Scene Queen is back with another uniquely bludgeoning track, and she has invited some friend’s in set it off to join her for it!
The track ‘Barbie & Ken’, is a violent and vibrant take on the iconic relationship between the famous dolls as it’s battle to the death, and you’re along for the ride.
She had this to say about it:
“This song is the perfect combination of the crazy chaotic hyper-feminine “Bimbocore” sound my music has combined with the high energy and theatrical sound of ‘Cinematics’-era Set It Off. I was so excited to get in a session with Cody in general but the collab that it morphed into was honestly more fun than I could’ve even hoped for.”
Less than a year has passed since the previous iteration of Slam Dunk Festival and here we are for the third time at the Temple Newsam site since switching from the city centre where just about everything is bigger and better! The stages, the food, the acts, the sound etc. It feels truly amazing to be back without the fear of coughs, covid passes and everything else in-between that would stop us from attending!
Having grown up from my teenage years to university on a steady diet of Pop-Punk, Metalcore and tonnes of more music, it almost feels as if this is a dream today and it feels as if the gap between all the shows in the last few months has passed. Also, this has to be the most diverse lineup I’ve witnessed in a long long time!
Pinkshift
Over on their festival debut, the Baltimore based Pinkshift continue to win over some new faces to the band and I’ll say this, their energy levels didn’t drop by one bit at all. They sounded up to that point in the day, the best out of every single band on the day and they continue to win over every person that watched (including myself) especially with their recently released single ‘Nothing (in my head) which has you losing your mind over that soaring guitar.
Cassyette
Kicking off the heavier side of things is the always incredible, Cassyette, an artist who hasn’t gone unnoticed over the last year and has steadily put out a consistent repertoire of banger after banger. Her oozing her anthemic liveability has the early crowd being thoroughly entertained with her glam rock attitude with her added swagger though… she lives up to the hype.. Being a staple as one to watch could lead her to falter a but but with track such as ‘Sad Summer Girl’, it makes her pleasing to watch and hopefully in a few years time, we’ll see this artist head further up the festival bill.
Yours Truly
Rising Aussie favourites take to the Temple Newsam stage for the second time in as many days, previously on You Me At Six’s 10 Years Of Sin (Sinners Never Sleep Anniversary Shows) it’s clear that they’re fan favourites in the scene at the moment the way everyone’s bouncing on the stage to show that this is Yours Truly’s world, we’re just living in it and proof that they have only gotten better with time, refining their sound over the pandemic. Sadly though production monsters have struck during their set which do plague the performance on the occasion but that doesn’t make things unenjoyable, it makes us want to watch even more.
Meet Me At The Altar
Today there’s someone we’ve been wanting to watch for a while now but sadly their set is plagued by some technical difficulties, especially on their guitar early into their set. After some momentum from May The Odds Be In Your Favour, the sounds are a little disappointing in the rhythm of their set but around their ending, they do show some motivation at what they really can do to make them a good presence where hen they do make their UK return, these problems won’t bring them down, they’ll bring the carnage to their set.
Hot Milk
‘Lets show them how we do it in the north’. says Hannah Mee, leading the charge with Hot Milk as they reach some amazing heights with their Rock Scene stage performance. The band blast through some high octane tracks, the recently released ‘Bad Influence’ as well as their previous title track off EP, ‘I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead’with every single piece of energy just dripping from the band, it’s very impressive to say the least. Hot Milk continue to go from strength to strength in the dynamic flow of their back catalogue of tracks and the atmosphere just raises things up ten times of what any band has accomplished so far today.
Magnolia Park
Another international debut, were the social media sensations, Magnolia Park. ’10 for 10′ became this full circle moment for everyone in the crowd because it was one of those songs that when you hear for the first time which has a poignant meaning and the standout on the day of the festival but made them all the more crushing and pleasing to watch. In all honesty they are ballsy to be covering ‘Sugar We’re Going Down’ (as is anyone who chooses to) and they nail it perfectly because of their modern electro-pop blend which fans have become accustomed to. The more I listen to Magnolia Park, the more interesting they become to me not only because they seem to be the future of what the genre has to offer but because when they inevitably make their Slam Dunk return, a bigger stage will be required.
Mod Sun
It’s been a while since the record ‘internet Killed The Rockstar’ dropped and he brought about a new age of Rock to our ears and when the tracks ‘Karma’, ‘Annoying’ and more hit, all you hear is the entire crowd chanting back and screaming the lyrics. What’s more is the amount of time Mod Sun interacts with the crowd, expressing how loved he feels to be there and the entire time, that love is reciprocated. Dedicating the set to his fiancé Avril Lavigne (and even a few rumours of the queen herself being there) the 2021 breakout single ‘Flames’ is one that possibly can be heard across the pond for what is a fantastic set for the first time appearance
Set It Off
It’s been three years since Set IT Off last played in the UK. Postponement after postponement meant that their latest upcoming tour has now been on the back burner for the last few years (thanks to COVID) and this is just the opening salvo of what is to expect when things come about in a few months time. Starting off with ‘Skeleton’ and ‘Projector’ it’s obvious that they’re clear fan favourites already and will continue to stay in their setlist for a good while but that doesn’t mean they won’t bust out their old hits such as ‘Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing’ as well as ‘Why Worry’, there’s more than enough charm to go around, especially with the bands colour coded outfits as well as a You’re Next style bunny mask for their touring guitar player.
As December Falls
Making their return to Slam Dunk Festival (with their previous appearance back in 2018) and after an impressive SOLD OUT headlining run of the UK, British Pop-Punk protégées As December Falls continued to impress with their lovely catalogue of tracks, especially their latest release of ‘Go Away’, we just want more and we will on their upcoming Autumn UK Tour later this year. With the entire set of crowd pleasing tunes fizzing with some personality, the sass manages to cook up more to get the crowd really going and hopefully they’re going to be firm favourites sooner rather than later.
Nova Twins
Now I Feel for Nova Twins, I really do. They’re at the end of the day just about to go on before main headliners Sum 41 but the more you watch from them, the more you’re just in their trance. With the crowd rather drained, the duo powerhouse get the crowd moving again and again to have them reignited to remind them just who the hell they’re watching. The annihilating Riffs and furious tracks make the most of their message and believe me when I say, nexttime they tour, get your butts to a show.
Sum 41
The final band to take to the stage, the kings of the festival today are sounding the absolute best from left to right all over the place, especially with a massive Red Devil looking ominously out into the crowd.
It feels so weird to be listening to tracks such as ‘The Hell Song’, ‘In Too Deep’ and ‘Fat Lip’ but I suppose that’s always the case of people you’ve been listening to for years. They’re always welcome with the favourites in their setlist where you hear the crowd collectively chanting back and a realisation comes to you, this is the community of the entire festival singing back. The setlist is culled from more nostalgia feels of the last 20+ years but they hold up time and time again.
Picking up in between the set, covers of riffs from The White Stripes ‘Seven Nation Army’ and Queens ‘We Will Rock You’ feel effortless from my standpoint. The band have always been capable of more, and the set provides it time and time again to bring Slam Dunk Festival 2022 to a triumphant end but if I may say, this is a crowd that wants more and they oozed up every last ounce of what was put out there today.
Set It Off have released their new track, “Who’s In Control,”
“Who’s In Control” taps into a troubling experience that all creative minds encounter: being paralysed by an influx of fear and outside pressures. In Set It Off’s case, the ever-evolving Alternative group sings of questioning who is actually controlling their identities in the midst of expectations for artists to become musical machines. “Who’s In Control” is their third single from their upcoming record, Elsewhere, available everywhere on Friday, March 11th.
Set It Off has been exploring the theme of neon macabre in their latest releases, and “Who’s In Control” is no exception; the single screams the most like a horror movie— almost as though the listener is being chased through a house of mirrors. An unsettling shrill shocks listeners in the opening seconds, leaving them on edge as they’re hit with a suspenseful Pop-Punk sound and lyrics of being poisoned by negativity. A feeling that the band knows all too well, singer/lyricist Cody Carson relays his thoughts about negativity getting the best of him: “everyone loves feeling like they have control over their own life, their own decisions, or their overall destiny, but sometimes outside voices scream so loud at you that they shake you up and make you adjust your path.” “Who’s In Control” thus acts as the band’s acknowledgment of that fear.
Slam Dunk Festival has announced more bands to its 2022 lineup! And there’s some big and amazing names on there.
First up are Beartooth! They’re making their return to the Slam Dunk Festival lineup for the first time in five years.
On the announcement, the band says:
“We’re beyond excited to return to Slam Dunk. It’s a killer festival with killer bands and it’s an honor to be a part of the lineup. Like a lot of bands, it’s been years since we’ve been able to play in the UK. I promise we’re gonna do everything in our power to kick major ass. See ya there!”
And also set to play the festival wit Counterparts, 3OH!3, Set It Off, Nova Twins, With Confidence, Magnolia Park and Lil Lotus.
As It Is have shared another track from their upcoming album ‘I Went To Hell And Back’, and it’s a little bit of a surprising one.
‘IN THREES’ takes cues more from electronica and SoundCloud rap as much as their rock and pop-punk roots, with dark and decadent synths coating the tone of the track There’s also guest vocals from Set It Off’s Cody Carson and Jordy Purp to add an extra layer of twisted melody.
Vocalist Patty Walters had this to say about the track:
“[It is inspired] by spending too much time all alone in your head. You start to build an alternate reality, where what’s ‘true’ is twisted and contorted, and after enough time, it becomes reality. And it leaves you hurt and spiteful and violent and numb. It’s an intensely dark listen, both lyrically and musically, but it was a total opposition experience to create.”
And guitarist Ronnie Ish added:
“It’s about internal fires that start inside of our heads with having zero energy and no interest in extinguishing. Instead, we let the fire spread, consuming every room inside our mind and let it burn down everything inside. It’s about accepting defeat, making a bed in the darkness, and succumbing to that alternate reality.”
Alternative band Set It Off facesreincarnation with their latest single “Skeleton,” available worldwide now Fearless Records. With a metaphor of stripping one’s flesh to unveil unyielding bone, “Skeleton” centres on liberating your core self from your negative, internalised facades and influences. Set It Off sings of unapologetically embracing yourself in an effort to breathe new life within. “Skeleton” is the lead single of their upcoming album Elsewhere, which promises to divulge further vulnerability and open varied moods and worlds for listeners.
A hauntingly melancholic piano opens up to a Pop Rock guitar and driving drumbeat in “Skeleton.” Lyrics of breaking down to become whole empower the melodic song until it increasingly emboldens and ascends to a frantic rap. Accentuating their words, an energised climax of harmonies demands listeners to shout along. While Set It Off was creating “Skeleton” in the studio, the jump tempo excited singer Cody Carson, as he anticipated the potential crowd reaction. The music video for “Skeleton” sees Set It Off revamping their image with pops of “bright neon colours mixed with macabre imagery,” a shift that certainly matches their reinvigorated, musical energy.
Emphasising the single’s message of daring to be authentic, singer Cody Carson says“it’s so important to me that you know me for who I am, at my core, at my best and at my worst. Being vulnerable shouldn’t come with a rain cloud overhead and it certainly shouldn’t be frowned upon. It should be encouraged. Through life‘s bumps and bruises I’ve learned it’s easier spent stripping away the fear of letting go and saying how you feel, when you feel it. It’s ok to be vulnerable. It’s ok to be a Skeleton.”
Speaking from his own personal battle against stigmas of bisexuality, drummer Maxx Danziger echoes Carson’s sentiment, refusing to pretend to be someone else to placate others. “There’s so much outside pressure swaying us to act the way others think we should whether it’s your interests, hobbies, sexuality, career, gender identity, etc. The ability to block out that noise, find your true self, and be that person 100% is real vulnerability and real bravery.”
Check out ‘Skeleton’ via your preferred streaming service or check out the video below.
Set it Off will be returning to the UK in February 2022 for their rescheduled tour. You can see the band at the following dates:
Recently, Set It Off brought their ‘Midnight’ era full circle and completed to with a last round of Acoustic Track.
One of the tracks ‘Happy All the Time’ got stripped back and was even better in some respects.
Now, they’ve released a video for the track which features Issues’ Skyler Acord as well as the Compton Kidz Club.
Cody Carson (Vocals) had this to say about the track:
“‘Happy All the Time’ has worked its way to bring my absolute favorite song off of Midnight’. I am so damn proud of this song and the people involved with it. The message is important to me because we all feel so much pressure to be 100 percent all of the time and it's SO important to remember that it’s okay to be sad. It also doesn’t hurt that my mom told me that even she puts this song on when she feels down.
“With this acoustic version, we seriously stripped it down so you can really appreciate the incredible talents of Skyler Acord on bass and The Compton Kidz Club choir, led by Fred Martin. It absolutely sends this song over the edge. It’s overflowing with emotion. Enjoy!”
Set It Off have announced they’re going to be playing their rescheduled UK tour dates in May of 2021.
The tour dates were originally set to take place towards the end of 2019 but I believe they had to postpone due to Cody Carson needing vocal surgery which they then postponed to April of this year (2020). The dates suffered another setback when Covid-19 happened earlier this year and the dates were put back to August and September of 2020 but now that has been deemed impossible so the decision has been taken to put the dates back again to May 2020 for the UK dates of their tour.
“We live in very strange times, and we wanted more than anything in the world to be able to make this tour happen. We were hoping through a little slice of optimism that I could’ve still taken place, but the fact is that it’s still not safe for this tour to happen.
So we have postponed this tour one more time and we WILL get to you the MOMENT we are cleared. So we are calling this tour the “Midnight World Tour: Part Four the love of god don’t make us reschedule this again.”
Hold onto your tickets, hold onto your VIP. We will be performing for you at the moment we can.
We love you, thanks for being so understanding.”
Support is set to come from Broadside, Cemetery Sun and Lizzy Farrall for the UK dates.
Fearless Records has something new coming up for everyone at home.
The music label, the home of bands such as: Set It Off, Sumo Cyco and The Word Alive have announced Fearless At Home, an interactive live-stream event.
It’s set to take place Saturday 9th May 2020 on the label’s Youtube Channel.
From a new signing announcement to an acoustic set, it’s also said to have “fun, at home segments.”
Check out the teaser below.
Tie in Merchandise can be found here. All proceeds are going to be donated to Crew Nation which is a global relief fund for live music crews
Almost Anything Music 