Fear Of Noise 2021 Recap

By Reuben Barrack

After taking a year off from a live gathering due to the pandemic, the third annual Fear of Noise Festival returned to San Diego, December 3rd & 4th, better than ever. For those of you who are new to the fest and unfamiliar with its founding contributors, DIY musicians/skaters Sean and Blaine Slingerland of Therapy created FoN to celebrate the ever evolving local punk scene while also strengthening its community through the addition of touring bands from all over the U.S. Although certain safety measures were encouraged amidst this COVID world, that did not stop folks from stage diving and moshing at their leisure, the majority of whom were masked up and respecting everyone’s space. Nothing more punk than being aware of your surroundings and keeping each other safe while jamming out. Love to see it!

Even though we did not produce a zine to highlight skaters in the bands this year, we hope this stacked photo series makes up for it! Featuring our staple shredders in All Beat Up and Headcount, as well as touring bands new to FoN such as Twompsax. It’s so rad to see the continued diversity of skaters involved with each passing year, and it will only gain more momentum as the scene keeps growing. Just as long as people don’t break out into fights from a broken nose (or two) in the pit, something to keep in mind moving forward in the years to come. Special thank you to all the vendors, venues and staff, including M-Theory Records, Tower Bar and Queen Bee’s for their hospitality! An even bigger thank you to Blaine and Sean for having us and for putting on a killer event once again.