Slam Dunk gets skanked with veteran ska-punkers Spunge

The Slam Dunk Festival began in 2006 as a single day event held annually in Leeds and based at the city's university from 2007. Since the first festival in 2006 the event has grown considerably to the point it is at today. This year the festival takes its line-up to three locations; Leeds University yesterday, Hatfield University today and Wolverhampton Civic Centre tomorrow. Slam Dunk has even spawned mini Scottish, Welsh and Irish editions of the event.

This is my first visit to the festival and I'm instantly impressed with the organisation and layout. I'm also impressed with the facilities on offer at the University with my first visit to the university's The Forum venue. The Forum is a cool and modern looking venue, complete with giant chandelier and disco ball, but today is labelled the 'Macbeth Footwear Stage' and is opened by young four-piece The American Scene. The Americans are a non-offensive start to the day's proceedings but are nothing special either.

Taking in the festival site I head to the 'Monster Energy Stage' where things are getting heavy with House Vs Hurricane. As the marquee fills up with a sea of sixteen year olds in baseball caps and skinny shorts I find myself suitably unimpressed with the musical offerings and depart the stage almost as quickly as I had arrived.

I then take the short walk to the 'Vans 'Off The Wall' Stage' and take up position for the brilliant MC Lars. MC Lars and his distinct post-punk laptop rock pack the stage and provide the first highlight of the day. MC Lars fights through some technical difficulties with his microphones to entertain with his short but sweet set including 'Download This Song' and 'Signing Emo'.

It's now time to pay my first visit to the main stage located outside in the beautiful bank holiday sunshine. My only qualm with the positioning of the stage is that the glass slopes down from the stage making it difficult for the shorter audience members. Fortunately I don't have that issue and take a good vantage point for the next band, Mallory Knox.

I have made it a point to see Mallory Knox today given the amount of hype surrounding them at the moment, and they certainly live up to it with this performance. I'm clearly not the only person today to have noticed the hype as the band attract a large crowd. Their impressive set includes singles 'Beggars' and 'Lighthouse' taken from their stunning debut album 'Signals'.

Back to the 'Vans 'Off The Wall' Stage' and veteran ska-punkers [Spunge] attract a huge crowd. The band bring their fun filled music and the crowd bring their best dance moves. Together they skank their way through twenty years worth of material as the band confirm a number of times that they are in fact not dead! In fact they prove that there is life left in them with a new song or two thrown into a set full of fan favourites that concludes with 'Centerfold'.

There are seven stages to choose from at Slam Dunk and next I check out the 'Tiger Stage' which is located in The Attic here at the University. Small and dark, the venue is playing host to up and coming Brits, Blitz Kids when I arrive. The young rock band play a decent set to an enthusiastic crowd and are one to keep an eye on in the future. Following Blitz Kids performance I go in search of food and am quite impressed to locate both a cheese burger and chips for a fiver, which at a festival isn't bad going.

Cardiff rockers Kids in Glass Houses are about to take to the main stage so I make my way back outside to the early evening sunshine. The band have now been together for ten years and will soon release album number four. It's that experience that aids them in putting in a well oiled performance for the assembled gathering. Early singles 'Give Me What I Want' and 'Saturday' from debut 'Smart Casual' provide two of the biggest sing-a-longs of the day as the band re-affirm their presence on the live scene after a short absence.

Staying on the main stage I await the arrival of Deaf Havana, not knowing what to expect. I'm aware of the band, but have not listened to them before, so they will be a new experience for me. It's an experience that begins rather oddly with a cover of Robbie Williams' 'Let Me Entertain You'. An odd start indeed, but a good one and the group from my homeland of Norfolk continue to impress as their set continues. Sadly singer James Veck-Gilodi is clearly suffering from illness and his strained voice struggles through the set. Despite this their performance is still very good and it would be good to see them again with Veck-Gilodi at full strength.

Festivals are great for offering music lover's choice throughout the day, however the downside comes when two bands you wish to watch clash. With Slam Dunk offering seven stages full of music I'm sure that everyone here today will have experienced this at least once. For me the biggest clash is reserved for the headliners; All Time Low on the main stage or the brilliant Cancer Bats up in The Attic.

Americans All Time Low win the battle for my attention and seemingly the attention of every teenage girl at the festival. Kicking things off with 'Lost In Stereo' and 'Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)', I start to think I've made the right choice but as their performance progresses I begin to have my doubts. The further into the show we get the more generic it feels.

All Time Low are a decent enough band, but just don't do quite enough for me. Throughout their performance I find myself listening to their music and their jokes and can't help but think "poor man's Bowling For Soup." Returning for an encore that includes a fine airing of 'Weightless' the band probably have done enough to justify their headline status and the young girls that fill the crowd are clearly overjoyed with what they have just witnessed.

It's been a really good day of musical entertainment here at Hatfield University with the likes of MC Lars and [spunge] providing fun filled performances and Mallory Knox living up to the hype. Kids In Glass Houses, Deaf Havana and All Time Low all helped deliver a great festival experience and on the back of that the Slam Dunk brand can only continue to grow.

Latest Updates