Rebellion Festival
Blackpool Winter Gardens
Thu 1st – Sun 4th August
The Punk Village descends on Blackpool’s Winter Gardens for another year of Rebellion, celebrating the thriving scene which will never die, with four days of legends and newcomers taking over for diehards and the young kids in an experience like no other. Wayne AF Carey covers as much as possible on the Friday and Saturday nights…
Friday: Big Tits & Steve Igs
Arriving here at around midday I book into one of the hundreds of B&Bs which I’d chosen last year. It’s your usual basic fare and I manage to get the last space in the car park, being a lucky bastard. It’s a nice 20 minute walk to the event which gets the legs ready for a day of standing around, and we are already bumping into the crowd of punks which gets thicker and thicker as you head into the main square for the wristband pickup. It’s a great vibe and the diehards are already on the piss and you wonder whether they’ll remember any of the bands today. It’s colourful, loud and friendly and you have to be here to really appreciate the beauty of thousands of punks with mohicans, chains, sweary yet funny t-shirts that may shock the grannies and kids, spikes the lot. The locals don’t seem to give a fuck as if it’s a normal day in Blackpool and it’s that attitude that makes you feel a part of it all without any judgement from the music snobs.
The thing with Rebellion is, who do you watch from the 95 daily things going on? I just play it by ear and check out Vulpynes in the eloquent old school Opera House which is seated and standing for your preference. I last saw Molly live on duty with Meryl Streek in Manchester on guitar duties, and today she is on form with her sidekick Kaz on drums whipping up a storm as the first act today. It’s a mighty sound that veers towards Hole and the healthy 90’s grunge scene mixed with the riot ggrrl sounds we know and love. A good start. My aim is to catch snippets from bands by just wandering around and taking in the atmosphere from each part of this great setup whilst trying to stick to my list.
I catch a few songs from Panic Attak on the Introducing Stage in The Pavilion and they get a nod of approval with their tight punk sound which assaults the ears and impresses the early audience. Meanwhile on the Club Casbah stage, Mere Dead Men whip up a Scouse storm with their heady ’80s sound clubbed together from various punk bands of that era and Amanda, previously from The Crows, prowls the stage like she owns it to an appreciative audience. Bumbling across to the big stage The Empress Ballroom I catch a few tunes from Riskee And The Ridicule, who are four albums in and produce a mix of punk grime hip hop metal that sounds tight as fuck to me. I’ve never heard them before yet judging by the size of the crowd they’re a major draw. I’ll check them out again.
Who would not be curious about a group called Smoking Gives You Big Tits? My gig mate and I intentionally did not listen to any of their stuff on purpose for unbiased opinion. Thank fuck we make a beeline for the Arena Stage early, as it’s getting rammed already from word of mouth. The Salford / Bolton quartet consisting of Helen, Mark, Ben and Andy are fuckin’ ace. Helen enters the stage with this weird as fuck sparkly tinsel thing shaped like coins which is ceremoniously tossed off (behave!) after the first highlight Bang To Rights which is a punk grunge banger that sets the room alight. The set is comedic throughout yet the band are tight as fuck in between Helen’s banter. We’re All Just T-Shirt Salesmen is a right laugh and Helen actually sells the last of their sold out t-shirts for a tenner after wiping her brow and the bass player’s neck with it. There’s a song about the drummer looking like Toad from Neighbours which goes down a treat, as does the excellent My Favourite Fact About Maggie (She’s Still Dead). These are a tight as fuck delight and Helen has a vocal range that can be sweet then turns into guttural death metal leanings. I’m actually buzzin they’re from my neck of the woods and can’t wait to see them again. Highlight of the day (for now).
Where to now? The place is buzzing and the whole venue is extremely well run from all aspects. T-shirt stalls and merchandise are everywhere and the friendly crowd are just lapping up this un hostile atmosphere that you don’t get from any festival I’ve attended. I catch a bit of Newtown Neurotics in The Ballroom who are putting on an impressive show, yet my mind keeps wandering to the nooks and crannies of the whole place. I stop by The Old Vic for a bit of The Dinner Ladies Disco with Pete Bentham and it’s a party in itself. The tables are all full and the dancefloor is booming with people having a laugh dancing to Joy Division, whilst a dinner lady is whipping up the crowd donned in rubber gloves and full camped up uniform.
If you’re going to attend an event like Rebellion you can’t miss a set from either UK Subs or their now 80 year old frontman Charlie Harper. The living legend has been mooching around The Winter Gardens all day, signing autographs and posing for photos, hair dyed green and looking spritely as ever. It’s a classic set on the Almost Acoustic stage and the place is rammed to witness the man belting out some acoustic magic like he always can. Meanwhile over in The Opera House, Spizz Energi takes to the stage with an energetic Airship, dressed in his bizarre shit and clowning around with everyone, throwing his light sticks into the audience and strutting his stuff as usual. It’s a rather large crowd of diehards which is nice for Spizz, especially when they do Soldier Soldier, which was always overshadowed by the daft Captain Kirk comedy. Not my bag but pretty entertaining for the time I had before fucking off.
I now have a bit of a dilemma here as Toyah clashes with Gogol Bordello. I decide to go with the tips and head back to the Ballroom for GB. Best decision I have ever made. The place is rocking and rammed and it’s the first group of the day that has everyone moving like fuck. They meld punk with traditional Ukraine vibes and slip into dub easily with every twist and turn. Eugene Hutz is possibly one of the best frontmen around and bounces off the band like a twisted maniac. The two highlights are the Fugazi cover and the introduction of Angelic Upstarts guitarist ‘Newts’ Newton joining him onstage for the encore. Top as fuck.
Last dilemma of the night is Steve Ignorant or The Stranglers? I see the queue for The Stranglers and think, fuck that. I’ve got a little bit of history with Steve and his group consisting of the two Petes, Jay Bagnall and Carol Hodge. My mind is made up, especially as I missed out on his last Crass Songs tour in Manchester. Another Wayne AF decision well made. It’s packed out and Steve launches into a blistering set with Do They Owe Us A Living. “Course they fuckin’ do” we cry as the punks go mental. The two Petes bounce of each other, backed with Jay’s military drumming and the place just goes off. Carol Hodge is placed to the right of the stage until she comes forward to perform the old tracks sung by Eve Libertine and Joy De Vivre adding her own slant with that unique Hodge vocal that piles through every range from her own back catalogue we love at LTW. Ignorant stands stock still on the left of the stage like an immortalised punk statue whilst the group rage around him with tight skill, until he bounds back to the front to perform stand outs like Big A Little A, bringing a youngster on stage for vocals off the original track. It’s an experience you have to witness once in your life, for me.
~
Photos by Phil Thorns, see his Instagram
Words by Wayne Carey, Reviews Editor for Louder Than War. His author profile is here
We have a small favour to ask. Subscribe to Louder Than War and help keep the flame of independent music burning. Click the button below to see the extras you get!
