Two weeks ago, the iconic festival Lollapalooza was hitting the city of love and baguettes, and lucky for me, all the artists I wanted to see were playing on the Sunday, no clashes - as far as festivals go, this is pretty unheard of.

The festival in itself was a nice and frankly refreshing experience for me. I am so used to going to metal/alternative festivals that I forget I have a music taste outside of the pages of Alternative Press and Metal Hammer. I have a love of pop music, and pretty much of anything that makes my heart beat a little faster, whatever the genre. I often have the thought of pushing myself outside of my alternative/emo comfort zone and go see different artists live, and it was great finally taking the plunge with Lollapalooza - even though, I can't lie, I don't think I would have made the effort if it wasn't for my boys in Donny B. You can't really take the emo out of me.

Obviously, when a festival has the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lana Del Rey headlining, the atmopshere and crowds are going to be different from affairs fronted by Enter Shikari or Biffy Clyro. The audience was more diverse and, at times, I could see all the festival clichés you might read about in fashion magazines or blogs. The weather forecast rain but I have seen more people donning floaty dresses and flower crowns than wellies and raincoats. I know many people were attending for the name more than the music. Still, I had a great time - if you forget about the toilet queue.

As I said before, the main reason why I found myself in the Hippodrome of Longchamp was my boys in Don Broco. They have found themselves featuring on three different French festival line ups in the space of a month (an exceptional feat when it comes to bands I like), and I couldn't really miss one in my almost-hometown. The sun is still shining when they take the Parisian stage and, as always, they do it with flair, a whole lot of style and boisterous tunes ready-made to wake everyone up. They have a fair amount of fans in the crowd and the number will only grow during the set. On that Sunday morning, while they had the tough task of opening a stage closed by the likes of Lana Del Rey, they grabbed people's attention and refused to let it go. Their summery, stupidly catchy tunes have that power, too - just thinking about it sends Superlove spinning in my brain.
Don Broco showed Lollapalooza what they were all about and delivered an impressive performance - as always, really.

Next up on the second main stage was Charli XCX. I had seen her live before and all three times, I had been impressed by her seemingly neverending energy. The first time I have seen her, she was supporting Ellie Goulding in a rather small Parisian venue, and four years down the line, she has had multiple hits playing on the radio and television and has become able to sell out fairly big venues all by herself. Her set is just that : a collection of hits. Even if you were not a hardcore follower, you would still know most of the songs she was playing as they all are extremely popular. It's been almost a week and I'm still trying to understand why I've burst into tears when she sang Doing It, but, you know. Overall, I've had a blast.

(She's just released a new song entitled Boys and the music video has Frank Carter in it, so I suggest you watch it all now)

The next artist I wanted to see started three hours after the end of Charli XCX's performance, so I sat down with a friend and watched whatever was on offer on the two main stages - a complicated concept. I didn't know Walk Off The Earth and even though I am always a sucker for a good cover, I found it hard to get into what they were doing. By the time they burst into a rendition of Adele's iconic Hello, I had had enough.
I only heard bits of Editors, but it sounded catchy and enticing enough for me to want to give them a post-festival listen.


Everyone knows my music taste usually revolves around the alternative rock universe. I love my pop music and have seen a bunch of DJs live, here and there, but I mostly let it all happen by chance. This is probably the reason why, in my twenty-seven years of life, I had never seen a rap performance live. I have no problem with rap per se - it's just such a different universe from mine that I don't know where to start. Where's my "Rap for beginners" playlist?
I decided to watch French rap outfit IAM. For those who don't know who they are, they have been around and famous for three entire decades and have released eight albums, two live albums and five greatest hits albums. Upon talking about them with my brother, he told me that they could easily sell out stadiums. That's how famous we're talking about. I knew a couple of tunes, so I decided to see them, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. At first, facing a band in which four people had a microphone and no actual musical instrument could be seen was a strange concept, but once I got over my confusion, I could appreciate the performance for its worth. It was good, the level of communication between crowd and band was unreal and I'm pretty sure they won at singalong of the day. 10/10, would bother again, would maybe pay for it next time.





I headed back to the main stage for legend Liam Gallagher. I have always loved the music he did with Oasis, to a point where I can't even remember how or when I started listening to Oasis - it feels like it was always there, always a part of me. I couldn't see myself missing Liam playing, and it was a wonderful set, so honest and beautiful. I think one of my favourite things about him is how he is such a no-nonsense kind of person, the kind of man who has no problem telling what he thinks straight to your face, and then, he just picks up an instrument and plays some wonderful and sensitive songs that tug on your heartstrings. This contrast is everything. He will say that because he came all his way, he's going to treat us to Wonderwall, as if he's doing us a huge favour by simply giving us the time of day, and then he goes and breaks my heart with one of the most beautiful songs ever written. If I ever needed some proof that Liam Gallagher is a legend, I had it.





I think I have been in love with Lana Del Rey's music and universe since I first heard Video Games, and seeing her live was a dream of mine. It was a thing I never, ever thought would happen, and a week before Lollapalooza, I was listening to her songs, thinking that she would be in front of me and I would still refuse to accept it was happening, for real. I wasn't far off the truth - it's been almost two weeks since the festival and I'm still debating whether I dreamt that absolutely gorgeous hour and fifteen minutes of delicate, intricate, unique pop music. Lana Del Rey's performance was absolutely magical, every song felt like a moment suspended in time, something unreal and dreamy, like everything around you stopped, if only for three minutes. She is not the kind of performer who takes up a lot of space, per se - she does not dance, she is not loud, she is not eccentric, she is pretty quiet, almost shy. Somehow, her presence turns out to be huge, she shines so much in all her delicate way. She is beautiful and glamorous, talented and a true icon. Every song stole my heart, but the real winner was, of course, Video Games. The studio version still gives me goosebumps, six years down the line, and the live version brought me to tears. Seeing Lana Del Rey live was a dream, and the reality lived up to my expectations.






My evening was closed off with alternative-rock legends Red Hot Chili Peppers. I am not going to lie, I was so overwhelmed by the prospect of seeing Lana Del Rey and so excited to see Don Broco again that I had kind of forgotten they were playing. The greatest thing about this toned down excitement, how casually I walked near their side of the main stage is that I had so few expectations and was completely willing to be swept off my feet - which I completely was.

Slam Dunk 2017 consisted in three days of pure and utter craziness. It was a world of its own, a bracket in time that makes you believe that for the duration of a bank holiday weekend, the outside world isn’t a thing anymore. For three days, you live for what is going on inside Birmingham’s NEC, around the streets of sunny Leeds (for Leeds always manages to see the sun that day, it seems) or on the campus of the University of Hertfordshire. You don’t look forward to anything apart from the next band you’re going to watch, or the next friend you’re going to run into and catch up with, around a beer or in a moshpit. For three days, that’s exactly how you want things to be. Slam Dunk is a carefree stop in every alternative kid’s daily life, a little solar system of its own, the best weekend of the year.

For me, its 2017 edition (my seventh year attending!) has consisted of all three days, as I jumped all aboard the Megaticket train, about twenty-five bands, no trips to the first aid tent for the first time since the ridiculous Empty Pint Injury of 2015 and a vodka latte. Its motto probably should have been “don’t question it, just embrace it”. Can we get that on a t-shirt for next year?

The headliners

As was the case last year already, I wanted to watch A LOT of headline sets over the course of the festival - four, to be precise, which is a problem because Slam Dunk only lasts for three days. I started by checking out Bowling For Soup in Birmingham. It shouldn’t work, should it? Their live sets are a collection of iconic ska-punk tunes played at twice their original speed to leave more time for repeated beer breaks, useless smoke effects and terrible jokes. Yet, when it’s over and you’re finished dancing to your heart’s content to 1985 or Girl All the Bad Guys Want, somehow, you’ve had the time of your life, and you’re ready for another round. I still can’t quite figure out if Bowling For Soup are a comedy act who happen to have a bunch of albums out, or a genuine band who happen to be funny, or both, but it doesn’t matter. It was pure, unapologetic fun, and sometimes, it’s all you want from life.

In Leeds, I divided by the headliner slot between two bands. First, I caught up with Wrexham pop-punks Neck Deep. I could have been okay with not seeing them at all this weekend, despite how much I enjoy their music and live shows, as I had seen them earlier this year, but they had just released Happy Judgement Day and, since it has a key change, I needed to see it performed in the flesh. (My obsession with key changes has reached a new high this year, and I don’t know how I feel about it). My first time seeing Neck Deep had also been at Slam Dunk, back in 2014, so it was nice going back to where I first saw them - even though they moved on from a packed room to a packed city square. Neck Deep are going to make it big, aren’t they? Big for real, I mean, not big by this scene’s standards. I had a hard time leaving the set, because every song was so catchy and there was no down time. The key change was also a treat. They always are.

I then made my way to the Jägermeister Stage to see the end of Enter Shikari. Once again, I could have been okay not seeing them over the weekend, as I had seen Take to the Skies performed in full in Milan, but it was too good not to see more of it. I was sat at the back, taking it all in, and let me tell you, the cover of Oasis’ Half the World Away as a tribute to the victims of the Manchester attack was the most heartbreaking and heartfelt thing I have heard all weekend. Enter Shikari are one special, unique band, aren’t they?

Last but not least, in Hatfield, I caught up with Australian outfit Tonight Alive. To anyone who knows me, it’s no secret how much I love those five, what their music means to me and how much it has helped me over the years (after the Hatfield afterparty, it’s also no secret to bass player Cam Adler, who had the grace and kindness to suffer my drunk ramblings and feelings for about fifteen minutes). There was absolutely no way I could miss them - apart from the tour they did with You Me At Six, I haven’t missed a single tour since 2012 and I don’t want to start now. The venue wasn’t packed and the crowd was chill, peacefully singing along and dancing. Long gone are the times when your girl here opened up moshpits to their sets, and I had the loveliest time. Of course, I cried - there will never be a day when The Other Side stops pulling on my heart strings. Mostly, I smiled. Every time I see Tonight Alive, I feel refreshed, I feel genuinely happy, I feel like I am right where I need to be. Seeing them is always a little bit magical, and Slam Dunk was no exception.

The bands I saw three times

Last year, I saw too many bands three times over the weekend, or just badly organised my time. Either way, I had promised myself I wouldn’t do it again this year, and keep the amount of bands I would watch on all three sites to a minimum. This minimum was four. There was, unsurprisingly, We Are The Ocean. The end of their career as I know it and their last ever shows were the main reasons I upgraded to three Slam Dunk days instead of just two, and I couldn’t miss a second of it. I started crying the second they came on stage in Birmingham. In Leeds, I cried so much my friends were worried about me. In Hatfield, I started out crying, and then ran headfirst into a pit and crowdsurfed to Nothing Good Has Happened Yet, only to find a picture of myself on the festival’s Instagram story. Having a picture of myself with a giant smile on my face at one of my favourite band’s last ever show was the greatest thing that could have happened over the weekend. Yes, I’m sad they’re gone. Mostly, I’m happy they were, are and will always be a part of my life. That deserved a smile. And a crowdsurf.

I couldn’t help but watching Bury Tomorrow tear up the main stage three days in a row. Their Birmingham set had to be cut short because frontman Dani Winter-Bates’ microphone was misplaced, but the rest went smoothly. Crowd action to die for, the comeback of Sceptres in a short set and the confirmation that these boys are doing great and taking over the world? Exactly what I wanted.

No one will be surprised when I say I did watch With Confidence three days in a row. We were following the entire UK tour, and it would have been rude not being there at every Slam Dunk set - especially considering how brilliant those shows were. Birmingham wins at best crowd, hands down, but overall, those three sets were some of my favourite times seeing the Australians. The atmosphere was just rowdy enough, I crowdsurfed to my favourite part in my favourite song and everyone was just so loud. I loved those sets.

Finally, I ended up watching Don Broco three days in a row, and they are, without a doubt, in the top three of my favourite bands of the weekend. Don Broco are one of these bands that never cease to amaze me with their live performances. When you see them, they are instantly better than the last time you have seen them, and I don’t think I have ever watched them play even an average set. From the very first day, they have always been incredible. They are showmen, their songs are always perfectly performed and they have the best crowds. Featuring Bury Tomorrow’s Dani Winter-Bates on Thug Workout and With Confidence’s Josh Brozzesi on Pretty was a great addition to the party.

The best band of the weekend, hands down

That is an award that goes to one of the best bands in the scene / at what they do / on Earth / on the line up / on any line up, ever / all of the above : Stray From The Path. The second the first note hangs up in the air, you stop seeing the fact that they are playing on a small stage, on a car park, next to another stage. The only thing your attention is drawn to is the chaos this band has unleashed over the tiny little car park, in the middle of a crowd that will relentlessly crowdsurf and pit for the entirety of the excellent set. Stray From The Path are a band that will never apologise for what they believe in or what they stand for, a band that takes no prisoners, a band that will always play to over a hundred percent of their abilities and a band that will never, ever be scared of shouting “fuck Front Porch Step and fuck Ian Watkins” on a stage, nevermind where that stage might be. I don’t think there are any words to articulate how much I admire and appreciate them. Being at Slam Dunk and not seeing them wouldn’t have felt right. (I still can’t believe I threw myself in the pit for D.I.E.P.I.G)

The band I wanted to see for a while and it finally happened

It has been a while since I have fallen head over heels in love with Seaway’s pop punk sound, and it has also been a while during which I have managed to miss every single one of their UK tours, no exception. Name it, I wasn’t there - until Slam Dunk 2017 happened. I caught their performance at Slam Dunk South and had the time of my life jumping and dancing around, relishing the fact that I was finally getting to watch them play. It was a hundred percent worth the wait.

The best discovery

It’s not a discovery per se as I had listened to their music beforehand, but it kind of is because I only started listening to them two weeks before the event. Say hi to the Australians in Trophy Eyes, the newest instalment in my life, a life which didn’t need another band, but also did. I caught twenty minutes of their set after Sorority Noise at Slam Dunk South and was swept off my feet.

Other honorable mentions

Sorority Noise, as always, were an explosion of feelings of the best kind. I can’t think of a band whose live performance is more genuine and intense. Using will always break me. The Maine never fail at putting the absolute biggest smile on my face. I hadn’t seen Decade in over two years and it was a pleasure seeing them again. They are always excellent live, and clearly deserve more love and attention. We managed to catch a little bit of Boston Manor, and man, that was unreal. The size of that crowd and how loud it was blew my tiny little mind. The One Tree Hill lover and Dude Ranch goer in me caught The Ataris, and enjoyed every second of it. So Long, Astoria is one hell of an album. We The Kings played a cover of Jimmy Eat World's The Middle, and Check Yes Juliet ("the song that made them", according to frontman Travis Clark) twice in the space of one small set, and yet I had the time of my life.

As always after Slam Dunk, I am now already looking forward to next year, polishing my band wishlist and counting the days until I find myself roaming around seven stages, navigating the clashes and catching up with my mates. So long, Slammy D. It’s been a blast.

(Current wishlist for 2018 : While She Sleeps, American Hi-Fi, Jimmy Eat World, Light You Up, Hands Like Houses, Northlane, You Me At Six's ten year anniversary tour for Take Off Your Colours)

It's Halloween and I am getting the big words out.

It's Halloween and I have just attended a moment that will, for sure, leave a mark in the history of British rock music.

It's a special Thursday evening for the French scene. No more, no less.

2015 has been the year of British bands exploding and playing their biggest ever shows.

While Architects,Mallory Knox and Lower Than Atlantis all tore the Roundhouse apart, another band has decided to step it up a notch and sell out nothing else than the mighty Brixton Academy.

That band is Don Broco.

I was there and, spoiler alert, it was all kinds of mental.