London saw the triumphant return of Vans Warped Tour UK this weekend, which first came to England 14 years ago in 1998.
The sold out, one-day festival brought together 10,000 music fans who saw 28 bands from six countries perform across four stages, bought all the official merchandise within two-and-a-half hours of the doors opening and consumed 4,065 cans of Monster Energy Drink at the legendary Alexandra Palace in North London.
Highlights included Monster Energy West Stage headliners Lostprophets belting out ‘Darkest Blue’ for the first time in years in honour of Teenage Cancer Trust, Monster Energy East Stage headliners Bring Me The Horizon creating a ‘Gangnam Style’ wall of death, Bowling For Soup closing the Jägermeister Stage with thousands of waving hands, UK heavyweights Bury Tomorrow smashing a packed out Kevin Says Stage with a flawless set that even drove Japanese mentalists Crossfaith to join the crowd surfing masses, and Blood On The Dance Floor’s first ever UK show, who had to battle collapsed tables during their 3-hour signing session.
The Vans Warped Tour also brought the UK’s best skaters to center stage with a massive vert ramp that showcased world class skills during the Vans UKSA NAational Vert Skateboarding Championships. The 10 skaters who made the finals each walked away with a piece of the £10,000 prize, but it was Sam Beckett who made it look easy to skate with both amplitude and technical skill, landing him in first place and £3,000 richer. A huge highlight for those in attendance was the special demo appearance of skate legends Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi who skated alongside young gun Pro Alex Perelson and BMX legends Simon Tabron, Dennis McCoy and Zac Shaw.
Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman said: "It took us a while to get back, but by the amazing response from the UK fans we are already thinking about how we can make 2013 even better for you."
UK Promoter Mark Walker of Kilimanjaro Live adds: "Having grown up in the UK dreaming of going to the US Warped Tour it is a huge honour to work with Kevin and be a part of bringing the festival to London. Euro fans should keep an eye on vanswarpedtour.com for news and a chance to vote for what we do in 2013!"
Photo Credit: PG Brunelli
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