the return of Outbreak - the ten year ANNIVERSARY review
By Ollie Newing
So finally, after three years and two cancelled dates it finally happened- Outbreak’s 10th anniversary, and what a weekend it was. The line-up was stacked from the off, the vibes were just right, the weather (for the most part) held up and everyone went hard to make up for lost time. I feel my only problem with this feature is the number of bands I won’t be able to talk about because I simply will not be able to fit them all into the word count. However, the bands that will feature in this article truly brought their best to this weekend; every single one went off and left me more broken than any festival weekend ever has.
So, let’s talk about Friday- what an opening day. The headliners were of course the powerhouse that is Knocked Loose supported by the LA Hardcore OG’s, Terror, but before any of that nonsense you had Year of the Knife opening on the main stage and Oversize on the second stage. I opted to go see Oversize as I’d seen them in Sheffield previously and really liked their basement-esque vibe, and they truly were a lovely band to start the weekend. They obviously didn’t prepare me fully for the heavy hitters to come, but a nice gentle starter.
The next band I caught were who I’d really bought my ticket to see, Incendiary. I’ve been a huge fan for a long time and finally got the opportunity to see them and they didn’t disappoint on iota. They came out with this ridiculous energy that seems to be the norm with bands from across the pond, but their ability to keep it up throughout the set was insane.
Pictured: Incendiary Photo credit: Ollie Newing
We need to talk about that “secret” special guest performance from Malevolence because, holy shit! Under intense personal pressure for Alex, they came out and knocked the bolts off that stage. They came in heavy spilling out banger after banger from an incredible repertoire with a dedication of The Other Side to Alex’s gran; a beautiful moment which felt like the perfect song to honour someone so integral to him. They went out in a song that I can guarantee no one was expecting after a tweet earlier in the month saying “We don’t play serpents chokehold anymore”- that was a true ‘you had to be there’ moment.
Next up were Terror and Knocked Loose. Now, I only caught the end of Terror’s set because I was queuing in the crazy lines for a bev, but what I did catch showed much of what I saw at Corp (Sheffield) a few months ago; just raw energy and a true love for hardcore that only true pioneers of the genre could bring. However, Knocked Loose, if I’m honest, as good as they were, just didn’t bring their A-game. Whether it was down to the sound or just the energy, I felt it lacked compared to what I know they can bring. The crowd were still ruthless with injuries being doled out like free samples but just sadly KL just weren’t on it in my opinion.
Pictured: Malevolence Photo credit: Ollie Newing
Pictured: Knocked Loose Photo credit: Ollie Newing
So that bring us to Saturday and arguably the most stacked day of the three. With bangers on start to finish I barely had time to breathe let alone mosh. I arrived just as Narrowhead started their set, another band I’d not listened to before but were great, just all round a good band. They were really tight in terms of performing as a group and played great tunes, I couldn’t knock them at all. I caught a little part of Fiddlehead’s set but sadly had nothing I could build an opinion on as again, they were a band I’d not listened to before which was followed by Mannequin Pussy.
So, let’s talk about Mannequin Pussy. Hailing in from Philadelphia they came to fight, immediately bringing to attention the issue of Roe vs. Wade being overturned as a catalyst for their set and their backing image of the US flag in flames. They really gel their indie roots together with their punk style incredibly well and at no point does it feel out of place when they switch from that raw punk heaviness to their softer indie bops. On stage their overall presence is highly distinctive, with the lead singer Marissa Dabice evocatively in your face through the set which felt very natural to her persona, and even when changing to guitar and letting Colins “bear” Regisford take over vocal duty, it feels all to tight and natural, like this is how punk should be done. They were truly the surprise of the weekend for me and a band I’ve been jamming to ever since.
After Mannequin Pussy we headed to the second stage to catch Big Cheese, again, another band I’d not yet been acquainted with (this is seriously becoming a theme) but I was told they go hard and so do their fans. Whoever told me that, you weren’t wrong. Christ, they just didn’t stop! Like, I’m not one to miss an opportunity to mosh but I wasn’t sure if I’d come out with all my brain cells if I dived into there. They were hard, they were heavy, they were loud and their bassist celebrated their birthday during their set so I felt they went even harder just for that. Mad props to Big Cheese- they slapped, hard!
Moving on from Large Fromage we took a well-earned break. We grabbed some food and some beer then headed back inside to catch Angel Dust. Now, I HAD heard of these guys (shock) thanks to the fact they’re made up of members from two absolute stonewalls of hardcore (Turnstile and Trapped Under Ice). Well? They killed it. A great half an hour set filled with killer tracks, crazy stage invaders and just all round great vibes- I couldn’t fault it.
Pictured: Angel Dust Photo credit: Ollie Newing
Now came the (almost) local lads, Higher Power from Leeds. As soon as they entered the stage they were thanking outbreak for putting them so high on the bill but really, they earned their place there. They really came out swinging, I might have been the only person in the room to have not seen these guys before, but they impressed me massively. They’ve got that northern flair and prescience I’m accustomed to, so it felt like I was in Boom watching some new kids just getting started, but they were tight as fuck!
Now Citizen. My emo playlist from 2016 is crying that I finally saw them again. They were truly a big draw for me to Outbreak and I was so hyped for their set. Although, I did leave a bit disappointed. Maybe because I was hoping for more tracks from Youth (because that is hands down my favourite album of theirs) but either way they were a great watch and definitely brought back some old memories of being an emo teen crying over my first girlfriend to The Night I drove Alone. So, can I really complain? No. Am I just salty for no reason? Yes.
Basement, however, were another big draw for me and with it being ten years since Colourmeinkindness, again, emo me was rocked! Listening to them play tunes I’d not heard live for eight years since attending Leeds Fest in 2014, took me back to some great memories at my first festival of doing stuff I shouldn’t have been doing, with friends I haven’t spoken to in years, it was an amazing set. They played all the hits, and the crowd sang the songs word for word. The energy that erupted when they played Covet was incredible- it felt truly like a cultural experience, another ‘you had to be there’ moment. I thought to myself and said to my friends, “Fuck it, just end the day now, it can’t get much better”, and guess what reader? I was so very wrong…
Pictured: Basement Photo credit: Ollie Newing
TURNSTILE. What is there to say but Jesus, Mother Mary and Joseph? They were truly the headliners they needed to be. From the moment they came out to the moment they left I could barely take a moment to breathe. It was another ‘you had to be there’ type of set. They came in with this crazy energy that is unique to Turnstile as a band and knowing they’re playing to a crowd of fans just elevated them that much more. Since watching them at outbreak, compared to their Glastonbury set you can tell they were in the zone here and really just ready to perform to their people. It made it feel all the more special after the fact. But I really can’t fault them in slightest other than the fact I’m still waiting for them to play Generator. But hey, you can’t have everything, right?
Now for the Sunday. I’m gonna be honest, after Saturday I was broken man. I was running on fumes for this day so I didn’t see as many bands as I’d have liked to, but the good few I managed to see were banging!
The first band I managed to catch were Drain, and if you know of Drain, you know they were a band you didn’t want to miss! As soon as they opened up you know they brought that Cali sauce that only Santa Cruz locals could bring, filled with face-melting riffs and breakdowns harder than Broadmoor, they came, they saw, and they smashed it. A great start to a very long day.
Pictured: DRAIN Photo credit: Ollie Newing
Next up came Witch Fever, a band I wasn’t too familiar with coming into the festival, but coming off support slots with Idles and My Chem they had the credentials to really bring it, and they brought it. Starting off fast and loose they came in hard with and owned the stage like a fixed rate mortgage, strutting around like they could do whatever they wanted, and they did. Especially their lead singer who jumped into the pit to scream at the audience, giving one of the most intimate and maddest vibes of the whole weekend from me. They killed it from start to finish, throwing out riffs, heavy baselines, piercing vocals and precise drums, just a huge highlight for me and one to keep an eye out for in the future.
Now thirdly were Superheaven, a band I’ve been in love with since I found out about Midwest emo. Akin to the likes of Basement, they really had a lot coming into this show, and having not played in the UK for years they really showed that they still had the goods. The performance took me back in time again to when I saw them last at Leeds 2014 as well, truly a nostalgia trip just like Basement and now at twenty-five (?!?!) they showed me that I can still enjoy myself like I did when I was sixteen, jumping up on stage only to throw myself off during In on It.
Pictured: Superheaven Photo credit: Ollie Newing
Loathe. A band I know our editor-in-chief is obsessed with, so I had to catch them for her sake. They were amazing, honestly nothing short of brilliant. Tight as hell, well-oiled in terms of a big stage set and just a great watch. The energy was felt front to back; you could see the amount of love in the room for the Liverpudlians that really did live up to their hard-as-nails repertoire and a seriously great entree before some hard-hitting slammers, Vein.FM.
So, the last band I caught were Vein and I so wished I’d jumped in the mosh for these guys. Standing at the back and watching how hard the fans go for I was jealous of their ability to keep going even after three days of non-stop moshing. They were a first watch for me but a long time listening. I was personally really hyped for the set which is why I stuck it out until they finished. They carried what was expected of them, a metaphorical brick to the face, slammed in every sense of the term and lived up to the intravenous nature of their name.
Pictured: Loathe Photo credit: Ollie Newing
And that was all she wrote. I ended up dipping early on Sunday to celebrate my birthday in Manchester with friends and reminiscing about how good the weekend was a whole. If I’m going to have to sum it up, then I can’t not talk about the difficulty of the past two years we’ve all faced. With the loss of family, friends, jobs, gigs and life experiences, it’s been hard on everyone and only really now coming out on the other side of this tumulus time, this festival felt like a truly one-in-a-million time, a time people will not forget for the rest of their lives. With many core memories formed, many old friends seen, and new friendships started, it felt like a one big family finally came back together and just had the best time possible. The best hardcore shows in a long time. Long live Outbreak, and here’s to 2023 at Depot Mayfield.