Outbreak Festival: The Sunday Review

Having had issues with their transport, it’s pretty lucky that Outbreak even gets to see Balance and Composure at all. Given the not so envious task of now opening the Sunday, they still give it their all. Performing to a growing crowd as many people were still queueing to get in when they began, the main stage gradually fills up. Being their first UK shows in about ten years, the set holds a lot of emotion and similar to Basement the night before, proves to be a beautifully cathartic experience for most. New song ‘cross to bear’ sounds massive while tracks like ‘Void’ and ‘Notice Me’ send the crowd into an early morning fit of ecstasy. – Chris Earl

Now having to play against verified legends, you’d forgive Bug Bath for perhaps being slightly more sedate than normal but that is not the case. The Reno, Nevada crew put on a mighty show that delights the admittedly small crowd. Vocalist and guitarist Brigdon Markward even managed to throw in some stances reminiscent of Oasis for good measure, while their guitar-forward pop rock provides a fun if slightly muted start to the indoor stage. – Chris Earl

When the Sunday stage at Outbreak was booked, you can imagine it was with a beautiful sunny day in mind that would make the likes of Angel Du$t hit that bit harder. Annoyingly, it’s pretty overcast but that doesn’t deter the bouncy Baltimore legends. Justice Tripp is his usual affable yet commanding best as the upbeat, almost danceable riffs rain down as routinely fans swarm the stage for a chance at the mic or to simply dance then throw themselves off, eyes wide and screaming along to classics such as ‘Love Slam’, ‘On My Way’ and the anthemic closer ‘Stepping Stone’. – Chris Earl

Following up Angel Du$t is Fiddlehead, who take the baton from their peers and continue to deliver the chunky, bouncing riffs. Possessing more of a hardcore edge (as said by Pat Flynn himself, describing Fiddlehead as a pure hardcore band) than the Du$t, a good few pits and two steppers begin to make their mark on the main stage. Despite having played the night before in an incredibly emotional Have Heart set, Pat is a tour-de-force of a frontman. Tracks like ‘Grief Motif’ and the incredibly emotional ‘Eternal You’ (dedicated to Have Heart member Ryan Hudon) cause a small avalanche of fans to fall onto the stage, their passion and love for the band on display for the world to see. – Chris Earl

Having gained much popularity since the release of their debut album Autumn Lost In Silence last year, there’s no surprise the turn out is huge for Killing Me Softly. Even before they start, the golden circle is tightly packed with excited fans ready to mosh, and bring the mosh they do. From Jono Roberts’ first high pitched menacing scream there’s a rise in violence. Arms are flying and shots are being taken to the head as they power through eye watering breakdowns and bludgeoning heavy sections. Their immaculate, tight performance is sure to be a favourite of the weekend for many fans. – Amy Bowles

If there’s anything that could lift your spirits on a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon in Manchester, it’s a post-hardcore sing-a-long. Cue Movements and 30 minutes of passionate, energetic bangers that have everyone vibing along. There is an instant energy from the crowd as they fly through their impressive discography. While fans go wild for older cuts ‘Colourblind’ and ‘Third Degree’, they deliver the same liveliness for tracks from their most recent album RUCKUS!. It is, of course, ‘Daylily’ that generates the biggest roar of excitable cheers. As everyone looks to the sky for pink clouds and the romantic number plays out, there’s a sea of hands in the air, people sitting on shoulders and an abundance of smiles. – Amy Bowles

It could be said that out of all of the Scottish hardcore bands on display, Nothin’ But Enemies are perhaps the most ignorant. The second band of the day to see some crowdkilling happen during the sound check (Killing Me Softly being the first), the band’s blend of classic hardcore and Scottish aggression proves to be a winner as they lay waste to the third stage with a run through nearly all their discography. Their new EP The Real Steel was a massive step for the Scots and the cheers that greet every single track show that the band has a bright future, with the band even managing to throw in some Slayer-esque solos on their namesake track to keep things fresh and not just endless beatdowns. – Chris Earl

One of the less celebrated but no less impactful full album playthroughs of Sunday, Joyce Manor played their seminal Never Hungover Again record in full. A beautiful album of introspective, bouncy emo, the set treats fans to songs not played in well over five years, with ‘End Of The Summer’ and ‘The Jerk’ being incredibly well received. Somewhat of a legacy band at this point, their influence can be felt all over bands who play before and after themselves. Despite the record probably not being as well known as other full playthroughs, it garners incredible responses and it’s fantastic to see the band back on these shores. – Chris Earl

The second stage is packed, from the stage to the bars and in some places, it’s even filtering outside. Why? Because of legendary New York hardcore band Incendiary. The owners of some of the most dangerous riffs and songs in modern heavy music, the mosh stage is filling up before a chord is even played. Brendan Garrone sounds amazing, leading the baying fans in outrageous renditions of ‘Front Before Enemy’, ‘Zeitgeist’ and a ludicrous live debut of ‘Jesus Bones’ from last year’s album. Things slow down a bit during an emotional shout-out from the band to Jonny Saville, a UK hardcore scene legend who sadly passed away earlier this year, a man whose hard work and love for the scene was responsible for so many bands playing shows over here. A white hot ‘Primitive Rage’ closes things out, leaving a sea of delighted, bruised and sweaty bodies with shit eating grins across their faces. – Chris Earl

Despite suffering from one of the few set stoppages of the weekend, Glasgow hardcore maniacs Despize succeed in turning the third stage into a warzone. Blasting and screeching their way through tracks that span their brief but impactful career, the vibes are immaculate and the spin kicks are brutal. They’re simply one of the most beloved and exciting bands in the entirety of the UK at the moment and with tracks like ‘T2D’ and ‘Sniper’ from their new album fitting in seamlessly with classics such as ‘Spirit In Black’ they win over as many new fans as they do pleasing the old guard. Glasgow hardcore didn’t just turn up today, it took over. – Chris Earl

Putting their mark out the second stage are Harms Way and what a frankly fantastic choice it is to have these titans of the genre be on so late. The first UK shows for the industrial-tinged hardcore titans in over half a decade, they’re all business, with original members Bo (lead guitar) and James Pligge (The man chiselled from a mountain on vocals) the stars of the show. With a stomp that would leave Godzilla jealous in places, tracks like ‘Become A Machine’ and ‘Devour’ send the entire place into a frenzy. By the time the final salvo of ‘Human Carrying Capacity’ (which sees James nearly swallowed under a crowd of adoring fans) and the longtime fans favorite, ‘Infested’ the place is a wreck, but for fans old and new, it’s been more than worth the wait. – Chris Earl

As Sunday draws to a close and weekend punters grow weary, Scottish powerhouses, Demonstration of Power storm in to steal that last drop of energy. Gassed up onlookers pack out the entire area of the third stage eagerly anticipating one of the most hyped sets of the festival. Unsurprisingly, they were right to be hyped. The feral violence unfolding both on stage and off doesn’t let up for a minute, fans energetically recreating the moves from Japanese Hardcore Mosh Style video that plays on the backing screen. ‘Five Eyes’ and ‘Disgrace’ predictably rile the crowd up as they rail through the merciless blasts that force your face into an excited grimace. A truly phenomenal close to the third stage. And what better way to finish a set with hurricane-level brutality than confetti cannons, a stage invasion and an impressive belly flop off the stage. – Amy Bowles

There’s a huge applause as post-hardcore icons, Thursday, take to the second stage. Likely composed of newer fans and fans of 20+ years, there’s an excitable yet emotional atmosphere amongst the crowd. And with good reason, tonight’s set is 40 minutes of tracks from seminal albums, War All The Time and Full Collapse. As they plunge into ‘For the Workforce, Drowning’, frontman Rickly commands the space, his electric energy oozes with passion and is a show all in itself. As if a consistent 40-minute stream of sing-along bangers wasn’t enough, they are joined by Touche Amoure’s Jeremy Bolm for ‘Paris in Flames’ that sends the crowd into a frenzy. Riding the high of the surprise feature, during final favourites ‘Understanding in a Car Crash’ and “War All The Time” you can hear ecstatic fans joyfully shouting the lyrics over the music. As the final moments of the set ring out, the second stage is drawn to a close in a truly memorable way.

Finally, the rain clouds have departed and the sun has returned for the final set of the festival. As it sets into the horizon, the clouds are lightly tinted with pinks and oranges, the perfect setting for twinkly midwest emo. Tonight’s set from American Football is a special one as they celebrate 25 years of their self-titled debut album. While the energy and mood of this act doesn’t quite match the rest of the weekend, the production and quality of their set is on par. As footage of the cover house plays out in the background, the instrumental melodies flood emotion into the hearts of onlookers. Fans may not be queuing to fling themselves off the stage or scrambling to grab the mic, but they are gracefully swaying and chanting along to the riffs. By tactfully moving ‘Never Meant’ to the end of their set, the band have conjured a huge amount of anticipation. As the first note of the well-recognised track plays out, the crowd is set alight. Many invade and pack out the stage, energetically bounding around as the remainder on the ground loudly sing along, not missing a lyric. Perhaps not a welcomed choice of headliner by some festival-goers, the softness of their set sweetly wraps up the festival – like a bedtime story at the end of an energetic day – or in this case, weekend. – Amy Bowles

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