The Rebellion Festival is the biggest punk rock music festival in the UK. It is spread across four days, and it attracts the largest bands and new emerging talent on the scene. It is annually held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, where it has been running continuously in one form or another since 1996. The 15,000-capacity Rebellion Festival attracts people from all around the globe. The venue has many sizable rooms, including the Empress Ballroom, Club Casbah, Opera House, Arena, Pavilion, After Dark & RIS (‘Rebellion Introducing Stage’), as well as the Mazzei Cafe for DJs. Upstairs, there was also the Almost Acoustic, the Literary Stage and The Old Vic.
DAY 1 & 2 COVERAGE HERE
All reviews Marky Kelly and Andy Murphy. All photos Cris Watkins
DAY THREE – SATURDAY 3RD AUGUST
PIZZATRAMP – Club Casbah
Saturday opens at Club Casbah with another band that I’ve seen on a smaller stage in the shape of Welsh Punks Pizzatramp and they make sure that everyone knows their country of origin before they even start with some friendly banter between lead singer Jimmy No Whammy and the crowd who are happy to return in kind. Jimmy also warns us that he is dying from last night’s alcohol intake and suggests that we the audience go and see another band. I decide against doing so and I’m soon justified as the band rip into ‘CCTV’ which Jimmy tells us is about Tom Cruise’s penis. The music is fast and furious thrash punk, but the entertainment only starts there as Jimmy hardly shuts up between songs. At times it is almost like going to see a stand-up comic and no-one is safe from the wrath of Jimmy ‘Carr’ No Whammy.
‘Millions Of Dead Goths’ goes out to all those Goths wearing their long leather coats in the hot weather and a warning that we could be Goth neutral by 2025. It is noticeable that Jimmy is struggling a bit and he has to use his inhaler onstage for the first time ever, though as he points out smoking 600 cigarettes probably doesn’t help. ‘I Hope You F*ucking Die’ is aimed at everyone attending the right-wing march planned for today in Blackpool including Tommy Robinson. Everyone gets a bit of stick thereafter including Frank Turner and anyone who has seen him play live can leave now, but once again I ignore Jimmy. Even Specsavers get the wrath of Jimmy’s fury after it took them two hours to insert a screw into his spectacles frame. Finally, the over exertions of last night take their toll during ‘Mr Slam’ and Jimmy is stumbling all over the stage and looking like death warmed up before finally puking up onstage, whilst signalling to bassist Sammy Two Cabs, sporting his ‘Mr Slam’ baseball cap, to take over on vocals for the rest of the song. Whilst trying to get booked for next year Jimmy mentions that the only thing he hasn’t done onstage is a number two, which may not be the best way to get on the line-up for next year, but Rebellion would be deranged to not invite back this deranged trio.
(Andy Murphy)
MISSING THE SCENE – Ris In Pavilion
Saturday for me starts in the Pavilion with Missing The Scene, who are a pop-punk band from Reading. Riff-wise they remind me of The Ruts. The drummer is superb. He’s all over the kit. Their music is often fast and furious, but there’s plenty of variety in their material. The bassist tells us that we should view them as an appetiser. I’m not sure about that. I’m sure that they could serve as a very filling main course! On their Facebook page they’re asking for suggestions for where they could play. You know what to do.
linktr.ee/Missingthescene
https://linktr.ee/Missingthescene
(Mark Kelly)
THE GO GO CULT – Opera House
So whilst things are heating up outside I pop into The Opera House once again to escape the fascistic madness. Formed in 2010 in Reading and describing themselves as having a “distinctive and wild brand of sleazy hypnotic 50s psycho-delic garage punk”, The Go Go Cult is a band that certainly appeals to me. My first observation is that lead singer Nige has that Nick Cave look about him, and his vocals aren’t too dissimilar at times as I soon find out. There is a lot to like about the five-minute-long opening number ‘Town Called Sorrow’ taken from the ‘Tarantula’ EP released in 2022, with its Johnny Cash influences and I find I’m toe tapping along which makes a relaxed change from all the moshing. Given that they only play a seven-song set in 35 minutes you would be right to imagine there are some long songs in there, especially as one of my favourites has to be another track taken from the ‘Tarantula’ EP in ‘Devil In The Process’ which comes in at about three minutes, including close to a minute’s worth of feedback at the end. It’s obvious to see why The Go Go Cult have been chosen to support such bands as King Kurt, The Rezillos, The Meteors, The Guna Batz, and Spear of Destiny and they would be well worth a watch on their own merits in a smaller venue.
(Andy Murphy)
DOG OF MAN – Ris In Pavilion
I remain in the Pavilion for Brighton based Dog Of Man, who today are playing as a three-piece as their guitarist is unavailable. They’re no ordinary three-piece however. As well as the expected bass and drums, there is also an accordion player who is responsible for lead vocals too. Bassist Ben also plays with Blyth Power. I thought he was somehow familiar! They rock out more than I was expecting. Their last song ‘Taxi’ starts off reggae tinged and has some interesting time signature changes. They pack a lot of musical invention into a short space of time. I have to say that they’re one of the more interesting bands of the festival.
linktr.ee/dogofman
(Mark Kelly)
HARD SKIN – Empress Ballroom
I next trek (actually I’ll be honest: it’s not that far) to the Empress Ballroom for Hard Skin. I’d only seen them once before in 2013, when they were promoting their album ‘On The Balls’. One thing that’s to be noted about Hard Skin is that they are not always serious, and there is a degree of parody about their performance. However, when they dedicate the opening song ‘Law And Order’ to the English Defence League, who are demonstrating in Blackpool today, they are deadly serious. It’s certainly not a complimentary dedication. Hard Skin are seemingly not enamoured with Cock Sparrer. They tell us not to buy Hard Skin merchandise but to buy Cock Sparrer merch “Because they clearly need the money”. Apparently what they take issue with is Cock Sparrer’s claim to have been in existence since 1972, notwithstanding that they have split up for a number of years on more than one occasion. As Fat Bob puts it: “f*ck that band”.
Cock Sparrer are not the only targets of the band’s ire: they make fun of Blackpool, saying how much better London is. They also have a go at Donald Trump, saying how he is spreading hate (which he most certainly is) before Fat Bob gets the packed out audience to hug each other, before calling us all “f*cking sheep”. They ask us who the worst band is that we’ve seen so far this weekend. Of course we all reply “Hard Skin!”. ‘We Are The W*nkers’ is a standout, as is ‘Desperation Song’ which includes the line: “Punk’s not dead, it’s just a little bit fatter”. Sheer genius. Hard Skin will be playing live at The Prince Albert in Brighton on 12th December.
hardskin.bandcamp.com
(Mark Kelly)
THE TIGHTS – Opera House
I remain in the safe haven that is The Opera House forgetting that I want to go and see Roman Jugg on the Literary Stage, and instead I am stood here watching The Tights who hail from Worcester. Similarly to The Pack, this is another band that I missed out on first time around as they were only on the scene for about a couple of years before disbanding in 1979. They reformed in 2004 and their current line-up includes three original members in Malcolm Orgee on vocals, Rob Banks on guitar, and Barry Island on bass, with Mark Simon replacing Rick Mayhew on drums. It’s not a bad choice though as I am suitably impressed with their slightly poppier punk sound with a hint of Buzzcocks along the way, as I am whisked back to the seventies. They play all three songs off their first single ‘Bad Hearts’ which are really good, especially the punchy ‘It’ and the fact it’s now selling for a minimum £70 on Discogs kind of says it all. They also play their tribute to The Ramones in ‘Poison Heart’ which for some reason I was expecting to be much faster! ‘Howard Hughes’ was their second and last single first-time round which leaves me wondering where did it all go wrong as it sounds like they should have had a bright future ahead of them, but alas it wasn’t to be. At least they haven’t sat on their laurels since reforming and have released some newer material, though not for a while, of which the best played tonight was ‘I Can’t Sing (About What You Are)’ with a great singalong chorus, and it’s still available in white vinyl for just £8.99. Now that’s more punk!
(Andy Murphy)
INTERROBANG‽ – Opera House
I previously saw Dunstan Bruce perform a solo Interrobang‽ set in April 2019 supporting The Mekons at Patterns in Brighton. It was a very interesting set up with a typewriter sat upon an airline trolley and a backing track which Dunstan spoke over, slightly different from his Chumbawamba days. I am therefore intrigued to see the show on this occasion with band members Harry Hamer on drums and also formerly of Chumbawamba, along with Stephen Griffin on guitar and a massive computer/keyboard. The introduction is ‘Emergency’ where the lights are dimmed and Dunstan and Stephen walk the stage with megaphones in an eerie almost apocalyptic start to proceedings warning us that this is an emergency. Meanwhile the massive keyboard/computer with the backing tracks breaks down almost immediately and requires rebooting, which I have to say Dunstan styles out with consummate professionalism and some humourous ramblings. This probably isn’t what most people would define as punk rock, but what is punk if not the freedom to express yourself.
There is still a lot of anger in the lyrics, just that of mid-life rather than youthful as this band only looks forward. At points it’s almost defeatist sounding in that Dunstan has tried to change the world, but doesn’t feel like he has made a great difference, but you sense that he still wants to. There is a personal feel to the poetic lyrics in ‘Do You Remember?’ and some of it has the feel of that of a mid-life crisis. ‘Are You Ready People?’ is similar sounding to ‘Staring At The Rude Boys’, but lyrically completely different as they dream of revolution. Ending the set with ‘Am I Invisible Yet?’ you really can feel the anger of reaching an age where it’s quite easy to just ride out your remaining days without causing a fuss, but you can sense from this that Dunstan is not going to roll over easily. The set ends with Dunstan thanking anyone who went out and opposed the knuckle draggers this afternoon which receives a warm round of applause, and they exit the stage to the sound of Dunstan’s week old solo single release ‘F*cking Expensive’ playing through the PA system. This has definitely been the most interesting gig I have seen so far and has expanded my punk viewpoint.
interrobangband.co.uk
(Andy Murphy)
PARANOID VISIONS – Club Casbah
Paranoid Visions are my next entertainment in Club Casbah. The band are from Dublin and were first formed in 1982, although they have been on hiatus several times since then. They’re a six piece with two lead singers. The male singer tells us to go out after their gig and “kick the shit” out of the EDL marchers. A little later on there are indeed clashes between the EDL and some punks. I don’t think they were inspired by this band though. More than one of their songs are about fascists. One is a ska song, but most of their material is much punkier. ‘War’ is ska influenced. It speeds up massively to become a fast punk song, before slowing down again. How this band has been in existence for so long without appearing on my radar is quite astounding. I shall educate myself before I see them next time.
advancerecords.com
(Mark Kelly)
MIKE PETERS – Literary
I saw The Alarm many times back in the 1980s and when I see that Mike Peters MBE is being interviewed on the Literary Stage I must hear his story as he has had one hell of a rollercoaster ride over the past 29 years. I attend a few minutes late and already there is standing room only. To say it is an emotional interview is probably an understatement as most people in the room have been likely touched by the dreaded C word in some way or another. Mike is sporting a beanie hat which has replaced his trademark hair as he undergoes chemotherapy having been diagnosed with Richter’s Syndrome just 12 weeks ago. He talks a lot about his health and how he has coped with remarkable positivity under the circumstances. The amount of charity work he has done and is still doing is amazing with help from the likes of Slim Jim Phantom who sounds like the coolest dude of all, and Mike refers to him as The Fonz. The fact that they do fundraising all over the world, climbing mountains and hiking, and then leaving the money they have raised to the area they have visited is heartwarming seems to surprise the locals. His charity ‘Love, Hope, Strength’ is currently raising money for Tanzania where cancer is rife and has raised £80k out of the £100k target.
On a lighter note, he talks about only ever having one guitar lesson from his sister’s boyfriend whom she then dumped. He was influenced by Bowie but then owns up to his first gig being Yes at The Victoria Ground, Stoke City’s old football ground, in 1975. Not something to shout about though he does say it was saved by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band supporting. Alas his choice of football team is also not something to shout about. He tells us about how The Alarm were originally called Harry Hippy Band, singing with Bob Dylan, The Poppy Fields ’45 RPM’ hoax, and so much more in an enthralling, if not emotionally draining, interview which well overran its time slot and earned Mike a standing ovation at the end. Stay strong Mike.
thealarm.com
(Andy Murphy)
HENRY CLUNEY – Almost Acoustic
I make my first venture upstairs to the ‘Almost Acoustic’ stage and boy is it bright up there as the natural sunlight comes in through the windows above. I arrive a little late for former Stiff Little Fingers guitarist Henry Cluney’s set, but I need my dose of SLF as I already know that I won’t be seeing them on Sunday night as they clash with one of my favourite up-and-coming bands, SNAYX. Henry is thoroughly enjoying himself, and every song is a singalong with maximum audience participation, which helps when Henry appears to forget the words but makes light of it. He also jests with the audience when they come in too early on some lyrics. Unfortunately, I can’t hang around for the end of the set, but getting to hear classics such as ‘Nobody’s Hero’, ‘Gotta Getaway’, ‘Wasted Life’ and the utterly brilliant ‘Alternative Ulster’ quenches my thirst and leaves me feeling less guilty about missing the band on Sunday night even though it is a disappointing clash.
xslfbelfast.com
(Andy Murphy)
LOOSE ARTICLES – Empress Ballroom
Loose Articles are a band that I’ve been wanting to see for a while, so there’s no way that I’m going to miss their appearance at the Empress Ballroom. I’d hesitate before describing them as punk. They’re closer to post-punk. They have a disappointingly small crowd tonight. I guess many people are simply unaware of the band. Ah well – their loss!!! The marvellous ‘Sinead Loves Bitcoin’ makes a surprisingly early appearance in the set, with a girl from the audience invited onstage to sing backing vocals. ‘Pinball John’ is about being a pinball champion. Some of Erin Caine’s guitar lines are very clean sounding, giving them almost a Hank Marvin feel. Meanwhile, ‘I’d Rather Have A Beer’ has something of a rockabilly feel. When they rock out, they rock like hell. Loose Articles are every bit as good as I thought that they’d be. Find out for yourselves when they play Brighton’s Hope & Ruin on 6th October.
linktr.ee/loosearticles
(Mark Kelly)
KING KURT – Club Casbah
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 39 years since I last saw King Kurt play live at The Electric Ballroom in Camden for the princely sum of £3.50. I have great memories of attending with a friend who was more of a soul boy and of him having a brilliant time on what was your typical messy King Kurt gig of the time with eggs and flour food fights aplenty. King Kurt were also responsible for getting us in trouble on holiday in Benidorm when, after a few drinks, we used some car bonnets as drums as we chanted “ooh wallah wallah” whilst walking down the street only for a couple of armed policemen to appear out of nowhere and threaten us, resulting in my gobby mate getting kicked on the hip by one of them who was wearing steel toecaps. I have missed several opportunities to see them of late, including their visit to Lewes Con Club last year, due to other commitments, but there is absolutely no way I am missing them tonight. Many years have passed under the bridge since I last saw them, and whereas that 21-year-old got involved with the wrecking crew on that occasion, this 60-year-old is down the front but right on the periphery of the pit as I want to save myself from any damage with one day left of the festival.
I must be getting old not to get fully involved, but I am still able to mosh a wee bit without wrecking myself and ending up on the ‘Road to Rack ‘n Ruin’ which coincidentally is the song they open the set with. Yes, as the lyrics go “King Kurt is back again” and they haven’t lost any of their charisma, but they are just a bit more house proud nowadays with ‘mess free gigs.’ The Smeg’s massive quiff may have shrunk, but he still has a stage presence to make up for it and his facial expressions and dance moves are a sight to behold and entertaining just in themselves. The rest of the band is in great form, too, as tonight’s set takes me back down Psychobilly memory lane with all the classics, including ‘Destination Zululand’, ‘Zulu Beat’ and ‘Horatio’. The penultimate song of the set is a cracking ‘Gather Your Limbs’ and is probably my highlight and which I am happy for the set to end now, but there is still time for a stomping ‘Wreck-a-party Rock’ to finish off proceedings which leaves me determined not to miss out on seeing them next time their destination is the south coast.
ukpsychobillygigguide.wordpress.com/king-kurt
(Andy Murphy)
MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP – Empress Ballroom
I stay in the Opera House for Millie Manders And The Shutup. Some of you might remember that I wasn’t altogether impressed with them last time around, as they played minus their bassist, and the bass was on the backing track. Tonight they have an opportunity to redeem themselves in my eyes. Luckily, they waste no time at all doing just that! There’s nothing on the backing track that I can detect tonight, and the band give a gloriously high-octane performance. They play a song against the EDL, which I can only salute. In fact Millie addresses a number of issues both in her songs and her onstage announcements. There’s a Palestinian flag hanging from her mic stand. She does genuinely seem to care. Millie Manders And The ShutUp tour the UK in the autumn in support of their new album ‘Wake Up, Shut Up, Work’. You could do a lot worse than go and see them live. Their Brighton date is at Patterns on 24th October.
linktr.ee/milliemanders
(Mark Kelly)
DEAF DEVILS – After Dark In Pavilion
Deaf Devils were first recommended to me by somebody that I was speaking to at the Trees Festival a couple of weeks ago. Since then they’ve been recommended by quite a few other people, so I’m now viewing them as being unmissable. I hope I’m right!!! The band are from Spain, is a four-piece, and is appearing on the Pavilion stage. They have an incredibly fast and energetic start. Guitarist Pipe Dead climbs on top of the speaker stack, and then next, he’s in the photo pit.
The whole band, apart from drummer Eric, are moving around so quickly it’s difficult to keep track of them. Singer Lucyfer is in the pit, then in the audience, and then she disappears from sight! She comes back dressed as Lucifer (or Lucyfer) for the song of the same name. Charlie Harper joins them for a cover of the UK Subs’ ‘Emotional Blackmail’. For the next song, guitarist Pipe Dead is in the middle of the crowd, followed by bassist Kuba. Then drummer Eric is also in the crowd with his bass drum, whilst Lucyfer transfers the rest of his kit into the middle of the crowd, so the whole band are there. Then one of them sets fire to a setlist, which, although it’s only alight for around 15 seconds, results in security guards pushing through the crowd with jugs of water to put the fire out! By the time they get to the band, the fire is long extinguished. They get the plug pulled on them anyway. Deaf Devils: band of the festival – no contest!!! Sadly they currently have no further UK dates planned, but when they do – see them!!!
www.facebook.com/deafdevilsband
(Mark Kelly)
LENE LOVICH – Opera House
Next, I’m off to the Opera House to see somebody who I’ve wanted to see when I was a teenager: Lene Lovich. I’m quite astonished that she seems to be unchanged from decades ago but is apparently 75. Most of the songs in the early part of the set I don’t know (or more probably don’t remember!), but that simply encourages me to investigate Lene’s back catalogue. Of course, the highlights of the set are ‘Bird Song’, the utterly ageless ‘Lucky Number’ and the set closer ‘Home’. Lene has a top-notch band with her, with guitarist Stan Greenwood being particularly impressive. Lene has no UK dates planned at the moment, but when she does, go and see her. You won’t be disappointed!
(Mark Kelly)
DEATH OF GUITAR POP – Empress Ballroom
With GBH on at Club Casbah I make the tough decision to come and see Death Of Guitar Pop, if only to shut up my annoying little sister who goes on about this band relentlessly and to finally see what all her fussing is about! The fact that they are making their Rebellion debut on the main stage at 9.55pm on a Saturday night obviously shows they must be doing something right if the organisers are that confident in their pulling power. Entering the stage to the ‘Only Fools And Horses’ theme, I am thinking that this is going to be a fun set, and I’m not disappointed as from the word go they have the pit skanking and dancing to every tune and it’s hard to resist as they start off with ‘Suburban Ska Club’ and lead singer Olly is off and running across the stage almost non-stop and enjoying a good 50 minute work out in the process.
For the first time that I have seen at this festival, The Empress Ballroom stage is actually filled with this nine-piece outfit, while Olly and guitarist Jonny ‘Top Kat’ Hick fill the auditorium with their cheeky personalities. I doubt if anyone else could compose a more Essex song than ‘Bosh’ which is so catchy that you will probably be singing it when you least expect it, even if you’re not from Essex. They do a very good upbeat Ska cover of ‘Junkie Man’ by Rancid. I do like ‘First In Last Out’ with a guitar introduction reminiscent of The Rifles. This band certainly are infectious and I can see their attraction. You should keep an eye out for them busking on a London street corner. For this Rebellion Festival, though, Punk is the b*llocks, but if you catch Death Of Guitar Pop at a gig near you, then maybe they will convince you otherwise with their slick ‘Silky’ Ska sound. And maybe for the first time ever, my 52-year-old sister is right!
www.instagram.com/deathofguitarpop
(Andy Murphy)
COCK SPARRER – Empress Ballroom
Cock Sparrer are one of a number of bands who have been talking about their imminent retirement over the last year or so. Unsurprisingly then, the Empire Ballroom is absolutely rammed for their performance. One of the key things to note about Cock Sparrer is that 4/5ths of the band have been there since 1972. The exception to this is rhythm guitarist Daryl Smith, who has only been a member for 32 years. Despite having had the odd hiatus (as indeed highlighted by Hard Skin earlier today) there are few bands who can boast such a relatively unchanged line-up over 50+ years. As expected, they play a fast, energetic set. I know that no band is ageless, but Cock Sparrer do a fine impersonation of one that is!!! They’re still a great live band. They play Brighton Chalk on 7th December. You know what to do.
(Mark Kelly)
RUTS DC – Opera House
My night ends at The Opera House with the ever-reliable Ruts DC returning to a full electric set after taking their recent ELECTRacoustic show on tour. This is somewhat different to their recent local appearance last month at The Prince Albert in Brighton on that tour, in the size of the venue with The Opera House stage alone, you really have to see it to believe it, being the size of who knows how many Prince Albert’s and I’m glad that I’m wearing my spectacles as even down the front in the corner I am a considerable distance from the band. The sound level is also ramped up, or maybe that’s because I am standing close to the speakers. There is a very good turnout from their loyal fanbase for this one-hour-long 11:15pm show at the end of a long third day. The band, Segs Jennings on bass and lead vocals, Leigh Heggarty on guitar and vocals and Dave Ruffy on drums, have years of experience and are faultless. Even the first time performance of new song ‘Bound In Blood’ in a full electric show appears to go to plan. ‘Jah War’, a song about the Southall riot of 1979, is particularly significant today given the racial tension in the town, directly outside the venue. Being so close to the speaker, I feel the bass reverberating through my body from this roots reggae track. Most of the classic singles by The Ruts are played with ‘Babylon’s Burning’ the obvious highlight but ‘Staring At The Rude Boys’, ‘In A Rut’ and ‘West One (Shine On Me)’ are all close on its heels, and I can sense that the crowd is most satisfied. The only disappointment is that there is no ‘Something That I Said’, but given what’s happened on the streets of Blackpool today, it’s hardly the end of the world, and it is still a great set to end the penultimate day.
rutsdc.com
(Andy Murphy)
DAY FOUR – SUNDAY 4TH AUGUST
CRAN – Arena
Day 4 of Rebellion seems to have come around far quicker than I expected. I always feel a little melancholic on the last day of a festival because I really don’t want it to end. The only way to approach the final day is to make the most of it, so therefore I’m in the Arena at 1pm to catch Cran, who are a four-piece from Paris. Apparently they have travelled up from Bristol this morning, but they don’t seem in the least bit fazed about having undertaken such a long journey before playing. The first song is fast, shouty punk which certainly blows the cobwebs away!
However, everything seems to be at exactly the same pace, which makes the material seem a little as if it’s all on one level. One of the songs starts slowly but soon accelerates to the usual pace. A little bit of comedy arises when the bassist’s mic stand falls off the stage. A roadie replaces it on stage, but it’s slipped down to half of its intended height, causing the bassist to kneel to sing his backing vocals. Despite the relative similarity of their songs, Cran are a good start to the day.
(Mark Kelly)
THE ATTACK – Empress Ballroom
The final day is here and I’m still standing strong with a busy day ahead. The lunchtime slot on the final day of a festival may not be to everyone’s liking, but on each of the preceding days, I have seen three really good bands, so no pressure! The band enter the stage with a great backdrop photo of the tower, which shows us all what we are missing out on in the great Blackpool outdoors as another 12-hour day devoid of sunlight beckons.
Once the fist bumping is out of the way, which probably gives away that they are from the USA, for those who may be new to the band, they are straight down to business and are on the attack from the first chords of ‘Call To Arms’. This is good old American punk played at a relentless pace which is guaranteed to help you sweat out any hangover. The contrast on stage is great with Brad Palkevich on guitar and his mean look, never smiling like an old-school punk, whilst Mikey Cortes on bass can’t stop grinning the whole while. Let’s not forget TJ Howard on drums who provides all the energy. There is a young boy, with his dad, on the barrier next to me who is loving every minute and knows every lyric. He is soon pointed out by lead singer Charlie Bender who is impressed that his ‘mom’ allowed him out on a Sunday lunchtime. The set ends with another singalong, at least for the young lad, ‘Breaker Breaker,’ and the young punk is made up as he deservedly gets given the setlist and a plectrum in a nice touch from the band. It’s great to see the next generation of punk rockers starting young and getting encouragement from their idols. It’s safe to say that this is the fourth consecutive great start to my day.
theattack.us
(Andy Murphy)
RITES OF HADDA – Opera House
And now for something completely different! I honestly have no idea what to expect as I enter The Opera House to see Rites Of Hadda, but I had heard some good things about this band and thought, why not, as I’ve never witnessed an Anarcho-pagan-gothic-psychadelic-queer-witchpunk band before! From the moment lead singer Wasp enters the stage, and what an entrance, wearing a wasp-coloured frilly puffy dress, I instantly realise that Rites Of Hadda are made for The Opera House. As I have mentioned previously, the stage is massive, but Wasp’s personality fills it and some more. If you love extravagance and flamboyance, then you are in the right place.
We are off to a frenetic start with the anti-capitalism song ‘Keep Buying Things’, which is a great opener with a Dead Kennedys feel to it, and I already know I have made the right choice. I suppose I should have expected it with the band’s influences ranging from Motörhead to Crass. The second song is about how Wasp was bullied at school and how those bullies became fascists and is named after the question that was shockingly on everyone’s lips at the school ‘Is Ross Woodward a F*ggot?’. Wasp has a wardrobe malfunction as the dress goes a bit south and starts to expose his nips and bemoans, paying £300 for an ill-fitting dress even after eating three bags of chips! Wasp spontaneously treats us to a blast of ‘Nessun Dorma’ given that they are playing in The Opera House. Wasp announces the final song with 15 minutes left of the set but then points out that it is a very long song and even includes an onstage change of outfit into a tight-fit blue rubber dress with blue wings for extra effect. My eyes have been transfixed on Wasp throughout, while the band have provided a wonderful musical backing to enable the lead singer to shine. And so the show is all but over in a flash. Wasp appears visibly moved by the turnout of this progressive and supportive audience. Once again, there is a big shout-out from Wasp to all those who protested against the fascists yesterday as Rites Of Hadda were there on the frontline. I feel exhausted from just watching this band and need to sit down.
linktr.ee/RitesOfHadda
(Andy Murphy)
SNM – Ris In Pavilion
I make my only trip to the Pavilion today to see SnM, who are a very self-assured young band from London. They have every right to be self-assured, as they are tight, powerful and accomplished. All four of them have a very cocksure stage presence. During the first song, ‘Suicide Song’, vocalist Mimi stops the song in the middle by screaming, “Shut the fuck up!” Whether this is part of the song or whether someone in the audience said something that she disapproved of, I don’t know, but it certainly made everybody take notice. Mimi is an excellent frontwoman. She engages with the audience really well. The band’s material is very impressive too. So much so that their cover of the UK Subs’ ‘Down On The Farm’ seems somewhat superfluous. ‘Peg Doll’ features a picked intro and a sweet solo from guitarist Harry. ‘Medusa’ has ‘classic’ written all over it. They occasionally bring to mind The Runaways, but more so Hole. A further cover is ‘Aneurysm’ by Nirvana. It’s a good version. Mimi has a great Cobain-style scream, but to be honest, I’d rather have heard another of their original songs, which so far have been awesome. What a great band! They seem to have arrived fully formed!!! SnM: stars in waiting. You read it here first.
(Mark Kelly)
RHODA DAKAR – Literary
I pop up to the Literary stage, arriving for my final visit of the festival in order to find that seat to recover after Rites Of Hadda. I was expecting to see ‘Ska Queen’ Rhoda Dakar being interviewed, but Daniel Rachel, author of ‘Too Much Too Young The 2 Tone Records Story’ has remained on stage after his earlier interview and seems to be doing most of the talking, of which a fair bit is related to the demise of The Selecter first time around, which I’m sure will be explained in far more detail in his book. There is a chance for Rhoda to talk about the Two Tone film ‘Dance Craze’ and amazingly she confesses to having never seen it until fairly recently and even then she watched in an Imax cinema which made her feel rather queasy. It sounded a lot better than she remembers but then realises that is because some of it has been rerecorded since. Rhoda gives a plug for her upcoming tour and a reminder that she is playing in The Opera House later, which I am so looking forward to.
linktr.ee/rhodadakar
(Andy Murphy)
THE EMPTY PAGE – Ris In Pavilion
I’m wandering around the venue after my visit to the Literary Stage thinking that I really should have some lunch as it’s 3pm now, only to be distracted by a band playing the Rebellion Introducing Stage which sounds just like my thing. Describing themselves as fuzzy goth, indie, post-punk, etc. from Manchester, they pretty much cover everything I like about music, and football if they are of the sky blue persuasion! I only manage to catch about half of The Empty Page set, but I am suitably impressed by their performance to forget my hunger pangs for now. It doesn’t pass me by that Kel on bass and vocals is very passionate about any cause close to her heart and rightly so. One person I spoke to said that he would rather listen to more of their music, but I would argue that if you want to make your voice heard there is nothing wrong with an impassioned speech especially when it is against misogyny and violence against women and girls. Talking of which ‘Cock Of The Fifth Year’ is my favourite song of the set which Kel tells us is about going to school in Chorley with some of the types she described in her speech. As a lyric from said song says it really is time to “lock up your sons” if such behaviour continues. Based on the 15 minutes I have witnessed I will definitely be giving their three month old album ‘Imploding’ a listen.
linktr.ee/thmptypg
(Andy Murphy)
THE TURBO A.C’S – Empress Ballroom
Turbo A.C’s, who appear in the Empress Ballroom, are yet another band appearing at this festival who have been in operation for twenty or thirty years or more, who I’ve never heard of! What have I been doing with my time?!! Well, I’m taking the opportunity to catch up with Turbo A.C’s now! They’re a four-piece from New York who mostly specialise in fast punk. Vocalist and guitarist Kevin Cole makes the band introductions surprisingly early in the set, with everybody playing a little solo, just in case anybody had any doubts about how accomplished they are as musicians! They have a very impressive guitar line-up, with two Les Pauls and a Rickenbacker bass. ‘Emergency Room’ particularly stands out in the set, as does a punked-up version of The Shadows’ ‘Apache’. What would Hank Marvin say?
(Mark Kelly)
BABY SAID – Ris In Pavilion
With Loud Women taking control of the RIS for today there are some interesting new bands on show. Baby Said is probably not the standard fare that you would expect at a punk festival, but they are here along with others set with the challenge of breaking down barriers. They take their name from a song by their favourite band, Maneskin, and would probably be classified as more alt-rock in their style with some heavy guitar riffs, and there are melodious vocals from teenage Portsmouth based, Italian/Punjabi sisters Veronica and Jes Pal. They have progressed from being a covers band, though they still do this to fund the band, to showcasing their own talent in Baby Said. Holly Knowles on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, along with Maddie Hackett on drums, complete this all-female quartet.
They only released their debut EP ‘Who Gives A Rock‘ in June featuring the songs ‘Panic Attack’, ‘Mouth Shut’, ‘Fight’, and ‘You Killed It’ which are all included in the set, plus other songs, including ‘Sweet Talk’ and ‘Dead To Me’ which has a great bassline. The positive reaction of the crowd shows that his band achieved what they set out to do and broke down the barriers of playing what can be a tough Rebellion audience. Having played The Great Escape Festival earlier this year, and booked to play Reading, Leeds and Victorious Festivals later this month it’s fair to say that they have a bright future ahead and I will be interested to see how they develop.
linktr.ee/babysaidofficial
(Andy Murphy)
ANDY ELLISON & VICIOUS BISHOP – Opera House
As Turbo A.C’s finish their set it’s time for me to go to the Opera House where Andy Ellison & Vicious Bishop are playing a Radio Stars set. I’d always liked their single ‘Nervous Wreck’, but hadn’t heard much else from their back catalogue, so now’s my opportunity! I’m really impressed by what I hear. ‘Beast Of Barnsley’ is excellent, being precisely the kind of sophisticated new wave that I’d been hoping to hear. ‘She’s So Dissatisfied’ is a new Vicious Bishop song. It has reggae-tinged verses and features a cracking guitar solo, too. It may surprise some to hear that Andy Ellison was in John’s Children with Marc Bolan. Thus we get Marc’s classic ‘Desdemona’ from that era. ‘(My Dog Is Hooked On) Cocaine’ is a new song by Paul Roland, but is very much in the witty style of Radio Stars. As the penultimate song in the set we get the aforementioned ‘Nervous Wreck’, followed by ‘No Russians In Russia’. This has been a really interesting set, and I will indeed go back and rediscover the Radio Stars’ back catalogue.
viciousbishop.com
(Mark Kelly)
CHOKING SUSAN – Arena
It’s taken me until 4:20pm on the final day to make my only trip to The Arena of the whole festival. When I last attended a couple of years ago I have to say that I struggled with the sound. Even with earplugs, I felt like my ears were going to start bleeding whilst listening to John playing, and they are only a two-piece! This year, though, the stage has changed position, and the difference in the sound is a major improvement, so well done, Rebellion, for listening to the audience. The reason for my visit is to see Detroit band Choking Susan, and it’s not until I arrive at the barrier that I realise I haven’t eaten properly today. Here’s hoping that Choking Susan will satisfy my hunger as I am feeling rather lightheaded.
I watch lead singer Colleen Caffeine go through her warm-up routine for a solid ten minutes before the band even starts playing, and I can see why it’s needed as they thrash through ‘Waste My Time’ in just over a minute, and my hunger pains are all but forgotten about. Every song is played at a blistering pace, and the only thing that surprises me is that they only play 13 songs in their 35-minute set. I’m thinking that Discharge really could ramp the pace up a bit. Not much is off limits when it comes to topics of songs, so this band are probably not for the faint-hearted. I can see why Killer Keith is named so, as he plays the guitar as if it is a weapon of mass musical destruction. Stand-in bassist Rob from Scotland does a sterling job, even if he did try to sell the setlist to me for £30. There is a cover of The Stooges ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’, and even that sounds faster than normal. Old school punk song ‘I Hate My Life’ is the stand-out track for me, and yes, it’s fast. That set sure flew by, and I was so distracted that I didn’t even think about food once, but now I can hear my stomach calling for a pie and chips.
www.instagram.com/choking.susan
(Andy Murphy)
BLYTH POWER – Opera House
Next up in the Opera House it’s Blyth Power, who I saw in this very venue last year. At the time, I vowed that I would ensure that I saw a full Blyth Power show, but here I am once again viewing a 45-minute set at Rebellion. Their soundcheck takes longer than they were expecting, as guitarist Hugo is having problems with his guitar, but they soon get underway with ‘General Winter’, which apparently is all about wetting yourself in church. ‘Seven Summers’ is about squatting in the 1970s and 1980s. Without that freedom, many bands (The Clash for example) probably wouldn’t have existed. ‘Moseley Or Slump’ is about some 1930s graffiti still extant in London in the 1980s, the inference being that if Oswald Moseley wasn’t elected, the UK would suffer an economic slump. The song itself has a very pleasing reggae section. ‘God’s Orders’ is about being in a band for a long time with people you hate, travelling around in a van. A song that many musicians can probably relate to. Presumably, it doesn’t apply to the current line-up of Blyth Power, as three of them are related!
(Mark Kelly)
RHODA DAKAR – Opera House
My final stop off at The Opera House is to catch Rhoda Dakar for my second time today after her earlier interview. I’ve been waiting so long to hear her sing some songs from her days with The Bodysnatchers, and I don’t have to wait much longer as the second song in is the 1980 single ‘Easy Life’, which reached number 50 in the charts. This is a wonderfully mellow set compared to virtually all that I have listened to this weekend, and it makes me feel chilled out and relaxed before a final onslaught tonight. There are some wonderful covers, including The Kinks ‘Stop Your Sobbing’, Morrisey’s ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’, Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold The World’, but the best and most appropriate for Rebellion just has to be her own version of the Buzzcocks classic ‘I Don’t Mind’ which gives Rhoda the opportunity to speak of her friendship with Pete Shelley, RIP. She finishes off with the song that everyone has been wanting to hear and used to sing in front of the mirror with their hairbrush in hand, performing her band The Bodysnatchers Top 30 hit ‘Let’s Do Rock Steady’ which has the whole place skanking. Rhoda has shown us that she still has the voice and charisma to hold the audience in the palms of her hands and if you are going to see her play live then make sure you go along and don’t be one of the 20% who purchase a ticket and then don’t attend.
linktr.ee/rhodadakar
(Andy Murphy)
MERYL STREEK – Club Casbah
So after chilling out to Rhoda Dakar I suddenly find myself at the other end of the scale, in fact I’m probably right off it as I decide to go and watch Irish solo artist Meryl Streek in Club Casbah. I am witnessing the most menacing performance of the festival as Meryl Streek walks around the stage looking angrier than the angriest person I have ever met, which isn’t helped by his Marilyn Manson contact lenses. I almost want to leave, but I am mesmerised. Meryl comes into the crowd for his latest single ‘Paddy’ and they part so he can walk back and forth down the middle and whereas most crowds would mosh with the a lead singer no-one barely moves a muscle as he commands that much respect from his fans, dare I call them ‘Streekers’! Given that I work as a housing support worker trying to prevent homelessness in my real job, there is one song that brought Meryl to my attention, and that is the hard-hitting ‘Death To The Landlord’, and it doesn’t disappoint as Meryl snarls over the backing track. The anger is real and totally understandable.
The only time I see a glimpse of a smile is when the youngest crowdsurfer I have seen at this festival makes it to the front and is safely carried over the barrier by the security staff who I think have been very attentive the whole festival, always offering water to those of us down the front. Meryl makes a dream come true by ensuring the young boy gets to share the stage and strut around like a Mini Meryl with a flash torch, and once again a youngster who knows all the lyrics. ‘If This Is Life’ is another immense track, and by the time the set is over, I have started to feel much more comfortable with my surroundings and not so intimidated by Meryl, after all, he’s angry with the world and rightly so.
linktr.ee/merylstreek
(Andy Murphy)
BABY TEETH – Ris In Pavilion
I return in haste to the RIS to see Baby Teeth, having given them a listen on a Rebellion Spotify playlist, but with the crossover from Club Casbah, I miss the first two songs of their set. I do, though, arrive in time for the quite magnificent ‘Act Your Age’ with some rocking guitar riffs, and I am instantly hooked. Baby Teeth are from High Wycombe which isn’t exactly known as a hotbed of music, but already I am thinking that this threesome are surely on the verge of changing all that soon. They name musical influences from Alice in Chains to The Clash, but I also liken them a bit to another of my favourite young bands HotWax. ‘Too Cool’ is a very personal song to vocalist Lock as they tell us about the difficulties of being in a relationship with a not-very-nice person when Trans. I love their honesty and openness, and it’s clear that they are doing something they enjoy, which is surely what life is all about. Loud Women have certainly come up trumps bringing this band to play Rebellion and are my unexpected find of the festival. Lead singer and bass player Lock, Dan on guitar, and Ben on drums are unassuming offstage and have a nice confidence onstage, considering they only formed in 2021. Ending the set with mosh pit-worthy ‘White Van’, I really want to see this song released on white vinyl as a double A-side with ’Act Your Age’, and someone needs to make this happen. I look forward to seeing this band conquer the south coast in the near future.
linktr.ee/babyteethband
(Andy Murphy)
LOVE – Opera House (7:15pm – 8:05pm)
After a break for dinner, I’m back in the Opera House for Love with Johnny Echols. I reviewed them a few weeks ago when they played at Brighton’s Concorde 2, but I honestly can’t get enough of this band, plus this is the last date of their European tour, so I can’t miss it! The audience is initially a little sparse as the band take the stage, but the venue soon fills up. They’re only playing a fifty-minute set tonight, but many of the highlights of the Brighton gig are still present and correct, especially the opening song ‘My Little Red Book’. During ‘And More’ Mike Randle has his foot on his monitor, which is probably the most rockist thing that I’ve ever seen him do! He shares lead guitar duties with original member Johnny Echols, whose playing is absolutely searing throughout. During the classic ‘Alone Again Or’, Mike Randle plays the horn part on guitar. During ‘Wonder People’ Johnny and Mike swap lead lines. Honourable mention must be made of frontman Rusty Squeezebox’s vocals, which are excellent throughout. The set closes with the final track from ‘Forever Changes’, the epic ‘You Set The Scene’, which could almost have been written as a concert closer. Thus ends Love With Johnny Echols’ European tour. I sincerely hope that they make it across the water next year.
www.instagram.com/lovewithjohnnyechols
(Mark Kelly)
ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER – Almost Acoustic
I venture upstairs to the Almost Acoustic stage to catch Brighton & Hove Albion supporter John Baine, or Attila the Stockbroker as he is known onstage. There are few people around whilst he is warming up which he blames on the popularity of The Sweet playing The Empress Ballroom. Not that he bears a grudge, but he notes that it’s the second time he has clashed with them in his long career. We are introduced to Nelson Mandola his musical instrument companion of 42 years. In this time he has amassed a huge back catalogue which he unfurls before our very eyes. The fact that he is playing the Edinburgh Free Fringe and doing 14 completely different sets in 14 days is a testament to this. I first saw Attila perform in 1984 at a Miner’s Benefit gig in London and most recently supporting Mark Thomas in Hastings, but tonight promises to be a different affair with mandola in hand.
Firstly Attila reads us his latest poem, ‘Stop The Goats’, which is his usual topical genius given the far-right histrionics of the past few days, before treating us to 45 minutes of his 240-hour back catalogue. The anti-fascist theme continues with ‘This Is Free Europe’, and it is clear that everyone present is singing from the same left-wing, anti-capitalist, anti-establishment hymn book. With poetry and lyrics that are political, clever, humorous, angry, and relevant for our lifetimes, Attila gives us full value in his set. He even gives away some CDs at the end of the show, which he had found lying around, but sadly, no one purchases them anymore. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable set from Comrade Stockbroker.
(Andy Murphy)
SYTERIA – Opera House
Next up in the Opera House are Syteria, who feature Jackie Chambers from Girlschool on lead guitar. They describe themselves as a pop-punk band, but I can also hear 1970s glam-rock influences in there as well. They have some utterly amazing four-part harmonies, of the kind of quality that you don’t normally hear outside of a choral setting, and certainly much better than you would normally hear from a rock band. Vocalist Julia Calvo’s vocals are also awesome. She’s a great frontwoman too, frequently coming to the front of the stage, which not many people have done in the Opera House. There’s a large expanse of space in front of the monitors and mic stands on the Opera House stage. Julia has made it hers. There are not that many people in here tonight. They’re missing a treat. During a song that I think may be called ‘Beauty Is Cheap’, Julia views herself in a hand held mirror. ‘Sheep’ is very lyrically humorous, whilst during ‘Start The Revolution’ the band ‘machine gun’ the audience with their guitars. On new single ‘Monsters’ vocalist Julia also plays guitar. This has been a tight, powerful performance. The band have gigs booked from now through to November. They’re certainly worth seeing. Their third album ‘Syteria World’ is out now.
syteria.co.uk
(Mark Kelly)
COCKNEY REJECTS – Empress Ballroom
I make tonight’s only visit to the Empress Ballroom to see the Cockney Rejects. It’s clearly a classic performance from the off, but I find myself thinking that they’re this good and they’re thinking of retiring. Indeed, in between his onstage boxing moves, vocalist Stinky Turner does indeed mention the ‘r’ word, only to say, “More on that later”. I wonder whether this is going to be the band’s last gig. If it is, then it’s a cracker! I know that Stinky is the band’s last remaining member and that he’s been joined by three new Rejects: Michael “Olga” Alga (of Toy Dolls fame) on guitar, JJ Pearce on bass, and Ray Bussey on drums. I assumed that these guys were there just to see out The Rejects’ last gigs. However, after probably The Rejects’ best-known song, ‘The Greatest Cockney Ripoff’, Stinky announces that the Rejects are going to continue with the new line-up, and there will be more gigs next year. This wasn’t necessarily the kind of announcement to make grown men cry, but I suspect that some were close to blubbing. Personally, I walked out of the venue in a far better mood than when I entered it.
(Mark Kelly)
BRUISE CONTROL – After Dark In Pavilion
I return to The Pavilion for the After Dark session and some good old hardcore punk. I am instantly curious about the band as I see that the lead singer is wearing a Toxic Wotsit t-shirt. Toxic Wotsit is synonymous with the Hastings punk scene in that they promote gigs, run festivals, and sell vinyl and merch on their website. Sadly this year will be the last ‘Wotsit Called Fest’ at The Crypt in Hastings over the last weekend in September, but it is great value for money and well worth attending. I digress with that little plug for my adopted hometown.
Anyway the band’s name is Bruise Control and they are just two days shy of the third anniversary of their first gig and as I was saying lead singer Jim Taylor is sporting a Toxic Wotsit t-shirt having played ‘Wotsit Called Fest’ last year. The t-shirt doesn’t last long as Jim soon goes topless to go with his 1980s European porn star look; just an observation and not that I’ve watched any of said filth. Bruise Control have only had to travel 50 miles from Manchester which is quite handy because drummer Tommy has been working all weekend and apparently hasn’t shut up about it, but to be fair it is his birthday today and the punk audience even sing him ‘Happy Birthday’. With the bass player wearing a Black Sabbath t-shirt it’s inevitable that we get a bit of ‘Paranoid’ thrown in for good measure at the end. My highlight is ‘Taxman’ which was the first single off their 2023 debut album ‘Useless For Something’, and has some of the best lyrics I’ve heard this weekend which probably can’t be published here. Still give this a listen as Bruise Control stick up a big middle finger to the uncaring Tory Government of the time which thankfully is no more. The success of their set is shown by the large queue at the merch stand afterwards with t-shirts getting snapped up by anyone who has any money left after four days of beer and punk rock ‘n roll.
(Andy Murphy)
LOVE EQUALS DEATH – After Dark In Pavilion
I am sorely tempted to pop into The Empress Ballroom and catch the first half hour of Stiff Little Fingers, especially as they tend to open with ‘Suspect Device’, one of the greatest songs ever written, but I decide not to go for it and hang around to watch the next band who have travelled all the way from Petaluma in Northern California to play Rebellion. Love Equals Death formed in 2003, but when lead singer Chon Travis left in 2009 that was the end of the road for them. Fast forward 10 years and Chon decides to reform the band with all new members which changed again after Covid with the current line-up being Chris Ivy on guitar, Matt Brown on bass and the latest recruit Tony Heckerman on drums.
As with The Attack earlier in the day there is pre-gig fist bumping going down between the band members before they rip into ‘When We Fall’ taken from their only studio album ‘Nightmerica’ which was released in 2006. Whatever has made me decide to stay and watch Love Equals Death it is a good decision as the band is giving their all, with Chon especially giving one of the most energetic performances I have seen at this festival with quite a few scissor jumps incorporated into his act. For me the band are at their best when they go hard and fast with ‘Bombs Over Brooklyn’, Green Day sped up, and ‘V.O.C (Voice Of Change)’ being my songs of choice, with drummer Tony having to perform at his optimum level. There is one faux pas as the band start playing the wrong song when it should be ‘The Letter’, which is laughed off by all in the room as the guys on stage appear to be really themselves. This was another discovery for yours truly, and I will certainly be checking out their back catalogue.
Footnote:
Sadly this was to be the one and only time I will get to see Love Equals Death play live as tragically lead singer and founder member Chon Travis was found dead in his hotel room with his guitar next to him, whilst the band were still touring England. Thank you for the 30 minutes of bonding with your band. Rest In Punk, Chon.
loveequalsdeath.net
(Andy Murphy)
THE ALARM – Opera House
My final gig of this year’s Rebellion Festival is The Alarm in the Opera House. My first thought on seeing the stage is that there’s no drum kit, but there are three mic stands at the front of the stage. Are they going to play without a drummer? Then I notice that there is a very small kit at the front of the stage comprising a bass drum and a snare drum. This puzzles me further. All questions are answered when Mike Peters strides purposefully onstage with an acoustic guitar. He announces that he’s going to play ‘Declaration’, meaning the album. The three mics are there so he can sing from different parts of the stage. Mike is not a well man and has been having chemotherapy. Thus he’s wearing a beanie in place of his long blond locks. However, he’s in no way lacking in terms of energy, grit and determination. His voice is on fine form too. For ‘Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?’ he plays harmonica in a cradle, and also plays his guitar with a pack of cards which he then scatters over the stage. I’ve not seen that before! I’d never realised before how many songs on ‘Declaration’ are actively about defying death. This is very moving considering Mike’s condition. It’s a long time since I’ve listened to ‘Declaration’, but having heard it played live tonight it sounds timeless. I’ll certainly be revisiting it. This has been a fine, fiery performance. At the end Mike thanks us for making him “feel alive tonight”. I hope he feels alive for many more years to come.
thealarm.com
(Mark Kelly)
SNAYX – After Dark In Pavilion
Tonight’s headliner isn’t Stiff Little Fingers, nor is it Conflict, and not even the Alarm. No, I remain firmly in The Pavilion at the After Dark Stage to see another band that I only saw just eight days at ‘Burger Jam’ in Hastings, yes it’s the excellent SNAYX. I’ve already bumped into lead singer Charlie Herridge and bassist Ollie Horner and had my fanboy photo with them, and a further time with drummer Lainey after they‘ve returned to the venue from having some dinner, so I’m all groupied out, but dead excited for the final chapter of my Rebellion 24 adventure with the nicest hosts you are likely to meet.
Beforehand, I get speaking to an American who has come over from Portland, Oregon, for his first ever visit to the festival and he has amazingly chosen to watch the mighty SNAYX for his first time over all the other bands on offer. I tell him that he won’t be disappointed. I also get to meet some fellow Belly Crawlerz from SNAYX Facebook fan page beforehand which is nice. Due on at 11:20pm for a 35 minute set it seems like the band have gone all big time on us as they keep us waiting a whole five minutes before starting their set. Are we going to miss out on 5 minutes of snakey activity as timings have been pretty strict all weekend? I haven’t mentioned this previously, but I have been wearing a support on my right knee for all four days as a precaution before what is going to be its biggest test tonight as The Pavilion prepares for the SNAYX bounce and what is bound to be an energy sapping pit.
It all starts with an “Oi, I said Oi” from Charlie and the band’s stage persona takes hold with no more Mr Nice Guys and Gal as the political and social lyrical rants start. The band work the room so well and the energy levels rise instantly with the opening song ‘Work’, which is an achievement for this member of the crowd after close to 50 hours of being stuck indoors at the Winter Gardens, which would be enough to make anyone ‘Deranged’ which just so happens to be the second song of the set. ‘Body Language’ is a winner as always with its slow start rising to a crescendo which makes it impossible to resist the SNAYX bounce, and repeat. ‘Boys In Blue’ is another favourite as Charlie points his finger around the room shouting “and what does that say about you and you and…”.
The interaction with the crowd as always is exceptional and Charlie joins us in the moshpit for ‘Fayx’ as is now traditional. I am honoured to get what I can only describe as a sinister finger wiggle from Ollie during ‘Sink Or Swim’ to which I respond with pulling a face which was probably far from sinister. I should never have considered that we would be shortchanged as the band play us their cover of Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’ as it hits 11:55pm when they should really have finished. Now that’s punk for you! For the record Jase from Portland loved every minute of it. The only thing missing is the limited edition free SNAYX ‘Citizen Smith’ Rebellion badge, which has been overlooked in the mayhem without Larry Idle to oversee, but still a few of us hang around afterwards and manage to nab one or two despite security asking us to leave several times. This is such an uplifting end to a hectic four days, and I leave the Winter Gardens on a real high. As Wolfie would say “Power to the people” and SNAYX of course!
snayx.com
(Andy Murphy)
Full Galley for Days 3 & 4
All photos ©Cris Watkins
The dates for next year’s ‘Rebellion Festival’ will be Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th August 2025 and tickets are now on sale. Purchase yours HERE.
