“This is so beautiful,” says Turnstile’s Brendan Yates from the main stage of Outbreak Festival. The band played their first-ever UK show in 2013, headlining an early iteration of the hardcore festival to 1200 people. “It felt like the biggest thing in the world, but compared to this…” he continues, looking out at a very busy Victoria Park. It’s an undeniably huge moment for the band, the festival and the scene at large.
“Take a second to look around and appreciate how fucking special this is,” says Knocked Loose’s Bryan Garris earlier on in the day, during a rare moment of calm in an otherwise blistering set. The metal mob are about as heavy as it gets, but last year’s ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ added plenty of hooky moments to their chugging arsenal, providing an entry point to their hulking sound. Today, there are deafening chant-alongs, synchronised air punches and plenty of crowd work from Bryan alongside the unforgiving breakdowns. It all makes for a deliciously brutal offering that will probably be heading to arenas in the very near future.
They might be one of the very first bands on, but Speed also put a claim in for future Outbreak headliners. Yes, the flute-led breakdown in ‘The First Test’ is loads of fun, but there’s plenty more joy to be found across their unapologetically furious set. “This music was made for moving,” snarls Jem Siow, getting a feral reaction from the packed-out tent. If you need an entry point to what hardcore is in 2025, Speed is the band for you.
The scene has changed a lot over the past few years, and today’s Outbreak Festival fully embraces that evolution. The main stage plays host to the pained yet optimistic indie rock of Alex G and the smirkingly playful hip-hop of Danny Brown. Momma deliver lush, twinkling emo with a scrappy bite; Julie have a lot of fun taking their jagged grunge to the main stage, while Fleshwater bring together a punishing combo of angst and melody. Glassjaw are rightfully championed as a legacy act, but their biting post-hardcore is still as visceral today as it was 30 years ago, while Kumo 99 kick the day off with their hectic electronic punk that merrily switches between fury and freedom. Sonically, it all sounds completely different, but there’s a thread of rebellion and a guttural, emotional purge tying it all together.
And then there’s Turnstile. The beloved band have been bending the rules of hardcore since their early days and the forward-thinking punk of 2021’s ‘Glow On’ morphed the scene forever. Released last week, new album ‘Never Enough’ looks set to take them from your favourite band’s favourite band to one of the biggest rock acts around. Tonight’s set starts with the dreamy, desperate title track, with the crowd bellowing back every word as Brendan holds the microphone in the air. It’s a magical way to begin.
Over the next 75 minutes, Turnstile bounce between blissed-out tranquillity, bursts of buzzsaw rage and stadium rock euphoria without losing the explosive edge that has always made them such a mesmerising live force. The whole thing sounds pristine while the band throw themselves about the huge stage, creating a fizzing, unpredictable vibe that’s impossible not to get caught up in. Simply put, they’re one of the most exciting, energetic bands around. As the dreamy ‘Seein’ Stars’ and the slow-burn hammer of ‘Birds’ rounds out the night, it feels like a brilliant new era for the band, the festival and the scene at large has just begun.
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