How can you tell that a rock and metal festival has come to town? There is a 200% increase in black clothing, tattoos and beards! This is exactly what happened at Portsmouth Guildhall for Takedown festival, a triumphant return after an 8-year hiatus! 2015 was the last time we had Takedown in Southampton, and we thought that we would never see it again. Last year when the hints on social media started.... The excitement was palpable! The alternative community up and down the South Coast was so excited for the potential comeback of such a loved festival. The long and short of it, is that it was incredible. We cannot wait for it to return next year! So let's get down to it ... This was the first time Takedown has been held in Pompey. They still managed to fit 5 (yes you heard me right, 5!) stages into the Guildhall. For us the first act of the day was an acoustic session from local lads Seething Akira. This was the first time they've ever done an acoustic set, and by their own admission perhaps their last one! However, it was great fun hearing them convert some of their heaviest and hectic tracks acoustically and I actually hope they'll do some more of these! A key thing about Takedown Festival is the amount of South Coast acts who perform throughout the day from heavy bands like Seething Akira to the lighter side with bands like Slackrr and Royals. It's amazing to see so much talent being bought together and showcased like this! There were so many amazing acts throughout the day, it's hard to pick favourite sets. From the likes of InMe doing Overgrown Eden in full to Punk Rock Factory smashing out Pop Punk covers of some of your favourite childhood songs (who are going to be doing a headline show in Southampton at the 1865 in November). The heavier side of things being headed up by bands such as Palm Reader and Dendera, all of which were amazing. However, a special highlight for me, was the acoustic set from Skindred. It's something I've never seen before and there was a lot of questions about how their songs would work acoustically and how they could strip back their powerhouse songs and Benji’s presence as a frontman. Benji's performance and vocal range was flawless, and I only wish they could have done more songs. However, learning the history of some of the songs and hearing the stories behind them was fun! Big thanks to Benji’s old neighbour Neville for inspiring the song Pressure! One of the main pulls for Takedown this year were Sleep Token. These guys are rapidly becoming one of the UKs best live bands and their fan base is growing exponentially based on their stunning theatrical performances. The secrecy of Sleep Token adds to their mystery and can only be likened to that of early Slipknot before they were unmasked. Somehow, Sleep Token provide one of the most emotionally driven but heavy sets that you'll ever see. For those in the audience that hadn't seen them before, I can guarantee that this won't be the last time they see them. At the end of the night it was announced that Takedown will be back next year for an phenomenal 2 days! 13th and 14th April 2024! So all we can do now is speculate as to who we think will headline next year? Bury Tomorrow? Enter Shikari? Who would you like to see headline next years festival?
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