Bands are already playing and huge crowds are snaking round the block by the time I make it to the BEC Arena for this years Outbreak. This should have given me some indication of how busy it's going to be but even this doesn't adequately convey how packed it is but more on that later. I only came back off holiday a couple of days ago and my wife said that I could only come to one day of the festival and this is definitely the more stacked day for me.
Glare are the first band I manage to catch, on the outdoor main stage. Dense bass, shimmering guitars and dreamlike vocals make for a hypnotic take on shoegaze. There is a decent amount of distortion on the guitars during the choruses. There are electronic interludes in between songs, some quite ambient whilst others have drum 'n' bass style percussion. The closing track has a fantastic, soaring guitar crescendo. A very good start to the day.
The second stage is absolutely packed for Pennsylvania's Gridiron. Their dudey style of hardcore is really good, creating a fine groove which instigates plenty of stage invaders whilst virtually every hand in the air is raised in the arena. They owe a large debt to Dog Eat Dog and Biohazard but they do it much better than either of those bands these days. Matthew Karll has a higher pitched vocal style reminiscent of Dog Eat Dog's John Connor. The breakdowns are satisfyingly heavy and are influenced more by modern hardcore such as Harms Way. Hip hop grooves are added with ease and manage to avoid sounding cheesy. They are great fun and you can't help but nod your head along to the beats.
Back on the main stage is Ecca Vandal and her eclectic mix of styles. The drums on the opening 'EYES SHUT' sound like assault rifles whilst the guitar is much heavier than it is on the records. The following 'CAME HERE FOR THE LOOT' completely shakes it up with some grime beats, and the little one-two punch of drums and guitar adds a little injection of power. The pop-punk 'BLEED BUT NEVER DIE' is enormous fun and prompts a huge all-female stage invasion. Every song sounds completely different to the previous track and Ecca exudes attitude no matter what style she is singing. There is a pop sensibility to many of these songs but fat riffs still add a rock credibility. The fast and furious punk rock of 'DANCE IN DEBT' sounds a bit thin but this leads straight into 'VERTICAL WORLD' which, augmented by electronics, has a much fuller sound. The drumming is excellent throughout and the relentless, persussive beat of the closing 'SORRY! CRASH!' is fantastic. The closing drum and bass section is cool too. It's differenct to the hardcore and shoegaze which populates the rest of the day and it's really refreshing.
It's back inside and another packed second stage for Dynamite. Their fast old school youth crew hardcore is full of energy. The musicianship is great whilst Alex Money's higher pitched yet coarse vocals are really good. They have a great '98 revival sound but it's nothing I hven't heard before.
It's a low key start for Nothing on the main stage with the strummed guitar and downbeat vocals of 'purple strings' gradually getting more intense, coming across like The Verve on downers. The loud, swirling shoegaze of 'Famine Asylum' is much more powerful. As the vocals become dreamier, the images on the big screen become more disturbing. However, Nicky's vocals aren't always audible over the guitars. The ultra percussive 'cannibal world' is excellent. The drumming is what gives them an edge as it is propulsive and drives them beyond the usual dreamy nature of shoegaze, although it has that element too.
It's absolutely packed on the main stage for Boston hardcore supergroup Fiddlehead. Patrick Flynn announces that "this song is for all the fuck ups" by way of an introduction to the emotionally charged opener 'Baby I'll Change'. 'The Years' sees a huge stage invasion as everyone piles on to sing along. The emotional hardcore of 'The Deathlife' causes even more chaos. Every track sounds stadium sized. The records are great but it is live where Fiddlehead really make sense and they are truly connecting with the crowd today. Patrick is so passionate about hardcore and you believe him when he says he loves those late night chats where you discuss your favourite Todd Jones song or your favourite track on a particular record, not least because I've had those types of conversation myself. Whenever he ventures down to the walkway, he gets mobbed by people who just want to scream along. His delivery is emotional and heartfelt yet is full of power and energy too, meaning that he straddles both emo and hardcore with ease. The final singalong is a joyous expression of all that hardcore is.
Glixen are yet another shoegaze band. It is the second time we've seen the singer Aislinn Ritchie today as she was playing guitar in Glare earlier. Initially, it feels a bit flat as there is too much feedback and the vocals are too quiet but these become more audible as the set progresses. There are times when it is rather dreamy and one track has some great Sonic Youth style swirling guitars. However, they straddle the line between hypnotic and boring, and they cross the wrong side of the line a few times. It's a bit disappointing to be honest, but mainly because I had such high expectations.
By now, the whole site is absolutely rammed. Uncomfortably so. There are horrendous queues for food and toilets and it takes at least ten minutes to get anywhere. Worst of all, there is nowhere to sit down and my feet are screaming. I'm feeling really fed up and I seriously consider going home. I leave the site but end up stopping at a bus stop on the main road where I take my shoes off and put my feet up for a hour in the sun listening to Snail Mail in the distance. This re-energises me so I decide to head back in for another try. When I get there, I discover that the indoor stages are shut off for entry and there is a sizeable crowd waiting to get in. From what I can gather, Hatebreed have completely filled the place to capacity on the second stage. Realising that I have no chance of getting in, I decide to grab a drink and get a spot for Trapped Under Ice which is also quickly filling up.
Trapped Under Ice's buoyant hardcore explodes right from the start and thousands of hands punch the air for 'Pleased To Meet You'. There is a hip hop influence present but they are still undeniably hardcore with the odd monstrous bass drop, some heavy breakdowns and plenty of two-stepping parts. I'm pretty far back but the pit looks pretty big from what i can tell. As great as Trapped Under Ice are, I decide to head inside midway through the set to try and get a half decent spot for Suicidal Tendencies.
The chants of "ST, ST, ST" start a few minutes before Suicidal Tendencies take to the stage. They tease the beginning of 'You Can't Bring Me Down' before they launch into the track and all hell breaks loose. Mike Muir may look like a crazy uncle these days but he still knows how to command a crowd. The mid-paced stomp of 'Join The Army' is just made for two-stepping and plenty of kids oblige as they dance across the walkway. You can't really hear the guitars but kids are going off and it's impossible not to get carried away too. 'Send Me Your Money' is impossibly bouncy and the bassist Tye Trujillo (yep, former bassist Robert Trujillo's son) gets the chance to show off with that funky bassline and a neat little solo. 'War Inside My Head' is incendiary and even the reggae interlude can't bring it down. 'I Saw Your Mommy' prompts a gigantic stage invasion which then becomes an even bigger circle pit. The closing 'Pledge Your Allegiance' sees the biggest stage invasion yet with the whole crowd chanting "ST, ST, ST" again, echoing the start of the set. Absolutely fantastic.
I watch Basement from the back whilst eating some Sri Lankan food. The food options this year are really great, it's just a shame that the queues were so big for them for much of the day (although it's obviously good for the traders to be so busy).
Basement have a really full sound and their post-hardcore sounds massive, especially on tracks such as the opening 'Time Waster'. There are lots of grunge and alt-rock influences contained within their sound, and the quiet verse-loud chorus template of The Pixies is often followed. 'Dead Weight' sounds like Nirvana, only slower and heavier. The Quicksand style post-hardcore of 'Spoiled' is extremely good. Overall, they are pretty good but I think I've reached my limit so I call it a day there.
I'm pretty conflicted about the whole day really. It's great for hardcore that an event like this can attract 10000 plus attendees and I saw plenty of great bands. However, it felt uncomfortably busy and that does detract from the overall enjoyment of the day.
Basement ***
Suicidal Tendencies *****
Trapped Under Ice ****
Glixen ***
Fiddlehead *****
Nothing ****
Dynamite ***
Ecca Vandal ****
Gridiron ****
Glare ****
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