Live Review: Sun-Soaked Memories and Unforgettable Farewells: Slam Dunk South 2024

Slam Dunk signals the start of festival season every year for all the alternative music fans around the UK. This year’s line-up was set to be one to remember with the likes of You Me At Six’s final festival performances and the return of All American Rejects after a decade away!

The sun shined over Hatfield Park as thousands of fans descended upon the festival grounds. Greeted with Monster Energy and the sight of the Slam Dunk Stage, the excitement reached a boiling point. The day kicked off at the Go Pro Stage where As Everything Unfolds delivered a heavy-hitting set in the early hours, ensuring everyone was wide awake. Over at the Kerrang tent, Honey Revenge’s first-ever festival performance was a high-energy spectacle that left lasting impressions.

Across the festival, As December Falls launched the Slam Dunk stage in a big way, their pop punk blend a perfect fit for the event, with their crowd growing bigger by the minute. Slam Dunk prides itself on showcasing both new talent and the bands that shaped the scene. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus delivered the first dose of nostalgia with a hit-heavy set that transported fans back to the glory days.

Whether you were rocking out to Rory’s pop punk, skanking to the smooth rhythms of The Skints and The Selecter, or letting loose in the mosh pits to The Blackout, the day felt undeniably special. Hatfield Park glistened in the sunlight, smiles visible for miles. Against The Current’s set in the Kerrang tent was a real treat, quickly filling the space, while La Dispute brought hard-hitting post-hardcore to the Key Club stage, and Pennywise unleashed ska punk over at the Monster Energy stage.

As the day reached its final hours, choosing what to see became a delightful dilemma. Funeral For A Friend, with Lucas Woodland on vocals, was breathtaking, while The All-American Rejects’ return was celebrated like a homecoming. I Prevail closed out the Go Pro stage without Brian Burkheiser, but despite being one member down, they crushed it with fans lending their voices to the performance. The Interrupters hit the Monster Energy stage, fuelling fans for their journey home with songs about unity in their signature ska punk style.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly You Me At Six’s final festival appearance. Their set, filled to the brim with nostalgia, included fan favourites like ‘Save It for the Bedroom’, ‘Reckless’, and ‘Lived a Lie’. They also played deeper cuts such as ‘Kiss and Tell’, ‘Straight to My Head’, and ‘Liquid Confidence’. As the band visibly cherished every moment on stage, the crowd erupted for hits like ‘Bite My Tongue’ and ‘No Future? Yeah Right’. The set continued with ‘The Consequence’, ‘Loverboy’, and ‘The Swarm’, and closed with anthems ‘Jealous Minds Think Alike’, ‘Room to Breathe’, and the heartfelt ‘Stay With Me’. As a final farewell, they performed ‘Always Attract’, ‘Take on the World’, ‘Underdog’, and ‘Beautiful Way’, leaving fans with an unforgettable experience.

Slam Dunk 2024 was a day of sun-soaked memories, fantastic performances, and a fitting farewell to You Me At Six, marking a perfect start to the festival season.