Outbreak Festival returns to Manchester for the one-day Autumn edition bringing an eclectic line up of hardcore as well as everything in between. Two stages with no clashes means each band follows directly into one another making it so the entire day is filled with amazing live performances.
Starting the day off is possibly my most anticipated set of the day, Baltimore hardcore outfit, End It. The band have released a number of incredible EP’s and singles showcasing their fresh take on hardcore music making them one of the most talked about and exciting bands currently in the scene. Gracing the stage, frontman Akil Gosdey launches into an acapella cover of The Police’s Message In A Bottle which whilst starting the set off on a light-hearted note, really demonstrates the power and range of his voice. Unleashing into their set, the crowd split open, launching themselves in a frenzy at each other, truly setting the tone for what the rest of the day has to offer. The band then went from track to track with Akil adding personal and humorous insight in between songs. However, that’s not to say they shy away from getting serious, with him speaking on his experiences touring around Europe and some countries limiting what he was allowed to say on stage. Their song Lifer is my personal highlight of the set, a song about the importance of the hardcore scene which was perfect for the crowd and the festival. Even with a slight disruption towards the end of their set due to technical problems with a guitar amp, Akil is able to keep things entertaining before going into the final few songs of the set. A truly perfect way to kick of the festival.
Following End It, I made my way down to see Bangkok hardcore band Whispers on the second stage. Whispers are one of the most hyped bands currently which is seen by not only the massive crowd that they drew at an early time of the day, but also with the amount of praise they received from various bands on the line up during their sets. Opening their performance with a siren, it perfectly creates the atmosphere that Whispers music inhabits: ferocious, relentless and powerful. The band themselves are absolutely amazing with each of them effortlessly transferring from groove to groove without fail. They truly have the audience in the palm of their hands with moshing and stage diving never seeming to stop throughout the entirety of their set. New single Retribution is my favourite moment of their performance, with it being able to reach the same levels of intensity that the recorded version brings.
Next for me was back at the main stage, where Pest Control are set to perform. Pest Control are a crossover thrash band from Leeds who are just coming off of the release of their newest EP Year of the Pest. The band have been receiving praise from the NME, as well as featuring on the heavily stacked Knocked Loose European Tour line up for next year. They are a band who I predict will continue to rise in popularity, especially given just how great they can bring it in a live setting. As soon as they start, vocalist Leah Massey-Hay has the entire crowd bouncing with her infectious energy and commanding stage presence. The entire band put on such a fun show that continued the fire that earlier bands had set up prior. Their thrash metal instrumentals really set them apart from other bands on the line up making their set even more unique and special. Guitarist Joseph Kerry is a true standout in the band with his unbelievable solos and lead guitar lines which are utterly mesmerising.
Keeping the energy high, I went to the second stage to catch T.S Warspite. The Manchester-based outfit had a short but sweet set which was relentless throughout. In the live setting they are an absolute force going from song to song bringing incredible riffs with pounding drum rhythms. Each element of the band works so well together to create such a massive, almost overwhelming sound. Special mention to frontman Marco Abbatiello whose energy is non-stop throughout.
Next up were Fleshwater who are a nice change of pace for the day. I first saw Fleshwater at Outbreak Festival 2023, where they blew me away with their moody alternative metal sound which ranged from sounding gorgeous to sounding frightening. The band yet again amazed me at Outbreak Autumn, putting on an even better set than in 2023. The band individually were sounding fantastic with terrific bass and guitar tones. Their performance is very understated with the band really letting the music do the talking seamlessly going from section to section and song to song. Even with their more melodic approach their performance is still heavy as hell with fans littering the stage throughout. I am very excited to see what Fleshwater have next for them, they are a truly remarkable live act.
Sticking to the main stage, the next act I saw was Angel Dust, the outfit made up from members of Turnstile and Trapped Under Ice. Sadly I was unable to catch Angel Dust at Outbreak Festival earlier this year, so I made it my mission to catch them at Outbreak Autumn. Angel Dust were absolutely brilliant bringing such an immersive and enjoyable performance. The band are a ball of fire on stage, playing like it was a party which only encouraged fans to go even crazier as their set progressed. The band have really tight grooves as well as catchy riffs that are countered with truly brutal breakdowns. Let It Rot is the highlight of their set for me with the repeated request in the lyrics of “Show me what you got” which prompts fans to keep the spirits high towards the end of their performance. An early stand out set of the day.
Next was not only one of my most anticipated sets of the day, but possibly the most anticipated set for the fans, Sydney hardcore outfit Speed. Throughout the day I was surrounded with various different pieces of Speed merchandise showing just how popular and loved the band are. Coming off of their fantastic debut album ONLY ONE MODE which released earlier this year, I was so excited to see the band translate those songs amongst other fan favourites in the live setting. As someone who has had the chance to attend the last two Outbreak Festivals, I can honestly say that Speed’s performance is right up there with the best that I have ever seen at the festival. Frontman Jem Siow is unstoppable on stage with unbelievable vocals, as well as being able to rally the crowd up perfectly to give it their all throughout the set. The band seem genuinely effortless on stage, bringing a power that was on a different level. Giving a great speech during their set, the band spoke about how post Covid, hardcore bands have really been able to reach crowds from all around the world which was perfectly seen from earlier in their set when they brought up the guys from Whispers to play. Their song THE FIRST TEST was not only my highlight of their set, but of the whole festival with its intense first half and now almost infamous second half, the song erupted in the live setting. If they keep things up, I really don’t think it’ll be many years until Speed will be headlining Outbreak Festival.
Following Speed is another great change of pace for the day, Horse Jumper Of Love, the indie rock group from Boston, Massachusetts, bringing their soft and emotive sound to Outbreak Festival. Their set is a much-needed breather after the onslaught that was Speed. The band are able to translate their warm, yet melancholic sound heard on their recorded releases in a compelling and accurate way to the live stage. The crowd seem mesmerised throughout the set with much less movement than other bands from the day, but still a real appreciation for their music and performance.
As the day got closer to reaching its end, I return back to the main stage to see alternative rock and emo band Citizen. From my perspective, I’d have to say Citizen brought the busiest crowd of the day. The entire front section of the stage was full, with security not letting more people enter, something of which I hadn’t seen all day or even at all at Outbreak Festival 2024 earlier this year. With Citizen’s performance, it is clear to see why the crowd is so busy. They put on a fantastic set filled to the brim with singalongs and joy throughout. Seeing the faces of fans running across the stage reciting each and every line of the songs showed just how important this band are for so many people, and how many memories fans have with their music. The bands catchy, precise guitar lines paired with the bouncing drum grooves created such a good atmosphere that failed to let up at any point through the bands set. Their song Speaking With A Ghost was my personal favourite. Citizen showed why they deserve to be so high up on the line up.
And that left one band to grace the stage, headliners and pop punk legends, The Story So Far. With a lot to live up to given the quality of acts that came before them, The Story So Far are a triumphant end to the day. Frontman Parker Cannon is in control of the audience from beginning to end whilst not letting up from any of the demanding vocal parts at all. Much like Citizen, the reception from the crowd was showing how much people resonate with their music. As I look around all I can see are people totally wrapped up in the music, screaming like a choir back to the band. Their setlist was a great mix of classics and new material, of which the new material hit just as hard as the old stuff. Their set had the biggest singalongs of the entire day showing why they were such a great choice as a headline act for Outbreak Autumn.
Outbreak Autumn was a fantastic, non-stop day of amazing live acts and performances. It was such a great event that had me occupied from beginning to end. Roll on Outbreak Festival 2025!
