Photo Credit: Andy Davies
Rebellion Festival. An annual gathering of punks from all over the world, descending into a forgotten seaside town where over 300 bands play over four days at the town’s beautiful Winter Gardens venue. The buzz in the air was electric as we arrived to pick up our wristbands. The sun was shining bright, old friends were hugging in the streets and the drinks were already flowing in anticipation for a great weekend ahead.
Thursday
The first band we had the pleasure of seeing were Canada’s Belvedere, who did a mighty fine job of warming the large crowd up with their hook-ridden melodic punk. The band have solidified their craft over an impressive 30-year existence and still has the energy of a band half their age. Very impressive stuff.
Glasgow’s The Guillotines were up next in the Arena and had managed to pack out the room before the first note of their set. Their blend of ska, punk and rock was the perfect way to start the weekend. The band oozed confidence and the capacity crowd lapped up every moment. Seeing so many people singing along to a homegrown band at 4pm on a Thursday was an impressive sight. It’d be a crime not to see this band higher up the Rebellion bill next year…
Our first of many visits to the Casbah venue was next to catch Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions. The band’s mix of catchy punk, thrash and metal was well-received by the very receptive crowd. Non-stop touring small venues all over the country has certainly paid off for the band. Frontman Spunk (sorry, Mum) is fantastic to watch as he terrorised the crowd in his staple mohawk- balaclava. Do yourself a favour and get out and see this band next time they’re playing local.
Judging by the amount of The Meffs t-shirts seen around the festival it was clear there was a huge buzz around the Essex two-piece. It’s no easy task playing The Empress Ballroom which is the festival’s largest hall let alone packing it out. The Meffs, however, rose to the challenge and laid waste to the venue with their electric mix of garage and punk (and a cheeky Prodigy cover thrown in for good measure!). The Meffs are indeed the shape of punk to come.
We caught California’s Strung Out next in the Casbah venue who were busy laying down some uber-polished metallic punk. However, despite the tight musicianship and confidence the band possesses, you can’t help but feel that it’s all a bit too ‘safe’. The songs sounded lost in the large venue and failed to ignite the crowd into any sort of frenzy. It’d be good to see the band on our shores again soon. hopefully in a smaller venue where they would shine.
The Subhumans, however, are masters of the punk live circuit. Having been around in some shape or form for over four decades, they make easy work out of the massive Empress Ballroom stage and the love for them in the room was infectious. It’s hard to think of any ‘classic’ punk band who consistently puts in a flawless set every time they play. The Subhumans are untouchable live, with frontman Dick Lucas not stopping for a second as he led the band through punk anthems such as Mickey Mouse is Dead, No and the incredible set closer Religious Wars. It doesn’t get much better than this.
The non-stop touring machine otherwise known as The UK Subs was up next and quite rightly received a hero’s welcome. Frontman Charlie Harper, at the ripe old age of 80, (yes, you read that right!) is the epitome of punk-rock. The band give bands half their age a proper run for their money and it’s an absolute pleasure to watch. We first saw this band twenty-five years ago and they sounded just as passionate and full of energy at Rebellion as they did back then. Warhead was the highlight of the set full of SUBS classics. Hearing over 3,000 people singing every word was incredible. The band have announced multiple ‘final’ tours, and as much as you have to respect their decision to call it a day, there’s still hope in all of us to see the magic of The UK SUBS one last time…
The Dwarves were just about ready to go at the Casbah venue as we arrived. They wasted no time at all by launching into a frenzy of short and sweet punk anthems. It felt like the band played more songs in their set than every band we’d seen previously put together. The crowd reaction was suitably crazy for classics such as I Will Deny and Everybody’s Girl and the band loved every moment.
Punk pioneers Sham 69 were left with the honour of closing up the main stage and what a performance they gave. Frontman Jimmy Pursey came on the stage in a balaclava as the band tore into What Have We Got? A perfect opener to a perfect set. The sixteen-song performance was full of classics such as Borstal Breakout and the absolute anthem of the weekend If The Kids are United which sent shivers down this reviewer’s spine. A final encore of Hershem Boys and Hurry up Harry closed up a wonderful set showcasing almost fifty years of punk history.
Friday
Day two and our first set of the day was Dublin’s Vulpynes who were taking to the stage as we arrived at the beautiful Opera House venue. Despite being a two-piece band, the huge stage didn’t seem to pose any issues for the duo who delivered a wonderful set of Hole-style punk rock which packed out the theatre as the band powered through their set. Front woman Molly’s voice sounded incredible echoing around the theatre. We’re looking forward to catching this band live again soon.
Riskee And The Ridicule wasted no time in bringing the energy to the Empress Ballroom next. The band exploded onto the stage with opener My Name which ignited carnage on the dance floor beneath them. The band mix up elements of punk, grime and metal and fuses it into a sound which belongs entirely to them. It’s quintessentially British in character, thanks to the smart lyrics being spat out by frontman Scott Picking who is a joy to watch as he commanded the huge crowd with ease. The band are already confirmed for Rebellion 2025 which goes to show you how popular they are at this festival. A truly class act who is going to grow into one of our country’s most loved live acts.
Maid Of Ace were up next in the Empress Ballroom and despite playing stadiums recently opening for Green Day, keeping up the energy levels reached by Riskee And The Ridicule was seemingly a difficult task. The Hastings-based band played bratty style punk bringing to mind bands like The Distillers and Rancid. This wasn’t a bad performance by the band, far from it. This is a very capable band and given the right situation they would be unstoppable.
Smoking Gives You Big Tits were up next in The Arena, flooring the packed- out crowd with their comedy-filled post-punk noise. This was our first time catching the band, having missed them at Manchester Punk Fest earlier in the year. The band were loving life and put in one hell of a performance. We have to give huge props to the SGYBT guitarist for pulling off some of the best jumps seen all weekend. We can’t wait to catch this crazy band again soon.
We caught Knuckleheadz next in Club Casbah, all the way from Los Angeles who treated the crowd to an all-out assault of menacing punk rock. The self- proclaimed ‘punk rock fight club’ were one of the most entertaining acts of the festival, and clearly, they all loved the experience of being there amongst it all. Glory Days was stuck in our head for days after the festival. We hope the band make it back to the UK soon, they clearly have a lot of fans old and new here waiting for their return.
The Chisel were up in the Empress Ballroom next and the smile across front man Cal’s face said it all. Here’s a band who have worked relentlessly hard to get where they are today. The Chisel are leading the fight for punk in the UK in 2024. Songs like Retaliation will go down in history as classic British punk songs and in years to come will be looked upon just like some of the classics played by older bands at the festival. There’s a lot of fight left in this band and all of us lucky enough to see their set at Rebellion would agree it’s going to be a very interesting ride indeed…
The Opera House was the perfect setting for The Barstool Preachers, who were performing a special acoustic show with a full-string orchestra behind them. Someone told us they had only practiced once before the show. If that was true then this reviewer is truly gobsmacked. Set opener Call Me On The Way Home set the tone within the theatre perfectly with frontman T.J. McFauall up front displaying his incredible vocal range whilst the rest of the band provided the perfect backdrop across the wonderfully lit stage. After the first few songs, we walked to the back of the theatre, found a comfy seat, settled in and enjoyed one of the most beautiful sets of the weekend. The BSP are loved as a band (they played the main stage earlier on in the festival) but opening themselves up in this way makes the songs take on a whole different journey which was both captivating and incredible to watch. Truly amazing.
Jawless were up next on the Introducing stage and brought the energy levels right up with their abrasive hardcore fury. The sound was pretty muddy in places but the band were unphased and smashed through their set like it was their last. Front woman Theresa gave it 110%, punching and kicking across the stage as she went. Keep your eye on this lot, they’re incredible and are flying the flag high for UK hardcore.
Booze And Glory are no strangers to Rebellion Festival and the Club Casbah was once again packed to the rafters as the band delivered their well-crafted mix of punk and oi anthems. The pit was swaying in all directions as songs such as London Skinhead Crew and Swinging Hammers caused huge singalongs. The band are a perfect mix of many elements of punk which brings everyone together in unison. What more could you want?
Steve Ignorant Band (Crass Set) were up next, closing up the Club Casbah. This is a band that causes much division. Some say that Crass songs should be left in the past, while others (including ourselves) will take any opportunity to hear the songs that shaped us into the people we are today. Within the first few seconds of Do They Owe Us a Living? every hair on my body was standing up. These are special songs that hold special places in so many of our hearts. And it must be said that the musicianship in Steve Ignorant’s band is brilliant, the songs are played flawlessly and huge props must be given to Carol Hodge who has an incredible presence with a huge vocal range to back her up. We’ll never tire of hearing So What or Bloody Revolutions. We’re all getting older but these songs will live with us forever.
Saturday
Fair play to the members of Lady Rage who spent the first few days of the festival speaking with as many people as they could, making sure everyone knew they were opening up the Empress Ballroom stage and inviting them to come and watch. It worked a treat and the room was filled up nicely for the band who gave one hell of a performance, bringing an awesome groove to the Empress Ballroom with their metallic punk goodness. A great start to the day.
If you haven’t caught Pizzatramp live over the last few years, where have you been?! The Welsh trio have gigged extensively over the UK over the last decade making a lot of friends along the way. You know what you’re getting with a Pizzatramp gig: A lot of laughs, madcap stories, a hungover/drunk frontman, and maybe, if you’re lucky, a few songs. Blackpool was treated to an absolute corker of a set full of humour and some of the simplest but awesome punk songs heard at the entire festival. There was even a heartwarming moment where the whole crowd sang Happy Birthday to frontman Jimbob’s son for a video. Brilliant stuff.
Hard Skin continued the same formula as Pizzatramp over in the Empress Ballroom. Some hilarious onstage banter with the crowd backed up by some classic singalong punk. ‘Oi Not Jobs‘ begins some of the happiest, sweatiest singalongs of the weekend. Watching hundreds of punks hugging each other and singing ‘We Are The Wankers’ is something that will stay with me for years to come.
Benefits changed the tempo of the afternoon to a more serious affair, starting their set by expressing their disdain for the fascists who had turned up at the festival earlier in the afternoon looking for trouble. The two-piece then wasted no time in pummelling through some of the most intelligently written songs we heard all weekend. Anger was paramount as frontman Kingsley looked like a man possessed as he prowled across the Club Casbah’s stage. Put Benefits on your radar and catch them live soon. Trust us, you will not be disappointed.
Millie Manders And The Shutup were up next in the Empress Ballroom and brought the party to Blackpool from the moment they burst onstage. The London band play bouncy punk rock with infectious melody thanks to frontwoman Millie who possesses an impressively diverse vocal range. The band is incredible to watch, and it is one of the most important punk bands in the UK right now.
We managed to catch a few songs by Wonk Unit at the Arena. It was packed and sweaty which was the perfect setting for the band’s fun-filled brand of punk-rock which went down a storm. There’s so much confidence within the band who have worked hard over the years to get the following they thoroughly deserve. Hope we can catch a full set by them soon.
GBH are one of our country’s finest punk exports. They are experts in their game and we’ve never seen them turn in a poor show. Singer Colin Abrahall delivered some of the best stage moves seen all weekend. A true master of his craft who spearheads a tight well-oiled machine of punk behind him. It was packed in front of the stage, with hundreds of punks going nuts and singing along. Watching it all unfold from the back of the room makes you feel how lucky we are to have produced so many iconic bands in this country.
Cocksparrer closed up the day in the only way they know how: packing out the largest venue, causing absolute carnage and bringing thousands of people together to forget about their worries and sing along to some of the finest punk songs ever written. Their set was flawless, full of every song you come to expect the band to play, spanning across their 50+ year history. The constant sea of crowd surfers kept the security busy as songs like Riot Squad, One by One and Because You’re Young gave some of the biggest singalongs of the weekend. At one point the floor was bouncing under our feet from the sheer carnage happening on the dance floor. The closing duo of England Belongs to Me and We’re Coming Back provided the perfect sweaty end to a perfect sweaty day.
Sunday
We caught Turbo Acs first in the Empress Ballroom who impressed the hell out of the respectfully large crowd that had turned up for them. Their mix of Rancid meets Motörhead punk n’ roll is played with confidence and a lot of swagger. A great performance.
We hopped over to Club Casbah next to catch Faintest Idea who are the perfect festival addition. We last caught them at Manchester Punk Fest where they raised the roof off the main stage. Blackpool were treated to another perfect display of ska punk played with bags of enthusiasm and insane talent. Faintest Idea is leading the way for ska punk in the UK. There’s no other band doing it quite as good as they are. Hop on board the ska train!
Efa Supertramp provided the perfect bit of downtime on the acoustic stage with her wonderful songs which are sung like stories of love. She shares the meaning behind each song before they are played and it’s clear Efa has lived a life of interesting and awesome adventures. It was an absolute privilege to sit and listen.
Channel 3 however, failed to ignite much enthusiasm from the crowd in the Empress Ballroom. The Californian band have been playing for over 40 years but today just clearly wasn’t their day. The songs were strong enough and the band was clearly comfortable playing in such a large venue but it all just seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Last year, Dublin’s Meryl Streek made his debut at Rebellion, playing the Introducing stage in the early hours of the morning. It worked wonders, as this year he was back in a bigger venue – The Casbah – and it was packed beforehis set began. It’s not easy for acts like Streek who push against the traditional punk sound and introduce a new dynamic to both the festival and punk itself. The result might not be for everyone but those willing to broaden their musical taste are treated to an all-out assault of beats, punk and poetry wrapped up in Streek’s venomous delivery. He performs Paddy, an ode to his late uncle from the middle of the crowd and it’s one of the most memorable moments of the weekend. He’s then joined by Molly Vulpyne and a young fan for set closer If This Is Life which was the perfect end to a flawless set. We certainly won’t be the only person saying this was the best set of the festival.
The Restarts had the tough job of following Meryl Streek but the London three-piece have solidified a loyal following over the years and soon enough were firing on all cylinders with their brand of punk which incorporates bits of oi and even ska in places but with an element which is uniquely their own. This band are the real deal and the respect and love for them filtering through the Club Casbah was amazing to witness.
Svetalnas gave one of the most energetic performances of the day. Front woman Olga took control of the stage, her dreadlocks flying in every direction behind her as she kept the energy up in the pit. The Russian band played an awesome mix of thrash and punk and was no doubt winning over a lot of new fans during their raucous set.
Cockney Rejects bounced onto the Empress Ballroom stage and have the crowd in the palm of their hands from the get-go. Jeff Turner was full of energy as he ran about the stage, shadow-boxing at every opportunity. The band behind him are all new to the current Rejects line-up but no strangers to the live circuit. It was great to see our old friend Ray Dust on drums living his best life, singing along at the top of his lungs. Songs like We are the firm, Oi Oi Oi and Police Car sounded massive and had the whole crowd singing along with fists in the air. Class.
Next, we were back at the Introducing stage to see Manchester’s Bruise Control who are one of our favourite newer bands on the circuit. Singer Jim is a loose cannon and leads the band through some of the finest garage punk you’re ever likely to hear. The love for the band is evident in the packed-out room. If the band were American they’d already be huge. Give them time though, the only way is up. Surely a bigger Rebellion stage is calling for the band next year…
It was a tough choice of whom to watch close up the weekend out of Stiff Little Fingers or anarcho-punk legends Conflict. We chose the latter as nobody does it better in our eyes. The moody lighting for the first few numbers only added to the intensity of one of the UK’s finest bands from this genre who are still as vital as ever forty years after their inception. The anger and passion behind songs such as Carlo Giuliani and There’s No Power Without Control got the set off to a flying start. Conflict isn’t just another punk band going through the motions, these are songs that have changed lives and made the punk scene what it is today.
The addition of Fiona Friel on vocals gives the band a huge confidence boost making them the strongest they’ve sounded in years and hopefully, there’s still a good few years left in the band yet to inspire change in a new generation of punks hearing them for the first time. We can’t think of a more perfect way to end the weekend. We’ll quote our late friend Calvin Sewell to close up this review. “Crass made me think about the problems in the world. Conflict made me do something about it!” Well said indeed.
Roll on next year!
Words and Photos: Andy Davies
Photo gallery features The Guillotines, Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions, The Meffs, Strung Out, Steve Ignorant, UK Subs, Bar Stool Preachers, The Dwarves, Sham 69, Vulpynes, Riskee And The Ridicule, Smoking Gives You Big Tits, Maid of Ace, Knuckleheadz, The Chisel, Jawless, Booze & Glory, Lady Rage, Pizzatramp, Hard Skin, Benefits, Millie Manders & The Shut Up, Turbo Acs, Faintest Idea, Efa Supertramp, Channel 3, Meryl Streek, The Restarts, Svetlanas, Cockney Rejects, Bruise Control and Conflict.
