It’s been said time and time again over the last few months, and with good reason, that hardcore is in rude health at the moment.
And, in one way or another, over the last 15 years, Outbreak Fest has played its part in making such a statement even more true, even when it was all still happening under the radar. Though, when their first event took place at the Broomhall Centre in Sheffield back in 2011 – headlined by Brutality Will Prevail, and featuring UKHC stalwarts such as Wardogs, Deal With It and Broken Teeth dealing out the pain– the inkling that this celebration of subculture could expand to become the spectacle that takes place every last weekend in June in the heart of Manchester’s Old Trafford area was not even on the radar.
But the fact it is possible should be nurtured with as much gratitude as is possible. Because without it, we probably wouldn’t know how good we have it.
Though something that has changed in the years that have passed is that Outbreak, as an institution, is no longer just defined by its support of hardcore, but by alternative music in all its different shapes and shades. Look no further than them putting Alexisonfire as headliners, who deliver a breathless, belligerent and boundary-busting run-through of their benchmark album ‘Crisis’ on Saturday night. Razor-sharp in approach and ruthless in execution, the likes of ‘Boiled Frogs’ and ‘Drunks, Loves, Saints and Sinners’ have never sounded fresher, and the band have never looked hungrier or more riled up. Placing them back at the core of the community that they cut their teeth in was always going to be a surefire way to strike a chord inside of the veins of these legends, and the result is them rolling back the years in sensational style.
Speaking of legends, it is up to Hatebreed to offer up a view of the roots that have allowed all of this to be possible. Taking over the second stage on the Sunday, and subsequently having so many people packed in that there it becomes a one in/one out situation, their brand of positivity-laced crossover heaviness has voices ringing loud, smiles plastered across chops and utter carnage taking place on the stage’s specially designed ledge. Delivering songs from their first two records ‘Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire’ and ‘Perseverance’, it’s clear just how heavy their influence still hangs on so many of the bands taking over the world today, as well as how vital it is for that influence to be celebrated whenever the chance is offered.
The same can be said of the other guardians of the culture, who also put their best foot forward over the weekend. Touché Amoré had as many bodies clamouring on stage as tears being wiped from eyes as they celebrated ten years of their emotionally astonishing album ‘Stage Four’, and the same can be said for La Dispute, whose tension-filled poetry has as many tears rolling down cheeks as hearts being pinned to sleeves, with ‘King Park’, as is tradition, sending shivers coursing right up the spine.
Then there is Trapped Under Ice, who returned and showed why even in their absence they are still the ones to beat, with an aggressive, audacious and outrageously fun run-through of their foreboding discography. From the gritty heat of ‘Do It’ to the razor-sharp rips and tears of ‘Reality Unfolds’, they continue to be the blueprint and then some. Here is hoping that they find the time to add even more feathers to their hat in the near future.
Speaking of bands taking over in the here and now, Saturday saw both Loathe and Static Dress continue to solidify their places at the head of the pack. The latter delivered a secret set, kicked off with a brilliantly bold Title Fight prank, brimming with savage selects from their newly released record ‘injury episode’, and the former pulled on the most caustic and twisted compositions in their discography to incite utter bedlam; both flew the flag for British heavy excellence with class, care and chaotic passion.
And that British excellence extended over every stage throughout the weekend. Love Is Noise. hit the sweet spot between brutality and beauty, Dynamite delivered the sort of blink-and-miss-it UKHC that goes down in history, and KNIVES offered up a jangly alternative to the usual bludgeoning fair, throwing in plenty of tongue-in-cheek utterances and saxophone-led assaults on the senses.
There was plenty of overseas talent making their mark on Manchester concrete too, though. I Promised The World took the pressure off their first-ever UK show and made diamonds, their blistering take on mid-00s Risecore uniting generations with absolute ease. Ecca Vandal brought style and substance to the main stage with their punk-riddled party-starting anthems, Febuary brought throat-shredding aggression and spine shivers to all packed into the third stage via their stunningly visceral take on screamo; and Midrift demonstrated how influential the sounds of yesterday continue to be for the generations of today with their electric blend of 90s grit and rhythm.
But the thing that sets Outbreak apart from the pack is what happens when that connection, the sort that this music, this lifestyle, this scene conjures better than any other, bubbles over the lid of the pot and anything is on the table. Fiddlehead demonstrate this better than anyone. From the opening emotional outpouring of ‘Baby I’ll Change’ to the rallying grit of ‘Million Times’, Pat Flynn is face to face with his people. The painstaking vulnerability at the band’s core feels even more compelling and cathartic in an environment such as this, and every action feels like a reaction to something this music has triggered. The result is utter pandemonium, with bodies flying in all directions and voices stretched to the limit.
The same can be said for Haywire, who encourage people to be exactly who they want to be with their music as the soundtrack. Fists are raised high, and grins are wide throughout their raucous time on stage, with the only singalong louder than their already timeless anthem ‘Haywire’ being during their incredibly fun cover of Title Fight’s ‘Shed’. The brotherhood at the core of everything that the Boston natives conjure is infectious, a permanent reminder of how powerful we are with arms drapped around each other’s shoulders.
But the most unifying, unanimously emotional and joyously bold moment belongs to Basement, who closed out the weekend with a display that only further cemented their place as one of the UK’s most vital exports. With new album ‘WIRED’ adding several fresh strings to their bow, they manage to squeeze every last ounce of energy out of a crowd that had given everything all weekend. Throw in the sort of scream-alongs to ‘Crickets Throw Their Voices’ and ‘Whole’ that could be heard in Leeds, let alone just Manchester, and you have moments that live forever, on top of thousands which have already been formed throughout the weekend.
Without community, without friendship, without passion and pride in who and what you are, none of this is possible. But when those three prongs go as deep as they do within what Outbreak continues to create, it sets such a special precedent for everybody else. But to be able to keep that fire burning, everybody has to play their part. Everybody has to be ready to give their all for the cause. Everybody has to allow that love for this to spread not just into their actions whilst watching bands, but into every aspect of their lives.
Luckily, based on what went down at the B.E.C. arena, that energy is abundant. And long may that supply be inspiration for others finding their place within this fantastically, frantic and uniquely fresh scene, now and forever.
