Slam Dunk 2011 – Hatfield University 29th May
Slam Dunk was the hot number one spot to be seen at on this sunny bank holiday, which wasn’t surprising due to its year after year great line up of acts.
Straight away the atmosphere of Slam Dunk drew me in; the venue Hatfield University was modern and fresh. Everyone was laughing, drinking and partying with their friends whilst watching some awesome bands ..... Perfect way to spend a Sunday right?!. Overall the event was well organised, well sign posted and I was more than excited to go and watch some of my favourite bands perform.
THE ATTICUS STAGE
The first band I saw was We Are The In Crowd and they surprisingly nailed it! Both singers held vocals really well throughout the performance and the rest of the band rocked it! They played there latest EP (Guaranteed To Disagree) which is filled with infectious up beat songs. They ended the set with the popular and latest single 'Both Sides Of The Story' leaving the audience pumped for the other bands but lusting for more of their sound.
I really enjoyed A ROCKET TO THE MOON’s chilled out performance, their sound was crisp and the singer could clearly hold a note however they didn’t have the wow factor or spark that kept me wanting more. However the lead singer seemed like a really nice guy and after the show was more than happy to meet his fans.
Since when did NOT ADVISED get so big? I have seen these guys play a few times over the years, but it was safe to say that they have got really good, they’ve grown massively and are much tighter than they were a year ago. They are truly heading somewhere with their catchy sound and strong voiced front man Jim Thomas. These guys are an example of true performers with a lot of dedicated fans and I’m sure if you haven’t heard of them yet, you will be seeing a lot of them in the near future.
FRAMING HANLEY where playing their last few songs as I walked in. Sadly I didn’t enjoy their performance as there sound wasn’t really my cup of tea. However they were one of the nicest acts to perform as they dedicated their love to the audience and even suggested that they meet after the show, which was really nice and genuine to see.
MAYDAY PARADE rocketed my expectations as I truly thought they would have disappointed me but in fact they blew me away. Every song was strong and they kept the crowd going throughout their whole set. It’s safe to say the crowd were eating out of the palm of their hands.
But the most shocking part of their set was the fact that the lead singer could actually sing. This really surprised me as I thought he would do that over exaggerated American out of tune accent like he sometimes does on record! However he managed to tone it down, allowing his true talent to show. The rest of the band also played very well and everyone in the band played as if there life depended on it.
30H!3 drew the festival to an end in style!. I was so excited to see them play but was ready for disappointment. However feelings of disappointment vanished as they opened the set with ‘starstuck’ automatically everyone in the room was singing and dancing along they definitely ended the show with a bang.
30h!3 knew how to work a crowd, their performance was slick and energetic however the set did have some personal downfalls but the rest of the audience seemed to be hypnotised by their sound and didn’t stop moving.
I did spend the majority of my day on the ATTICUS stage, due to the bands and fantastic view I had! However I sadly neglected the other stages but did manage to check out a few more awesome acts as seen below.
HONOR YOUR GLORY STAGE
It’s sad to say that DEAF HAVANA truly disappointed me, and since they lost their screamer and heavy sound, I’m afraid they to lost me as a fan. I really wanted them to play their hit song ‘friends like these’ but instead they went for more of a softer performance with a few acoustic pieces, unfortunately this new sound wasn’t for me.
However they did seem like really nice guys, and clearly did have some true, dedicated fans, which was nice to see.
YASHIN truly blew my socks off, their performance was definitely one to watch from guitar swings to crowd surfs they truly knew how to party like rock stars; the lead vocalist could really sing and the band were tight and enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately I didn’t know all of their songs however I couldn’t help but nod along and get involved in their strong performance and sound.
JAGER STAGE
The horn based ska band REEL BIG FISH were great fun, I only managed to catch a few songs as they clashed with Mayday Parade but I was excited to see them play their hit song ‘beer’ which was the highlight of the performance due to the reactions through the crowd, as everyone happily sang along to the cheesy summer tune.
I have never been a big fan of THE STARTING LINE but my friend Chris really wanted to see them play, as it had been a dream of his since he was young. However his high expectations were shattered due to the poor performance by the band. The lead singer couldn’t really hold a note and the overall sound wasn’t great however they had a big crowd full of true fans that clearly enjoyed their performance.
INTRODUCING STAGE
After walking out of The Starting Lines set we decided to head over to SUMMERLIN performance, which too was a disappointment from previous, reviews I expected them to be right up my street. However the pop punk sound they portrayed was not shown though this performance. The sound was poor and the songs were uncreative and dull.
Overall Slam Dunk festival was a great package, it was only £40, the venue was lovely (including the toilets!), the relaxed fun atmosphere was amazing and lastly the acts I saw exceeded my expectations.
However, what could be improved on? Only small complaints and changes including the option to camp to create a more original 'festival experience', some bigger bands as there were a high majority of unsigned acts. Lastly the queuing experience wasn’t great, it was poorly devised and there were no toilets surrounding the area which was a big problem for my sister as she was dying for the loo haha!.
All complaints done Slam Dunk was a Number 1 festival and I’m more than excited to see who will rock the stages next year!