‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘REBELLION’, WINTER GARDENS, BLACKPOOL 4-9.8.26
Rebellion Festival, the world’s largest annual punk event, celebrated its 30th anniversary this year as it returned to its long-standing home, the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. It’s a truly special year this year as punk rock celebrates its 50th anniversary on from that initial explosion of energy in 1976, interest in the music and culture shows no signs of dissipating and the last two years have seen the festival completely sell out across the four-day gathering.
This year’s Rebellion Festival is spread across four days (6th to 9th August) and it has attracted the largest bands and new emerging talent on the scene. The iconic festival attracts people from literally all around the globe.
The venue which takes up the whole block has many sizable rooms including the Empress Ballroom, Club Casbah, Opera House, Conference Circle, and Arena, Pavilion including After Dark & RIS (‘Rebellion Introducing Stage’). There was also the Almost Acoustic, and the Literary Stage and The Old Vic.
Rebellion Festival wanted to stage something special this year to celebrate these landmark birthdays and so they put together a series of Run Up gigs that were taking place before the main festival began. The 4th August witnessed performances by Adam Ant, The Undertones and Altered Images in the Olympia, Winter Gardens (Review HERE). The following day (5th August) there was a suitably upbeat high energy ska night with Neville Staple from The Specials, who was joined by Arthur Kay & The Originals and Death Of Guitar Pop, who all had the whole room jumping!
This is article one of four and concentrates on the happenings on Day One (Thursday 6th August), and so without further ado, let’s get down to business and meet our reviewers and the bands…
Cris Watkins:
Our trusty photographer for yet another Rebellion Festival is Brighton based Cris Watkins, who let’s face it is punk through and through! He even has his own highly regarded website called PunkInFocus. When required, Cris has also been known to write a review or two, but for Rebellion he remained firmly behind the lens, so much so, that he somehow managed to shoot almost 100 acts! His footstep count each day was absolutely mad, but luckily a hearty Blackpool fry up each morning merrily sent him on his way to the Winter Gardens.
Andy Murphy:
I made the lengthy trip from Hastings yesterday to attend the 30th anniversary of the Rebellion punk festival. Last night I warmed myself up for the four-day marathon with a Fringe gig at the Bootleg Social where The Meffs, already confirmed for next year’s Rebellion, were headlining, with Blackpool locals Death Trails in support, whom I found to be t-shirt worthy at last year’s Rebellion. It was a great warm-up for the four days that lie ahead of me.
Last year I had a feeling of trepidation about naming my favourite new band, which was further compounded when last year’s favourite newcomers also split within months of my waxing lyrical about them. Apologies to fans of Sumwot and Babyteeth. This year I am in attendance with my eldest daughter who is getting her first experience of a punk festival at the age of 29, and so in sets the harsh realisation that maybe I haven’t been the perfect dad if it’s taken all these years to give her a real musical education. Given that I accidentally punched her in the face in the mosh pit at the first punk gig, Slaves at The Booking Hall in Dover in 2018, we attended together, I’m hoping that there aren’t any similar incidents during this festival. Bring it on!
Sonny Tyler:
We arrived in Blackpool on Monday as my wife and I were working at the festival this year. For one weekend of the year, Blackpool becomes the centre of the punk rock universe, as thousands of people travel from all over the world to witness the ‘Rebellion Festival’. This year’s event marked its 30th Anniversary, and the 50th anniversary of punk rock itself. We remember going to the first one all those years ago when it was called ‘Holidays In The Sun’, so it is a big achievement to have existed for so long. Hats off to Daz and Jennie for making it all happen.
Our journey went miraculously without a hitch on the train, and upon arrival, we were touched to see the ‘Rebellion Festival’ flag flying high atop the Blackpool tower. We booked ourselves into the crew hotel, and prepared ourselves for the punk festivities ahead, starting with Adam Ant, The Undertones and Altered Images.
Iona Murphy:
This was my first Rebellion Festival, and what better choice than the thirtieth anniversary. Rebellion isn’t the only one turning thirty this year (gulp!), so it was a lovely treat to be there celebrating. As I arrived in Blackpool I was greeted by punks in their masses and the Rebellion flag proudly flying from the Blackpool Tower. Running on very little sleep, I was buzzing to see new bands and count up the number of bruises I’d end up with from moshing.
Choosing bands this weekend was an arbitrary undertaking for me. Some bands I had heard of and seen but never had a chance to review. Others were local to me: as someone who calls both Sussex and Yorkshire home, I wanted to support my local bands. A lot of bands I saw were recommendations from fellow reviewer Andrew, though I call him dad! My final choices to fill my days were based purely on their names. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but I was judging bands by their name, perhaps hypocritical of me. However, all’s well that ends well and I enjoyed everyone I saw in sunny Blackpool.
Mark Kelly:
2026 is a momentous year for both Rebellion and punk. It’s the 30th anniversary of the former and, somewhat unbelievably, the 50th anniversary of the latter. There had been some talk about the festival this year having a particularly spectacular line-up. However, the festival has a spectacular line-up every year, and this year is no different. There are more artists that I want to see than it is actually possible to see. When I arrive in Blackpool on Wednesday, the town is already heaving with punks. So, here we go then….
DAY ONE – THURSDAY 6th AUGUST
HAGAR THE WOMB – Opera House (12:00 – 12:35)
First up are local Brighton based favourites Hagar The Womb, one of the first bands that I reviewed back in 2019, and most recently last November when they played ‘Grow Your Own Fest’ in Hastings. The Hags are always up there as a must-see band for me as they never fail to entertain, and their music ain’t half bad too!
Today they open proceedings at Rebellion in the daunting surroundings of the majestic Opera House. With a 12pm start I’m sure there are some weary heads already in the audience having witnessed some of the carnage on the streets of Blackpool last night, but surely the Hags are all sober and ready to go. Before they get underway, unassuming Mitch, wearing a matching skeleton hoodie and trousers, parades across stage showing off his Hagar the Bass book.
They’ve been on the anarcho punk scene for some 45 years including a sabbatical, so are worthy of a place at Rebellion. The set starts with my favourite ‘Idolisation’ winning me over instantly and the antics have barely started. At one point Mitch disappears offstage and I lose sight of him only to turn around, and he is stood right there playing his bass guitar. Behind all the tomfoolery there is still a serious message and it’s obvious which side of the political divide they despise the most with old classics such as ‘Hated By The Daily Mail’ and ‘What’s Your Flag?’.
‘Mekons Rider’ recently released as a double A side with The Mekons on the reverse side, is a superb set-ending interactive song, and a crowd member throws a lemon onto the stage. Go see them for the back story to the song. I notice that there are staff cleaning up a mess over the far side of the stage occupied by Mitch, only to find out that he has an upset stomach and has been sick, and not alcohol related! Please be aware that the other band members also made me smile throughout and I can’t imagine any other act will leave me with such a glow over the next four days.
(Andy Murphy)
THE LIARBILITYS – Club Casbah (12:15 – 12:45)
This 5-piece band hail from Birmingham, and are also pretty new to the scene. Their debut album, ‘Vandalheart’, was a melodic punk belter of a record, so I made sure I was at the front for this gig. A big crowd was already assembled in Club Casbah, and that’s a big achievement considering it was just after breakfast time for many of us. The Liarbilitys are a polished act, and today, the sound was clear and powerful. You can’t really call these guys pop punk either. I would best describe them as melodic streetpunk. Some of their songs are poppy, but delivered with some oomph.
They are also very adept at writing catchy tunes, and that’s most evident in my favourite song of theirs, ‘Yootha Joyce’. It’s an ode to our school days, which I think most people can relate to. Before that, they played a song about Blackpool, just as their bassist was throwing some low- slung Ramones shapes. Their singer also has a great melodic voice, which sounded good in this big room today. Fellow Midlanders, ‘Face Up’, were also standing to the side of the stage, egging the band on. Someone in ‘The Liarbilitys’ said jokingly, “See you in another 7 years”, but I think we’ll be seeing plenty more of The Liarbilitys before then.
(Sonny Tyler)
AFTRSHOCKS – RIS in Pavilion (13:25 – 13:55)
The Pavilion RIS. One of my favourite stages is the Rebellion Introducing Stage, as unlike some old stuck in the mud punks who think that punk ended after the first wave back in the seventies, I love finding new bands and embracing the new styles available.
First viewing this year is a band who travelled down from north of the border in the shape of young Dundee three-piece hardcore quartet Aftrshocks, who formed in 2022 whilst still at school. Lead singer Daniel, introduced by bassist Danny as their own “Sick Boy” purely down to his hairstyle, is wearing an Angelic Upstarts t-shirt and a pair of Docs in auld school punk style. This band certainly blasts out any cobwebs I had from a long day yesterday, as they pile into their set with little respite. The anti-war anarcho punk ‘You Belong (To Them)’ with its spoken intro is my favourite song of the set.
Their lyrics show a great awareness of what’s wrong with the system and gives hope to this oldish punk that there are young bands out there that will carry forward the punk scene and the good message beyond my lifetime. The only breather during this thunderous set is when Sick Boy breaks a string and has to change his guitar to one which he had forgotten to tune. My only disappointment in this show is when two t-shirts are thrown into the crowd and I manage to get a thumb to one of them but spill the catch. Aftrshocks show enough in their half hour set this is definitely one to listen out for and seeing that they have had a few decent support slots already in Scotland I’m hopeful that one day they will get the opportunity to play south of the Watford Gap.
(Andy Murphy)
CAROL HODGE BAND – Opera House (13:55 – 14:35)
I kicked off my first Rebellion with Carol Hodge Band. I first saw Carol Hodge’s band at Amped in Huddersfield following a recommendation from my dad, who watched their set at Rebellion in 2025. Carol’s energy is infectious and I knew I had to see her again, plus she’s lived in Huddersfield and Hastings just like me. Carol is such a sweet soul and it was a joy to watch her perform with her band on Thursday and solo later in the week.
Carol was surprised at how polite we were for a “scary punk rock crowd” but the audience were clearly loving the music without starting a mosh pit early on. One of my highlights was the epic back-to-back prog rock songs. So at 2:05 on a Thursday, we enjoyed her medley. Carol joked that if we needed a wee now was the time to go, but of course no one left. Bassist Piper joked that she’d locked the door so no one could get out.
Carol played two of my favourite songs of hers: ‘Queen Of Fitting In’ and ‘Twenty Miles Up.’ ‘Queen Of Fitting In’ explores Carol’s personal experience of masking her neurodivergence. It is brilliant to see her speak so candidly about her experience with neurodivergence, particularly to such a big crowd. Spreading awareness of how female neurodivergence manifests differently to men is so important and hopefully she continues to share her story to help others.
The set ended with ‘Twenty Miles Up’ which involved a sing-along. Carol has an incredible vocal range, with notes that me and a predominately male audience would not be able to hit. She did a practice run of the “ooh ooh ooh ooh” sing-along and dropped an octave each time. When she could no longer go deeper, she passed over to drummer Tom who had an impressively low range. All singing along with our varying octaves of “oohs” was a lovely moment and the perfect way to wrap up her set. I look forward to seeing her for a third time when she next tours.
(Iona Murphy)
MINIMAL FAFF – RIS in Pavilion (14:15 – 14:45)
I decide to hang around the RIS for the next band, Minimal Faff. A ska punk trio from Manchester only formed in 2024 and they are already making their Rebellion debut, showing how far they have come in such a short time. Before the set even starts they show us why they called their band such as they are super-efficient and despite the quick turnaround time between bands, they are ready five minutes early for their set and twiddling their thumbs. How to kill that time is an issue as they don’t know any jokes and as their name would suggest they will not be talking faff.
I listened to them prior to Rebellion on one of the many playlists available, and with my housing background they grabbed my attention with the song ‘Two Months’ Notice.’ I don’t want to spoil their day by letting them know that no-fault evictions are now a thing of the past apart from when a landlord wishes to sell up, as it is a great tune and probably my favourite of the set. I have to say that their latest single ‘Boundaries’ is also up there as a highlight. A fast paced, sub two-minute skate punk song about hanging out with people who pull you up and not put you down. A sound message promoting better mental health.
Another band with political influence and there is vocal support for Count Binface from the stage. There is a moving kick drum issue towards the end of the set which of course is successfully rectified with minimal faff. I think I can safely say that lead singer Lou(ise) has already won the prize for baggiest and longest shorts of the festival and I’m only three bands in. Another promising act who will hopefully be set for bigger things.
(Andy Murphy)
SLACKRR – Club Casbah (14:50 – 15:25)
My first trip to Club Casbah was to see Sussex band Slackrr, formed of Scotty, Cait, and Louis. Slackrr identify themselves as a pop punk band, so I knew their music would be right up my street. The energy the band brought was incredible, telling us this was their 923rd show since they started the band. I was very impressed that they’d performed so much and managed to keep track of the exact number of gigs. They were clearly well seasoned performers and managed to get the crowd going from the offset. The stage graphics were stunning and they clearly knew how to brand themselves as a band.
What I loved about Slackrr was how they use music as a tool for hope. Songs like ‘Holding On’ gave us all time to reflect on how important music is to connect people and that we shouldn’t lose hope even when things feel difficult. The band are all about connection, recognising people in the audience that have been to their shows before. A lot of people cheered when they asked who had been to a show before. Slackrr’s recognition of fans shows us why it is so important to support local bands: they become like family.
My favourite song of the set was ‘Save Your Breath’ which I’ll definitely be streaming when I get back home. We were also lucky to hear the live debut of their new single ‘The Summer’ which comes out on Friday 7th August. I’m so glad they chose to share it with their Rebellion family. It was the perfect way to top off a great set.
(Iona Murphy)
THE GLITTERBOMBS – RIS in Pavilion (15:05 – 15:35)
The Rebellion Introducing Stage is certainly proving the place for me to be as I remain here for my third band in a row. Yes, here I am some 300+ miles from home, watching local Brighton band The Glitterbombs for the first time ever, some ten years after their inception. I’ve heard good things about this band, and I’m intrigued to see if they are the real deal. The band is Niall Sparklez on lead vocals and guitar, Daffodildo Captain Jax on bass and backing vocals, and Jimmy Guest, the only person I am likely to see wearing a Diana Ross (she played at Brighton Pride last weekend) t-shirt in The Winter Gardens this weekend, on drums.
Appropriately Brighton’s Lambrini Girls is playing through the PA as the band enter the stage to a great reception. Niall and Jimmy obviously have glitter on their cheekbones as the band’s name would suggest. The band is very political, which you may gather by my choice of bands I’ve seen so far is important to my punk ethos. They cover topics such as Brexit, European Convention on Human Rights, LGBTQIA+, anti-war, and even venture over the pond with a new song slagging off ICE, which has Jax playing bass in banjo style. The message is strong, and they are an entertaining punk band to watch with some ska interspersed into their songs.
I’m thinking that if I had any rhythm and could dance then I would be doing so rather than moshing. I’m loving that Niall is full of energy and is constantly on the move, but just using my mobile phone to take a few photos proves tricky. Finishing the set with the great tune that is ‘Against The Wall’, it certainly gets you thinking about the lies we are fed by all political parties. “I don’t know what’s right, I only know what is wrong” probably sums up how a lot of people feel at present with politics. I will no doubt be checking out this band closer to home.
(Andy Murphy)
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE ZUGLY – Empress Ballroom (15:10 – 15:50)
First up for me in the Empress Ballroom on Thursday are The Good, The Bad And The Zugly. The Empress Ballroom has always struck me as being a little too grand for punk, but maybe in a way that’s what punk is all about: accessing places where we’re really not supposed to be. Which is what punks and punk music have been doing unapologetically since 1976.
Norwegian five piece The Good, The Bad And The Zugly continue that tradition, giving us a lightning fast tour of their eight album strong back catalogue, with an emphasis on their most recent album ‘November Boys’, which was released in 2025. The music is fast and furious and is a perfect palette cleanser for the rest of the day, with any cobwebs being unceremoniously being blown away.
(Mark Kelly)
THE COURETTES – Empress Ballroom (16:10 – 16:50)
One of the most notable things about this festival is the number of bands who come from all over the world to play here. Some I’ve heard of, and for some seeing them play here is my first introduction to them. One band that I’ve very much heard of and indeed seen many times are The Courettes. They are a truly international band, with singer and guitarist Flavia Couri coming from Brazil, and drummer Martin Couri hailing from Brazil. They are unusual for a two-piece band in that they are a married couple. They are also one of the best live rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet. Martin’s drumming is thunderous whilst Flavia’s singing and buzz saw guitar is tunefully powerful.
I’m sure that last year they played in the Pavilion, so they’ve had a venue upgrade. They still have a relatively short time slot, and with a back catalogue crammed with bangers it must be difficult for them to decide what to leave out. Irrespective of what they play, their performance is always electrifying. No matter how many times that you see The Courettes, they’re never boring. They wouldn’t know how to be! For ‘Trash Can Honey’ Flavia calls for women to come to the front.
‘Want You (Like A Cigarette)’ is a stone cold classic, and ‘Boom! Dynamite!’ is the fastest song of the set yet. Flavia machine-guns the audience with her guitar, and they stop stock still mid-song. ‘Keep Dancing’ has almost a Motown beat, and Flavia announces that it’s our “last chance to shake” with what else but ‘Shake!’ As they leave the stage Martin tells us that he’ll see us next year. Presumably he’s forgotten that they’re touring for the rest of the month and during September too. Amongst other places, they play London’s 100 Club on 4th September, and Brighton Dalton’s on 6th September.
(Mark Kelly)
ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER (Poetry) – Almost Acoustic (16:25 – 17:00)
Having seen Attila The Stockbroker in the crowd at various punk gigs across Sussex, I was excited to get to see him as the performer for the first time. As an English Literature Lecturer, I was interested to see how Attila incorporated music and poetry through spoken word. I am a firm believer that lyrics can be read as a form of poetry and Attila confirmed my hypothesis through his performance.
Attila The Stockbroker spoke a lot about current political affairs, particularly the Nigel Farage vs. Count Binface by-election in Clacton. He told us that he’d recently been in Clacton reading his anti-fascist poetry. Much to his surprise, when reading in pubs it wasn’t fascist who were getting annoyed but disgruntled drinkers whose karaoke night had been cancelled for his performance. This got a big laugh from the crowd. Before performing his pro-Binface anti-Farage poem, he told us that currently the poem is blasting out of speakers across Clacton at this very moment. Punk poetry is alive and well thanks to Attila The Stockbroker.
Attila is an excellent performer and I was in awe of the speed at which he could deliver poems, particularly his anti-Trump poem, which he told us he couldn’t have a beer before reciting otherwise he wouldn’t be able to keep up! Other highlights included ‘Don’t Judge Me By My Husband’ and the coining of the phrase “texticles” (when your autocorrect messes up what you’re trying to say). He also performed a poem about Rebellion Festival itself, exploring how Winter Gardens is our weekend home. I loved this as even on the first day I felt a real sense of home and belonging at the festival.
My personal highlight was ‘Candid Camera,’ a poem about a flexible cystoscopy set to reggae music. The poem advocates for men’s health and the importance of getting issues checked out even if they feel embarrassing. Talking openly about his procedure is an excellent way to break down stigma and hopefully encourages people to seek help when they need it. I loved how experimental and candid the poem was. I’ll definitely be buying his poetry collection and I look forward to seeing him perform again, or perhaps catching him in the crowd at another Sussex based gig!
(Iona Murphy)
BAR STOOL PREACHERS – Empress Ballroom (17:10 – 17:55)
Next up are The Bar Stool Preachers, who astonishingly I’ve never managed to see before. There really is no excuse is there? One of the guitarists is onstage first playing the opening chords to ‘Call Me On The Way Home’ before the rest of the band hit the stage. This is from the band’s most recent album ‘Above The Static’ which came out in 2023. Unsurprisingly the whole crowd sing along. Indeed, they sing along to everything!
During the superb ‘Choose My Friends’ multi-instrumentalist Ray Waters is on “Bez duty”, dancing along and adding to the vibe. As an intro to ‘All Turned Blue’ singer Tom TJ Fielding tells us to “understand that there is strength in f*cking numbers.” Fair enough. The middle eight borders on reggae, which adds additional flavour. ‘Suicide Girls’ is a Cock Sparrer cover, which is unsurprising as TJ is the son of Cock Sparrer’s Colin Fielding.
‘Lighthouse Keeper’ has a relatively delicate electric piano intro, until the rest of the band come crashing in! During ‘One Fool Down’ TJ calls for a moshpit, but it only happens down the front. The set comes to a close with the ska of their anthem ‘Bar Stool Preacher’. This is the side of the Bar Stool Preachers that I prefer, to be honest.
They are a good punk band, but they’re also an absolutely storming ska band, and you really can’t have too much ska. The Bar Stool Preachers tour the UK until mid November, playing London’s Highbury Garage on 3rd October.
(Mark Kelly)
LIGHT OF ETERNITY – Opera House (17:50 – 18:30)
When you hear of a side-project from Big Paul Ferguson of Killing Joke fame, you make sure you’re in the room to witness it. I had been wanting to see this bunch for a while now, so thanks to Rebellion Fest for giving me the opportunity. The Opera House is probably my favourite venue within the Winter Gardens, so I was ready to take whatever musical assault Light Of Eternity threw at me.
Their music is not too far away from Killing Joke’s latter-day output, but more keyboard-heavy maybe, with an alternative rock slant, leaning sometimes towards a gothic sound. Some of it is not too dissimilar to modern day Gary Numan material. They have also just released a brand new 6-track CD called ‘Doublethink’, limited to just 200 copies.
The band’s guitarist was playing through two Marshall stacks today, to ensure maximum impact, and their bassist had a meaty sound, with a bottom end that could rattle your trousers. ‘Light Of Eternity’ kicked things off with ‘Aftershock’ and it was soon very evident that we were witnessing a class act. Big Paul Ferguson is one of my favourite punk drummers, so it was nice to stand against the stage’s central barrier to soak up his drumming skills. ‘Nebula’ was also played and I must say that the band’s vocalist had a great rock voice. The whole set was quite hypnotic and dramatic, which felt almost apocalyptic, as those pounding beats pummel us into submission. ‘Dominion’ (NOT a ‘Sisters Of Mercy’ cover) had a driving bass and drum rhythm, and at this point, the packed room was probably as mesmerised as I was. As the set suddenly came to an abrupt halt, Paul Ferguson wandered to the front of the stage and thanked us all for coming, but I can assure him and the band that the gratification was all ours.
(Sonny Tyler)
UK SUBS – Empress Ballroom (18:20 – 19:20)
One of the highlights of my weekend is seeing the seemingly immortal UK Subs. Charlie Harper is now 82, but you really wouldn’t know it. However, the Subs will apparently play their last ever show at Shepherds Bush Empire on 25th September 2027, so Charlie has at least one eye on retirement. However, that’s over a year away and tonight Charlie and the band are here to rock. Yet again they have a guitarist that I haven’t seen, or indeed heard of before. His name is Abe Inglis and he is the six string incumbent for the Subs current UK dates. He’s bloody good too, as is evidenced by the cracking solo in opener ‘Emotional Blackmail’.
The Subs were a little late onstage, so consequently there is the minimum of chat and virtually no gap between songs. The oldies kick in about two-thirds of the way through the set when ‘Tomorrow’s Girl’ is given an airing. ‘Warhead’ follows with the crowd singing the “are you ready” refrain. By ‘Stranglehold’ they’re over-running but nobody really cares. The Subs are punk royalty so another five or ten minutes is not a problem where they’re concerned. The set ends with ‘CID’, but they don’t leave the stage before the encore – there isn’t time! So we get another couple of songs including ‘I Live In A Car’. This has absolutely been a full throttle performance. The Subs could give bands a quarter of Charlie’s age a run for their money. The term awesome doesn’t quite do them justice.
(Mark Kelly)
GRAIL GUARD – RIS in Pavilion (18:25 – 18:55)
Grail Guard hail from Coventry in the Midlands, and are relative newcomers to the punk scene. They have already made quite a mark though, and the first pressing of their debut album, ‘Still No Future’, sold out in no time. In fact, that album is so good, I bought myself a copy of the re-press. They play old school hardcore, and their lyrics carry an anti-racist message, and I was happy to get to see them play live at last.
Right from the word go, the Pavilion room was absolutely packed to the rafters. ‘Our Streets’ got the party started, as frontman, Riaz, wasted no time jumping into the crowd. They played loads from their new album, including a song called ‘Alan’, and the fast and furious ‘Resist Or Die,’ which was dedicated to the people of Palestine. This was a particularly fast hardcore number, and before we could regain our collective breath, the band launched into a new number called ‘Beehive’. This song was about politicians, and speaking of which, their next song was entitled ‘The Rotten’. Grail Guard ended their set with ‘Anxieties’ and got the crowd to sing along to a chant that helpfully informed fascists as to where they could stick their ideology. This was a great set of anger-fuelled punk rock, where the singer spends almost as much time in the audience as he does on the stage. Grail Guard proves there is a future after all.
(Sonny Tyler)
STEVE IGNORANT BAND – Empress Ballroom (19:45 – 20:45)
Steve Ignorant and his band is my staple music diet for Rebellion, whether it be with Slice of Life or playing a Crass set as he is today. Since it was announced he is playing the first album by Crass ‘The Feeding Of The 5000’ in full, I have been eagerly awaiting this moment for months. When it was released, I was only 14 and living in a small village in Scotland so it bypassed me, but on moving to London when I was 17, I soon discovered Crass and the anarcho punk scene in one of those life affirming moments.
I’m near the front of the queue for The Empress Ballroom but there is a long wait to gain entry as there is a mass exodus of UK Subs fans from the venue and they only start to let us in just as the band are due onstage. This leads to a slightly delayed start, and I somehow manage to get close to the front. As always Steve and the band deliver to the highest degree possible with positive contributions from all members. As often is the case Carol is a stand-out performer with her amazing vocal range sending shivers down my spine, perfectly complimenting Steve’s rasping vocals. Bass guitarist Pete Rawlinson is stood on my side of the stage, and I often find my eyes drawn to his enthusiasm during the set.
The videos playing on the backing screens are harrowing and really get the anti-war message across strongly. When it comes to ‘Fight War Not Wars’ I find myself mimicking drummer Jay Bagnall thumping his chest in time with the words and the hairs on my arm stand to attention. Picking a favourite song from the album is virtually impossible but based on tonight’s performance I will opt for ‘Banned From The Roxy.’ The set ends with Steve doing a superb spoken word version of ‘Do They Owe Us A Living?’ even though time is up. Now that’s rebellion. I leave the venue mentally exhausted and my body is drained, but what a truly amazing show I have just witnessed.
(Andy Murphy)
THE PRIMITIVES – Opera House (19:55 – 20:45)
The Primitives gave us a sparkling summer performance with tambourines and a sequin skirt. The energy from the band was infectious, with Tracy Tracy telling us we looked “splendid.” The band had been touring earlier this year and I’m glad they made the journey to Blackpool as the set was excellent. They played classics ‘Spin-o-Rama,’ and of course their big hit ‘Crash’ as well as the recent tune ‘Don’t Know Where To Start’. My favourite song of the set was ‘Secrets’ which we were all lucky to hear live. This was the first time The Primitives have played ‘Secrets’ live in the UK as a full band since 1989. It seemed fitting to perform this song in Blackpool as the first time the band ever visited Blackpool was to film the ‘Secrets’ music video. Knowing this made the performance even more special and I am so glad that they are able to perform the song live again after distancing themselves from it for all these years.
The Primitives gave an excellent and energetic performance. It is always impressive to see a band still have the original members all these decades later, reflected in the electric energy across the performance. They are one of the great bands remembered from the 1980s for a reason, proving their icon status tonight.
(Iona Murphy)
BEANS ON TOAST – Almost Acoustic (20:55 – 21:45)
I must confess, I chose to see Beans On Toast for one completely meaningless reason…the name! As an avid beans on toast (the food) fan, I figured it was worth giving the indie icon a try. Whilst it is outside my usual genre of choice, I was thoroughly entertained. Beans On Toast wins the award for wackiest act of the day and I couldn’t stop laughing when he performed ‘The Glastonbury Oak,’ a song for people who like festivals and trees. What I loved about Beans On Toast is that his songs draw on human connection in the silly and mundane. It was very different to the other performers at Rebellion but still drew in a big crowd.
One of his biggest songs is ‘M.D.M.Amazing’, which he introduced with an anecdote. People often ask him “Do you ever get bored of singing that MDMA song?” But he told us that as long as people enjoy it, he’d never get bored. If people are driving all the way to one of his shows to hear it, of course he’ll play it.
The interactions between Beans On Toast and the audience were at points bonkers! A woman in the audience was videoing the set for her nephew, so Beans On Toast took her phone and video called him. It was so funny watching the interaction play out. Another stand out moment was towards the end of the set when he threw fifty-two playing cards out into the crowd saying “I’ll tell you what we need to do before society collapses… sell some merch.” Playing cards is a great choice of merch, and it’s nice that members of the crowd now own a card that’s part of a pack, connecting the Rebellion family.
Realising he still had time to perform ‘Money For War’, Beans on toast gleefully said “We’ve got time to sing more songs about the collapse of civilisation.” I think this captures his essence, finding comedy in a world which can be frightening.
Setlist as follows: ‘Old Grunge’, ‘The Glastonbury Oak’, ‘The War On War’, ‘M.D.M.Amazing’, ‘Merry Old England’, ‘Pelican Crossing’, ‘That’s Why I Don’t Drink Tequila Anymore’, ‘Beautiful Place’, ‘World Gone Crazy’, ‘We’re Still Here’, ‘Take Your Shit Home With You’, ‘Send Me A Bird’, ‘I’m Home When You Hold Me’, ‘Faith In The Moon’, ‘Money For War’.
(Iona Murphy)
PIZZATRAMP – After Dark in Pavilion (21:00 – 21:35)
The last time that I saw Pizzatramp was opening on Club Casbah a couple of years ago when lead singer Jimmy was extremely hungover and ended up puking on stage, which turned out to be the only way he was ever going to stop talking.
Tonight Jimmy is back to his old self and hurling insults at the crowd rammed into the Pavilion After Dark stage from the set to. His first utterings are to say hello to us “decrepit old c*nts” which we don’t deserve, unlike his latter slating of Jeremy Clarkson, though it really isn’t for those of a nervous disposition as it gets dark quickly, before the band launch into ‘The Last Supper.’
It’s only a 35-minute set, yet who knows how many songs they sing in amongst the chaos, but they could probably double their setlist if it was songs alone, though then it wouldn’t be an authentic Pizzatramp gig which puts them in a unique class of their own. Jimmy goes into a rant about climate change and Goths as he urges the crowd to forcibly remove their trench coats during this heatwave before launching into ‘Millions Of Dead Goths.’
The music is fast and furious when it comes along, with classics such as ‘CCTV’, ‘My Back’s F#@king F8cked,’ ‘Bono Is A C*nt’ and ‘I Got Work In The Morning.’ Add to these “the ‘insert name of band’ are f*cking sh*t” of which there are at least 18, including Blur, Foo Fighters, Rancid, Metallica, and Sham 69, in a six-minute segment.
Pizzatramp are playing ‘Bring Your Nan Fest’ at The Pig in Hastings on the first weekend of September, so if you fancy some hardcore sounds, edgy hilarity, and some abuse, then get yourself along, but I wouldn’t bring your nan, though dressing up as one is optional.
(Andy Murphy)
MAID OF ACE – Club Casbah (22:25 – 23:15)
Having missed Maid Of Ace at Rebellion last year due to my lack of stamina and sleep, I was determined to see them this year. You may think that strange for someone who lives in their hometown of Hastings, but they haven’t been that active locally apart from playing on the same weekend as Rebellion, a couple of days after performing in Blackpool in the past couple of years. I first saw MOA play way back in the noughties when they were very raw, but even then I had a strong feeling that they could make something of themselves, which is proven by the fact that they have amazingly played Wembley Stadium in support of Green Day. Although Hastings has a population of 90,000+ it is still relatively small and I’ve bumped into lead singer Alison twice in the past fortnight as she’s walked past my house with this fan boy pointing out on both occasions that he was attending Rebellion.
Playing at 10:25pm on the first night and up against nostalgic big hitters The Stranglers and Bow Wow Wow and anarcho punks The Mob, it is always going to be a battle to fill the Casbah Club, but there is still a very good crowd for these Rebellion stalwarts since 2013. It’s fair to say that I am flagging as I prop myself up on the barrier, but my energy levels are instantly revitalised by the opening track ‘Stay Away,’ which just so happens to be my favourite song of theirs. What I love about this band is that the raw edgy side is still there and they are still liable to make the odd mistake as Alison points out in no uncertain terms after ‘Hollywood Rain’. Another highlight for me is when Alison tells us, “It’s time to go to church” before the band burst into the barnstorming ‘Repent.’ I must also give a special mention to Abby who never ceases to amaze me with her energy on drums. Now that’s certainly woken me up before bedtime!
(Andy Murphy)
THE MOB – Conference Circle (22:40 – 23:40)
The Mob are one of my favourite anarcho-punk bands, so it was a no-brainer that I would be here tonight for this performance. Since reforming, they had been a bit quiet in recent years, but last year they played a gig in London and one at this festival, in the Opera House, which was rather special. Tonight, it was a change of venue within the Winter Gardens, this time being in the rather grand sounding ‘Conference Circle’.
The room was very busy tonight, as The Mob tore straight into ‘Another Life, Another Death’ from their classic ‘Let The Tribe Increase’ album. ‘Cry Of The Morning’ got an early airing too, followed by the sublime ‘Raised In A Prison’, which raised the hairs on the back of my neck. The Mob have a truly unique sound, and they are one of the few punk bands that are happy to slow down the tempo to great effect. ‘Rise Up’ is a relatively new number in the band’s repertoire, and it stands very ably next to the other classic songs in the band’s set tonight. ‘Our Life, Our World’ is another song sent to move us, as Mark sings, “cigarette burns on tortured arms” to a transfixed room of people. If that didn’t tug at your heartstrings, then ‘I Wish’ was up next. Mark said that it was great to be in a band with original band members that grew up and went to school together. Not many bands from their original era can boast that.
‘Witchunt’ always gets the room moving, and tonight was no exception. Things slowed down shortly afterward, in the form of a certain peace punk anthem by the name of, ‘No Doves Fly Here’. This song is a hard one to follow, but ‘The Mob’ still had ‘Gates Of Hell’ in their anarcho-punk arsenal. A great set of songs delivered by a band that doesn’t play very often nowadays. To witness a gig by ‘The Mob’ is always a memorable affair.
(Sonny Tyler)
THE STRANGLERS – Empress Ballroom (22:45 – 00:15)
Tonight’s headliners are The Stranglers. I’ve seen the band many times, both with the original lineup and since, and they’ve never come anywhere close to being disappointing. However, a friend of mine who hasn’t seen the band since the 1980s walks out saying “that’s not The Stranglers. That’s a tribute band with Jean-Jacques Burnel on bass.” Well, that isn’t an opinion that I’d share with JJ. Or Baz Warne for that matter, as he’s now been in the band for twenty-six years, a decade more than Hugh Cornwell managed. So, in order to quash any doubts, the band onstage tonight are definitely The Stranglers. JJ and Baz will be available to discuss the matter with any naysayers at the end of the review. Probably.
This being a festival, what we get tonight is a greatest hits set, and there really is nothing to fault. You really can’t beat an opening trio of ‘Straighten Out’, ‘Duchess’ and ‘(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)’. For me, the sound of The Stranglers always revolved around JJ’s bass and Dave Greenfield’s keyboards. Current keyboard player Toby Hounsham plays just like the late Dave Greenfield so that sound is very much intact.
Although this is largely a hits set, there is the odd excursion away from that zone, such as ‘Relentless’ from 2006’s ‘Suite XVI’ album. This song also highlights what a wildly underrated guitarist Baz Warne is, as his playing is incandescent. ‘White Stallion’ from the band’s most recent album ‘Dark Matters’ is another comparatively recent highlight. Apart from that there are very few surprises, but that is by no means a complaint. The Stranglers give this crowd what they want, which is a tour through some of the best of their back catalogue. Toby Hounsham’s keyboard solo in ‘Walk On By’ is excellent, whilst Baz Warne’s solo in ‘Hanging Around’ kicks ass. The set closes with the brilliant ‘Tank’ from the ‘Black And White’ album.
The first of the encores ‘Mean To Me’, also from the ‘Black And White’ album (although it dates back to at least a couple of years before that album’s release) harks back to the band’s blues-rock origins, and what else could the final encore be but ‘No More Heroes’? This has been a brilliant end to a brilliant day, and there are still three more days to go! Yowzah!!!
(Mark Kelly)
BUZZCOCKS – Opera House (23:25 – 00:25)
In the battle of the Thursday closing headliners, for me, it was always going to be Buzzcocks. I’ve liked Buzzcocks since I was a little girl and first saw them live on 30th April 2022 at Parish in Huddersfield. I was excited to see them for a second time and they did not disappoint. The Opera House is becoming one of my favourite venues in The Winter Gardens as the ascending seats meant that as a short girl I could see wherever I went. Buzzcocks were the tenth band I saw today and I started feeling tired, but their energy kept me going through to midnight and I soon forgot it was way past my bedtime.
The setlist for the show gave us an excellent mix of old songs and news songs. As someone more familiar with their older music, it was nice to hear songs from their 2026 album ‘Attitude Adjustment.’ I particularly liked ‘Queen Of The Scene’, and its exploration of the impact reality TV and technology has on the human mind. In the middle of the set lead singer Steve Diggle joked that the crowd made the right choice coming to see Buzzcocks and “anyone elsewhere is a wanker.” Other iconic songs on the setlist include ‘Orgasm Addict’ and ‘Manchester Rain’ which really got the crowd going. There were plenty of diehard fans that knew all the lyrics, but even those that didn’t were having fun enjoying the legends that are Buzzcocks.
Whilst it may be a little cliché, ‘Ever Fallen In Love’ is one of my all-time favourite songs. It is a classic for a reason ,and the crowd loved it as the closing song. Even though I was seated, I still danced along. It was the perfect way to end an incredible day at my first ever Rebellion.
(Iona Murphy)
The dates for next year’s Rebellion Festival are 5th to 8th August 2027.
Tickets are on sale and can be purchased HERE.
