Rebellion has stretched its inky tendrils far and wide over the course of its many years of existence and has now developed into a bacchanalian 4 day binge incorporating a veritable smorgasbord of acts from glam, sleaze, art house, Oi!, pop, psych – so much in fact that it is sometimes surprising and bewildering just how broad a spectrum they can cram into 4 days (and over 8 stages), and just what a rich variety is up for grabs. So much so that it is almost impossible to catch everything. They cater for all aspects of punk culture here, with stalls selling records and clothes and patches and even cushion covers, interviews with key figures, merch stalls, food, bars (both loud and quiet), but most of all music, music everywhere.
Taking a stroll inside the magnificent art deco Winter Gardens in Blackpool, which for 4 days plays host to an ever revolving crowd of people who are dressed resplendently in a variety of alternative fashions from psychobilly brothel creepers to tartan kilts and the tallest mohawks you are ever likely to see, they come in their thousands from all over the world to steep themselves in the sights and sounds, wallowing in nostalgia or checking out what’s new. It’s all here folks.
I found the best way forward when approaching this festival was to do my research and make a check list beforehand. It’s a list that you are very unlikely to adhere to, but it pays to know where you have to be next, and bear in mind also that even after the third day I was still wandering around trying to find my way…it’s a big place. Check out the acoustic stage, which is built like an old sailing ship with the galleon bar below, and upstairs a huge deck with ornate mouldings and clouds adorning the ceiling. It was here that Liverpool’s Pete Bentham & the Dinner Ladies regaled us with tales of rebellion and “Queen Victoria’s Knob”, all delivered with comedic aplomb. It is a DIY punk ethic straight out of the ramshackle exploits of Half Japanese and Television Peronalities. They describe their sound as “Kitchencore”, with its kitchen sink portrayals of Northern life and observations on working class mores, and, with the 2 dinner ladies dance routines (think an indie Lynx) and catchy tunes they provide the crowd with a lot of singalong entertainment. It was also here that I witnessed the extraordinary voice of diminutive welsh singer Danie Cox (a.k.a Gobby Holder) who stars in the only female Slade, Slady, who caused a mass sing/stompalong to the glam classics from both young and old. Hmmm.
The good thing about this festival is its surprisingly broad spectrum. I was never a fan of the of the post punk Oi! bands so tended to steer clear (although there are plenty on offer from Cock Sparrer to the Cockney Rejects), concentrating more on the wonderful Rebellion introducing stage (RIS), which definitely had the best sound, and was nice and loud (too loud in the case of Erotic Secrets of Pompeii as I was deaf for 2 days afterwards. I would recommend taking earplugs), and some of the best bands too. On Thursday we were treated to Club Brat, led, not by singer Isaac McCormick, but by the bass playing diminutive tour de force that is Carys Williams, ably flanked by the twin guitar assault of Joe Smith and Brad Stringer and the tight grooves of drummer Nikola Mitev. The Peterborough quintet rage and rip their way through songs about toxic masculinity and the stigma of modern living, while Carys preens and purrs and poses, as her bass growls and stutters and roars.
The RIS stage kept throwing up gem after gem, like Liverpool’s Sourflake, a mixture of standard punk rock with a glam edge led by the charismatic Simone Armstrong delivering pop/punk classics like single “Tornado” with breezy panache.
Lovers of Sonic Youth style grunge will delight in the 3 piece Hastings band Hotwax, who have been tipped for big things unsurprisingly. They are a very tight unit indeed led by the drawl of wonderfully named Tallulah Sim-Savage. Using Hole‘s “Live Through This” as their blueprint they are mining a rich vein and sometimes deliver a blues driven rock that is augmented by the fluid, driving bass playing of Lola Sam.
Teresa from Jawless might be small but she more than makes up for that with her boundless enthusiasm, launching into fast metal stompers like “Police Bastard”, slowing it down briefly for a stab at Beastie Boys “Fight For Your Right”. Bristol based Split Dogs though were a fucking riot. Lead singer Harry Martinez delivers the terse, tense balls out tunes with the swagger of an Eastend gangster telling tales of booze and violence and sex with a guttural cockney scream, her face leering with sideways glances and conspiratorial winks, screeching like Brian Johnston while she cavorts around the stage, a fizzing spitting ball of jelly-wobbling energy. Scary but really quite something to behold.Â
The aforementioned Erotic Secrets of Pompeii couldn’t have been more different. Though incredibly loud, they were also theatrical and dramatic, especially front man Thomas Hawtin, a gorgeous mixture of Freddie Mercury and Jaz Coleman, who dresses for a big occasion and expertly delivers a show with the charisma of Jim Morrison. With song titles like “Osiris at the Large Hadron Collider” one can expect something a little different and that’s just what you get, a kind of frazzled blend of Mars Volta and Faith No More.
However, Alien Chicks for me were the highlight of the whole event. An unusual blend of jazz noise and prog punk more akin to bands like Kong and Black Midi. Hailing from Brixton they describe themselves as an experimental post-punk power trio but there is such a mix of influences contained within the 3 piece framework of singer/guitarist Josef, Bass player Stefan and drummer Martha, that it is almost impossible to pin down. They create something new and original and with an expertise and know-how that belies their youth.
But it wasn’t all about the introducing stage. One of the best things about Rebellion is the lack of tribute bands (with the exception of The Ramonas and of course Slady). Obviously those of a cynical disposition might want to point to the bands who only have one original member left, like The Stranglers, but, like Mark Smith once pointed out, ‘if it’s me and your granny on bongos it’s still The Fall‘!. Talking about The Stranglers they were (despite the lack of original members) on fine form churning out a near perfect set of classics to a very packed Empress Ballroom where I also witnessed Manchester’s Loose Articles and wasn’t surprised by how much influence they had taken from bands like Angelica and The Lovely Eggs, they looked like they were having a ball up there.
Despite the wondrously art deco setting of the Opera House, it didn’t go particularly well for Essential Logic, the sound getting lost in the auditorium somewhere, and Lydia Lunch‘s eerie invocations and spoken word atmospherics also fell foul of such a cavernous space, it took Toyah‘s greatest hits package to hit the right notes. There is an argument to say that this really isn’t punk and yes it has very little to do with the spirit. However Toyah has the right credentials and, despite her obvious theatrical background she is a professional and knows how to put on a show utilising a mixture of Bonnie Langford stage school tricks and David Bowie mannerisms . Despite the drums sounding rather flat and the band being made up of session players Toyah herself was in great voice as she belted out songs from her back catalogue, especially the crowd pleasers “Thunder in the Mountains”, “It’s A Mystery” and “I Want to be Free”.
I was also very impressed by Interrobang and I, Doris, both of whom featured my friend Stephen Evens on drums. Interrobang are led by the suave gent Dunstan Bruce (from anarcho pop band Chumbawumba – but don’t let that put you off!) and have Fall inspired post punk songs with witty lyrics. Think Wedding Present fronted by Morrissey, presenting tunes about being 50 something and still full of impotent rage and singing ‘hard hitting songs for hard hit people’ while waving a banner that says ‘Unrest is progress; Contentment Death’. My kind of thing.
While we all had an impromptu lock-in due to the sudden descending of an angry mob of idiots outside trying to smash stuff and attack the police, which thankfully did nothing to mar the enjoyment of those within and without enjoying the weather at the seaside, and the incredible array of great music. What better way to celebrate than with I Doris, kicking off with their version of “Wonder Woman”, with whooshy keytar stabs and everyone singing and dancing along. What fun, and topped off with their version of Squeeze‘s “Up The Junction” with lyrics to reflect the woman’s perspective. This is what punk rock is all about isn’t it?
I was looking forward to seeing Lene Lovich as I didn’t really know much of her stuff but was expecting good things from one of the few people who have had the honour of singing with The Residents. She didn’t disappoint, looking and sounding pretty much the same as she ever did, surrounding herself with a gothic mystery and general oddity and running through a set of 80’s electro pop that didn’t exactly set the house ablaze but was nevertheless pretty good.
Elsewhere over at the cavernous Casbah stage I witnessed the Steve Ignorant Band doing Crass to a packed baying crowd of young and old. There was some kind of invocation of the ancient going on as waves of noise were hurled from the stage into a bewildered but nevertheless wired audience, who responded by sending it right back, creating an intensity worthy of early Swans or Throbbing Gristle. It wasn’t exactly pleasant but it was powerful.
Over at the Literary stage I heard Palmolive (Slits/Raincoats) and Pauline Murray of Penetration talking about their early days and how they came to be at the start of the revolution. I feel I only really scratched the surface of what this festival is all about and what it has to offer and this is just a mere glimpse into a revolving mirror ball.
Rebellion started as a small festival in the 90’s and has established itself now as the premiere punk festival in the world, with many thousands of people attending. With over 7 stages, along with markets and art and much besides, it is now an established festival attracting big names, but the best thing about it is the plethora of new bands and stages given over to less established acts, giving us all a chance to see and be inspired. Long may it continue. Tickets are available for next year
https://www.rebellionfestivals.com/index
Andrew Wood
Photos by Ali Blair