Festival season has finally begun again, and fans from anything from Ska to Metalcore started off their 2024 festival season with a packed weekend at the always fantastic Slamdunk festival.
With so many artists in the UK for the same reason, warm up and follow up shows are an added treat for those who can’t make the festival in question, or those who just want to see some of their favorite artists as many times as they possibly can. Two bands that performed at Slamdunk and embarked on a small follow up tour are; American hardcore band One Step Closer, and Canadian midwest emo band Arm’s Length.
Just three days removed from Slamdunk, south in Hatfield park, One Step Closer and Arm’s Length returned to London to headline The Dome in Tuffnell park, with support from london based punk trio Shooting Daggers. The political all female band started proceedings with a bang, embodying everything punk stands for in a politically charged and empowering set. Shooting Daggers proved that punk is not dead and that the underground punk scene has three female voices keeping it alive and kicking.
Arm’s Length took to the stage first and performed singalong set of comprised of 9 songs, most of which coming off their latest album Never Before Seen, Never Again Found. The Canadian band possesses a natural connection to the crowds they play to, thus making their performances irresistibly endearing to all in attendance. I’ve never seen intimate crowds like these react to a band in the way they have with Arm’s Length. In these rooms it doesn’t seem to matter if you knew them walking in or not, Arm’s Length performances satisfy in a way the leaves everyone a fan.
With Arm’s Length bringing the crowd together in spectacular fashion, it’s time for One Step Closer to blow the roof off the place. The Hardcore band are much heavier in sound than Arm’s Length which is perhaps why they closed out the night.
Either way, they delivered an explosive 12 song discography covering set that got the pits spinning and moshing from start to finish. I didn’t know One Step Closer before the show, outside of the classic Linkin Park song that is, but after seeing them perform live and get a crowd moving, I certainly will be checking them out again and I implore you to do the same.
Although initially confusing as to why these two contrasting bands would co-headline together, seeing the show it made perfect sense as Arm’s Length brought a more mellow singalong energy to the night, whilst One Step Closer brought classic Hardcore mosh pitting to the table, leaving those in attendance satisfied on a number of levels. The future of alternative music is in good hands with these bands on the up, so give them a listen and check them out when they come to your neck of the woods.
Photos by Martina Antonia Liberini + Words by Dan Harden
