Today marked day one of Outbreak Festival 2024 at Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester. The line-up was set with mainly hip-hop acts with Action Bronson headlining amongst other notable artists such as JPEGMAFIA and Flatbush Zombies. The line-up shows a change from last year’s festival with an attempt being made to separate the hip hop and hardcore performers to their individual corresponding days with the rest of the weekend set the be hardcore heavy.
MAVI
My day started swiftly after doors opened with American alternative hip hop artist Mavi who delivered a set with infectious energy. His performance was truly heartfelt with the rapper being full of passion making it clear he believes strongly in every word said throughout each of his songs. With a slightly smaller crowd at first, his performance quickly brought more people to the stage with the crowd being much fuller by the end. Sadly, power went out halfway through leading Mavi to start a sing along to Loving Is Easy by Rex Orange County which kept spirits high. As the power came back Mavi closed his set with fan favourite Self Love, which he parted the crowd for to be able to get up close with the fans whilst performing. Truly a fantastic start to the day.
REDVEIL
Next up was rapper Redveil who brought a similar infectiousness to the day however with music that had a more of a bounce to it getting the crowd moving and the first few mosh pits and stage divers of the day. Placed in-between his head bobbing instrumentals and impressive vocal delivery was a poignant speech referencing his now viral moment at Camp Flog Gnaw festival where he shined a light on the number of Palestinian children who had been affected by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. It was an extremely well-spoken moment that was a highlight from the young rappers set. Tracks Black Enuff and Weight followed, turning the energy up even higher prompting even bigger moshing and more crowd surfing.
At this moment the crowd got the news that The Garden were having travel issues and were sadly having to postpone their set the 9:00pm which left a sizeable gap between artists of over an hour. This was not the fault at all of Outbreak themselves, however, was unfortunate, nonetheless.
BEACH FOSSILS
After the gap between acts, it was American indie rockers Beach Fossils up next who were a real change of pace for the day. With drowned out vocals and lush, dreamy guitars, Beach Fossils brought a sultry vibe to the festival that went down well with the audience. Their music sounded like it was ripped from a 2000s coming of age film and was a nice breather before the wild acts that were to follow. Their set really reminded me of Turnover’s at last year’s festival, one that was not as high intensity as the majority of the other acts on the bill, but one that still shined and was well received.
FLATBUSH ZOMBIES
Following Beach Fossils were Brooklyn Hip-Hop trio Flatbush Zombies. I had the pleasure to see Meechy Darko at last year’s festival where he delivered an early set that was full of the energy of a headliner. I was so pleased to see that with his group members Zombie Juice and Erick The Architect, the set was even better than his own in 2023. Flatbush Zombies music really reaches another level in a live space with each member killing their verses and supporting each other all whilst engaging with the crowd. Meechy said early on: “The more energy you give, the more energy you get” which set the tone from minute one and encouraged fans to give it all they had for their entire 40-minute set. I really can’t state enough just how strong the chemistry between the three of them was on stage and how much it amplified their performance overall. Genuinely one of the best live hip-hop shows I’ve seen.
JPEGMAFIA
My most anticipated set of the day was to follow with experimental rapper JPEGMAFIA taking the stage. Peggy is synonymous with his live shows, and he truly did not disappoint. At points during his set, it felt like the most intense and overwhelming rave one could experience with bodies flying off the stage throughout and Peggy screaming his lyrics down the microphone. Tracks Lean Beef Patty and new single don’t rely on other men had this vibe in particular. His set was extremely solid throughout ranging all through his extensive discography. For me the highlight of the set was personal favourite Baby I’m Bleeding with its unnerving and relentless instrumental paired with some of Peggy’s most iconic lyrics to date. I really don’t think it’ll be long until JPEGMAFIA will be returning to headline the entire festival.
THE GARDEN
Sadly, due to the change in schedule I was only able to catch a glimpse of The Garden’s set however the fans were out in full force sporting the band’s infamous clown make up. I wish I could’ve seen more of their set but what I saw was great with one of the craziest crowds of the day.
ACTION BRONSON
The final act of the day was Action Bronson who delivered a true headline show. Backed with an impeccable live band, the same that appeared with him in his now legendary NPR Tiny Desk Concert, Bronson saw his tracks repackaged into a jazzy, psychedelic funk landscape which he enjoyed hearing just as much as the fans in the audience. The smooth grooves from the band worked well with Bronson’s confident and brash delivery with the rapper acting like a professional wrestling champion multiple times throughout the set. The entire show was a treat, yet it was the closing run of Live From The Moon, Terry, Actin Crazy and Baby Blue which was the true highlight for me which created the biggest singalongs I saw of the entire day. Whilst the set might not be what Outbreak regulars expect from the festival, it was a magnificent show and one that I am extremely thankful to have witnessed live.
Day one was great start to the festival with each act making it clear why they deserved their spot on the line up. I’m looking forward to the next two days of the festival to follow with more of a focus on the sounds Outbreak are most known for.
