After cryptically wiping their Instagram while teasing for something coming soon, Destroy Boys just announced that they’ll follow 2021’s Open Mouth, Open Heart with their fourth album, Funeral Soundtrack #4, on August 9th via Hopeless Records (pre-order here!) Violet Mayugba explains the title of the new album, “Looking back, our first three albums marked the deaths of things. They […]
After cryptically wiping their Instagram while teasing for something coming soon, Destroy Boys just announced that they’ll follow 2021’s Open Mouth, Open Heart with their fourth album, Funeral Soundtrack #4, on August 9th via Hopeless Records (pre-order here!)
Violet Mayugba explains the title of the new album, “Looking back, our first three albums marked the deaths of things. They were soundtracks to our funerals, whether they were for our ages or our mental states. We’ve gone through a lot of changes as a band and as people. The first one was our high school album. On the second record, we went to college and were saying goodbye to our childhood. On the third one, we’d just gone through COVID and, speaking for myself, I lost my entire sense of self and gained a new one.”
Destroy Boys have teamed with producer Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, The Linda Lindas) for their upcoming album and includes a collaboration with the bands Mannequin Pussy and Scowl on the song “You Hear Yes.”
Check out the new song, track list, and upcoming Destroy Boys shows below!
Track list for Funeral Soundtrack #4:
Bad Guy Plucked Beg for the Torture Praying Amor divino Shadow (I’m Breaking Down) Shedding Skin Should’ve Been Me You Don’t Know You Hear Yes (feat. Mannequin Pussy and Scowl) Boyfeel
Current 2024 tour dates:
July 27: Milwaukee, WI @ Harley Davidson Homecoming Festival July 28: Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre July 29: Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s July 31: Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Aug 1: St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag Aug 2: Chicago, IL @ Subterranean (Lollapalooza After Show) Aug 3: Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza Aug 14: Paredes De Coura, Portugal @ Paredes De Coura Aug 15: Charleville-mezieres, France @ Cabaret Vert Aug 19: Esch-sur-alzette, Luxembourg @ Rockhal Aug 20: Utrecht, Netherlands @ Tivoli Vredenburg Aug 22: Saint-Cloud, France @ Rock En Seine Aug 23: Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival Aug 24: Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms Aug 25: Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
Need even more? Take a look at some of our past photo galleries featuring Destroy Boys:
I’m going to do that thing again where I insert myself into the story when I do a show review, but I feel like it’s to be expected at this point. Maybe someday I’ll be a “professional” writer, but today is not that day my friends. Some of you may have seen me mention this […]
I’m going to do that thing again where I insert myself into the story when I do a show review, but I feel like it’s to be expected at this point. Maybe someday I’ll be a “professional” writer, but today is not that day my friends. Some of you may have seen me mention this before, or maybe you heard me say it when I chatted with Jay Bentley a couple years ago, but Bad Religion was my very first punk rock show. It was on the Gray Race tour in April 1996, which seems so late by comparison to have seen Bad Religion for the first time, but it was almost 30 years ago, which just speaks to the band’s longevity and level of importance. Anyway, That show, at what was then the Avalon on Boston’s iconic Lansdowne Street, was my baptism into the world of live punk music, and I guess what has followed over the course of the last three decades is in no small part due to that very show. The band – and especially Bentley and frontman Greg Graffin and guitar wizard Brian Baker – will always have a special place in my heart for that reason. And so to have them not only play right across the street from what used to be Avalon (it’s been combined with what used to be Axis and what used to be Mama Kin into the House of Blues, if you’re interested), at the sparkly-new MGM Music Hall, and for that show to be almost exactly twenty-eight years since my first show AND to have the band co-headlining with Social Distortion, another iconic band that I first saw live in the comparatively late year of 1997, was a pretty special, benchmark show.
Lovecrimes were the leadoff hitter on this night’s lineup, taking the stage to a surprisingly large crowd. If you’ve never been to the MGM, it’s a massive (5000-ish capacity) venue shoe-horned into a triangular lot behind the bleachers at Fenway Park. It’s so close to the lyric little bandbox that the backstage of one venue opens directly into the other. As such, it can be a finicky place to see a show, especially one of the punk rock variety, not just because it’s massive but because the Fenway area isn’t the easiest to get to or park in for less than $50, and ESPECIALLY when there is also a home Red Sox game going on, which thankfully was not the case on this night. So at a place that can be fraught with latecomers, it’s noteworthy that a good crowd showed up early to watch the opener. But Lovecrimes isn’t just any opener. They’re fronted by Mike Ness’s son Julian, who we had previously seen slinging the lead guitar for Jade Jackson’s band just prior to Covid becoming a thing. The similarities between father and son are unavoidable, not just in look and name, but in sound. Lovecrimes possess that same early Social D growl and swagger and they have it in spades. If you close your eyes a little bit, it’s almost like stepping into a time machine to 1983. Backed by Trevor Lucca (D.I.) on guitar, Collin Schlesinger on bass and Josh Roossin (The Jacks) on drums, Julian and crew blazed through a nine-song set that more than set the tone for what was to follow.
Bad Religion were in the two-hole for this particular show. And while I’m always partial to a Bad Religion headlining show, having them play a seventy-five-minute co-headlining spot is certainly sufficient and, to be honest, it helped provide a sonic change-of-pace, with the overdriven rock-and-roll thing that Lovecrimes and Social D do serving as proper bookends. Bad Religion tore immediately into “The Defense” from 2002’s Process Of Belief to kick things off. When you’ve been a band for 40+ years and have seventeen studio albums under your belt, and you’re limited to a 75-minute set, it might be expected that the setlist would be comprised mostly of “the hits,” so the choice to kick off such a set with like the eleventh song from the twelfth album – and a song that was definitely not a “single” from that record – was a pretty awesome one in this writer’s opinion. Bad Religion collectively and individually certainly have more than a few miles on their tires but with the pace pushed by more recent addition Jamie Miller on drums, I hesitate to say you’d almost never realize it…but you’d almost never realize it. Brian Baker and Mike Dimkich serve as guitar-wielding bookends on stage left and stage right, respectively, while Bentley and Graffin patrol the center of the stage with almost as much youthful abandon as ever. The crowd certainly responded in kind as more than a few crowd-surfers who were, *ahem* of a certain age made their way over the barricade at the front of the house. Just like the old days! Personal highlights from the 22-song set included “Fuck You,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” “New Dark Ages” and, my first favorite Bad Religion song, “Generator.”
And then, as the clock turned 9:30, it was the legendary Social Distortion’s turn at the plate (I was going to say that batted cleanup but there were only three bands on the bill and the cleanup spot is fourth and so there goes the baseball analogy train derailing on me). To say that this was a show that had a chance of realistically not happening is not an understatement. You don’t get to achieve legend/icon status without having the bulk of your career in the rearview mirror, and with age and longevity come the threat of realistic health scares, and iconic Social D frontman Mike Ness is no stranger, having gone through a rather public cancer scare over the last year. And so it was equal parts cathartic and, perhaps, tongue-in-cheek for the band to kick things off with their 1991 classic “Bad Luck” to open the show. It isn’t reflected in discography liner notes, but the current iteration of Social D, which features Ness backed by longtime wingman Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham on guitar, Brett Harding on bass and David Hidalgo on drums is the longest-running one in the band’s storied history. That’s clearly evident in the band’s lock-tight live set, which featured classics like “Mommy’s Little Monster” and “1945” and “Ball and Chain” and “Ring of Fire” sprinkled in with newer tracks like “Tonight” and “Over You” over the course of fifteen songs and 80-ish minutes. It was every bit a triumphant performance that was equal parts 1980s nostalgia and modern, revved up guitar rock goodness.
Here at Dying Scene, we’re all about punk bands. We also like new music. Today we happen to have new(ish) music – from a punk(ish) band – to share with you! It’s a new self-titled compilation album from Milwaukee’s Tintoretto, featuring all new re-recordings of songs from the band’s initial run from 1998 through Y2K. […]
Here at Dying Scene, we’re all about punk bands. We also like new music. Today we happen to have new(ish) music – from a punk(ish) band – to share with you! It’s a new self-titled compilation album from Milwaukee’s Tintoretto, featuring all new re-recordings of songs from the band’s initial run from 1998 through Y2K. Check that shit out below and then head over to Expert Work Records’ Bandcamp to get it on colored vinyl, black vinyl, and/or compact disc!
Here are some words from the band:
“We knew out the gate that we wanted Tintoretto to be more of a band that had a deeper range of emotion put into these songs. We wanted more adult themes and less teen angst. I think this was relatively easy to achieve due to the bitter break-up of Managra and some of the animosity we carried. The original recordings were raw and reflected our youth and frame of mind, which to me were a very important thing to remember when listening to these songs, These are the same songs, but with a sheen, a beautiful fresh coat of paint, with a fair amount of fresh material and changes made throughout”
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold […]
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold one, and break out those wallets, because it’s go time. Let’s get into it!
Check out the video edition of this week’s Record Radar, presented by our friends at Punk Rock Radar:
Rancid’s 1992 self-titled debut 7″ (not to be confused with their 1993 self-titled LP, or their 2000 self-titled LP) has been reissued for the first time EVER! OMG! You can get it on two color variants, each of which is limited to 1,000 copies. The band’s US store has Royal Blue vinyl and their UK store has Piss Yellow vinyl. Collect ’em all!
Sloppy Seconds was on the last Record Radar with the 35th Anniversary reissue of their legendary debut album Destroyed, available on coral (orange) and/or black wax from Puke ‘N’ Vomit Records. Now they’re back on this week’s Record Radar with an additional color variant of the same amazing record: Green! This one’s limited to 500 copies and you can get it from Radiation Records.
And just when you thought you had enough Sloppy Seconds, they give you more! Here’s a brand new release that they just announced this week: Play With Yer Records: Mistakes & Piss-takes Vol 1, featuring “6 new, never released tracks as well as a collection of rare, unreleased demos and hard to find gems”. Limited to 600 copies on pink / blue swirl colored vinyl and available here.
90’s pop-punk band Cletus’ third and final album Horseplay Leads to Tragedy was released on vinyl for the first time ever last year, and now their first two records Grease, Grits And Gravy and Protein Packed are back in print as well. Hey Suburbia Records is giving both records their first reissues since 1996 and 1997 respectively. Both are limited to 500 copies and you can get them here.
Hawaiian hardcore punk band 13th Legion just released a new record on Felony Records and Free Swilley Records. You can get Face First on a bunch of bitchin color variants right here. Recommended pickup for fans of Good Riddance!
Surprise! New Diesel Boy! They’ve got a 7″ with two brand new songs out now. Here’s some background on the songs from the band: “One song is about falling in love with music via cassettes (“Tapes”), and the other is about a family road trip to see punk rock landmarks (“Punk Rock Minivan”).” Very nice! Get it on three different color variants here.
Here’s another record from the last Record Radar that has since had more color variants announced. I already told you Guttermouth‘s Eat Your Face is being released on vinyl for the first time thanks to SBAM Records, but now our friends at Double Helix Records have some exclusive color variants up on their store. Storm (the grey one) and Salmon (the pink-ish orange one) are limited to 250 copies each.
Australian melodic punk flag carriers Pee Records‘ awesome label sampler compilation Pee Approved – Volume 6 is getting a physical release very soon; June 21st to be exact. Go here and get it on black wax (limited to 200 copies) or CD. Or get the bundle with both! And be sure to grab the awesome new records from Goldenboy, Chaser, etc. while you’re there.
Asian Man is releasing short lived San Jose indie band Korea Girl’s lone album on vinyl for the first time, 27 years after its initial release on CD (that’s short for compact disc in case you weren’t aware). It’s been remixed and remastered, and is available on 500 random colored vinyl record album 12″ music disc LPs which you can purchase here.
In an unsurprising turn of events, Monster Zero Records is putting out some bad ass new records. Up first is Dutch punks Florida Men with their sophomore album Dive Bar, due out July 5th. These guys released one of my favorite albums of 2022 and I’m really looking forward to this new one! It’s limited to 50(!) copies on “Hardpink” colored vinyl and comes with their aforementioned debut album on the B-Side. Get it here.
Monster Zero release #2: Sweatpants Party – Wee Little Songs. Another sophomore album from a band with a 2022 debut, also limited to 50 copies! This band is fronted by Kevin Aper (from The Apers!) and also features Andy from 7 Years Bad Luck, Jay D from Jagger Holly, Frizzante from Stockkampf “and a whole bunch of random amigos”. 12 super fast, super short old school pop-punk songs. Get it on “Weird Blue/Greenish” colored vinyl right here. Nothing’s streaming from this yet, but you can check out their first record for an idea of what’s in store:
And the penultimate (I hope I used that right) Monster Zero release on this week’s Record Radar: Eager to Please, the brand new LP from German Ramonescore veterans Neon Bone! The blue vinyl (50 copies) sold out already but you can still get it on black vinyl here. Check out the lead single “Sometimes”:
Well, that’s all, folks. Another Record Radar in the books. As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below, or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs (or do, I’m not your father). See ya next time!
Wanna catch up on all of our Record Radar posts? Click here and you’ll be taken to a page with all the past entries in the column. Magic!
Stiff Little Fingers (SLF), the legends from Northern Ireland, are presently on their final coast-to-coast tour of the United States. Barring any future festival or one-off appearances, this show at the iconic Metro may have been the farewell to Chicago. It was especially poignant as SLF founder and frontman and his wife, Shirley Sexton, called […]
Stiff Little Fingers (SLF), the legends from Northern Ireland, are presently on their final coast-to-coast tour of the United States. Barring any future festival or one-off appearances, this show at the iconic Metro may have been the farewell to Chicago. It was especially poignant as SLF founder and frontman and his wife, Shirley Sexton, called Chicago home for several years. The couple moved to rural West Virginia in 2023. In addition, the tour’s name comes from the “Hate Has No Home Here” campaign here in Chicago.
SLF brought along fellow Northern Ireland musician Ricky Warwick for a fun acoustic solo set.
Jake Burns recently spoke with Dying Scene about this coast-to-coast tour of the United States being the last the band will be doing. He left the door open for possible one-off shows and festival appearances.
And what a show this night at the Metro was. Look in one direction there were many friends from the Chicago punk scene, including members of Pegboy and Naked Raygun, as well as many other musicians. Look in another direction and you saw people representing Liar’s Club and other venues in which Burns, with SLF or with other musicians performed. The show also brought fans from across the country and the Pond. Right up front was Martin, a fan with a large SLF tattoo on his arm. Martin informed me he had just flown in from Belfast, the city in which Burns was born and raised.
Following some introductory music, the band – Jake Burns, Ali McMordie, Steve Grantley, and Ian McCallum – tore into one of its most famous songs, “Suspect Device.” The song is from the band’s landmark album Inflammable Material. Stiff Little Fingers’ roaring performance of the song set the mood for the night.
Burns also spoke of how special it was to be back in Chicago and the campaign that inspired both the title of the tour and the song they then launched into — “Hate Has No Home Here.” The song also indicates the powerful music the band is still capable of producing.
Stiff Little Fingers put in a solid 75 minutes. The set included the classics, “Wasted Life,” “Gotta Getaway,” and “Tin Soldiers.” Burns spoke of how Joe Strummer of The Clash inspired SLF as an introduction to “Strummerville.”
The band closed out the night with a fiery rendition of its most famous and greatest song, “Alternative Ulster.” With the crowd singing loudly along, there was no doubt this was a special night for the band, and for all those in attendance. I felt so fortunate to witness Stiff Little Fingers retiring from regular touring on such a high note. Stiff Little Fingers is one of the pioneering bands of punk music from the genre’s first generation. The band’s power never wavered.
Thank you gentlemen!
Ricky Warwick, from Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, kicked off the night with a blasting performance. Warwick has a long-time affiliation with Stiff Little Fingers, having performed with the legends in Glasgow in 1993. The performance appeared on the live record Pure Fingers in 1995. Warwick listed his favorite SLF songs in 2016. Warwick, also a member of The Almighty and Black Star Riders, among other bands, took the stage with just an acoustic guitar and his powerful voice.
Warwick ripped through a set including the Black Star Riders’ “Kingdom of the Lost,” and songs from his solo work, the rousing “The Arms of Belfast Town,” and “The Whiskey Song – Feckin Whiskey.”
Warwick performed a stirring rendition of Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak.” Ricky Warwick, in 2009, joined Thin Lizzy as its lead singer. In 2011, he toured with the band in Europe as it commemorated the 25 years since the death of lead singer Phil Lynott. Warwick was a charismatic and compelling presence and a great opener for Stiff Little Fingers.
Headlining band Re-TROS continued their killer North American tour with their longtime friends Liars at the historic Thalia Hall in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. The Windy City’s own Lifeguard opened the show and they did not disappoint. Fans came out and supported this tour with open arms. Hailing from Beijing, China, post-punk band Re-TROS, also known […]
Headlining band Re-TROS continued their killer North American tour with their longtime friends Liars at the historic Thalia Hall in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. The Windy City’s own Lifeguard opened the show and they did not disappoint. Fans came out and supported this tour with open arms.
Hailing from Beijing, China, post-punk band Re-TROS, also known as Rebuilding the Rights of Statues, formed in 2004. Since then, they have developed a unique sound. They showcased their musical talents using percussion, synth, cowbells, bass, guitar, and their haunting melodic voices with a beautiful hazy backdrop that complemented the mood. Re-TROS surpassed everyone’s expectations and ended their tour with a bang. Find them here next.
Liars is a New York experimental band with hints of post-punk and electronic that formed in 2000. They brought their eclectic energy and set the stage for Re-TROS. Find them here next.
Chicago’s own trio Lifeguard is as a punk/indie rock band that formed in 2019. They have been making a name for themselves and are preparing for their 2024 summer tour in the U.S. and UK. Be sure to catch them near you here.
Re-TROS attracted fans from across the Midwest who celebrated their rare Chicago performance by singing along, dancing, and screaming. Among them was Jason Zhu, who has seen Re-TROS in Beijing, drove in from South Bend, Indiana for the show. Zhu says the band has influenced his own post-punk band, Boys in the Tub, and he couldn’t pass up on seeing them in Chicago.
Since I first started going to Slam Dunk in 2023, the festival made its mark on me. And this year was no exception. After seeing the lineup with Arm’s Length, One Step Closer, Guilt Trip, The All-American Rejects, You Me At Six, State Champs, and more, I knew I needed to go. Because these were […]
Since I first started going to Slam Dunk in 2023, the festival made its mark on me. And this year was no exception. After seeing the lineup with Arm’s Length, One Step Closer, Guilt Trip, The All-American Rejects, You Me At Six, State Champs, and more, I knew I needed to go. Because these were bands I had loved since childhood, Guilt Trip, One Step Closer, and Arm’s Length were added over the years. So, I packed my bags, jumped on a flight, and made my way to England.
Festival Atmosphere
It was late May, but being in England, the weather is always tricky. As with the year before, the sun was high in the sky, and it was warm. But unlike last year, I had forgotten my sunblock. Oops. As I arrived, the queuing was much better than the previous year; you could basically walk in, and that was a nice feeling after I was yearning for some live music. Once inside, everyone was having the time of their lives, with Monster Energy being amazing and supplying free energy drinks as my coffee intake had been limited on one of the days compared to my… well, my coffee intake is not a newsworthy story, so let’s move on.
In my opinion, the layout has changed for the better compared to last year. Actually, much had changed; after the fallout of last year’s bad luck with parking, they seemed to have had it more under control, and everything seemed much easier to find.
Arm’s Length – The Key Club Stage
As Arm’s Length took the stage, they kicked their set off with a bang with their 2023 single, “Up In Smoke”. The pop-punk Canadians may have encountered a few technical problems in the beginning, but they were quickly fixed. As they hit “Object Permanence,” from Never Before Seen, Never Again Found, the third song out of eight songs on their setlist, I felt like I was floating. As Allan Steinberg’s vocals were on point, the rest of the band, consisting of Jeremy Whyte, Jeff Whyte, and Benjamin Greenblatt, were energetic, as if they had been run over by the Monster Truck and shotgunned three cans each before hitting the stage. Disclaimer: They are one of my favorite bands, and I’ve discovered them in the past few years, but seeing them for the first time blew me away. And the songs flew by, as they hit “Overture”, once again from the 2022 album, Never Before Seen, Never Again Found, tears did shed from my eyes as I sang along, as the lines “You know exactly where I’ll go when I’m gone / Know that it’s been in the works for so long”, I was in pieces, exactly like the first time I heard it. There was something about their live performance that just hit home. They worked so well together while acknowledging they were playing Slam Dunk. It felt more like friends having the time of their lives playing their instruments, and we were lucky enough to witness them. They were the highlight of my year, and they deserve all the greatness that comes to them.
Guilt Trip – The Key Club Stage
As my heart was still racing from Arm’s Length, I didn’t have to wander far for the next act on my schedule: Guilt Trip. And two months after they visited Denmark with Landmvrks, I got to see them again. I thought I knew what I was in for, but frankly, this was peak Guilt Trip. They had zero technical difficulties, but what I loved the most was how quickly mosh pits managed to get going. Once again, the banter was top-notch, but it doesn’t beat their well-curated setlist, which gets the crowd going. They continue to stay at the top of their game because they are one of the best hardcore bands around right now. Much like when I saw them in March – I can’t deny that they put on one hell of a show. From song to song, vocalist Jay Valentine was living his best life while the rest of the band had a grin from ear to ear. The fact that they are so well rehearsed gives one an excellent idea of why they are selling out shows around the world. If you can catch them, you must!
One Step Closer – The Key Club Stage
Hardcore outfit One Step Closer is here! THEY ARE HERE! I nearly had to pinch myself. You’re asking why, but over the past year, I’ve found much amusement in hardcore, and with their sophomore album All You Embrace that was released earlier in the month, it was only fair that I canceled all my plans to have lunch and see them in full glory. While there’s an ongoing discussion that All You Embrace leans much more toward the grungier sound, it’s not stopping the band from digging out their hardcore roots. I’m not the only one excited to see them. In fact, it seems that the whole band is picking up on the energy from the crowd and making sure that they match it. The stage isn’t the biggest, but that doesn’t seem to matter because they are having the time of their life as they go from song to song on their setlist. Ah, to be young and full of energy.
Albany pop-punkers State Champs entered the stage, and they actually played their 2013 album, The Finer Things, which is, in total, a treat for those of us who are experiencing the band for the first time. And what a joyous treat indeed! It’s the tenth anniversary of the album, or it was back in October 2023, but that didn’t make it any less memorable. As it was my first time seeing them live, I was pretty excited. I couldn’t help but notice how alive they were, mainly after saying they were once a “baby band”, and now they are “old”. It simply didn’t feel like that at that moment.
As they made their way through their setlist, which, once again, was their sophomore album and a big deal, “Hard To Please” was a trip to hear live. They were flying from one end of the stage to another, with no moment of standing still for them, and it was, in fact, one of the best performances I had seen all day at that point. They indeed marked themselves as pop-punk royalty!
L.S. Dunes – The Key Club Stage
This is probably the coolest band I’ve seen to date. The emo supergroup consisting of Frank Iero, Anthony Green, Travis Stever, Tim Payne, and Tucker Rule was on the minor stage for some reason. After the crowd kept growing, it confirmed my suspicion that it was a poor choice, but with such a packed line-up, someone had to pull the short stick. There’s no denying how good they sound. While I wasn’t blown away entirely by their album, their performance was excellent for me, and Green sounded perfect while belting out their songs. But for some reason, their set was cut short, and we never found out why.
The All-American Rejects – Slam Dunk Stage
Hi, my name is Karina, and I’m a vast AAR fan. I can’t begin to describe the feeling of seeing The All-American Rejects, but I’ll try. It’s been ten years since they were there last, and as I wasn’t, I knew I needed to see them. They have, for the past decade and a half, when I first discovered them and screamed “Dirty Little Secret” as a teen in my room, been one of the bands alongside Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Motion City Soundtrack, and Something Corporate, been a pillar in my music taste.
The All-American Rejects kicked off their set with “Swing, Swing,” and no one in sight wasn’t feeling it. Here they were, with Tyson Ritter dressed to the nines and funny as hell, springing into life as the music kicked off. As they rip their way through the packed setlist consisting of “Gives You Hell”, “It Ends Tonight”, and even playing “Fallin’ Apart” to a much-overjoyed audience. They still got it, and of course, Ritter proved that they are one of the few pop-punk bands from the 2000s that still know how to hit the original notes of their songs.
As “Move Along” closed their set, an unexpected move on their part, as I was 100% sure that they would’ve closed with “Dirty Little Secret”, I didn’t want it to end. Selfish, of course, but their energetic stage presence, the setlist, gave me such an adrenaline rush. I’ll admit that halfway through their setlist, I am having a complete blackout, not because of alcohol but pure excitement. I felt I was the only one there, and I was living my best life because this was IT. They were everything I expected and more. While Ritter did go on some random rants, it was the moment I discovered he was funny as hell. I’m so sure that if it hadn’t been for You Me At Six calling it quits prior to Slam Dunk, The All-American Rejects would have been the headliners because they served a proper stage presence as if they were the headliners of this fantastic festival.
“KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF,” Josh Franceschi sings as they kick off their last festival appearance with “Save It For The Bedroom”. Yes, their last-ever festival performance. It’s frankly quite beautiful and full circle. You Me At Six’s first festival was Slam Dunk in 2007, and they signed to Slam Dunk’s record label back in the day. Tonight, many of us were taking a trip down memory lane, and their setlist was curated for their fans. As the band was ripping through their first single, “Save It For The Bedroom”, it clicked for me that I had been spoiled by many of the bands and their setlists, and YMAS was the icing on the cake, the cherry on top.
There’s no room for much talk, not that I mind, to be honest, because it’s a race against time. Overall, it felt like they wanted to cram as many songs into the set as humanly possible, and that meant keeping the chatter to a minimum. Still, some moments pulled at the heartstrings, from Franceschi saying, “It’s only right to finish where we started” in regards to their last festival performance to dedicating “Liquid Confidence” to their fanbase, and down to the moment when Elissa Franceschi, Josh’s sister came on stage to sing “Always Attract”. It somehow felt final, like this is it. Even though they have a string of tour dates for their Farwell Tour coming up, that was the moment that smacked me into reality, and tonight, You Me At Six pulled out all the stops to make this one of their best shows in history. From the showmanship Franceschi displayed to the stunning stage visuals, the rest match Franceschi’s energy. This was a night for the fans. As the sun sat over Hatfield, and they were ripping through their setlist, the audience was singing along to every song, and strangers were hugging and giving room to each other to let the emotions show.
Nostalgia wasn’t the enemy tonight. In fact, it was a welcoming friend, a friend that came in flashbacks to the moment when one first heard the different songs, the lyrics popping up as if they were subtitles to a movie. And suddenly, it was pitch black. The show ended with the finale song, “Beautiful Way” from SUCKAPUNCH, which actually served well to close a magical evening.
Final words.
While this typically serves as a conclusion, I’ll treat it like my final thoughts. I saw so much this year, and there weren’t many clashes of sets—though there were a few. I had always wanted to see The Wonder Years, but I caught only a few songs before heading over to the Slam Dunk Stage for You Me At Six. Waterparks was also on my list, but I had to prioritize L.S. Dunes, who ultimately won me over as my new favorite supergroup.
The lineup was more stressful than ever; I wanted to see so many bands, but it just wasn’t possible. Perhaps I’ll need to take both days at Slam Dunk next year! Overall, after addressing the minor issues from 2023, I have to commend the organizers. They came back stronger, listening to feedback from the audience, and for that, they’ve officially become my favorite out-of-country festival. They even fixed what my friend and I affectionately dubbed “toilet island”—a corner with so many toilets that I didn’t experience any queueing this year!
Slam Dunk brings back a lot of nostalgia for me, especially as it coincides with moments when I feel like I’m about to burn out from writing. This weekend away has become a way to recharge my energy for what’s to come, perhaps due in part to the incredible community surrounding it. You feel safe, and you often make friends you get to catch up with while there.
I’m excited to see how the festival grows in the future and how they’ll one-up this year’s lineup! While you’re at it, check out the stunning pictures from Nick Allan below!
DS’s interviewed Chicago’s own art-punk band Ovef Ow with a fun photoshoot outside Empty Bottle just before their show. In the interview, the band explain how they got their name, describe who they are, and tell us how important the music community is. Enjoy the interview and give them a listen and a follow. Dying […]
DS’s interviewed Chicago’s own art-punk band Ovef Ow with a fun photoshoot outside Empty Bottle just before their show. In the interview, the band explain how they got their name, describe who they are, and tell us how important the music community is. Enjoy the interview and give them a listen and a follow.
Dying Scene (DS): Please introduce yourselves and tell me who you are and your roles in the band.
Marites Velasquez, I play bass and sing.
Sarah Braunstein, I play drums and sing.
Nick Barnett, I play guitar artillery.
Kyla Denham, I play synth and sing.
DS: I am sure you get this a lot, but what does Ovef Ow mean?
SB: Haha oh yes, we get asked a lot. It means nothing, it means whatever you want it to mean! In reality, it’s what our former band’s old logo (Me Jane) says when you turn it upside down. Friend-of-the-band Tim Breen designed that logo, and it’s a really great abstract design. When Me Jane came to its end and Nick joined up with us, we knew we were something new but couldn’t figure out a name. And here we are!
DS: How would you describe your band and music to someone who hasn’t heard or seen you?
Nick Burnett (NB): Colorful art rock in a cave…on Neptune.
DS: Your band has a unique image. Tell me about what inspires your look. What role does fashion play in it? Have you always coordinated outfits for your performances? Who makes your outfits? I love them. What inspired your look for tonight’s show?
Sarah Braunstein (SB): Coordinating our outfits started pretty early on. Like before a show, we’d pick a theme or a color and everyone would try to dress to the theme with stuff we already had. It’s only been in the last year that we’ve taken things to the next level and gotten a few band outfits. So far, it’s been a combination of buying pieces, mostly from Fashion Brand Company so far, and making matching looks for Nick. One of Marites’s many skills includes sewing, she made his custom jumpsuit and some other stuff!
NB: It was a wonderful experience, but at the same time to preserve the music, I mostly tuned out the crowd. Otoboke Beaver and Drinking Boys and Girls Choir are both flawless live bands, so I did not want to mess up too much!
Marites Velasquez (MV): Playing Thalia Hall was a big highlight for us. We’ve played a lot of the other smaller venues around town over the years, so this felt like a big deal and an honor to be added to this bill. We were pretty nervous before the show, but I think that translated into excited energy on stage. The room sounds amazing. Hopefully we’ll get to play there again soon!
Kyla Denham (KD): It was such a fun night for us. Playing in front of a large crowd you could feel the energy in the room which was really exciting. The Thalia Hall staff was amazing as well.
DS: What goals and plans do you have for 2024? Should we expect more shows? New music? What else?
MV: I’m ready to keep writing new songs and get back into the studio as soon as possible. Even though our album just came out last fall, we’ve had a lot of those songs for several years. Our sound keeps evolving and I would love to capture that on our next release.
DS: What does music mean to each of you? What is the importance of art punk and new wave? And, what role do you play in your music scene and community?
NB: I’m not sure where I would be without music. I’m not sure if I can stop creating music if I tried. Music is every person in my family. It’s every molecule. Community plays a key role in our band. Without home bases like Liar’s Club, and the Empty Bottle and bands like Impulsive Hearts and Lollygagger and DIY’s like VCR. I’m not sure we would’ve made it through the rough times! So in review, I’m really not sure of much of anything other than the music is great and the community is the best!
MV: Music has been an important form of expression for me. I was pretty shy as a kid but standing on stage performing music allowed me to find another way to share who I am. Art punk and new wave has a lot of freedom and inclusivity — you can get away with anything, experiment and try new things, and it’s cool.
DS: You are a Chicago band, if bands came to Chicago, what five places would you recommend that they do?
SB: That’s a pretty good list. I love Liar’s Club with my whole heart. I’m going to assume this band enjoys coffee and looking at beautiful objects so, I’d say they should go to The Center of Order and Experimentation, as well.
DS: Who would you like to collaborate with? And why?
NB: Bloodhype. Right now they have one of the most dancy serious funny crazy awesome shows around.
KD: We would like to collaborate further with the amazingly talented Pamela Maurer who was the creative powerhouse behind our music video for Fauxtography.
DS: What else would you like to share with Dying Scene’s readers?
NB: Buy our album so we can finally set up our Vegas to L.A. tour!
Tampa, FL pop-punk / emo / indie / electronic / whatever you wanna call them band Lychee Camp threw a house party and recorded a music video for their brand new single “Floating” a few weeks ago. Now your friends at Dying Scene are rolling out the red carpet for our exclusive premiere of that very […]
Tampa, FL pop-punk / emo / indie / electronic / whatever you wanna call them band Lychee Camp threw a house party and recorded a music video for their brand new single “Floating” a few weeks ago. Now your friends at Dying Scene are rolling out the red carpet for our exclusive premiere of that very music video! Check that shit out below.
Here’s some background on the song and video, courtesy of Lychee Camp frontman Joe Marquez:
“Floating” is our summer jam that you can sing along to and hopefully make great memories with while it’s on your playlist. When I wrote the lyrics, I aimed to capture the feeling of falling for someone and the rush of dopamine that comes with it. For the video, we wanted to keep it light and fun, without being too literal with the lyrics. Originally, Alex had this house party idea that evolved into our neighbor trying to have a party, but the guests end up at our band house by mistake and party with us instead. We got all our friends to help out, and it was a blast to make.
Check out more music from Lychee Camp on Spotify, grab some merch here, and follow them on their socials to stay up to date on upcoming shows, etc.
Attending 2024’s Sick New World Festival was one of the most exciting experiences of my adult life. It was an 80-degree day with a perfect lineup. What more can a fan ask for? The festival was extremely organized and well run. The bands seemed to be having the time of their lives. This clearly wasn’t just […]
Attending 2024’s Sick New World Festival was one of the most exciting experiences of my adult life. It was an 80-degree day with a perfect lineup. What more can a fan ask for? The festival was extremely organized and well run. The bands seemed to be having the time of their lives. This clearly wasn’t just another stop on the rock festival circuit. This felt monumentous. Every aspect of the day had a grandiose feel to it. Sick New World is (one of, if not) the best, punk rock and heavy metal festivals currently.
Most people compare Sick New World to its sister festival, When We Were Young. While yes, they are managed by the same team, take place at the exact location, and have very similar business styles, I believe they cannot be compared. When We Were Young is more based on nostalgia. It’s literally in the name. Most of the bands on that bill already had their heyday. The 2024 lineup is actually just bands playing all their older records in full. There is nothing wrong with this. The festival plays classic bands that serve a purpose in their community. There will always be a space for those bands, and When We Were Young will always continue to have the coolest lineup.
The key difference with Sick New Word is that these are all the bands that are making a splash in the community NOW. Bad Omens’ newest record, “The Death of Peace of Mind,” is not only their biggest but also one of the most successful rock albums of recent memory. Sleep Token have ascended into amphitheater headliner status, something extremely rare in this genre. The last rock artist to really start playing areas of this size was Rise Against in the early 2010s. Knocked Loose is slowly becoming the biggest hardcore punk band to ever exist, playing Coachella and getting mainstream attention. They’re the face of the genre right now. In a different scene, Lorna Shore has become the most well known deathcore band in history. Will Ramos is appearing on covers of Rocksound and getting talked about in Loudwire the same way they talk about Corey Taylor. Ice Nine Kills are currently opening support for Metallica and proving they’re also the future of metalcore music. Most of the bands on the bill, have had their most recent album be their most successful. It’s not nostalgia bait; it’s the heartbeat of heavy music today.
A highlight set that needs to be discussed is the carnage that was Bring Me The Horizon’s set. The band brought their A-game in a massive way. As someone who has consistently seen the band for over 10 years, their set at Sick New World was a moment in time. It felt like their entire career had been building to that show. The band had Babymetal appear for guest vocals on their song “Kingslayer,” and every single person was on their feet. Video screens featured an AI named Eve trying to destroy humankind between songs. It added flair and personality. I felt like I was living inside an action movie by moshing. I would fly out to Las Vegas just to see that single set again.
Knocked Loose was so intense there were four mosh pits all going off simultaneously. The guitar tones sounded exactly like they did on the studio albums. The band connected with the fans live in such a strong way. Everyone was pointing screaming lyrics at Bryan and the band was giving the energy right back at them. They brought Poppy out to play the live debut of “Suffocate”. Knocked Loose should be a household name at this point.
Ice Nine Kills also played their first show of 2024 at Sick New World. This being my 18th time seeing the band, it’s safe to say I was excited. It was astounding, as usual. The band had a massive inflatable Silence Killer behind them as they performed. During “Meat & Great,” they rolled out a chained Hannibal Lecter, and fans got to watch him escape. Spencer did his classic American Psycho during “Hip To Be Scared” when he murdered Paul on the breakdown. It was a spectacle, it was extremely heavy, and more than anything, it was unapologetically Ice Nine Kills.
The festival also needs to work on its entrance. It had a capacity of 80,000 with only 4 gates to get into the festival. I waited outside for an hour and a half before I was finally allowed in. It was a brutal experience. This can be easily remedied with more entrances. It can also be fixed by having entrances in different locations. Everyone had to enter in the same parking lot area behind Circus Circus Hotel. Another possible solution to this would be having doors open much earlier. The doors opened at 10:30 am, and the first artist started at 11:15. Spacing out the time when doors open may allow for a more gentle flow of people.
A critique we’ve seen a lot about Sick New World is that the band’s set times were too short. While we understand the frustration fans have, we firmly disagree. Did Lorna Shore only play “Sun // Eater” and the “Pain Remains” trilogy? Yes. But in the span of 2 hours, you have seen four headliner-sized bands for the price of one. If fans go choose to see the smaller artists on the Diablo and Siren stages, that turnaround is even faster. In 3 hours (from 6-9pm) fans could mosh out to Drain, Vein.Fm, Code Orange, Better Lovers, Static Dress, and Incendiary. That’s a bucket list lineup right there; it’s just the last quarter of your night at Sick New World Festival. I did not understood the vision until I saw it with my own two eyes. It’s a sacrifice for the length of the set in exchange for the volume of artists. If the lineup is as good as it was this year, that’s a worthy trade-off.
There were no wait times to get food or beer. The food was delicious, and the alcohol was strong. The festival merch line moved quickly and efficiently. The artist merch line had a two-hour wait, but if you flew to Las Vegas to buy band merch, reevaluate your life! There were four bands playing at the same time! Go crowdsurf or run around in a circle pit! The bands have merch online after the festival anyway.
Overall, the title says it best. Sick New World is Coachella for heavy music fans. It’s THE festival for anyone who grew up playing guitar and trying to learn to scream. It was a mass congregation of every hardcore punk fan in the world. At the festival, I ran into people from Brazil, Canada, and every part of the United States. Sick New World 2024 is in the history books.
