July 9, 2024| Will Marshall |LIVE REVIEW
Outbreak Festival: The Saturday Review
Of all the bands to kickstart the Saturday with, Missing Link may have been the heaviest. Part of the Triple B record showcase of the day, the New York natives give the early crowd a sharp dose of downtuned, Neanderthal brutality. As the Triple B contingent watch on, tracks from their new album Watch Me Bleed create the first of many maelstroms of fists and feet, along with some two-steppers on the stage. The undisputed highlight is ‘Numbers On The Board’, which sees Matt Karll of Gridiron join them. A frantic ‘New York Minute’ ends the set but crucially, sets the standard for the rest of the stage to follow. – Chris Earl
Seizing the early zest of the crowd, the eruption of SCARAB on the stage could be felt in all four corners of the warehouse. Pulling in good numbers for one of the first sets of the Saturday, their violent whip of fast paced energy and face-slapping breakdowns creates a flurry of movement and coordinated nods from the crowd. Despite the instance of sound issues, the band launch straight back in, unfazed, channelling the frustration into the ferocious conclusion of their set. – Amy Bowles
As the sun peeks through the clouds, Higher Power take to the stage with bouncy track ‘Reflect’. Violent energy is placed on the back-burner being replaced by happy bobbing and hands in the air as the crowd vibes along. The band’s vibrancy on stage is infectious, all donning blue work shirts and bounding around the stage like golden retrievers, loving every second. ‘Absolute Bloom’ and ‘Low Season’ garner the most attention, inducing a swarm of duelling two-steppers appearing from each side of the stage. As the sun picks up for the conclusion of their set, excitable fans take to the stage and to the pits, smothering the mic and churning up dust. – Amy Bowles
Having made a brief appearance during Missing Link, Gridiron frontman Matt Karll proceeds to enthrall the entire second stage with his infectious charisma. Opening with the frankly titanic ‘Trench’, the band almost effortlessly slam their way through slabs of hip hop infused hardcore. Despite only having twenty minutes, not a second is wasted as ’25/8′ and closer ‘No Good At Goodbyes’ make sure that those who signed the mosh waiver get a good bit of use out of it. A legendary set that will go down in history for those there to witness it. – Chris Earl
Taking to the eerie, unlit stage, Moroccan-Punks, TAQBIR, are one of the most important and powerful bands on this weekend’s bill. Commencing with a forbidding atmosphere, their prowess and raw passion emanates as they flood the stage with fiery feminine fury. They’re perfect to release your frustrations to, but there’s also a real sense of unity that forms around the band and crowd. Rattling through their punchy riot girl punk, their set is over as quickly as it started. 20 minutes feels far too short and fans will eagerly await their return with open, welcoming arms. – Amy Bowles
A frantic, bug-eyed blend of hardcore and ramshackle punk, Perp Walk manage to not only put on one of the most intense sets of the weekend, but one of the most uplifting too. Perhaps the band that benefited most from the unfortunate delayed arrival of Balance and Composure, the third stage is packed to the gills with the faithful and the curious. In the midst of their squealing, clattering set, it warms the heart seeing the collective love and power of the scene come together to crowdsurf a fan in a wheelchair. Aside from that, vocalist Paul is soon shirtless, cutting about the stage like a downtrodden, Welsh Iggy Pop, grunting and shrieking through most of their discography. – Chris Earl
Dedicating their set to UK hardcore, STIFF MEDS bring an angry, infectious vigour to Saturday afternoon. An intense set from start to finish, the crowd is set alight fulfilling vocalist Seth’s demand for carnage. The abrupt pace changes, false stops and increase in speed towards the end sound just as manic as they do on record. Penultimate track ‘PARASITE’ generates a storm of circle pits and ferocious stomping side-to-side. After being pummelled in the face by 15 tracks of sonic violence, a cup of coffee and sit down is well deserved. – Amy Bowles
Another group from the Triple B contingent, Detroit’s Never Ending Game continue the second stages deadly, combative streak with their own brand of riff driven hardcore. Fresh off a fantastic 2023 record in ‘Outcry’, it’s tracks from that such as the stunning ‘Tank On E’ and ‘Hate Today…Die Tomorrow’ that hit the hardest. At this point in the day, the pitters are well established and they relish the opportunity that NEG give them, as fists swing under the watchful eyes of the entire present Tripe B roster behind the stage. – Chris Earl
As the rain picks up, it’s time to take a trip down metalcore memory lane. One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend from Floridians, Poison the Well does not disappoint. A hugely influential metalcore act, the band’s passion emanates through their set. Having not graced the UK with their presence in a long time, both the band and crowd are enthralled as they rail through a performance rammed full of the finest cuts from their stellar discography. While some are throwing themselves off the stage and churning up mayhem in the pit, others are singing (and crying) so loud it’s as if the band have brought their own choir. Final track, ‘Nerdy’ sees a storm of fans taking the stage prompting a pause of their set. As the rain beats down vocalist, Jeffrey Moreina, along with the crowd, continues acapella, a moment that will stick in the minds and hearts of many fans. Straightening out the on-stage issues, ‘Nerdy’ gets re-launched and fans get the thrill of jumping on and off stage, all over again. – Amy Bowles
It’s a bold statement, but Mindforce sounded the best of any band the whole weekend. The 80s thrash riffs given a hardcore edge sounded like they possessed the power to reduce the BEC to its very foundations. Frontman Jay Petagine is an incredibly endearing, authentic figure who genuinely seems honored by the maniacal crowd gathered for their first UK festival appearance. From opener ‘New Lords’ to deeper cuts like ‘Nightmare’ and ‘Swingin’ Swords, Choppin Lords’, the stage isn’t empty for a second. They even manage to upstage Gridiron for the sheer amount of presence and sheer fun brutality, which was no easy feat. – Chris Earl
After 5 years, Have Heart returned to steal the hearts and minds of Outbreak’s crowd. One of the most luminary straight-edge bands, they are a perfect fit for the festival and a headliner. The main stage is brimming with starry-eyed fans, who’s frantic energy mirrors that of the band and frontman, Pat Flynn, on stage. Commanding the crowd on every word, the band tear through a phenomenal set of their bests hits. Not surprisingly, ‘Bostons’ and ‘Pave Pavements’ send hands flying in the air and bodies off the stage, as onlookers loudly chant along. However, from the outset of Flynn’s moving speech on Palenstine and his daughter’s health, and the story behind the man’s name in their backdrop, Izzeldin Abuelaish, the crowd is so quiet you can hear a pin drop. Every word holding so much power and creating a stillness and sense that the world around the BEC arena stopped. Following the monstrous applause, carnage is resumed and lyrics are bellowed by fans as the final tracks are delivered. A cacophony of chaos, connection, unifying lyrics, Have Heart deliver a stunning standout of the weekend and in Outbreak history. – Amy Bowles
Before a chord is even played there are tears in the eyes of the faithful. It’s a very special night for Basement, the Ipswich emo boys headlining Outbreak for the second time and the atmosphere is palpable. With opener ‘Earl Grey’ being greeted with some of the biggest, most frenetic cheers the festival has ever seen, it’s the start of a career spanning, almost greatest hits setlist, with the exception of a new song which is simply introduced as…a new song. Even as rain drizzles down, the fervor isn’t dampened even a single bit. It’s a crowd the band deserve, having achieved a legendary status over the last decade in the UK (And all over the world to be honest) music scene. Closing with an emotional speech, referencing Have Heart‘s earlier set and, how in the face of the horrors that are currently going on in the world, that playing this festival is a privilege and in the grand scheme of things, very insignificant. As ‘Covet’ closes off the night, the adoring fans watching don’t agree. For many, if not all of them, this means the world. – Chris Earl
