal to indie to jazz to raucous punk rock, nothing is off limits for the band which will make for a fun and exciting set.
After a fun skank I’d head off to Boca Fiesta’s for Articles (18.30–19.00). Articles were probably the first new band I discovered when I originally bought my Fest ticket in early 2020 and I was so excited to see them live. From the moment I heard them I knew they were a band for me, playing melodic pop punk music with a super raspy vocal – that’s my absolute jam. There’s a no thrills approach to their sound that I always enjoy, it’s dirty and raw with plenty of fist in the air moments. Next I’ll return to Downtown Fats to resume the skanking with Matamoska! (19.00–19.40). Matamoska! are a band I’ve been aware of for years but never got round to checking out until they appeared on the Fest line up. I would describe Matamoska! as Latin America’s version of The Toasters. They’re not fully punk sounding and take elements of traditional ska music and bring them to the 21st century. The band sing in a variety of languages which I think will do the thing that ska music is supposed to do, unite people.
Next I’ll walk back to Vecinos for another two band stint at the venue. First up is Moonraker (20.00–20.30). If it wasn’t for that pesky pandemic I would have had the opportunity to see Moonraker three times in 2020. The chance of going to Fest gave me one chance in 2021. Hopefully I’ll have better luck in 2022 when the band are currently due to come to the UK for Bristol Booze Cruise. Another raspy voiced punk rock band with multiple vocalists, Moonraker are another band that seem to go under a lot of people’s radars and I have no idea why. I have had many conversations with my good buddy Matt from Ear Nutrition about just how good they are and how more people should know them. Get to know them! Next on at Vecinos are Lightweight (20.50–21.20). Another band I discovered because of their involvement with Fest, when I first heard Lightweight I was quickly reminded of my friends Forever Unclean. Each song that popped up on my playlist was an absolute banger and I can see big things in the future for Lightweight. Brilliantly blending indie and pop punk into a sound that will please everyone, I can’t find anything not to love about this band. Unfortunately I’d have to leave Lightweight a little early to run to Loosey’s for what will be my final band (that aren’t cover sets) of the entire festival. It feels kind of fitting that it would be Rutterkin (21.20–22.00) who are essentially my festival headliner as they’re probably my favourite new discovery due to this year’s Fest. They have just a week ago released their phenomenal debut album, A Portal For Spirits, and I guess their set at Fest would act as an album launch party for them. You’ve read this far, you probably know what I’m going to say here. Raspy vocals, multiple singers, gang shouts, plenty of opportunities to shout along with my fist in the air – what more could a person possibly want? I’m gutted I can’t be at Fest for this. Hopefully they’ll be back next year.
I’d finish the festival at Downtown Fats (assuming I can get in) for two huge cover sets. The first being Catbite performing as No Doubt (22.00–22.40). I’m going to admit that I’ve never been hugely into No Doubt and don’t know much of their music aside from the hits, but I can definitely imagine Catbite having a lot of fun with the set and it going down an absolute treat. After Catbite’s set We Are The Union, with the help of some friends, will be performing an Arrogant Sons Of Bitches cover set (22.50–23.40). The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches are cult heroes in the ska punk world and this is likely the closest we’re ever going to get to them coming back. It feels right that Fest (for me at least) would finish so ska heavy. Ska has re-emerged into the punk world, thanks in a big part to Bad Time Records, and I think it’s great that Fest has welcomed the scene into the festival with open arms. Ska is going to play a big part in Fest 19 and I imagine it will in many more Fests to come.
So, that’s what I’d do if I was able to get to Fest this year. Hopefully you will check out some of the bands I was looking forward to. I will be fully living vicariously through many Festers thanks to the beauty of social media this weekend and hope you all have amazing (and safe) times. Fingers crossed we’ll finally be able to make it back over for Fest 20!
This column was written by Colin Clark.
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