Slam Dunk Records or Slam Dunk Music is a British independent record label, promoter and concert organising company, [1] founded in Leeds, England, in 2007. Some notable signees include You Me at Six [2] and Decade. [3] The label evolved from "Slam Dunk", a weekly club night held at the city's Cockpit music venue, centered on emo, punk, ska and metal music. They have organised and promoted concerts for Leeds venues such as the Key Club, Leeds University Stylus, Leeds Beckett University Student Union and the First Direct Arena, as well as venues in other cities such as The Dome Leisure Centre, National Exhibition Centre and Hatfield Forum. [1]
The label is also associated with the Slam Dunk Festival, established in 2006. Although initially small-scale and set up with only a handful of artists, the yearly event now attracts many well-known artists and has slowly established itself as a popular day-long music festival. Initially held in the city's Millennium Square, the event moved to the student union of the University of Leeds in its second year. It is now located in Temple Newsam, Leeds.
The festival attracts more than 40 bands across six different stages. Notable acts which have played at the festival include Fall Out Boy, Thursday, You Me at Six, Hundred Reasons, Reel Big Fish and Paramore.
In 2010, a southern counterpart to the festival had its first year in the University of Hertfordshire, and the now two-day festival became known as Slam Dunk North (Leeds) and Slam Dunk South (Hertfordshire). The festival is normally held on the May Bank Holiday of each year, featuring a mixture of up-and-coming and more established bands, based around punk/emo/metal and ska music.
Main Stage |
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Fall Out Boy |
Main Stage |
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Reel Big Fish |
Glamour Kills Stage | The Atticus Stage | The Non Stop Stage | The UK Now! Stage |
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Cute Is What We Aim For | Story of The Year | Zebrahead | Tonight Is Goodbye |
Glamour Kills Stage | Fishing for Eskimo Stage | The Vans Off The Wall Stage |
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You Me at Six | The Blackout | Anti-Flag |
The Punktastic.com Stage | The Relentless UK Now! Stage | The Dropdead! Stage |
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Hundred Reasons | In Case of Fire | The Ghost of a Thousand |
Glamour Kills Stage | Atticus/Jägermeister Stage | The Vans Off The Wall Stage | Relentless Stage | Imperial Clothing Stage | Kerrang! Introduces Stage | Babycakes Bar | Macbeth Acoustic Stage |
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New Found Glory | Alkaline Trio | Capdown | The Rocket Summer | My Passion | Futures | L'amour La Morgue | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly |
Jager Stage | Atticus Stage | Macbeth Stage | Honour Over Glory Stage | Introducing Stage | Front Bar Stage | Acoustic Stage |
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Reel Big Fish | 3OH!3 | Set Your Goals | We Are The Ocean | Summerlin | Tek one | Jimmy Holland |
Jager Stage | Honour Over Glory Stage | Vans Off The Wall Stage | Macbeth Stage |
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Taking Back Sunday | Architects | Gallows | Hit The Lights |
The festival was expanded to be a three date festival in England, where all three dates featured the same lineup. Three minor dates were spun off it, one in Wales, one in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland.
Leeds University (25 May), Hatfield (26 May), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (27 May) | ||||||
Main Stage | Macbeth Stage | Monster Energy Stage | Vans Stage | Tiger Stage | Front X Sinstar Bar | Keep A Breast Stage |
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All Time Low | Four Year Strong | Pierce The Veil | King Prawn | Cancer Bats | Caspa | Andrew McMahon |
The 2014 Festival was held at the same three locations as 2013: Leeds (24 May), Hatfield (25 May) and Wolverhampton (May26th). There was also a smaller lineup in Edinburgh (23 May) and Newport, Wales (27 May).
On 29 April it was announced that Goldfinger had withdrawn from the festival. The band were replaced by The Ataris. On 25 May, it was announced that Landscapes had withdrawn from the festival for both Hatfield and Wolverhampton dates. They were replaced by Great Cynics at Hatfield and Aurora for Wolverhampton.
Leeds University (24 May), The Forum, Hatfield (25 May), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (26 May) | ||||||
Main Stage | Macbeth Stage | Monster Energy Stage | Atticus Stage | Cheer Up Stage | Antique Acoustic Stage | Uphawr DJ Stage |
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The All-American Rejects | Less Than Jake | Bury Tomorrow | Kids in Glass Houses | Chiodos | Vinnie Caruana |
The 2015 Festival was held at the same three locations as the last two years: Leeds (23 May), Hatfield (24 May) and Wolverhampton (25 May). The Leeds event was moved from Leeds University to Leeds City Centre.
Leeds City Centre (23 May), The Forum, Hatfield (24 May), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (25 May) | ||||||
Main Stage | Macbeth Stage | Monster Energy Stage | Desperados Stage | Impericon Stage | Fresh Blood Stage | Uphawr DJ Stage |
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You Me at Six | The Wonder Years | Architects | Reel Big Fish | The Bronx | Moose Blood | Tek-One |
The 2016 Festival was held at the same locations as last year for the North and South dates, however the Midlands date had now been moved to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
The 2017 Festival was held at the same locations as last year for the all three dates
The 2018 Festival was held at the same North and Midlands locations as last year, however the South date was moved to Hatfield Park.
The 2019 Festival was reduced to two days. The North festival was held at Temple Newsam Park on 25 May, and the South festival was held at Hatfield Park on 26 May.
The 2020 Festival was to be held at the same two venues as the 2019 festival. The festival was originally scheduled for the North festival to be held at Temple Newsam Park on 23 May, and the South festival will be held at Hatfield Park on 24 May. However the COVID-19 pandemic led to North being rescheduled to 5 September and South to 6 September. [5] On 14 May, Slam Dunk announced that the festival will no longer be held in 2020 [6] although the festival returned on 4 and 5 September 2021. [7]
Temple Newsam Park, Leeds (4 September), Hatfield Park, Hatfield (5 September) [8] | ||||||||
Rock Scene Presents Stage | Punk in Drublic Stage | Jägermeister Stage | The Key Club Stage | |||||
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Don Broco | NOFX | While She Sleeps | Boston Manor [e] |
The North festival was held at Temple Newsam Park on 3 June, and the South festival was held at Hatfield Park on 4 June.
Temple Newsam Park, Leeds (3 June), Hatfield Park, Hatfield (4 June) | |||||
Dickies Stage | Jägermeister Stage | Rock Scene Stage | Rock Sound Stage | The Key Club Stage (Left) | The Key Club Stage (Right) |
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Sum 41 | Alexisonfire | Neck Deep | Deaf Havana | Nova Twins | Bears in Trees |
The Used, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Motion City Soundtrack and Spanish Love Songs were all due to play the festival but cancelled.
Alexisonfire's set time was adjusted to avoid clashes with Sum 41 after The Used's withdrawal. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were replaced by Streetlight Manifesto and Suicide Machines. The Wonder Years played two sets, performing both The Upsides and Surburbia in replacement of Motion City Soundtrack.
The South Festival was held at the Hatfield Park on 27 May, and the North festival was held at Temple Newsam Park on 28 May.
The South Festival was held at Hatfield Park on 25 May, and the North festival was held at Temple Newsam Park on 26 May.
Hatfield Park, Hatfield (25 May), Temple Newsam Park, Leeds (26 May) [12] | ||||||
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Slam Dunk Stage | GoPro Stage | Kerrang! Stage | Monster Energy Stage | The Key Club Stage | ||
You Me at Six | I Prevail | Waterparks | The Interrupters | The Wonder Years |
The South Festival will be held at Hatfield Park on 24th May, and the North Festival will be held at Temple Newsam on 25th May. European editions, which share some artists with the UK festivals but not the complete line-up, will take place in Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France and Italy. [13]
The line up for this year's festivals has been announced, including big names like A Day To Remember, Neck Deep and Electric Callboy as the star names for the festival. [14]
The Key Club is a live music venue and nightclub in the Merrion Centre, Leeds that is owned by Slam Dunk Records. [15] It has a 300-person capacity, [16] is the successor to The Cockpit, [17] and hosts many events that the Cockpit did such as Slam Dunk and the Garage club nights. [15] It is advertised as the "first pure rock venue in Leeds". [17] Some bands who have played at the Key Club include Fit for an Autopsy, [18] Blood Youth, [19] Cancer Bats, [20] Beartooth, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Idles and The Wonder Years. [21]
Temple Newsam, is a Tudor-Jacobean house in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown. The house is a Grade I listed building, one of nine Leeds Museums and Galleries sites and part of the research group, Yorkshire Country House Partnership.
Party in the Park is the generic name given to music concerts organised by various radio stations and local authorities and groups in the United Kingdom, typically in large parks during the summer, however it is also used to refer to a family oriented event where people can literally have a Party in the Park.
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm on Richfield Avenue in central Reading, near Caversham Bridge. The Leeds event is held in Bramham Park, near Wetherby, the grounds of a historic house. Headliners and most supporting acts typically play at both sites, with Reading's Friday line up becoming Leeds' Saturday line-up, Reading's Saturday line-up playing at Leeds on Sunday, and Leeds' Friday line-up attending Reading on Sunday. Campsites are available at both sites and weekend tickets include camping. Day tickets are also sold.
Capdown is an English punk rock band from Milton Keynes. Originally known as Soap, their songs have political themes as alluded to by their name, which is short for Capitalist Downfall. Mixing ska, punk, hardcore, dub, drum and bass, and reggae, Capdown built a reputation around their independent releases and numerous tours.
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001, who currently consist of Kris Roberts, Gavin Burrough, Darran Smith (guitar), Richard Boucher (bass), and Ryan Richards.
Lightyear is a seven-piece British ska punk band formed in Derby, England, in 1997. They were part of a UK music scene that mixed ska punk with other genres including funk, indie-rock and hip-hop. The band signed to Household Name Records in 2001, and released two full-length albums before splitting in 2003. Since 2006 the band have had a number of reunions.
The Cockpit was a club and music venue in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Formerly the Cock of the North pub, the venue was located on Swinegate, close to Leeds station. It hosted small to medium-sized touring artists as well as occasional showcases for local acts. The venue's main room held 500, whilst the second room held 250, and the small upstairs room held 125.
Enter Shikari are a British rock band formed in St Albans in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drummer Rob Rolfe. In 2003, guitarist Rory Clewlow joined the band to complete its current line-up, and it adopted its current name. In 2006, they performed to a growing fanbase at Download Festival as well as a sold-out concert at the London Astoria. Their debut studio album, Take to the Skies, was released in 2007 and reached number 4 in the Official UK Album Chart, and has since been certified gold in the UK. Their second, Common Dreads, was released in 2009 and debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 16; while their third, A Flash Flood of Colour, was released in 2012 and debuted on the chart at number 4. Both have since been certified silver in the UK. The band spent a considerable amount of time supporting the latter release through the A Flash Flood of Colour World Tour, before beginning work on a fourth studio album, The Mindsweep, which was released in 2015. Their fifth studio album The Spark was released in 2017. Their sixth album Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible was released in April 2020. Their seventh and latest album, A Kiss for the Whole World, was released on 21 April 2023 which gave them their first-ever No. 1 album.
The Music were an English alternative rock band, formed in Kippax, Leeds in 1999. Comprising Robert Harvey, Adam Nutter, Stuart Coleman (bass) and Phil Jordan (drums), the band came to prominence with the release of their self-titled debut album in 2002. The band released two further studio albums, Welcome to the North (2004) and Strength in Numbers (2008), before parting ways in 2011.
The Music in Leeds encompasses a variety of styles and genres, including rock, pop and electronic. While groups like Soft Cell, the Kaiser Chiefs, the Wedding Present, Utah Saints and the Bridewell Taxis have gained success in the mainstream, Gang of Four, the Sisters of Mercy, Chumbawamba and the Mission have helped to define genres like punk rock, gothic rock and post-punk.
The following is a list of bands and musicians from the North East and Yorkshire of England, by town or city. Those to have a number one single are shown in bold.
Leeds in West Yorkshire, England is a tourist destination.
The Skints are an English reggae punk band from London, described by Clash Music as "the torchbearers for modern British reggae music." The Skints mix reggae, ska, dub, punk rock, dancehall, soul, and rap, touring extensively across the UK, Europe and the United States. Their album Swimming Lessons (2019) debuted at number 1 on the Billboard reggae chart. Their original style of music has been described as "tropical punk".
Yashin were a British post-hardcore and metalcore band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 2006. They have toured with the likes of Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Black Veil Brides & Madina Lake and have also played at Download Festival, T in the Park and Sonisphere.
Don Broco are a British rock band formed in Bedford, England, in 2008. The band consists of Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney (guitar), Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. The band have released four studio albums, including Priorities (2012), Automatic (2015) and Technology (2018). Their most recent album Amazing Things (2021) was their first to reach No.1 in the UK Album Charts.
Leeds is known for its culture in the fields of art, architecture, music, sport, film and television. As the largest city in Yorkshire, Leeds is a centre of Yorkshire's contemporary culture and is the base for Yorkshire's television and regional newspapers.
Bury Tomorrow are a British metalcore band formed in 2006 in Southampton, Hampshire, England. The band is composed of six members; lead vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates, bassist Davyd Winter-Bates, drummer Adam Jackson, lead guitarist Kristan Dawson, who replaced founding guitarist Mehdi Vismara in 2013, rhythm guitarist Ed Hartwell, and keyboardist and vocalist Tom Prendergast, who both replaced Jason Cameron in 2021. Bury Tomorrow have released seven studio albums, their most recent being The Seventh Sun, released on 31 March 2023.
Let's Rock is an annual family-friendly, 1980s-oriented music festival held throughout the United Kingdom. Since the first festival in 2009, it has grown every year to become the UK's largest festival for 1980s music, expanding to 14 locations.
Mallory Knox are an English alternative rock band from Cambridge. In 2013, they released their debut album Signals which reached #33 in the UK album charts. Their second album Asymmetry was released on 27 October 2014 and reached #16 on UK Album Chart. They later released their third album Wired on 10 March 2017. Their fourth record, Mallory Knox, was released on 16 August 2019, after which they announced a farewell tour.
WSTR is an English pop punk band based in Liverpool, England. Their current lineup consists of Sammy Clifford (vocals), Phil Wynne (guitar) and Sean Carson (drums). They are currently signed to Life or Death Records, after previously being signed to No Sleep Records and Hopeless Records.
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