SLAM DUNK 2019: ARTISTS TO WATCH For any fellow fan of punk, metal, emo or ska music, Slam Dunk is a name that we are all too familiar with. Originally established in 2006, the two-dayer festival has expanded from its humble beginnings and has snowballed into a yearly cornucopia of the most exciting bands the alternative scene has to offer; from the world renowned, genre-defying pioneers to the innovative, groundbreaking newcomers. If you are lucky enough to have snagged yourself a ticket to either Slam Dunk North (Leeds) or South (Hatfield), you are more likely feeling spoilt for choice to what bands to see across the eight stages. Luckily, Neil Dowd has compiled a list of our top picks for the bands you should be seeing!
#1: ALL TIME LOW: I know what you’re thinking, and yes it may seem cheap to have the headliner as our first choice, but much like their slot on the festival, their positioning on this list is nothing if not completely deserved. Having formed in 2003 in their final year of high school, All Time Low have since earned their reputation as one of the most recognisable and longevous acts in the pop-punk genre. Even from their 2005 debut album The Party Scene, the band have consistently gone above and beyond to embellish the ‘pop’ in pop-punk, resulting in instrumentally explosive, yet irresistibly catchy tracks that have become a staple in their genre, whilst also appealing to more pop inclined listeners. Although the days of bushy, straightened emo fringes and onstage dick jokes may be behind them, their set at this year's Slam Dunk will be a treat to behold if their unforgettable 2013 appearance is anything to go by. Along with the abundance of electrifying energy that can be expected from an All Time Low show, the band have
also hinted at honouring the ten year anniversary of their renowned album Nothing Personal. This is not a set you want to miss!
#2: WILLIAM RYAN KEY: It was a sad day for the alternative music scene when after eighteen years as a band, Yellowcard decided to call it a day. Throughout their years of activity, the band defined themselves in the genre through their inclusion of Sean Mackin’s melodicallyanthemic violin playing. Whilst the farewell tour and final, self titled album provided a satisfying conclusion to the bands journey, many fans (myself included) just weren’t ready to let the bands array of anthemic hits go. Fortunately for us, we no longer have to. Ryan Key, the former frontman will be taking to the Marshal Stage with all of the Yellowcard tracks that we know and love, along with some of his new, original music. So if you’re just not ready to say goodbyeto beloved tracks like ‘Ocean Avenue’, ‘Lights and Sound’ and ‘Only One’, you know where to be to catch them in an interesting new context.
#3: WATERPARKS Our third choice takes us back to the main stage, to the trio that continue to redefine the game with their incorporation of ‘trap’ inspired programmed drums and electronicainspired synthesisers to their poprock sound. The boys have been known to satirically refer to themselves as ‘God’s Favourite Pop Band’, but given their overt ability to innovate and break the mould of what is expected of a band in the pop-rock genre; they may be everyone else's. Both managed and produced by the Madden brothers from Good
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Charlotte, Waterparks have managed to release two albums within fourteen months of each other. However, even with such a short space of time between each record, they managed to avoid the dreaded ‘sophomore slump’ and produce a second album that builds upon the song-writing abilities of their debut, whilst also retaining the innovation high energy fun that made the bands sound so infectious to begin with. Despite their fairly recent emergence onto the scene, the band have played at a variety of festivals across the country, even bagging a main stage slot at last years Reading and Leeds Festival - so be sure to check them out before they explode and their ticket prices sky-rocket!
#4: PLAIN WHITE T’S It was nearly impossible to avoid this band between the years of 2007 to 2010. With the success of their certified platinum singles ‘1234’ and ‘Rhythm of Love’ and their most predominantly known, number-one hit ‘Hey There Delilah’, the band dominated radio stations with their emo pop ballads, cementing themselves as a commonly known household name. However, the question for many remains; where are they now? Due to creative differences, the band parted ways with Hollywood Records and resigned with their former label Fearless Records in 2017. Their most recent album Parallel Worlds was released in October of 2018 and showcases a more synth driven taken on the emo pop genre that bears no resemblance to the sound that most people would associate to them. The band are set to headline the Marshall Stage following a set from HelloGoodbye, so if curious to bask in the old and new works of this eclectic band, this is one set I wouldn’t miss.
