Slam Dunk Festival North Review
Article written by and photos by Elodie Hadfield
Slam Dunk Festival: a day of rock, punk, and emo music to remember. Situated just twenty minutes outside of Leeds City Centre, Slam Dunk is known for its incredible lineups and energetic crowds, and WOW did the festival deliver on both of these this year! Every single artist brought insane amounts of energy to the stage, making for a truly unforgettable day. It’s safe to say the awful British weather did not dampen the spirits of Slam Dunk Festival goers.
Slam Dunk had five different stages all with a range of incredible artists performing on them this year. The grounds were well laid out and the range of stages ensured everyone’s music preferences at the festival were accommodated. The Slam Dunk team worked incredibly hard to put together a diverse lineup to ensure everyone was happy, whether you’re into pop-punk and pop-rock or heavy metal, Slam Dunk had you covered!
Kicking off the morning was the amazing As December Falls, playing on the Slam Dunk Stage. What a perfect way to start an energetic and lively day full of fantastic music. As December Falls were a new band to me, however after having the privilege of hearing the band perform live I will definitely be adding their songs to my playlists. My personal favourite was “Ride”. Shortly after watching As December Falls, I ventured through the very muddy fields of Temple Newsam to the Key Club Stage to watch Guilt Trip perform. Guilt Trip is a Manchester-based band, known for their heavy metal music. Their set was electric and the crowd loved it, mosh pits forming constantly even in the rain. If heavy metal is your thing, I definitely recommend checking out Guilt Trip.
Later in the day, As Everything Unfolds took to the Kerrang! Stage. I have had the absolute pleasure of photographing As Everything Unfolds previously so I knew the Slam Dunk crowd was in for a treat! As Everything Unfolds started their set with a bang, playing “Slow Down”. People jumping, head banging, crowd surfing and creating mosh pits, it was obvious As Everything Unfolds was a crowd favourite.
While attending Slam Dunk Festival, I discovered so many new incredible artists. One of my favourite new artist discoveries had to be Against the Current. Against the Current is a pop, rock band from New York. The lead singer Chrissy Costanza’s stage presence was unmatched and Against the Current’s show was definitely a stand-out performance of the day. Another new discovery was RØRY. RØRY played to a very busy Kerrang! stage and definitely brought the bucket loads of energy. Ever since I saw RØRY’s set at Slam Dunk, I have been listening to her album ‘Family Drama’ on repeat.
As the day went on and the field got even mudder (not that you’d believe that was possible!), one of my must-see artists took to the stage: The All-American Rejects. I was so excited when I saw The All-American Rejects were performing at Slam Dunk. They are a band I have been wanting to see live for absolutely years. As the crowd screamed and cheered, The All American Rejects ran out onto the stage and kicked off their set with ‘Swing-swing’. As the set progressed, the band played some of their most popular songs including ‘Dirty Little Secret’ and ‘Gives You Hell’. It’s safe to say both of these songs were definitely crowd favourites.
Finally as the sun started to set, You Me At Six took to the main stage, and wow… what a performance. I have seen You Me At Six live previously, so I knew the Slam Dunk crowd was going to have the absolutely best finish to their day. The setlist was truly amazing! There was such an excellent range of songs from all the different You Me At Six albums. When the sun had set and the stage lights were the only thing illuminating the crowd, You Me At Six kicked in with my all-time favourite YMAS song “Take On The World”. Seeing “Take On The World” live, as I stood in a field with thousands of other people belting out the lyrics was such a beautiful moment I will always remember. The set concluded with another couple of my favourites including “Underdog” and “Beautiful Way”. Truly, You Me At Six were the perfect headline act to finish off such an exciting day of music.
If you missed Slam Dunk North and South this year you can keep up to date with all things Slam Dunk Festival on Instagram to make sure you’ll be in the fields, seeing some of your favourite artists live in 2025.
