Rebellion Festival in Blackpool Winter Gardens (3-6 August 2023)
My second trip up to this four-day punk festival. Last year had an added outdoor arena on the seafront which had the more mainstream bands. This year it was all indoors and with the added very large mainly seated space of The Opera House, with a deep balcony and standing at the front. I think in the end I was happier with this set up and this vast seated option did twist my choices a bit – we are all knocking on a bit now, given it’s a festival celebrating music and many bands originating in the late 70s.
It’s too vast to write in any depth about the whole four-day punk jamboree. Every path taken through the options on offer must be unique. Meandering through ten stages to gorge on this feast. I had a look in at all of them but only saw bands play in seven. On the Saturday afternoon, with my Rebellion brothers, Dave and Big Gra, I even strayed to a packed venue above a pub in the town, The Tache Rock Club, to see Siouxsie tribute band Lizzie and the Banshees, and excellent they were too.
All told, I saw 28 Rebellion sets, two bands in the Tache Rock Club and five interview sessions at The Literary Stage. That’s a busy weekend. I have summarised my tour with few words and some photos in this belated blog of the experience.
I did set myself the task of picking my top three bands along with a few special mentions. This was mainly based on performance, nostalgia and raw emotion. Everyone has different views and I realise mine are more mainstream than hardcore but it’s rare I don’t enjoy seeing any band to some extent. It’s all experience and sensations.
My top picks?
It had to be Penetration as my number 1: late additions after The Damned withdrew due to a bad back in the camp. Shame that as probably the major draw for me but that cloud had a silver lining in the form of the first band I ever saw live… Penetration. (Disappointingly, The Descendants also pulled out.)
My number 2: The Dickies. A packed Club Casbah at 11pm on the Sunday night and just the ripping speed and youthful enthusiasm from these old guys was fantastic. All the ones I wanted to hear – Give it Back; Paranoid; You Drive Me Ape; Got it at the Store; Eve of Destruction and yes, even Banana Splits. They started with Anarchy in the UK. From then on it was fast and fantastic. What a finish to the weekend.
And my number 3: Wasted Youth. This was me reliving the melancholy guitars and dark vocals of the band I saw in London several times in the early 80s. The Opera House was not that full but I perched on the front row of the balcony and thoroughly enjoyed their late show, after 40 years. It’s only in the last few years that originals Ken Scott and Rocco Barker had reformed a band for some gigs, which I couldn’t get to.
Thursday
A hefty personal programme. That first day excitement: Oi! band Tear Up (Pavilion); The Meffs duo (Empress Ballroom); the lighter hearted jangly guitar and dancing from Peter Bentham and the Dinner Ladies (Opera House); into the Almost Acoustic Stage for Grant Sharkey, lost on me, then some, in hindsight, dry comedy gold from Max Splodge – his version of All the Leaves are Brown stayed with us all weekend and beyond.
Crisis (Opera House) were solid then US punks Pulley (Club Casbah) to follow. Both more than held my attention, despite being unfamiliar with anything but names.
The first retreat to the calm of the Literary Stage followed and Dave Robinson, founder of Stiff Records. Fascinating reflections. Skinny Lister (Opera House) introduced some ska punk pop as a change. I’d see them out again.
Then a run of goodies for me: the last four songs of a triumphant UK Subs set (packed to overflowing Empress Ballroom). Darlings of Rebellion.
My band of the weekend, Penetration, followed then back to the Opera House for The Members in dub mode (Sound of the Suburbs – forever my anthem) and Big Country who I have seen a lot and can’t resist more. Now there’s a Thursday afternoon and evening out.
Friday
A bit calmer today watching just six sets. Great start with anthemic songs about ‘football, beer and punk rock’ from Knock Off (Casbah Club) – that’s three times I’ve seen ’em and always deliver. Off to find seat in the Almost Acoustic room, very ornate, indeed weird, for Bighead Duncan Reid and then Dave Sharp once of The Alarm.
Spizz Energi next with a big crowd in the Opera House, another top pick.
The noise around The Bar Stool Preachers (Empress Ballroom) made them unmissable. Entertaining without hitting my top spots.
I rounded off with Dirtbox Disco, on numerous previous recommendations. Miles better and more accessible than the name suggests and yup, more good stuff.
Saturday
A quiet but interesting start today with two sessions at the Literary Stage – some humorous short stories from Paul Ragitty and an interview with Eugene Butcher, Vive Le Rock editor and frontman for rocky punk band Desperate Measures.
Off to the Opera House to see Duncan Reid and the Big Heads for my last time – just a few more gigs and he’s packing in the touring.
After our excursion to see the excellent Lizzie and the Banshees it was back for The Meteors in Club Casbah. Huge interest in this legendary psychobilly band. Another one I hadn’t seen for over 40 years.
Then it’s back to the Opera House for a supposedly acoustic Bar Stool Preachers set… near enough as wild as the last one.
So much energy. Ruts DC followed. Loud, solid and magnificent – just slipping outside my top three of the weekend. Great concise set of classics. Jam packed with people sat in the aisles in the balcony.
I stayed upstairs in the Opera House, moving forward to the front row of the balcony as it cleared a bit for the wonderful Wasted Youth and finished off with The Rezillos – faves of mine. Sound seemed a bit off tonight to me…. a few leaving after thought the same. Sound engineering this onslaught of bands must be a challenge eh.
Sunday
Pizzatramp kick off my day in the Club Casbah with their individual style of assault on the audience, and anything and anyone – Bono took a hit. A sweary live act to treasure – well you will never hear or see them on radio or TV.
Next a superb performance by TV Smith and band of his old Adverts material. He was really going for it. Great performance. I did catch Gary Gilmore’s Eyes on video viewable on this link to my YouTube channel.
Former Stiff Little Fingers’ songwriter, guitarist and supporting vocalist Henry Cluney drew a bumper crowd up to the Almost Acoustic Stage for a hearty singalong with SLF classics. It went down a storm. Brilliant one-man show.
Off to the Literary Stage for a rest and Saffron from Republica being interviewed. Another interesting one and shame Republica clashed with my Sunday night prize – The Dickies. It was two original members of The Dickies that were interviewed after. Witty guys and some marvellous Pearl Jam impressions and jovial slating from Leonard Graves Philipps. He’s in his 70s now and the talk is that this is the last UK tour.
One more band to go before that frantic and fantastic Dickies closing set in Club Casbah. It was a bit of a wild card, way off the punk radar, but I was intrigued and I enjoyed: Gay Bykers on Acid.
That’s it. Exhausting wasn’t it and you’re only reading a summary. My feet and legs were done. Industrial action on the trains next day but an early start secured me an 11 hour journey home to Poole.
What a great event. The list of bands playing I didn’t get to see could fill another four days.
Blogs from Rebellion Festival 2022:
Gigs with Ivan 