"I think it took Mancunians a while to accept us" - Download next up for Guilt Trip after 'amazing' SlamDunk

”SlamDunk this is great, but I need more - I need this field off the f****** ground”. It’s fair to say Guilt Trip frontman Jay Valentine’s rallying cry was pretty direct in Leeds on Sunday.  

In front of a big turnout on The Key Club Stage, the band put in a set that started heavy and just got heavier. The Manchester hardcore band have been going for eight years, and paid tribute to the fans who supported them from day one. Talking after the show and on site at the festival, Jay reflected on the performance and where the band are at as we head into the summer.

He said: “The vibe was good, I think it’s always good at SlamDunk. It could have run a bit smoother in terms of getting our things in and set up, but that was the weather and not anyone’s fault. The set we played was amazing and that’s all I care about on a day like this. 

“We’re in a purple patch right now. I think people really do want to see us. If it was raining, it cleared up for our set, maybe if it didn’t we’d have had less people. We’ve played in other festivals, including over in Europe, where it’s been sunny all day and when it comes to our set it p***** it down. We got lucky today.” 

The band had a good turnout for their set that was on pretty early in the afternoon, but the passion of the fans who turned out was clear.

“For me, the more people that are watching the more comfortable I feel,” Jay said. “I hate playing in an empty field or empty room. You can have a packed room and have no one enjoying you so to see the fan engagement, that’s what really means the world to me.”

Guilt Trip are a hardcore band, who get their crowds whipped up into a foot-stomping, moshing frenzy. Jay admits it took fans back home a while to warm to them. 

“When we started the Manchester music scene was booming, and it fell off a bit at one point,” he said. “We struggled for a while to get good shows and I think it took Mancunians a while to accept us for what we are. But whenever we play now it's unbelievable, it feels like we’ve finally cracked the code and conquered Manchester - I feel so comfortable whenever we play there now. It took a while but it feels great whenever we play in Manchester now.”

This year is set to be a big one for Guilt Trip, with an album in the books, more festivals to come and trips across the world. 

“We released an album six months ago that is doing a lot for us, but just touring is good too,” Jay said. “Playing for as many people as possible is a massive factor for where we are now. We’ve just come off the back of two really big tours with really big bands in Malevolence and Landmvrks. We’ve got a few more festivals this summer including Download which is like a bucket list item and then we’ve got a tour in Australia with Kublai Khan TX which we’re really excited for.

“When I first got involved [in the hardcore scene] it was booming. I think we had a lull before Covid and then we had Covid but recently it's been popping off for bands old and new. Shows are selling out everywhere, I think heavy music is in a really good place right now and it’s brilliant to see.

“Both SlamDunk festivals were really different. The pit down south for us was brilliant, not as good up here but we had a bigger crowd. To pick a favourite, I think it would come down to the weather. Yesterday was really sunny but I couldn’t choose between the crowds.”