A Beginner’s Guide to Slam Dunk Festival
Slam Dunk festival is a wonderful example of when a great record label has a really good idea. Starting out as a back-to-back set in hometown Leeds, Slam Dunk grew from a weekly club night to small annual festivals celebrating emo, punk, ska and the harshest metal the North was offering. Ten years later, Slam Dunk Festival has evolved to a colossal, multi stage mega fest that storms across the core of the British Isles on a three day warpath from it’s roots in the North to the very heart of the South. Slam Dunk has become an annual institution to punk and metal fans and is an auto-include in any self-respecting rocker’s diary. This year, Slam Dunk is taking place in three scenic locations across one marathon weekend of unfettered rock and Licklist is here to tell you how to best ride the lightning.
Last year, Slam Dunk hosted a an exceptional platter of pop punk, emo and ska on their mainstages to keep everyone and everything moshing during their ride across the country. You Me at Six, Reel Big Fish and Architects all headlined their respective stages. This year, 2016 is conjuring forth Vegas pop rockers Panic! At The Disco to mainstage each ridiculous fest with metalcore beasts Of Mice & Men blasting through sonosphere from their plinth on the Second Stage. Keep an eye out for punk/hip hop alchemists The King Blues on the fourth stage and for Brighton born Qemists on the DJ stage. This a properly eclectic mix of the kind of music that celebrates a kind of defiant and passionate love for their genre, so ensure you keep an open mind and book those tickets early.
Speaking of tickets, there are a range of options available to you since the fest effectively travels the length of England. Saturday the 28th of May sees the Fest bursting into life in Millenium Square, Leeds as well as taking over the Beckett Uni campus grounds, before hurtling down to Birmingham overnight for the Sunday 29th Slam Dunk takeover of the NEC. Check the festival site maps listed here http://slamdunkmusic.com/festi val/ to get a rough idea how to get around both the site and what stages and facilities will be placed where. At this point, we should probably mention that the South option down at the Forum in Hertfordshire is unfortunately sold out, so any latecomers will need to make arrangements for travelling to Birmingham or Leeds on their respective days to ensure they don’t miss out on the party. A separate ticket is required for the associated ‘after party’ of each fest which offers extra night time acts and DJ sets in specific locations. You can buy combination tickets to ensure you have complete access to all Slam Dunk’s venues, however we’d advise steering clear of the mega-ticket option for now as it seems its cost of £165 hasn’t changed since the South option was declared sold out. Refunds are often not considered when purchasing festival tickets so hang fire on buying package deals until you know exactly what you are paying for.
Check the FAQ and Info pages here to get a better idea of what package works for you. Otherwise, there’s nothing more to say than pack the army helmets, nose rings and air guitars and we’ll see you in the mosh pit!
Kyle Cairns