Bank holiday weekends are scarce in the UK, and finding one with sunshine is like winning the lottery and on par with meeting a unicorn – truly rare. So when it happens, Brits must make the most of it, not knowing when the sun will return. What better way to celebrate than joining thousands in a field to enjoy forty bands plus in a jam-packed day? With that in mind, we headed to Hatfield Park in the sun for Slam Dunk South 2026 and the festival’s twentieth anniversary, and prepared to sweat it out and rock out.
Pest Control
So, how was your journey in? Whether it was smooth or fraught, the curtain on Slam Dunk South 2026 was raised in noisy fashion as Leeds’ own thrashers, Pest Control, took to the stage and proceeded to shake the cobwebs away. Vocalist Leah Massey-Hay was a whirl of venom, barking out the likes of ‘Year Of The Pest’ and ‘PMC’ with unrelenting gusto, while the rest of the band chugged, thrashed and squealed along in a maelstrom of chaos. Of note was a small contingent of the crowd practising their hardcore dancing, alongside their handstands and cartwheels. Gym class to thrash, anyone?
Heriot
From the frenzied attack a few short steps away on the neighbouring stage came the crushingly weighty and brilliantly brutal Heriot to level the field in a mercilessly efficient display. Early bruiser ‘Commander Of Pain’ set the tone with that, frankly, disgusting harmonic-laden first riff (that certainly caused this reviewer to adopt a proper stank face), while the colossal “Foul Void” thundered through the pit. Vocalist and guitarist, Debbie Gough, marshalled the crowd like a drill sergeant, demanding more from the pit, whilst the palpable joy on drummer Julian Gage’s face spoke volumes to how fun these shows are for the band. Rounding things off with the bludgeoning ‘At The Fortress Gate’, one had to spare a thought for the limbs in the pit and the eardrums of all without protection.
SiM
Two things stood out from the first trip of the day to Scott’s Key Club Stage: the revolving stage itself, which enables slick changeovers (with techs revealed like some awkward prize on a 90s game show), and the techs themselves, who were revealed like some awkward prize on a 90s game show. The second was the fact that SiM’s performance was utterly majestic, with a real sense of fun throughout. Opening with ‘Kiss Of Death’ and the magnificent ‘Five Times Dead’, charismatic vocalist Manabu “MAH” Taniguchi had the audience in the palm of his hand, obeying every command for interaction with nary a quarrel. New song ‘Blind Eyes’ went down a storm, whilst the pits and wall of death (during ‘Da Da Da’) were ferocious. Even someone dressed as Elmo got stuck in to cause some good-natured damage!
A
While having their latest album cover as a backdrop featuring an ice cream van on a sweltering day in the UK may have been taking the mickey, (cowboy) hats off to Suffolk’s A for taking our mind off such things. How? By taking us on a trip that included the likes of ‘Starbucks’, ‘Something’s Going On’, and the thirty-year-old ‘Number One’, as Perry pointed out. Yet there was room for some quirks in the summer sun, with Perry imploring all to get some “…on the spot jiggling going on”, and bringing out a parade of line dancers to run through ‘Kings Of Lowestoft’ – bemused faces all round. When ‘Nothing’ closed out the set, with among the most insane bass drops this side of metal, the enjoyment was keenly felt.
Trash Boat
As we wrote in our “Ones To Watch” Slam Dunk article, Trash Boat’s debut, ‘Nothing I Write You Can Change What You’ve Been Through’ turned a decade-old this year, and the band promised an ode to its release in the run-up. What fans were treated to was a trip down memory lane, with impassioned performances of cuts from the album, including the likes of ‘The Guise Of A Mother’. The crowd were, naturally, vibing, whilst the band looked completely at ease throughout, with vocalist, Tobi Duncan, calling for the circle pit to “spin like a fucking Beyblade!”. 10/10 for the A-grade reference, there, and a wonderful show in general – good work.
The Home Team
Unless you are wired somewhat differently, the overarching sense of warmth that rolled out in waves from Seattle’s The Home Team was impossible to ignore. The band’s set possessed terrific energy and groove, but it was their joy and down-to-earth nature that made it inviting. Opening with ‘Hell’, the band set everyone on their way for a feel-good set that included Oliver Baxxter from Broadside as a guest on ‘Somebody Else’s Face’, and ended with the stellar ‘Worthy’. Good music and good vibes made for a thoroughly enjoyable set under the Scott’s Key Club Stage tent.
Stand Atlantic
On a hot day, it’s easy to let the heat bring the energy down, but not for Stand Atlantic. Bounding on stage, they absorbed the sun’s energy and relayed it back to all in the pit as they brought their brand of up-tempo pop-punk to Hatfield. New song ‘Velcro’ was well-received, while the likes of ‘Warzone’ and the very punk ‘GIRL$’ also went down swimmingly – the band got the crowd involved, with the latter by getting everyone without knee injuries to bounce along with them (how kind). Special mention to spinning guitarist, David Potter, for the visual wow-factor – how he was not dizzy, only medical professionals can say.
Punk Rock Factory
Punk Rock Factory are living proof that those who listen to rock music are not all scary, Devil-worshipping nutters. Like we have all seen in the memes, there’s the Scott’s Key Club Stage tent bouncing along to ‘We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)’ by Vengaboys, and that’s before the band took to the stage – when they did, it was wall-to-wall FUN. How can you not enjoy classics like ABBA’s ‘Mamma Mia’, B*Witched’s ‘C’est La Vie’, or The Little Mermaid bop ‘Under The Sea’ being souped-up and punked to the max? Judging by the crowd’s reaction and the inflatables thrown out mid-set, that would have been difficult even for the world’s most miserable of sods.
Currents
Striking a balance in a live sound can be a tricky deal when you’re of the more progressive persuasion. Clean passages need to be audible, whilst heavier parts cannot overwhelm. Currents, thankfully, had no problems with this and tore through beefy cuts such as ‘The Death We Seek’ and ‘Monsters’ with abandon. Newer ominous song, ‘It Only Gets Darker’, shook the foundations, and demonstrated a band at the peak of their powers live. Pits spiralled and limbs happened; who says progressive stuff cannot hit hard? The band’s (at times) more introspective sound may have been a little different from the remainder of the bill, but the welcome variety stood out.
Tonight Alive
Judging by Tonight Alive’s first performance at Slam Dunk since 2018, they have missed this. Vocalist, Jenna McDougall, enthused roundly throughout the band’s joy at returning to the live circuit, and the quartet were exquisite and ‘World Away’ and ‘The Fire’ sounded glorious in the evening sun, whilst their cover of Mumford & Sons’ ‘Little Lion Man’ was an absolute highlight (especially with McDougall performing from within the pit, or the “conga line – the safe circle pit for those in their mid-30s…”) How amusing, considering that this occurred after a nearby fan returned from the pit proclaiming it to be rubbish! Guest appearances from Harmony Cavelle (of South Arcade on ‘Lonely Girl’) and Bonnie Fraser (of Stand Atlantic on ‘Disappear’) added to the sense of occasion, before the house was brought down with the raucous ‘Temple’. Seriously, though, welcome back!
Vukovi
How would you start your show at a festival? If you answered, “spraying the fans with booze”, you’re either trying to pull a fast one or are Vukovi themselves. Not content with charging into ‘This Is My Life & My Trauma’, vocalist Janine Shilstone gave a winning celebration to go with a winning performance, where the audience gave it right back. Shilstone never stayed still, moving about the stage with a commanding presence, and even found time to sing from the barrier on two separate occasions. Her calls for the crowd to move and clap were met with enthusiasm, all the way up to the snarky closer ‘La Di Da’, where the band took their bows to deserved acclaim.
Deaf Havana
Norfolk’s Deaf Havana have been frequent visitors to the Slam Dunk bill down the years, but 2026 marked the fifteen-year anniversary of their sophomore record, ‘Fools & Worthless Liars’. Naturally, this required commemorating, which they duly did. The set opened with vocalist James Veck-Gilodi, playing ‘The Past Six Years’ alone to huge sing-alongs with the crowd, before the rest of the band joined and roared through favourites in ‘I’m A Bore, Mostly’ and ‘Leeches’, where you could barely hear Veck-Gilodi for the crowd becoming the fifth member of the band. ‘Friends Like These’ got an airing, with a guest appearance from Sean Smith on screaming duties, to rapturous applause, which only made Veck-Gilodi’s sincere thanks all the more poignant. It was emotional, but a sure-fire high for the band.
Good Charlotte
It seems really stupid to say, considering the band have been going for over thirty years, but Good Charlotte have a hell of a lot of hits. In certain ways, performances of this sort at a festival are often their own exercise in celebrating a legacy, especially when you are, arguably, a veteran of the genre now. On a weekend where Slam Dunk celebrated twenty years of music, whilst bands on the bill celebrated album milestones or returns to the fray, the Madden Bros. and co. topped it off with their own party, and it went off suitably. With a naturally sizable and expectant crowd, the band took to the stage in a bang of fireworks and launched into ‘The River’ with the verve of a band happy to return to these shores. The light show and backing screen made for a marvellous visual spectacle, while the band’s good-natured between-song chatter ably proved their “come from nothing” rise, and their gratitude for the life they now have. Newer songs like ‘Rejects’ fit alongside the band’s hits well, but those big ones like ‘Girls & Boys’, ‘Predictable’ and the tremendous ‘Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous’ were where the crowd came alive most. This was especially true of the closer, ‘The Anthem,’ where more fireworks went off to the delight of all. While there was, unsurprisingly, a heavy dose of nostalgia about their set, Good Charlotte combined this with who they are in 2026 skilfully to make for a great show to round off the day.
With further fireworks exploding in a kaleidoscope of colours in the cool night air, that was that for Slam Dunk South 2026. A tightly packed day of music and memories that marked a number of events and milestones for bands across the bill, not least the twenty years of the festival’s thriving existence. You can certainly see why: impeccably organised and with a smorgasbord of great music for all. Here’s to twenty more years and see you all in 2027.
https://www.slamdunkfestival.com/
Review By Lee Carter
Photos By Rebecca Bush – https://www.instagram.com/beckybphoto/
Slam Dunk South Gallery
