Gig Review: Slam Dunk Festival 2022 at Hatfield House 4/6/22

Slam Dunk Festival 2022 has come and gone and it was another great day of friends, fun, food and fantastic music. After a train journey where I accidentally got on the wrong train and brought some strangers with us, Emma and I arrived an hour before the opening band was due to start and met up with our group. Once everyone had gathered, we made our way into the festival. After getting through the ticket barrier, we were held in some kind of holding area before we were allowed in to the main festival arena. We later found out there was a problem with the card reader machines at the bars so the organisers made the decision to get people to wait outside for longer before they let us in.

 

Once inside we made our way to the Dickies stage, where we would spend the majority of our day, to see opening act The Suicide Machines. Their set started at 11.40am which was pretty silly but showed just what a stacked line up the stage had in store for the day. This was the band’s first time back in the UK in almost twenty years and it was good to see a nice sized crowd gathered early to see them. When the band appeared and began their set you could certainly tell from the crowd’s stillness that it was still oh so early for a punk show. So, after playing one song, the band’s lead singer Jay Navarro climbed into the crowd and decided to spend the rest of the set there. This was a masterclass on how to control a crowd, as from then on the set got rowdier and rowdier. Jay was passing the microphone around the crowd giving plenty of people the chance to have a sing and it was a lot of fun. I was really impressed with how smoothly things ran despite the chaos that was happening. They played a mixture of old favourites such as Break The Glass, High Anxiety and of course New Girl, alongside some songs from their most recent album, Revolution Spring. This was the perfect way to start the day and I was pumped to see them do a full set the next night at the New Cross Inn.

After Suicide Machines we made our way to the Rock Scene stage for Meet Me @ The Altar. Meet Me @ The Altar are one of the most exciting new bands in the scene and I was keen to check them out – it was great to see that I wasn’t the only one as the tent was very busy. Playing a mixture of pop punk and easycore, MMATA were the perfect Slam Dunk Festival band, displaying plenty of energy on the stage as the band jumped around the stage. This energy poured over into the crowd who responded in kind. One of the highlights of the set was when they played Hit Like A Girl and dedicated it to all the women in the crowd. This lead to a couple of ladies in the crowd getting on their friend’s shoulders. Then a chap also decided to do this, I get that he was having fun and enjoying the band but perhaps read the room, mate. The band also did a fun and slightly cheesy cover song medley where they played Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World, My Friends Over You by New Found Glory, My Own Worst Enemy by Lit and Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit. This was a fun moment that was a nice nod to the band’s musical roots and something very fun for the crowd. This was the band’s first time in the UK but I expect that we’ll be seeing them many more times in the future.

Next on the agenda was seeing a bit of Hot Water Music. We had a while to kill before then though so decided to grab some food. I enjoyed a delicious vegan hot dog before heading back to the Dickies stage. We had only planned to see a bit of Hot Water Music as they clashed with another band but we did manage to get four songs, including my personal favourite HWM song Wayfarer. The band had had some issues with their airline misplacing their gear but thankfully they were able to borrow stuff from the other bands and the show was able to go on. The band sounded in top form and it was difficult to pull myself away to go see and the next band.

Pinkshift were one of the bands I was most excited to check out. We headed over to the Key Club tent, a tent with two stages dedicated to the newer bands on the scene, as the band were just about to start. Pinkshift were another band who were making their first appearances in the UK and I was very pleased to see the size of the crowd that had gathered. It was also a super enthusiastic crowd which is always great to see. Pinkshift play a fun mix of 90s grunge and 2000s pop punk that works wonderfully well. I was under the impression that the band was a three piece but for the tour they have become a five piece which gave them a massive sound. Their front person Ashrita Kumar was extremely powerful onstage, I struggled to keep my eyes off them. With a big voice and an endless supply of energy, they put everything they had into the performance and it’s so pleasing to see. The same can be said of their bandmates who bounced around the stage throughout. Pinkshift are the future of pop punk. They’ve just signed to Hopeless Records so expect to hear some exciting new songs soon!

After Pinkshift, we headed back to the Dickies stage for the band I was probably most excited for – actual punk rock legends in the form of The Vandals. I’ve been wanting to see The Vandals for the best part of twenty years and have never managed it. They were the last of the bands I loved when I was getting into punk rock that I was desperate to see live but never have. I had kind of resigned myself to the fact that I was probably never going to get the chance. I was very happy to be proven wrong. When they took to the stage I left our group of friends who were hanging out by the sound tent and near enough ran down towards the front to get the best possible position. Now, I said in our preview podcast that I was fully expecting to be disappointed by the set, as I had hyped it up to myself so much and I wondered how well their humour would translate in 2022, but I was very pleased to see my concerns were unwarranted. The Vandals were everything I hoped they would be. They played a set full of my favourite songs, played really well and cracked me up. Any band that has Brooks Wackerman playing drums for them is going to be super tight and I was so impressed by Warren Fitzgerald’s incredible guitar playing whilst also being the silliest person at the festival. The Vandals are all about having as much fun as possible and the crowd responded really well to them. I assume there were a lot of other people in the crowd who had waited years to see the band and everyone lapped it up. Highlights of the set included People That Are Going To Hell, It’s A Fact, Oi To The World, I’ve Got An Ape Drape, My Girlfriend’s Dead and cover Don’t Stop Me Now where Warren took over lead vocals and hid behind a banner having off the side of the stage. It was wonderful and I hope it’s not so long before The Vandals return, hopefully for their own tour.

Streetlight Manifesto were next to take to the Dickies stage and there was an excitement in the air. Streetlight are another band that rarely play anywhere and haven’t been to the UK for a long, long time. We’d gone for a quick lap of the festival site to stretch our legs between the Vandals and Streetlight Manifesto sets but made it back as the band were soundchecking. It seemed as if they had been having some trouble with the sound which I think delayed the start of their set. However, as soon as the band started the set with A Moment Of Violence, all of the waiting was forgotten and the crowd went off. It felt like everyone around me was not only singing along to every word but every horn line as well. I stood in awe witnessing the technical proficiency that the band play with. I’ve been fortunate enough to watch some very skilled bands over the years but not many come close to touching Streetlight. If it’s possible, they’re potentially too good. Streetlight aren’t a band that talk much between songs (which was a big contrast to The Vandals), instead they focus on blasting through their set. If I’m being completely honest, this took something away from the set for me as it felt too well rehearsed but, as the songs are so long, I guess it meant they could squeeze more in to the set. And let’s be honest, we see Streetlight for the music not the banter. Dan #2 and I spoke on the CPRW Podcast about how next time we see Streetlight we hope it will be at their own show rather than a festival so we can get more deep cuts in the set, hopefully that’s a thing that will happen again one day.

Mom Jeans were next on our itinerary. The four piece were playing on the Key Club stage and we made our way over as soon as Streetlight Manifesto finished their set. Earlier in the week Emma and I had been in North London for The Flatliners gig at Tufnell Park. Before the gig we stopped in Camden for some pizza and passed the Underworld where Mom Jeans had been headlining. They had a huge queue waiting to get in at around 6pm and from everything I’ve heard from friends who went it was a very special night. I had listened to them a bit in preparation for Slam Dunk and enjoyed their take on jangly emo/pop punk so decided I would go and check them out. This was a fantastic decision (well done me) as they put on a fantastic show. Despite not knowing the songs they played well at all, I felt super included in the set just from the fantastic atmosphere that the crowd had created. We were all there to see a top band do their thing and have a great time. Festivals are always a great opportunity to go and see bands that you perhaps wouldn’t normally and I’m very pleased I caught Mom Jeans. Also the best dancer of the weekend award has to go to the band’s bass player, supplying some sick and dope moves.

After a brief comfort break, we headed back to the Dickies stage to see the end of Pennywise’s set. We caught Society, their cover of Stand By Me, Fuck Authority and Bro Hymn and that was enough to keep me happy. Pennywise are such a good festival band, they have such a big following and they always play the big hits that’ll keep their fans happy. Even if you don’t know much of Pennywise’s back catalogue, there’s no doubt you know Fuck Authority and Bro Hymn and will have sung your lungs out with the band to the choruses of both songs. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Pennywise and I’m glad they never change.

I think one of the bands our group was most excited to see was The Interrupters. The Californians have played a huge role in making ska punk cool again and are one of the best live bands in the world at the moment. They’re also an absolutely perfect festival band with their songs about family, friendship, unity and empowerment. Being surrounded by so many friends and likeminded people seeing The Interrupters is a special feeling, especially with the content of their songs. After the last couple of years, these messages hit home harder than ever. With only forty-five minutes for their set The Interrupters powered through, seemingly trying to squeeze as many songs in as possible and I personally really appreciated it. We got to hear so many favourites, a couple of brand new songs and I nice covers medley. I’ve seen them play a similar covers medley before where they teased playing songs from bands from San Francisco. They’ve now changed this up a bit where they teased playing songs from Epitaph Records releases instead. They played intros to Keep Em Separated by The Offspring, Linoleum by NOFX and Ruby Soho by Rancid, before settling on playing a full cover of Sorrow by Bad Religion. I’d love to hear a recorded version of the cover. This was my fourth time seeing The Interrupters live and something that’s always seriously impressed me was how tight and slick the band are, there aren’t many better at the moment. They’re back in the UK for a full tour in a couple of months and they’ll have UK ska favourites The Skints and Bar Stool Preachers as support. Those will be special nights.

We headed back to the Dickies stage next to see The Flatliners. It was kind of weird to see the band play this tent as it seemed to be more of a new band stage and The Flatliners are anything but new. After seeing them play a full headline set a couple of days earlier we knew they were in top form and were looking forward to seeing the band playing more of a ‘best of’ set. And that’s exactly what we got. Songs such as Resuscitation Of The Year, Carry The Banner, Count Your Bruises, Monumental and set closer Eulogy sounded as good as ever. Chris Cresswell has one of the most consistently brilliant voices in punk rock. In the space of a few days I’d heard him sing in a venue, outside with Hot Water Music and then inside a tent with the Flatliners. All three times he sounded brilliant. The Flatliners provided half an hour of pure sing-along joy before we headed back to the Dickies stage.

When we arrived at back to the Dickies stage Boston’s Dropkick Murphys were already in full swing. We met back up with our group and all quickly realised something was not right at all with the sound. We were stood very central with the stage and all we could really hear was the bass. Admittedly, from looking at the set list from the day before, we knew that we wouldn’t know many of the songs they were playing (the majority of our group were a bunch of old school DKM fans who hadn’t listened to a lot of the band’s newer material) so that didn’t help but even songs like Worker’s Song and Barroom Hero sounded off because of the loud bass. I had theorised that the setlist was as it was because lead singer Al Barr hadn’t been able to make the tour due to important family commitments so you’ve got to commend the rest of the band for soldiering on without him. Unfortunately, I did find this set quite disappointing and I don’t think I was the only one. Maybe I should have taken the time to really listen to the band’s latest album Turn Up That Dial before going to see them.

While most of our group stayed at The Dickies stage for headliners Sum 41, we decided to head back to the Key Club one last time to see Nova Twins before catching the end of the Canadian pop punk legends. Nova Twins are a band from London who have been making waves in the UK alternative scene. I didn’t know much about them other than the bit of research I had done for my preview but I was looking forward to witnessing them live. As they confidently strode onto the stage it felt like something big was about to happen. Despite Sum 41 playing just two minutes away, I was impressed by the size of the crowd that gathered. I also enjoyed how diverse the crowd looked. There were folk from all walks of life ready to party with the band. Mixing punk, hip hop and rave music, the set offered something for everyone. It was a powerful set which I have no doubt moved a lot of people in the crowd. Whether you were a long time fan of Nova Twins or you popped in because you didn’t fancy watching Sum 41, I am certain you were transfixed on what was happening on the stage. The band’s singer had this great swagger about them whilst the bassist gleefully hopped around the stage with boundless energy. Coming away from the set I was of the opinion that, of all the bands in the UK at the moment, Nova Twins should be band that the mainstream press should be really getting behind. Not only are they an excellent band but they feel important and something the alternative music scene really needs right now.

After Nova Twins, we made our journey back to the Dickies stage one last time for Sum 41. Sum 41 are a band I grew up on as a teenager but had never seen live. We arrived back at the stage as the band were halfway through their set. We attempted to get back to the spot we had been in all day with our friends but it was so crowded there was no way of getting back in. Unfortunately, we were really far back and struggled to get any kind of decent view. We could see that the band had a massive inflatable devil on stage with them as well as fire and a full light show. It looked to be a very impressive sight and it was nice to have something interesting to look at, as I could barely see the members of the band. I think this was part of the problem of having no real clashes for the headliner. There were sooooo many people there. From what I’ve heard from friends after the festival, Sum 41 put on a superb show and showed why they have achieved all they have in their career. The songs I did get to hear the band play included In Too Deep, Queen’s We Will Rock You, Fat Lip and Still Waiting. Some top tier Sum 41 and a classic cover.

After Sum 41’s set, everyone in the festival made the slow walk back to the buses and trains in an attempt to get back home. This sadly proved harder than we had hoped due to disruptions on the train line but we eventually made it home after what was a fun filled day. For whatever reason, Slam Dunk does seem to get a lot of stick from people. I’m sure a lot of the time it’s warranted but I always see Slam Dunk as a great day out with my friends watching bands we perhaps wouldn’t normally go and see. No doubt you’ll see me back at Hatfield House in 2023.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Feel The Void by Hot Water Music (by Omar Ramlugon)

It’s not overstating things to say that the last couple of years have been pretty dreadful for almost everyone. A worldwide pandemic killed literally millions of people, while we were locked inside our houses and often not even able to bid farewell to our loved ones as they passed. Having only just started to move somewhere past that, a failing state decided to threaten us all with the threat of nuclear annihilation. It has felt like there’s simply nowhere to turn at times; Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan is no stranger to this, admitting in a recent interview ‘[...] man, it's been a really tough couple years. There's been multiple deaths in the family ... from losing family members to our dog, there was just a lot going on.’

Just from the title alone, it’s clear that Feel The Void was very much informed by these turbulent times in which we continue to find ourselves. The album spits and crackles with all the furious energy that you’d expect from these Gainesville stalwarts, but it’s tempered with a deep warmth and humanity from life experience that comes from the majority of the band being well into their 40s by this point. Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard have always been adept with their lyrics and vocals as they are with their guitars, never going for the obvious and instead adopting a wry, spare approach that always serves the music. Indeed, it’s a duo so well known in punk circles that the addition of The Flatliners’ Chris Cresswell may have raised a few eyebrows. Wollard even noted that Cresswell becoming their third guitarist/vocalist was uncharted territory for the band; ‘[...] I had no clue how to do it with three. I didn’t have a plan. I don’t think any of us did, other than plug in and figure it out.’

And figure it out they did. With Brian McTernan at the helm producing, Feel The Void is easily Hot Water Music’s best record for a long while. Whether it’s the shot in the arm from Cresswell, having McTernan back in the fold, or just finding strength in each other and channelling difficult days into their music, they sound revitalised. The album confidently moves through different moods and feelings we’ve all had these last few years, whether it’s the pulse-pounding rage and anxiety of ‘Killing Time’, the laughing in the face of pain exemplified by ‘Collect Your Things And Run’, which manages to make a brilliant hook out of the rhyme “Count to 4, 5, 6, I feel like shit”, or the heart-breaking, grief stricken ‘Habitual’.

The mix is marvellously uncluttered, even with three guitarists, allowing them all to find their place while Jason Black and George Rebelo’s killer rhythm section is as fantastically in the pocket as ever. Vocally, everyone is sounding on top of their game, with Ragan’s stentorian roar, Wollard’s smoky but slightly more tuneful rasp, and Cresswell’s more polished delivery shining, whether they’re backing each other up or leading the charge. The tag team approach taken on the title track is particularly thrilling. Cresswell does lead a song of his own – the killer ‘Turn The Dial’ – and it’s testament to his ability as a musician that he isn’t overshadowed by the four punk lifers around him. Elsewhere, the gnarly rush of ‘Scratch On’ is followed by the almost ballad-like ‘Ride On’, and the album closes itself out with the tuneful, defiant ‘Lock Up’, which features one of the best and most apropos chorus lyrics for these times; “Damn the world that rakes me over the coals/Every day I owe”.

This is a really special record. While there are plenty of cuts that will instantly win you over, there’s still more that don’t grab you at first flush but will slowly work their hooks into you with each listen. It’s Hot Water Music’s best record since The New What Next, easily surpassing Light It Up and pipping Exister to the post. It’s fraught with pain, uncertainty and frustration, but underpinning it all is a sense of the strength garnered from allowing yourself to be vulnerable, so as to confront your darkest impulses with the help of your loved ones, even if that pain comes from letting a loved one go. If that sounds like it would appeal to you, then don’t hesitate to pick this up. We could all do with some reassurance these days, and if Hot Water Music are still making records this good, that has to count for something.

Stream and download Feel The Void on Bandcamp here, as well the the other usual music outlets.

Like Hot Water Music on Facebook here.

This review was written by Omar Ramlugon.

Making A Case For: Hot Water Music (by Richard Mair and Omar Ramlugon)

Welcome to a new regular feature here at CPRW, where you get to see an insight into the regular debates and discussions about the high points of various band’s careers. Often such debates start with a suggestion that ‘x’ album is better than ‘y’ with all manner of reasons thrown into the mix to support the viewpoint that a certain album is the most essential release from their back catalogue.

So, the way this works is we have given an ardent campaigner for an album the chance to put 300–500 words together on why said album is their favourite and a fellow contributor makes the case for an alternative… it’s then over to you dear readers in the comments to help us decide who made the best case!

This week Richard and Omar go head to head with the heavyweight albums by Hot Water Music, with Richard Making The Case For No Division and Omar Caution.

Making A Case For No Division (Richard Mair)

Now no doubt Omar has put a compelling argument forward for the excellent “Caution”, sure it has the big hitters of Wayfarer and Remedy but aside from that it’s just a good album. That’s not a criticism; I truly love “Caution” and agree it’s iconic but, compared to one of the finest emo/post-hardcore albums of all time, it just feels too safe and certainly not quite at the level of their first “great” album.

No Division is that great album. Imagine it’s August 1999. The punk rock airwaves are full of Blink 182 singing about not growing up and aliens, New Found Glory and Saves The Day are unleashing pop infused emo songs on us and the ever reliable AFI have gone dark on Punk Rock. Out of nowhere the gravel throated roar of Chuck Ragan starts singing of unity, freedom and equality over amazingly technical melodies and we finally have a band with something relevant to say and the ability to set it to the most gorgeous soundtrack. No Division personally remains the finest Hot Water Music album for the simple reason that it’s their most creative album; this is where a band truly found their voice.

Opening songs Southeast First and Free Radio Gainesville are arguably the most iconic salvo to introduce an album, from the cheerleader led chant to Jason Black’s sexy bass line before we finally get that voice; the sandpaper whisky throated roar magically off kilter to the melody. Whilst I love both Fuel For The Hate Game and Forever And Counting, No Division always feels like their leap forward from cult heroes to genuine punk rock contenders.

Alongside the frenetic opening, the album also contains a Hot Water Music at their most restrained. Driving Home is a perfect emo-song; melancholic and empty at its core musically, the song remains so defiant and uplifting that it manages to hit all the feels twenty years after its release. Our Own Way is another more subdued song, relying on the quality of the playing compared to its pace to illicit a response. Likewise, End Of Gun is arguably Hot Water Music absolutely nailing the social commentary and disillusionment with a world that focuses on consumerism at the expense of protecting its citizens.

Despite my claim that Caution contains the iconic anthems, No Division also contains two quintessentially fan favourite bangers in Rooftops (covered by Alkaline Trio and no doubt providing a more pop punk audience to become aware of the charms of the Gainesville legends), but also Hard To Know – no lyrics will be associated more with the band than the mantra “live your heart and never follow”.

No Division remains a truly special album; if anyone was just discovering them for the first time, I’d wholeheartedly recommend heading for this collection above all others. Sure, it’s not the most raucous of their back catalogue but it’s far and away their most beautiful!

Making A Case For Caution (Omar Ramlugon)

Caution is to Hot Water Music what Mush is to Leatherface; a perfect document of a seminal band. Following on from 2001’s A Flight And A Crash, Caution found the band partnering up again with producer Brian McTernan for their second release on Epitaph, whose work on the previous record threw the band’s sinewy rhythms and pin sharp tempo changes into sharp relief, as opposed to the muddier recordings that were the case in previous years. There were a few moments on A Flight… that seemed as if the band were breaking new ground but not quite sure of their footing just yet.

Caution has no such shortcomings. From the very first second of Remedy, which has been a frequent show opener for them ever since, the band sound both bursting with energy and passion, but there are deep veins of melody hewn deep into the brick-hard riffing and muscular rhythm section. Singers/guitarists Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard deliver their most powerful payloads of gravelly, heartfelt roaring while ducking in and out of and harmonising with eachother’s melodies on both their instruments; not a single second of the sub thirty-seven minute run time is wasted.

The band push into exciting new areas – take the simple, beautiful piano line supporting the break in Alright For Now, or the stuttering guitar riff of It’s All Related – but this is built on a foundation of crunching, melodic-but-snarling, perfect punk rock songs that are both simple on first listen yet bursting with complexity that reveals itself to an in-depth headphone listener. Even Dag Nasty/Bad Religion legend Brian Baker shows up on the incredible closing track, fittingly named The End, to fire off an explosive guitar solo.

Caution is a perfect album, simply put. Instantly rewarding and endlessly repeatable.

This feature was written by Richard Mair and Omar Ramlugon.