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Twin Atlantic. Wage War. Thrice.
They came! They saw! They’re Conquering!
+ SLAM DUNK 21 20 G IN D EA R
FESTIVAL FRENZY! Gigantic Riffs! Riots! vulva! fluffy dancing
OCTOBER 2021 Issue 70
RIOT 4. TWIN ATLANTIC 8. SPIRITBOX 10. SLAM DUNK 12. MAYDAY PARADE 15. STATE CHAMPS 16. PRESS TO MECO 18. WAGE WAR 22. READING 24. IDKHOW 26. NOVA TWINS 28. CHERYM 32. SINCERE ENGINEER 34. HOT MILK ABOUT TO BREAK 36. ONE STEP CLOSER FEATURES 38. EMPLOYED TO SERVE 42. COLLEEN GREEN 46. BLANKET 48. GRAYSCALE 52. ILLUMINATI HOTTIES 54. THRICE 62. SLEIGH BELLS
Upset Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Scribblers Alex Bradley, Dan Harrison, Finlay Holden, Jack Press, Jake Hawkes, Jamie MacMillan, Jasleen Dhindsa, Josh Williams, Kelsey McClure, Liam Konemann, Linsey Teggert, Martyn Young, Rob Mair, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Bryce Hall, Cameron Brisbane, Frances Beach, Jamie MacMillan, Jason McDonald, Jodie Guest, Katie Hovland, Lissyelle Laricchia, Matty Vogel, Paul Harries, Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett, Spencer Chaimberlain P U B L I S H E D F RO M
W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M U N I T 10, 23 G RA N G E RO A D, H A S T I N G S, T N34 2R L
All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of The Bunker Publishing Ltd. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which The Bunker Publishing Ltd holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Dork or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally.
HELLO. Finally, it feels like we're back in business. Reading & Leeds and Slam Dunk have both happened, tours are starting to kick into gear - life is beginning to come back to normal. Which is why it might feel like this month's edition of Upset is especially packed with 'stuff'. From our much-loved returning cover stars Employed To Serve - determined to make a statement with their new album 'Conquering' - to all the many lauded acts we managed to pin down on the circuit this month; everyone is eager to get back at it in the best way possible. It's been a long
old wait, after all. With just two issues left until the end of the year, it might be 2022 before we finally see everything firing back on full cylinders - especially with international travel still a bit of a pain - but the light is at the end of the tunnel. Good music will prevail. It always does.
S tephen
Editor / @stephenackroyd
Riot.
SLAM DUNK It's September, not May, but Slam Dunk is back for 2021... Words: Alex Bradley. Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.
G
ood things come to those who wait. As Slam Dunk returns at Temple Newsam in Leeds and Hatfield Park, those words have never been more true. US bands like NOFX, Alkaline Trio, State Champs and Mayday Parade all manage to make it safely over, much to the credit of the festival and the bands themselves. Waterparks, who have been in the UK an extra week for Reading & Leeds, make it for Slam Dunk North but miss the southern leg
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due to a positive test in their ranks. Of course, the line-up is much changed from the original list that featured Sum 41 as headliners. Still, there's a core that remains with a slew of homegrown talent and the opportunity for While She Sleeps and Boston Manor to headline their respective stages, Funeral for a Friend to make a long-awaited return and McFly to make a special guest appearance. But before the music starts, the inescapable COVID measures are, thankfully, easy enough to navigate with vaccine passports for the double
jabbed and proof of negative tests for everyone else coming at the expense of the festival wristband, which has been ditched for hygiene reasons and to speed up entry. In the end, the only thing fans on the Sunday in Hatfield are longing for (apart from sun cream) is a Bank Holiday Monday, which normally helps when the festival takes place in May. So, here are some of the notable mentions from Slam Dunk's return.
BLOOD YOUTH
"After this weekend, I might not be in the band, but Blood Youth continues forever," promises Kaya Tarsus as the frontman makes his final appearances in the band. As if to prove their plans for the future, Blood Youth rifle through new singles' Cell' and 'Iron Lung' as they build towards the release of their third album before the end of the year.
LOATHE
CREEPER
Despite theories, Creeper don't burst into flames in the afternoon sunshine but instead command the Main Stage without any of their usual lights and fireworks. Will Gould holds the crowd in the palm of his hand as he conducts them through the theatrical and campy 'Cyanide' and leaves them hanging on his every word during 'Misery'. Undoubtedly they're a special band, but still able take it up another level when Will shares the spotlight with keyboardist Hannah Hermione for their duet of the blockbuster new single 'Midnight'.
Loathe are in complete command as they further state their claim as the most exciting metalcore band around. Whether it's the crushing weight of 'Aggressive Evolution' or the hypnotic and melodic 'Two-Way Mirror', all eyes are on Kadeem France as he stalks the stage in a completely mesmerising performance.
ROAM
It doesn't take long for bouncy pop-punk to take over on the Main Stage, and ROAM bring it in spades. With the crowd more than ready to have a bop, tunes like 'Alive', 'Flatline' and 'Playing Fiction' are the perfect excuse to let loose.
TRASH BOAT
"Slam Dunk show me something," demands
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Riot.
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“WE KNOW WE’RE A HEAVY BAND, AND WE REALLY EMBRACED THAT” Florida hard rock quintet Wage War are back with their fourth full-length, 'Manic' - a record that might just be their best yet. Words: Sam Taylor. Photos: Bryce Hall.
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Riot.
READING
2021 Time to let loose, Reading Festival's return is once again a highlight of summer. Words: Ali Shutler, Finlay Holden, Liam Konemann, Jake Hawkes. Photos: Frances Beach, Jamie MacMillan, Patrick Gunning.
I
t's been a while, Reading Festival. With 2020's edition cancelled for 'obvious reasons', it's been two years since the last time thousands upon thousands of music fans descended on Little John's Farm for a Bank Holiday weekend of the best new bands. Back in 2019 we were here for the likes of Twenty One Pilots and The 1975 for an edition which felt like it hinted at a brave new future. This time around, that promise seems
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different, but perhaps even sweeter. While Reading 2021 may see its line-up restricted by travel restrictions and logistics, a bill which - in the most part - focuses on domestic talent doesn't mean punches pulled. Just the fact that events this big can go ahead, given everything the live music scene has been through, is somewhat miraculous, Over the course of three days, we're introduced to new icons in waiting,
upstarts getting ready to grasp their chance, and established names who have spent 18 months spinning their wheels, waiting to get back out of the blocks. On both sides of the divide, the excitement is palpable. Over the next few pages, we'll run you through some of the best and most important sets from across the weekend. Let's hope we never have to wait this long again.
YUNGBLUD
What can you say about Yungblud that hasn't already been said. By Yungblud. Loud, proud and unafraid of a swear or two (37 fucks, 1 cunt, in case you were counting, tabloid outrage merchants), our Dom was made for the biggest of stages. Wrapped in a sense of oh-so-now outrage at a world stacked against his generation, to call Yungblud a straight-down-the-line-punk would be ridiculous. He isn't. But then there's nothing punk about staying scared within your fragile genre box either. He's a pop star that doesn't give a fuck about going against the grain - a talent that ironically means he more often then not ends up leading a charge. Today is no different. While it's perhaps perverse to suggest a major label, chart ready concern can be in any way rebellious - Yungblud could be the exception that proves the rule.
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Long established at the head of their scene, it's time for Employed To Serve to plant their flag. And haven't they just? With their new album 'Conquering', nothing more needs to be said. But let's try anyway... Words: Steven Loftin. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.
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FORMIDA COOL With her first album in bloody ages, Colleen Green tries to figure out what it means to be a grown-up. Words: Linsey Teggert. Photos: Jason McDonald.
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ABLE
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NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE.
Embracing the ambitious scope of alt-pop, Grayscale have an eye on the future. Words: Steven Loftin.
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NEW
HO
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Eleven albums deep, and Thrice are trying to figure out what it means to be human. Words: Steven Loftin. Photos: Matty Vogel.
ORIZONS.
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