Fest 24 and Human Connection
Ah, The Fest. The music festival with the ubiquitous abbreviation of what it is as it’s actual name. Yet tens of thousands of people all over the globe know what you’re talking about when you shorten it even further and refer to it as “Fest”.
Last year I wrote my first Fest piece here, so I’ll spare the introduction and get right to the point for this year’s entry: human connection. Anyone reading this would likely agree that music connects many of us and that the world of punk rock can create special bonds that last a lifetime. At this year’s Fest, I got to share and experience two specific examples of human connection that resonate with me now and will still resonate with me until my final breath.
The first experience was through the creative culmination of 3 people separated by thousands of miles and an ocean. Those individuals are Dom Brining (guitarist of Bear Away- Scarborough, North Yorkshire, UK), Rob Burleson (drummer of SPELLS- Denver, CO, USA) and Daryl Wilson (singer of The Bollweevils- Chicago, IL, USA). They call themselves Pressure Set, a new band that played its first ever show at Fest this year. Before that, Pressure Set was a cross-continental recording project between Dom and Rob. The two met in 2024 when Bear Away and SPELLS shared the stage at Tampa, FL’s Pre-Pre-Fest. Being the guitarist in SPELLS, I also met Dom and the gang.
Fast forward to 2025 and Dom and Rob had assembled a full album of music but had yet to figure out what to do about vocals. After sending the tracks out to a few friends, Daryl came back with a song and asked to do another. And another. Before long, Daryl was the singer of Pressure Set. Their self-titled debut album came out earlier this year via Dr. Strange Records. Dom covered bass on the album, but since then, they’ve recruited Simon Lamb (bassist of Sludgeworth- Chicago, IL, USA) to join the band on the low end. There was a hiccup before Fest though. Simon was unavailable to play at Fest after the band had confirmed their slot. So, they reached out to another friend to cover bass for the set. If you guessed me, you’re right. Of course, I said yes. I have done spot-duty for other bands several times over the years and always enjoy it. The thing that I loved the most this time around though, was seeing my friends come together as one unit for the very first time.
On the Thursday before Fest, I met Dom and Daryl for food. I’ve known Daryl for many years and Dom for a couple, but the two of them had never met each other in real life until that moment. That’s an incredible strand of human connection and I got to be a part of it. Having already done a full album together, the two were now in the same room. The next day we had a full practice, so now the whole band was assembled for the first time together in a room. I got to play music with my friends in a situation that could only exist because of four people choosing a life of punk rock.
The story isn’t capped at Fest though. Simon is their actual bass player. Rob and Dom have yet to meet Simon. Pressure Set will all finally be together properly this upcoming January when they play their second show at Dr. Strange’s Winter Bash 2027.
The second experience was through Cleveland, OH’s Model Martel. Last year, Model Martel released their debut album (A Thousand Couple Times) though my small record label, Snappy Little Numbers. I knew their drummer Ryan Kelly since he had lived in Denver for several years before heading to Ohio. I didn’t know the other three members of the band (Tim Gill, Jason Utes and Rozco Provchy) when we decided to work together. My friendship with Ryan was enough to consider it and then when I heard the album, I definitely wanted in.
I hadn’t seen Model Martel live yet, so when they played Fest for the first time this year, they were at the top of my list of bands to see. Their set at The Atlantic didn’t disappoint. In fact, they were my favorite set of the whole weekend. They started off strong, but during the first tune Tim broke a guitar string. That’s always on the list of nightmares when playing a show. What could have been disastrous turned into a lighthearted moment. As Tim replaced the string, there was lively banter between the band and the crowd. It was a positive environment where everyone in the room had assembled in the exact same time and place because of one thing: choosing a life of punk rock.
When the band continued, they didn’t miss a beat and delivered beyond measure. Not only did I enjoy seeing them, I got to meet the rest of the band. I’ve been lucky to work with lots of great artist via SLN over the last 15 years, but don’t always get to meet all the players in person. Whenever I get the chance, it’s another significant point of human connection that I cherish.
I didn’t tangibly realize I was a punk rock lifer until I was 41 years old. I knew I’d always love it, but the realization that it was something I would personally interact with forever wasn’t as clear to me until then. I’m now 49 and as each year goes by, it never ceases to amaze me that punk rock continues to connect me to so many people in such extraordinary ways. I’m eternally grateful to have these experiences in my life.
