Clashfinders, Chaos, and Camaraderie: My Rebellion Festival Experience

Rebellion festival at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool is an annual pilgrimage for us; creating spreadsheets or going onto ‘clashfinder’ websites to print off and get highlighter pens to see what bands we want to see; can we see half of this band and still catch the last half of these? – it’s a task!! Drive up, check into our B&B, don comfy footwear and off to the fabulous Winter Gardens to queue for your ticket/wristband exchange, get the first pint of the day and meet up with friends you’ve not seen since last year, catch the first band on the itinerary or mooch around checking out all the merch & record stalls! This year I’ve also got the added pleasure and honour of being granted a photo pass so I can shoot/review for Rock News (thank you Dod & James!)

I’d made a note to self to get to see more of the Introducing Stage bands this time round rather than the old favourites such as The Stranglers, Ruts DC, SLF etc. The first band I catch is CLUB BRAT in the Pavilion with some high-energy punk, a 5-piece from Peterborough with a former Gogglebox star taking up the mike and a bass player who can certainly kick!!

Next up I catch STEVE IGNORANT formerly of anarcho-punk legends Crass, Conflict and currently of Slice Of Life. With such a varied history of being at Dial House with Penny Rimbaud creating Crass to being a volunteer lifeboatman via being a Punch & Judy performer he certainly doesn’t run out of stories!

CAROL HODGE in the Spanish Hall got everybody singing along to I Still Hate Thatcher! (she plays with Steve Ignorant’s Slice Of Life, you should check them out!) THE GODFATHERS rocked in the Opera House despite that being the venue for a well-needed sit down and the punk stalwarts UK SUBS are next to a packed out Empress Ballroom. Next up some 1980s Hardcore USA-style; first THE QUEERS then un-PC tunes from Blag Dahlia of the THE DWARVES. (everyones favourite band as he keeps telling us!) Not for the easily offended with intentionally shocking lyrics. Currently they have former QOTSA/Kyuss bassist Nick Oliveri playing and I admit I was a little star-struck at being “THIS CLOSE!!” to him while shooting from the pit! Happy days!!

Friday I catch SMOKING GIVES YOU BIG TITS, a high-energy riot grrrl influenced band from Salford who formed off the back of a fag packet 5 years ago, who came recommended by a friend of mine. I wholly recommend these, Helen on vocals has probably the best female voice I heard this year, looks fantastic and is very funny! Will hopefully be catching them at Rebellion Manchester later this year

I hang around in the Arena to catch DESTRUCTORS 82 which is one of Gizz Butt’s (formerly of The Prodigy) bands; a friend of mine, you may recall I shot/reviewed his other band Janus Stark for Rock News when they played Bradford a while back. DESTRUCTORS are a band that has seen a few changes since they began in 1977, currently playing their own brand of punk/skuzz/garage which certainly gets the moshpit bouncing! And always nice to say hi to Gizz – happy birthday for tomorrow Gizz, sorry we didn’t catch up for that beer!

A bit of MAID OF ACE follows, then another recommendation with THE BABOON SHOW, a Swedish band that have been going for around 20 years and playing in the spectacular Empress Ballroom. The whole set is fast-paced with Cecilia clad head to toe in skin-tight burgundy and her energy levels are fantastic, she’s a great front woman. You really can’t help but bounce along with these!! Off to see KUGO DEATH RAY with a more melodic post punk sound to round off the day

Saturday is a bit of a surprise day with little in the way of gigs… while we’re having breakfast at the B&B my husband browses the trending posts on Twitter/X and sees Mr Yaxley-Lennon encouraging his followers to meet outside Blackpool’s town hall this afternoon. When we walk into the Winter Gardens we’re offered a slip of paper for the counter-protest. Mind made up I decide to go and see what I can shoot, ending up by accident in with Tommy’s lot behind the police line and then somehow in front and while not quite in the midst I do nearly get rushed from behind by 3 police horses galloping towards the protesters! Once back in
the Winter Gardens we’re all locked in as the rioters have moved up to the church square just outside the main entrance but tales abound of punks facing them off and the protesters fleeing with tails between their legs; the punks saved Blackpool!! I must say great organisation and communication by the organisers of Rebellion with everyone inside as there wasn’t any complaining that I could see and everyone seemed in good spirits

I only officially catch one band – CHEMTRAILS – a post-garage-punk/psychedelic power pop band fronted by Mia Lust. Like a punkier Wet Leg. We loved them so much we walked away with a lovely yellow-splattered vinyl

Ireland’s PARANOID VISIONS, MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUT UP are next then off to see WONK UNIT who are such lovely lovely people, if you’re after short bouncy fun punk songs these are your people, our favourite frontman who sings heartfelt 2 minute punk songs about his tough life with melodies that are impossible not to love, and I’ll be catching them later this year when they tour. Then after a kickabout with a small inflatable in the Arena with 20 strangers it’s dancing till you drop to BAD MANNERS who are a late confirmation after DEAD BOYS had to cancel all their UK/EU dates; the ultimate party band!

Sunday is a quiet affair, whether that’s down to people leaving early for work Monday morning, or whether yesterdays shenanigans have put some people off or (like us) people are a bit knackered!! We have a late start, but make sure I catch a few in the Pavilion on the introducing stage which today is dedicated to loud women, bands like BABY SAID and THE RED STAINS, with a bit of FAINTEST IDEA downstairs in the Casbah for good measure.
We decide to drive back home tonight instead of after breakfast as we’re desperate for a liein! But make sure we finally catch the fantastic THE SWEET before we go! I wish my husband would let me share pics I got of him looking a right kiddy kipper, he loved these when he was young & at the age of 59 it’s the first time he’s ever seen them live!!

So to round up, Rebellion really has something for everyone, whether it’s 77 punk, hardcore, “oi”, post punk ,goth or even a bit of TOYAH while sat down in the Opera House, you can dance to some ska or sit listening to your punk heroes talk about their careers on the literary stage. This year was unusual because of Saturday but the general ‘feel’ of the whole weekend is always friendly, inclusive and believe it or not very family-friendly! B&B is already booked again for next year, early-bird tickets to follow. There are already early band confirmations so check out www.rebellionfestivals.com where weekend and day tickets are
available NOW!

See you next year!!!

Clashfinders, Chaos, and Camaraderie: My Rebellion Festival Experience @ Rock News RockNewsUS

You can check out more from Rebellion Festival here.

https://www.rebellionfestivals.com/
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