‘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.
The 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 has many sizable rooms including the Empress Ballroom, Club Casbah, Opera House, Conference Circle, Arena, and Pavilion (including After Dark & RIS (‘Rebellion Introducing Stage’). Upstairs there was also the Almost Acoustic, and the Literary Stage and The Old Vic.
This is article three of four and concentrates on the happenings on Day Three (Saturday 8th August).
The reviews of Day One (Thursday 6th August) can be found HERE and the reviews of Day Two (Friday 7th August) can be found HERE.
So without further ado here’s our account…
DAY THREE – SATURDAY 8th AUGUST
PHAT PROBLEM – Club Casbah (12:35 – 13:05)
Phat Problem are from Brighton and are a local band to me. They have been making quite a splash on the queer-core scene, and regularly gig around the UK and beyond. They even did a couple of tour dates with the legendary ‘Pansy Division’ from the U.S recently. Fronted by the unstoppable Frankie, they also have a penchant for all things day-glo on stage, giving me a bit of a Rubella Ballet vibe.
Their day-glo make-up and attire was in full force this afternoon, as they tackled that daunting opening slot on the Club Casbah stage today. No need to worry though, as plenty of people were in attendance as Phat Problem blasted through their hardcore tunes. A banner was draped over an amp saying, “Trans Rights Are Human Rights”, which is a subject very close to the band’s hearts. The second song was a ska number, and their singer, Frankie, told us that she loved Blackpool and the Rebellion Festival, as it’s one of the few places that they don’t get judged on their looks. “F*cking lovely!”, Frankie proclaimed.
Phat Problem pleased the crowd with a ‘UK Subs’ cover too, called ‘Human Rights’, and they certainly did it justice. ‘No Justice, No Peace’ was also played, complete with ‘screamo’ vocals from the bassist. Frankie ran around the stage energetically and ‘Phat Problem’ certainly woke the room up today.
(Sonny Tyler)
PUBIC ENEMY – Empress Ballroom (12:40 – 13:15)
Review to follow…
(Mark Kelly)
VOODOO RADIO – Opera House (12:40 – 13:10)
Saturday at Rebellion kicked off with a father-daughter duo sitting in the audience watching a father-daughter duo perform! Voodoo Radio win the award for funniest banter across the weekend, at points I felt like I’d gone to watch stand up instead. The dynamic was absolutely hilarious and I had a huge smile on my face for the whole set. I wish I could recall every funny comment they made, but there’s only so quickly one girl can take notes when they’re going back and forth at each other!
The wacky chat began after their first song ‘Eat Your Words’ when Paige said they didn’t have much time to chat with a half an hour set, somehow leading to Tony talking about his jacket being £1 a sniff at the merch stand after the set! This set the tone for the iconic duo’s performance. Before singing ‘Pretty Boy’ Paige wanted to make it very clear to us that Tony is her dad and not her boyfriend. Once again, we erupted into loud laughter. Another song introduction that had me in stitches was for ‘Hate Like The Devil.’ This was a song for a film and needed a male singer, meaning dad Tony had to be the singer. Daughter Paige asked the soundman to turn up Tony’s mic for this song but none of the others.
Voodoo Radio liked to explain what their songs were about before performing, for instance ‘The Ice Cream Man’ is about Blackpool, very fitting for Rebellion. ‘She’s The Toxic’ is about a love triangle, not a threesome (as we were assured). ‘Turn Out The Light’ is about a threesome, which Paige said was awkward given it’s a song her dad wrote. Tony said that it could also be about saving electricity. Who knows which one it is, though the lyrics perhaps give it away!
The audience loved Voodoo Radio’s performance, so much joy that the band thanked us for smiling if we had teeth, with some people smiling so bright it looked like they’d been to Turkey. We were also smiling a lot during ‘Dog’ which they said was written as a bad song requested by a film producer. They got us to pretend to be dogs during this song and given how fun they had been, I was surprised how many people were on board with this. I, of course, was up for it, no questions asked! I loved Voodoo Radio and they put me in such a great mood after having very little sleep. Definitely worth catching them on tour when you can.
Setlist as follows: ‘Eat Your Words’, ‘Pretty Boy’, ‘Slag Bank’, ‘The Ice Cream Man’, ‘Watching The TV’, ‘Dog’, ‘Hate Like The Devil’, ‘She’s The Toxic’, ‘Turn Out The Light’.
(Iona Murphy)
BAMBEES – RIS in Pavilion (13:20 – 13:50)
I’m not sure which band I want to start my Saturday off with, so I decide to visit the RIS Pavilion in hope of finding a gem, where five Welsh punks straight outta Merthyr Tydfil are taking to the stage, who go by the name of Bambees (formerly The Brass Bambees). Opening with their first single, the menacing ‘Modern Casanova’ has a hint of IDLES about it and I am instantly taken to them. Once the nerves have settled it’s noticeable that the band are really enjoying themselves and I can’t help but warm to their onstage chaos The chemistry is obvious between these five friends (Rhys – lead vocals, Sofia – bass, Jamie – rhythm guitar, Ainslee – lead guitar, Owen – drums) and sets them apart from any other band I have seen thus far. I have to say that I am enjoying every song and ‘Head Full Of Magic’ stands out early on with the Killing Joke like guitar riff. There is a strong three song segment to end the show. ‘Unlucky Rabbit’ is one hell of a tune and bassist Sofia’s backing vocals really add some angst, followed by ‘NOEYES//NOLOVE,’ both released in March this year. They end the set with their recent single ‘Machismo,’ and I am already contemplating when I might get to see them play live again.
I am assured by Sofia and Jamie that Bambees are good friends and will not be splitting up anytime soon, but I still won’t be saying that they are my favourite new find of the festival given my track record. They are only used to having a couple of punters at the merch stall after each gig so the fact that today they are inundated will mean that they have hopefully raised enough petrol money for the journey back home to Merthyr Tydfil, rather than having to syphon it out of cars according to Rhys Davies. I help to prevent him getting a criminal record by purchasing a rather cool ‘Machismo’ t-shirt of which my only gripe is that the subtle Bambees logo would have looked great on the back rather than the inside. Here’s hoping they find their way to the south coast of England in the near future.
(Andy Murphy)
SPUNK – Club Casbah (13:25 – 13:55)
Spunk have come all the way from Southern California in the States today, and this young band made quite the impression at last year’s Rebellion Festival. This so-called intrepid reporter missed out last time, so I wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.
I certainly was not disappointed, as the band tore through a set of songs that could have existed in the early 80’s American punk rock/hardcore scene. This was full-on snotty punk rock, delivered by a singer with plenty of attitude. He came onstage wearing a leather gimp mask, before tearing it off and sneering into the faces of a transfixed audience. I almost felt like I’d stepped out of a time machine to watch a young Darby Crash performance. They sang a song about a certain pedophile in the Whitehouse and gave religion a bashing, as the band ran around the stage in an energetic fashion. The bassist was wearing a militaristic outfit complete with beret, and the guitarist was sporting some green overalls. This was an old school confrontational set, where no subject matter was sacred, as they spat out a rabid tune about junkies. This performance was enjoyably manic, which ended with the guitarist playing the last song on his back, as the ‘Spunk’ singer screamed into the crowd’s faces. I urge you to see this band when you get the chance. A major festival highlight for me!
(Sonny Tyler)
EMILY FLEA – The Old Vic (13:55 – 14:25)
Emily Flea is one of the icons of Rebellion. I kept seeing them around the festival in incredible outfits and make-up and I was excited to get to hear them perform today. My dad recommended seeing them following seeing ‘Emily Flea does the Damned’ earlier on. I knew I’d enjoy myself when they came out to do the soundcheck and said “has punk gone woke?” over and over.
One of the problems with The Old Vic as a venue is that people often talk, treating it as a pub rather than a music venue. This can get frustrating for members of the audience there to listen and for the artists themselves. I have a lot of respect for Emily for asking people to be quiet and singing “shut the f*ck up” when they wouldn’t. It was exactly what I wanted to do as well.
Emily’s music is very political and stands up for important causes, such as ‘Dream’ which explores a world where people are not transphobic. In ‘No Pride’ they speak up for queer rights and intersectionality and in ‘What’s Your Excuse?’ they promote veganism. It’s not just music where Emily Flea is an activist. Before playing ‘Park Bench Creep’ they told us they had been on a park run that morning, training for the Berlin Marathon. They are running for The Outside project who help LGBTQIA+ people who are facing homelessness.
My favourite song of the set was ‘Five Seconds,’ an emotive song about taking things five seconds at a time if they feel impossible. It was such an important message, and I hope people are able to hear this song and find hope. Emily Flea is an excellent musician and passionate for good causes. I hope to see them performing her solo material on a bigger stage at Rebellion 2027 as they really deserve it.
Setlist as follows: ‘Dream’, ‘No Room For You’, ‘What’s Your Excuse?’, ‘Shut Up And Have A Wank’, ‘Five Seconds’, ‘Park Bench Creep’, ‘Hypocrite’, ‘No Pride’.
(Iona Murphy)
SKINT KNEES – RIS in Pavilion (14:10 – 14:40)
I hang about in the RIS Pavilion for the next gig as it is turning out as the place to be after catching the last band. Next up is the all-female three-piece outfit that is Skint Knees, who hail from the wrong side of the Pennines being from Sheffield, but I won’t hold that against them. This Riot Grrrl band are here to have a bit of fun and are obviously so thrilled to be playing Rebellion that as a memento of playing they hand out a disposable camera so the audience can take photos of their experience at a Skint Knees gig and it will be interesting to see the final results given that it’s a punk festival.
Any band that opens with a song called ‘Eat The Rich’ gets my seal of approval. I love the musical introduction of the band members conducted by drummer Rachel, and a way of showing off their skills. This should be made compulsory for all bands so we know who is who, and what instrument they play. She then introduces ‘Diagnonsense’ about side effects that women experience taking medication only to be scoffed at by doctors, and you can feel the frustration in the lyrics. All things considered, I don’t think I have seen a drummer smile so much whilst thrashing the drums with such vigour.
The set ends with the 2024 track ‘Cheerleader’ taken from their ‘Grrrl Germs’ EP. This has a catchy chorus which we are encouraged to sing along to, “1…2…3…4 how long till I’m called a whore, 5…6…7…8 you’re not gonna get a date”, etc. This band are fun, but they have a serious personal message which they get across successfully in support of building a better and more accepting society and would be perfect playing the Loud Women stage on Rebellion Sunday. During an enforced break in the set, bassist Sam, an ex-schoolteacher, gives us a lesson in Victorian slang and we learn that “tousy mousy” was used to describe female genitalia. Now I didn’t expect to learn that at this year’s Rebellion!
(Andy Murphy)
999 – Empress Ballroom (14:35 – 15:20)
Review to follow…
(Mark Kelly)
CLITSPIT – RIS in Pavilion (15:00 – 15:30)
I think Clitspit may win the most “out there” name of all the bands I saw at Rebellion (though it is a close race between them and Pussyliqour). The band introduced themselves by saying “We’re Clitspit and we’re f*cking shit.” I have to disagree with them there, I think Clitspit were f*cking great! I loved their eclectic range of songs and their passion for politics. I had to support a Leeds band in solidarity with my Yorkshire home.
There was one slow song in the set, with the lead singer saying “we only have one slow song in the set, please don’t leave.” The song is called ‘My Friend’ and there was no chance of me leaving during this fantastic song. My personal highlight was ‘Seen Not Heard,’ a song fighting back against the phrase little girls should be seen and not heard. They called for women to be loud and take up space, asking that only the girls in the audience dance along. I had a lot of fun dancing and taking up space in the room.
Clitspit spoke a lot about patriarchy and the serious impact it has on women. Their song ‘Otley Run Massacre’ is in response to the misogynistic hate crime that took place in Leeds in 2025. They are open about the reality of safety for women in public spaces. Their song ‘Handle It’ also looks at these themes, exploring how hard it is to be a woman in the music industry and just existing in the everyday. The lead singer spoke about how people send her bizarre emails, for instance asking her to go ballroom dancing, which she let us know “I will say no to.” Before playing ‘Handle It’ the guitar string snapped, but luckily they were able to handle it and play their closing song anyway.
Clitspit were a proper riot grrrl band and I loved seeing them. I look forward to the release of their first EP. They brought the energy and I hope to catch them in concert soon.
(Iona Murphy)
JOHNNY MOPED – Opera House (15:30 – 16:10)
I venture to The Opera House where I choose to sit upstairs to watch Johnny Moped. Having just watched two much younger bands playing the RIS, it is a stark contrast seeing 72 year old Paul Halford aka Johnny Moped, onstage. He exudes charisma to make up for his lack of mobility. It is mid-afternoon though and having not had much sleep last night thanks to being rudely awoken by a hotel resident being sick for the second night running, it is a struggle being sat in a warm venue and isn’t recommended for keeping up your concentration levels, but we live and learn.
Amazingly I’ve never seen Johnny Moped play a full set live before, only witnessing bits on the Almost Acoustic stage so I get his humour. His music style is very much good old pub punk rock, which reminds me of a chaotic version of Dr Feelgood. Showing his softer side he plays ‘I Believed Her Lies’ as a tribute to deceased bass player Fred Berk, who wrote the song. I love the classic sub-two minute old school punk chords of ‘VD Boiler’ but for me one of the more recent songs from 2017 ‘Catatonic’ is the standout song of the set. As and when I happen to see Johnny Moped play again then I will definitely be standing up to get the full benefit of his show, as my enjoyment was somewhat spoiled on this occasion by my own senseless choice of sitting down.
(Andy Murphy)
WREX – RIS in Pavilion (15:50 – 16:20)
Brighton band WREX played their first ever Rebellion and with a set like this it definitely won’t be their last. There were a lot of WREX fans in the audience, with one person I spoke to telling me WREX is their daughter’s favourite band. They are clearly making waves in the music industry and I am excited to see what’s next for the duo consisting of Mae Seaton and George Donoghue. Their music is all about parking life and having a good time, which is exactly what I was able to do.
There were so many stand out songs it’s hard to pick a highlight. I really enjoyed ‘Paranoia’, their opening song, which set the tone for the set. Another stand out was ‘Heaven’s Gate’ which was Metal Hammer’s best metal song of 2024. This is an impressive achievement and hearing it I could see why.
I really enjoyed ‘111,’ a song about ADHD which lasted for one minute and eleven seconds. It is a clever concept and showcased their talents as musicians and songwriters. Guitarist George came out into the crowd to perform the song which was a fun touch, we moshed around him and had a laugh.
The last song was called ‘Paradise,’ about how far an independent band can make it. WREX are such a fantastic band for aspiring musicians with their openness about independent music and not selling out in the industry. I really enjoyed this song and the message behind it.
WREX are going on tour in October, make sure to catch them for a night of dancing and forgetting all your problems.
Setlist as follows: ‘S.A.D’., ‘Consume’, ‘Paranoia’, ‘Recovery’, ‘111’, ‘Long Way Down’, ‘Heaven’s Gate’, ‘Take A Walk’, ‘Paradise’.
(Iona Murphy)
CHRON GEN – Empress Ballroom (17:55 – 18:50)
Chron Gen is a band I haven’t seen since the early eighties on my regular forays to The Lyceum on a Sunday night. I was present on June 6th, 1982, at a gig which Chelsea and the Anti-Nowhere League were also playing, whilst Israel invaded Lebanon that same day. 44 years later and all three bands are performing here at Rebellion, whilst Israel are still making strikes against Lebanon, so not much has changed in the world. I purchased Chron Gen’s first album, but sadly it appears to be one of those that never made the journey with me through my life.
Lead singer Glyn Barber tells us how 30 years ago they played the first Rebellion (Holidays in the Sun) on this very stage and tonight’s, 55-minute set, is their last show ever, so it’s an emotional evening all round. I have been looking forward to this show so I can say I was at their last ever gig. For me it doesn’t hit the heights of all those years ago and they find it difficult to replicate the energy and youthful exuberance of the early eighties, which I suppose can be said for us all even if we like to think otherwise, though the moshers are doing their best to prove me wrong.
A cover of ‘Jet Boy, Jet Girl’ never goes amiss, but for me the penultimate song ‘LSD’ is my standout track from the set reminding me of their energy from the old days, and they finish with the classic ‘Living Next Door To Alice’ cover. The chorus isn’t as fast as it used to be but it’s still a good ending to their existence. It was nice to share seeing an old punk band with my daughter who enjoyed herself and managed to nab a drumstick thrown into the crowd at the end as a memento of the last ever Chron Gen gig. It’s always sad to see a band from your youth split but after tonight it feels like maybe we just grew apart over the years.
(Andy Murphy)
DEADLINE – Club Casbah (18:10 – 18:50)
Deadline made a big name for themselves in the early 2000’s amongst the Oi!/Streetpunk scene, so I was excited to hear of their sudden reformation in London earlier this year, at Booze & Glory’s annual bash. Fast-forward a few months, and Deadline are back once again, making another rare appearance at Rebellion festival today. Deadline always stood out amongst the other bands, having the knack of writing particularly very catchy tunes. Couple that with Liz’s amazing melodic vocals, and you’re onto a winner.
By this time in the evening, the ‘Club Casbah’ room was nice and busy, as people waited in anticipation for a rare glimpse of ‘Deadline’ performing their classic streetpunk songs with a melodic edge. It was great to hear ‘Take No Chances’ and ‘Get Away’ again, as Liz jumped around the stage as speedily as ever, leading us through our favourite sing-alongs. ‘Liar’ is another classic which got the crowd up and moving as the band gave it 110% on the stage tonight. One of the guitarists (not Lee) had to suddenly leave the stage at one point, due to technical issues, but the band battled on and handled things brilliantly. Liz even performed a guitar solo with her vocal chords, to fill in the missing gaps. ‘Going Nowhere’ got a welcome airing too, which injected a bit of ska into the proceedings. They ended this fun set with ‘Last Night’, reminding us all why they were one of our favourite bands of the 2000’s.
(Sonny Tyler)
GBH – Empress Ballroom (19:10 – 20:00)
I haven’t really been attracted to The Empress Ballroom much this year, but here I am watching two bands in a row for the first time in 2026. I had been considering going to see ‘Salford Jets’ but given that I have a good spot I decide against it and stay to watch some hardcore punk with old favourites GBH, another band that I saw a fair few times back in the eighties at venues such as The Lyceum and The Clarendon Hotel.
Now this is what UKPunk82 is all about for me with the energy from the band spilling over into the moshpit. For the first time this year I witness a sea of crowdsurfers and they are of all ages, with a couple probably only about ten years old at a push. This old head is suitably positioned to avoid any boots to said old head. The speed with which lead singer Colin Abrahall and co. go through their songs is highly impressive and whereas some bands may have slowed down a bit over the years there is no relenting from GBH, which is even more impressive when Colin tells us that the new guitarist has had to get out of his sick bed to play tonight.
Lead singer of the Whoremones, the whirlwind that is Pascale Sifantus, joins Colin onstage for one song just to keep him on his toes and I am so impressed with her that I add them to my list of bands to see tomorrow. Colin is sporting his customary leather jacket, with a Godfathers t-shirt, who clash with Whoremones tomorrow night, so I wonder who he will be watching.
We are invited to take our partners for the live classic that is ‘Bellend Bop’ which is superfast punk psychobilly, like the moshers need further encouragement, and is probably the longest song GBH have ever composed. The obvious highlight is ‘City Baby Attacked By Rats’ and it doesn’t disappoint. That mid-afternoon lull now seems a distant memory.
(Andy Murphy)
NOTHING THRIVES – RIS in Pavilion (19:10 – 19:40)
Nothing Thrives gave us a performance that felt like a rage room soundtrack and I headbanged so hard I saw stars which made me take it a little bit easier the rest of the set. Coming all the way from Athens, Greece, Nothing Thrives gave an intense performance that gave everyone a rush of energy. The audience were very on board and there was an excellent moshpit taking place. Hopefully they’ll get a spot in a bigger venue another year so we can have multiple pits taking place.
The setlist was excellent with songs like ‘Medicine’ really getting the crowd going. I think this was my favourite song of the set as I loved the psychological themes. They also had a song where they called for people to “stop getting drunk and kicking each other’s asses unnecessarily.” I think this sentiment felt important as a reminder that punk music is about protest, not fighting each other. They ended their set with ‘Riot’ which was a big punk track about protesting against the system, no matter where you’re from we all have something to stand up for. The song is the opener to their album ‘Tales Of Disgrace’ and was the perfect way to end a high energy set.
Nothing Thrives were great performers and I thoroughly recommend getting them on your radar if you like garage punk and a proper moshpit.
(Iona Murphy)
THE WURZELS – Club Casbah (20:20 – 21:20)
To say I’d been looking forward to seeing these legends, would be a major understatement. The Wurzels have always been the last word on rural hot topics, such as combine harvesters and scrumpy consumption, so I was excited to see them inflict some much needed ‘farmageddon’ on the Winter Gardens today. I don’t drink cider nowadays, but I found myself buying a pint of it in their honour.
To say people were excited by the prospect of seeing the West Country’s finest, would be a big understatement. I positioned myself front of centre on the stage barrier, to witness this cider-powered phenomenon. ‘The Wurzels’ had a moving, cartoon-style backdrop, and keyboards that had ‘Wurzelitzer’ written on it. On further inspection, one of the Marshall amps had ‘Wurzall’ on it, in that familiar logo style. Inspired hey? There were at least two original/long term band members in the band today, bolstered by a few young people in their late 30’s/40’s maybe.
They performed a very entertaining rendition of ‘The Black Bird’ and lots of other traditional and regional folk music, with plenty of double innuendo banter between songs (and quite often during). Of course, the massive assembled crowd of punks/skins and everything in between, were absolutely lapping it up, and some people’s dance moves were absolutely brilliant. ‘The Wurzels’ even covered ‘Ruby’ by ‘The Kaiser Chiefs’, complete with “Oo-Arr” sing-along in the chorus, which had us crying with laughter into our pints. It was soon time to wheel out the classic, ‘I Am A Cider Drinker’, which was a joyous moment.
The band ended their set with ‘I’ve Got A Brand New Combine Harvester’ to a room that was full to capacity. It was a bit of a dance version, which somehow made it even more fun (I’ve honestly never seen so many ‘Rebellion Crew’ watching from the wings). ‘The Wurzels’ was the true highlight of the weekend for me, making it one of those ‘Rebellion’ magic moments. As if things could get any better, all of this was topped off with someone throwing a pink bra onstage. Priceless!
(Sonny Tyler)
LAST TREE SQUAD – Arena (20:25 – 21:05)
Review to follow…
(Mark Kelly)
THEATRE OF HATE – Conference Circle (20:30 – 21:15)
Having missed Spear of Destiny on Friday, it is a must for me to see Theatre Of Hate, my slightly preferred Kirk Brandon project, tonight. I just manage to nab the last space at the front to the left of the stage with my daughter, next to a security guard. He isn’t really into the music, but I tell him he might be surprised as this is not your normal punk show.
A 45-minute set is barely enough time to cover all the songs I would like to hear, even though their initial lifespan was short, with a notable absentee being ‘Legion.’ We are though treated to the other half of their double A sided first ever recording in the magnificent ‘The Original Sin.’ For me Kirk’s unique vocals are what drew me to the band in the first place, and they show no sign of waning all these years later, even with regular touring. Everything about them is quite unique and the haunting saxophone of Clive Osborne is a key component of their sound. ‘Propaganda’ is my favourite TOH song but for me tonight’s live performance of ‘Conquistador’ is perfection.
Stan on bass is as enthusiastic as ever and it doesn’t go amiss with one crowd member shouting “Stan, you’re so f*cking cool” which is impossible not to agree with. I have my eyes on Clive’s setlist just a few feet away but just before the ‘Do You Believe In The Westworld’ finale he screws it up and sticks it in his pocket, much to my dismay. Luckily, the friendly security guard does me a solid and gets Kirk’ setlist for me. I have to say that my experience of the security has been nothing but positive. Throughout the set I notice him getting involved with the audience participation, clapping along when the crowd are encouraged to do so by Stan Stammers and applauding at the end of songs. Therein lies the beauty of music as you just don’t know what is going to float your boat unless you embrace the moment. Along with Iona, Kirk has found himself two new fans 46 years after Theatre Of Hate’s inception.
(Andy Murphy)
PUSSYLIQUOR – After Dark in Pavilion (21:40 – 22:15)
The highlight of my Saturday at Rebellion has to be Pussyliquor. This Brighton based band were recommended to me by my dad as something I’d enjoy. He knows me so well and I had the time of my life at Pussyliquor. I knew I was going to enjoy the band when they came out with a Hello Kitty guitar and a gem studded belt that said “Jesus loves you.” One of the first things they said to us was “can I get a little bit of booty shaking out here” and I knew I was in the presence of icons. Pussyliquor is made up of Ari Black, Victoria Lewis Piper, Tallulah Turner-Fray, and Hannah Villanueva (who is unfortunately leaving the band to live abroad).
What I loved about the band is how funny they are, with them joking about Hannah’s lying when she told us “it’s our first ever show.” The jokes kept coming, introducing songs as fan favourites but not their favourite! There was a moment where the ear pieces weren’t working properly and they asked for a little less vocal in the ear, which led to “can we have a little less clothing” and “can we have a number four with fries.”
We were lucky enough to hear their new song ‘Danny’ which was all about racism in the UK when the same people are going on holiday and complaining about other cultures. The opening line was about people saying “stop the boats” and they were worried people would film it and take it out of context! They let us know they want more boats, not less. My favourite lyric was about enjoying an all inclusive resort that serves gammon in Benidorm. Punk is alive and well in the hands of Pussyliquor.
Another iconic moment was their joke about Artificial Intelligence (AI). They joked around that actually the band isn’t real and are just AI holograms. Ari then joked that AI actually stands for Ass Insertion and to come to the merch stand after the show if you want some ass insertion. It caught me so off guard I couldn’t stop giggling well after the moment passed.
I have so much respect for bands that stick to their politics; Pussyliquor make their own merch by upcycling pieces from charity shops. This means everything they sell is sustainable and one-of-a-kind. Given they sing about fast fashion and the impact consumerism has on the planet in ‘Buy More Shit,’ it’s excellent that they try to combat the problem of drop shipped merch. Although, I am still devastated that someone got the purple butterfly t-shirt I was eyeing up before I managed to get in there! I’ll be speedier next time. Pussyliquor are lovely people having spoken to them a lot after the show, and I can’t wait to go to another gig.
Setlist as follows: ‘Bo’a, ‘Pretty Good For A Girl’, ‘Danny’, ‘Pesticide’, ‘Spoon’, ‘Buy More Shit’, ‘Evil Machine’, ‘C*nt’.
(Iona Murphy)
THE CHAMELEONS – Club Casbah (21:50 – 22:50)
Review to follow…
(Mark Kelly)
EXTC – Conference Circle (23:15 – 00:15)
Just like buses I make my second visit of the night to the Conference Circle, a new nighttime venue at Rebellion which houses the literary stage during the day. Now this band is probably a bit left field for a punk festival, but I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the songs of XTC played live, even if there is only one original member in the line-up, Terry Chambers on drums. Given that he has the seal of approval from Andy Partridge to perform as EXTC makes it all the more authentic in my mind. As a teenager I was a fan of their quirky indie style, and for me they were the purveyors of the perfect pop song of their time, and they made nine appearances on ‘Top Of The Pops’, when it was good, between 1979 and 1982.
Vocals in the main are shared between Karl Lornie, who multitasks between guitar and keyboard duties, and bassist Terry Lines. The keyboard certainly makes the sound complete when required, as I understand they were missing this aspect from live shows in the past. Opening the set with their second single from 1978, ‘This Is Pop’ feels like genius as it gets the crowd going from the start. They play all the hits including ‘Making Plans For Nigel’, ‘Senses Working Overtime’, ‘Sgt Rock’, the list goes on. There is a good old singalong to ‘Generals And Majors’ and with just enough time left to fit in a great rendition of ‘Life Begins At The Hop’, those nostalgia seekers in the audience are left more than satisfied.
I never had the privilege of seeing XTC play live back in the day so this has been a positive experience for me hearing their wondrous back catalogue live, but I can’t help pondering what it would have been like to see them with Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding on vocal duties but I guess I’ll never know.
(Andy Murphy)
PENETRATION – Opera House (23:15 – 00:15)
Penetration were my choice for closing band on Saturday night as I wanted to see the punk legend Pauline Murray in the flesh. Women are so pivotal to the punk movement and it’s an honour to get to see bands like Penetration. I’d been tossing up between bands, but before Pussyliquor one of their songs was played and I took that as a sign.
The performance tonight was incredible, despite it being “past all of our bedtimes” as Pauline said, there was so much energy in the Opera House thanks to Pauline’s stage presence. Her vocals are absolutely incredible and I was blown away by her talent. It was also lovely to see the performance being a family affair, with her daughter in the audience and son helping out when the technology wasn’t working.
Early on in the set one of my favourite songs was ‘Makes No Sense’ as I loved the lyric “I have never worn a stranger’s shoes.” The song is from the 2015 album ‘Resolution’, one of their more recent albums. Even after their initial popularity in the 1970 and 1980s, they still have that star factor. I also enjoyed their song about procrastination called ‘Just Drifting’ from the same album.
I love how Penetration were inventive with instruments, when you’ve been in the game so long you know how to rock it. I was sat by a hardcore fan and when they played ‘Come Into The Open’ we had a lovely dance together. It’s such an excellent song and I thought it may be the final song, but thankfully we still had a lot more coming. We spent the rest of the set singing and dancing to songs like ‘Don’t Dictate’ with Pauline giving her mic to the crowd who knew all the words.
After ‘Calm Before The Storm’ the band members left the stage one by one to give everyone their moment to shine. I had expected this to be the end, but we were treated with an encore of ‘Future Daze’ and one of my favourites ‘Life’s A Gamble.’ Pauline said that “sometimes you need to stay up late to know you’re alive” and she was right—despite my exhaustion before the set, by the end I was out of my seat dancing. It was a pleasure and an honour to see Penetration perform live.
Setlist as follows: ‘Nostalgia’, ‘Movement’, ‘Lovers Of Outrage’, ‘Makes No Sense’, ‘Just Drifting’, ‘Reunion’, ‘Free Money’, ‘Sea Song’, ‘Come Into The Open’, ‘Danger Signs’, ‘Don’t Dictate’, ‘Beat Goes On’, ‘Shout Above The Noise’, ‘Calm Before The Storm’, ‘Future Daze’, ‘Life’s A Gamble’.
(Iona Murphy)
DISORDER – After Dark in Pavilion (00:35 – 01:15)
When my life was dominated by punk rock and cider, Disorder were never far from my record deck. They were the soundtrack to those times. Things have changed a bit since then (Well, I don’t drink cider anymore), but ‘Disorder’ will always have a place in my heart. Long-running member and bassist, Taf, still has a permanent presence in the band, but tonight, we have the pleasure of watching early singer, Boobs, rip through their set. I had never seen him sing with the band, so this late night performance was worth staying up for.
They began with ‘Daily Life’, which is one of my favourites. The mosh pit was lively too, especially when the band blasted out the classic ‘Rampton Song’. Never has a band made us want to shout “Arghh!” so much (but, in a good way, of course). The added addition of Boobs on vocals was very welcome, and it added an extra element to the chaos. ‘Disorder’ have never been known for organised musicianship, and I’m happy to report that there was no change there. They ended their set with ‘Life’, which I think they played at least three times. That’s okay though (it’s a great song), and the whole affair made me reach longingly for my metaphorical 2 litre bottle of cider from the past. In a way, they were the bastard sons of ‘The Wurzels’ and there’s nowt wrong with that.
(Sonny Tyler)
The dates for next year’s Rebellion Festival are 5th to 8th August 2027.
Tickets are on sale and can be purchased HERE.
