Outbreak Fest kick off the first edition of their Autumn Festival
Returning to their natural home at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre during the summer, Outbreak Fest kicked off the first edition of their Autumn festival with a killer bill taking place in Manchester.
Growing from strength to strength over the years, Outbreak have proven yet again why they’re one of the major names on the festival circuit with this years’ line-up. Stacked with non stop bands from the moment doors opened right up until their close, there’s very little chance to catch your breath when jumping between the two stages. Including some Outbreak first-timers, this line-up brings some of the biggest and best in the hardcore scene right now to the centre stage.
Outbreak Line-Up (via @pestcontrolthrash on Instagram)
Kicking off the day were Outbreak newcomers, Pest Control, a hardcore, 5-piece band from Yorkshire who have worked their way into the scene with some explosive singles and their debut album, Don’t Test the Pest in 2023. Their live shows take things to the next level and their slot on the main stage at the festival is a sure-fire testament to how far they’ve come in such a short time.
The vocals of singer Leah Massey-Hay were incredibly powerful and added so much to what Pest Control sought to achieve, throwing out their newer tunes like PMC and Year of the Pest which sent the crowd into a chaotic frenzy. Their vicious thrash sound blended well with their mix of hardcore, making this one of the stand-out sets of the day - and we were only one performance in.
As you’d expect, the platform was filled from end to end with dancing, moshing and two-stepping for the duration of their set, with a few visits from Leah herself as she got involved in the crowd’s movement. A strong start to the day, their energetic set perfectly summed up where the band are right now, and exactly where they’re sure to end up.
Next were the Boston band, Fleshwater, who brought a different pace to the stage with their alternative metal sound. Currently on tour across the UK, it was nice to see them take a break from smaller rooms to play the main stage of Outbreak, given how rare it is to catch them in the city. Their entire set just seemed effortless and let their music do the talking - despite having more melodic tones in their music, the heaviness was still there and then some.
Their live performance was nothing short of mesmerising, with singer Marisa Shirar owning the stage like it was their very own headline show. Despite only playing the festival in 2023, it was plain to see just how much this band have been missed in the country and to have them back on the big stage was a pleasure to see.
Photo by @chantalalax
Veterans not only at Outbreak but within the hardcore scene in general, the American rock group, AngelDu$t are no strangers to the big stage.
Made up of members of Turnstile & Trapped Under Ice, the Baltimore group have been causing a scene since 2013, building themselves the major reputation and respect they have today through their fast-paced hardcore tracks with a tinge of punk rock thrown in there.
Photo by @chantalalax
Compared to on record, their live show was a completely different ball game. A packed room gave all the information needed on what these guys are all about, with an outrageous performance that was fit for any major main stage. The crowd felt every beat of the music, pouring back as much passion into the set as the band did. Every single song came with a wave of people throwing themselves around the platform back into the sea of fans who never stood still, and it was quite something to witness from afar.
Photo by @chantalalax
Without taking any time to catch a breather, it was one chaotic set to another with the hardcore gang, Speed. It’s hard to really put into words just what was witnessed during this set since, quite like the previous band, this slot was filled with nothing but passion and non stop movement both on and off stage, with the intensity and energy never halting at any point.
The line of fans who queued for merch alone gave away the sheer volume of the crowd who were for their set, and being up close and personal with this band made it plain to see why they’re one of the most - if not the leading - hardcore names to come from Australia. With a steady rise in listeners over the years, their popularity in the UK is definitely justified, and their set had everything we expected.
Speed vocalist Jem Siow covered every inch of the stage and platform, making sure his presence was felt for every song. He commanded the whole show from there, sending the crowd into a frenzy each time - even more so when large numbers invaded the platform to join him during the closing songs which caused quite the scene in front of the stage.
A set that will go down in Outbreak history, the experience of seeing Speed live is certainly one to be witnessed and involved in after that performance.
Photo by @chantalalax
Concluding the day were American pop-punk icons The Story So Far, who headlined Outbreak for the very first time this Autumn.
With such a big year behind them after releasing their fifth studio album I Want to Disappear and heading on the road with Blink 182, it was special to see the band take a day off from their own UK tour run to headline such an iconic festival.
Since 2007, The Story So Far have grown into one of the most exciting live bands in the pop punk scene, fronted by Parker Cannon who knows his way around controlling a room in any way he wants - even when he’s stood still. This set came perfectly-timed for the band, not only to showcase the new record, but to also show exactly why they deserve to be at the very top of festival bills such as Outbreak’s.
Kicking off their set, the band played Big Blind, the very first single from their latest album. Taking little to spark the crowd into action, as soon as the first song kicked in, the first wave of fans streamed their way across the front platform, dancing as they went while Parker watched over them. Only a few songs in, he joined the fans on the platform for the tracks Out of It and High Regard, taking a knock to the nose in the process. Undeterred, the singer continued to join fans as they two-stepped their way around him.
The performance on and off the stage brought flashbacks to 2015, showing just how relevant the band are to this day, and why they’re held in such high esteem by their pop punk & hardcore fans.
Photo by @chantalalax
Iconic tracks like Proper Dose and Empty Space set the place alight, and the noise from the crowd was spine-tingling. After a full day of moshing and hardcore dancing, the crowd took this break in pace to pour out their inner emo while still sticking to the theme of the day: non-stop movement and crowd surfing.
Keep This Up and Quicksand saw The Story So Far out in style, with the band giving everything they had as they closed out a set spanning over a decade’s worth of music.
With a passionate crowd of fans that made the wonder of their performance seem effortless, the band’s engaging stage presence and headband-worthy set at Outbreak Fest this Autumn will forever leave its mark on the pop punk scene.
Outbreak Fest returns to Manchester's Bowlers Exhibition next summer across the 14th - 15th June weekend, with an additional date for the first time in London on June 13th.
Details of the exact location and line-up are still to be announced, but you can head to Outbreak’s Instagram for the most up-to-date information.