Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Rebellion Festival, the world’s largest annual punk event, has completely sold out of tickets over six months before the event is set to take place at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool this coming 6-9th of August. As the world of punk rock reaches its 50th anniversary, icons from the first wave The Stranglers, Cock Sparrer, Stiff Little Fingers and Sham 69 join a multitude of classic and current artists to celebrate the music and family that has continued to grow over the decades. Rebellion Festival has long been a family run, DIY event with no sponsorship and the wealth of tickets sold this year is indication of that.
Rebellion Festival wanted to stage something special this year to celebrate these landmark birthdays and have now announced a series of Run Up gigs that will take place before the main festival begins.
Commencing Tuesday August 4th, the Run Up concerts will start with a very special evening performance in the Olympia, Winter Gardens headlined by the legend that is Adam Ant, who promises a harder edged set than his recent tour but still packed with all the hits! Joined by Derry’s finest The Undertones and the wonderful Altered Images from Scotland, this will be a Tuesday night to remember.
Then on Wednesday 5th, there will be a suitably upbeat high energy ska night with Neville Staple from The Specials, joined by Arthur Kay & The Originals and Death Of Guitar Pop, who are all certain to have the whole room jumping!
Tickets for both events available HERE.
“Thirty years it’s taken for us to sell out six months in advance! It’s wonderful, exciting and if I’m honest, a bit scary,” exclaims festival organiser Jennie Russell-Smith. “Both Darren and myself can now say we’ve been running this festival for over half of our lives, that’s crazy and what better way to mark that occasion than add more days to the celebrations, it’s what we love. When we first celebrated 20 years of punk rock all those years ago, who would have thought that it’s not only survived this long but it just keeps getting better, old bands still performing alongside amazing new bands with some of the most talented musicians of the next generation! Punk was never Dead because here we are, all still living our dreams! Getting Adam Ant for one of our Rebellion Run-Up shows is a dream come true. Someone needs a Time Machine to go back and tell my 12-year-old self with her AATA’s posters all over her walls!! Then on Wednesday we get to dance the night away to the best Ska music ever! These two shows along with the daytime shows at Viva are a chance for everyone to extend their weekend, share in all of the love and really celebrate with us.”
The Tuesday and Wednesday daytime shows as part of our Rebellion Run Up, will take place at a new venue in Viva, just up the road in Church Street. It’s an intimate 800 capacity room, mainly seated and will run from midday until 5.30pm. Tickets are £25 per day and available from – www.rebellionfestivals.com/run-up.
Tuesday 4th August features Tom Robinson with Adam Phillips, an early evening of tall tales and top tunes from half a century working on the wilder fringes of the Music Industry. Expect encounters with Alexis Korner, Ray Davies, Elton John, Peter Gabriel, Todd Rundgren, Eddy Grant and Brian Eno – alongside classics such as ‘War Baby’, ‘Glad To Be Gay’, and ‘2-4-6-8 Motorway’. Plus, unexpected back catalogue gems from ‘Café Society’ (1975) to ‘Only The Now’ (2015) in this brand new two man show with virtuoso guitarist Adam Phillips. These are joined by a special acoustic performance from British rock legends The Wildhearts, and Kirk Brandon (Spear Of Destiny/Theatre Of Hate) aKoustiK featuring Sam Sansbury on Cello, alongside Dave Sharp & The Hard Travellers, guitarist and co-founder of The Alarm.
The Wednesday show features acoustic performances from punk icons the Skids, Charlie Harper, TV Smith and Mick Rossi, joined by David Delinquent & The IOU’s and Jo Carley & The Old Dry Skulls for an afternoon of singalongs and cheer!
These join many other bands booked to grace the several Winter Garden stages, which include Skids, Buzzcocks, Ferocious Dog, Spear Of Destiny, Ricky Warwick, The Godfathers, Subhumans, Scream, Anti-Nowhere League, Penetration, Bow Wow Wow, Ruts DC, Bad Cop Bad Cop, Adolescents, UK Subs, Discharge, The Chameleons, Au Pairs, The Courettes, The Kids, Riskee and the Ridicule, GBH, The Dickies and many many more.
Head to www.rebellionfestivals.com for information about this year’s festival and the line-up which is now in days.
REBELLION RUN UP – all information, ticket links etc can be found HERE.
