2019 Rebellion Festival Preview: The Kingcrows

Ahead of this year’s Rebellion Festival we’re asking a selection of the band’s who are appearing about what we can expect, and for their advice on surviving the four day festival. In the eleventh of The Punk Site‘s 2019 Rebellion Festival previews we speak to Ratbag and Phil E Stine of The Kingcrows. Formed in 2006 after 2 old school friends, Ratbag and Lee J, bumped into each other at an Alice Cooper gig. After many line up changes Rocco (ex No Thrills bassist) joined and Phil E Stine (ex frontman with Assassination Bureau, in which Ratbag was also the drummer) completed the line up in 2007 and this has been the constant line up since. Five EPs, one compilation CD, two studio albums and 300+ gigs later, and they’re still here. You can read about what to expect from The Kingcrows at the Rebellion Festival below.

Is this your first experience of the Rebellion Festival or have you played before?

RATBAG: We played in 2015, that was a great experience. Took ’em four years to let us back in, mind…

What can we look forward to from your set?

PHIL E STINE: The usual Brute Force and Ignorance (title of new album!) which pretty much sums up how we play. Our set will be a mixture of songs ranging from very early to stuff off the new album, which will be for sale at Rebellion along with a brand new t-shirt design.
RATBAG: Making a racket and having a laugh. It’s what we do. Chaos, foolishness and rock ‘n’ roll.

What makes the Rebellion Festival special for you?

PHIL E STINE: Best thing about Rebellion is that people from all over the world can come and see a variety of new and older bands playing a variety of styles all in one place. It’s also a chance to check out bands you may never have seen but have heard a lot about.
RATBAG: Well, it’s the big gathering of the tribe, isn’t it? People from all over the world, bands from all over the world. There’s always something on worth seeing at any time. The only real downside is the stuff that you miss while watching other stuff.

Will you have the chance to catch anyone else whilst you’re there and is there anyone else on the bill you’d recommend people go and see?

PHIL E STINE: Hundreds of bands to recommend but particularly Dead Objectives, Goldblade, Drongos For Europe, Red Alert, and most definitely Guitar Gangsters.
RATBAG: I could go on listing bands all day. Definitely second the Guitar Gangsters, everybody should see that band. Looking forward to Fear, never thought I’d get to see them. Massive fan of the Descendents. There’s a Japanese mob called A Page Of Punk, they’re utterly mental. The Kopek Millionaires are ace. Loads of our mates playing – Knock Off, System Of Hate, The Fuckin’ Glorious, In Evil Hour, Healthy Junkies, Snakerattlers…

If you could pick one band to appear at the Rebellion Festival who would it be?

PHIL E STINE: One band I’d like to see at Rebellion again would be the Partisans.
RATBAG: It’s hard to think of one that’s still going that doesn’t play at least now and then. Have The Crack been on lately?

Do you have a favourite memory from a previous Rebellion Festival?

PHIL E STINE: It was brilliant to see a room packed full of punks dancing and singing along to The Sweet in 2015. Also the amount of people that turned up to watch us on our first visit was absolutely amazing.
RATBAG: I was at the very first one, when it was still called Holidays In The Sun, and the whole event was something magical. Nothing on that scale had ever been tried before. And look how it grew!!

Are you currently on tour if so where else are you playing this year?

RATBAG: We’re always popping up around and about. Here’s our current list to the end of the year…

Sat 27th July 2019: RISING SUN, MOSSLEY (nr Manchester)

Thu 1st August 2019: REBELLION FESTIVAL @ WINTER GARDENS, BLACKPOOL

Sat 7th September 2019: HARD DRIVE FESTIVAL @ THE VICTORIA BIKERS PUB, COALVILLE, nr LEICESTER

Sat 21st September 2019: THE PARISH, HUDDERSFIELD00

Sun 13th October 2019: STAR & GARTER, MANCHESTER (supp HEADSTICKS)

Sat 2nd November 2019: THE SPINNING TOP, STOCKPORT (all dayer)

Sat 30th November 2019: THE VICTORIA BIKERS PUB, COALVILLE, nr LEICESTER(with BORN TO DESTRUCT, MISPELT, DISOWNED, FLATCAPS & FISTICUFFS, more TBC)

Sat 7th December 2019: THE UNICORN, CAMDEN, LONDON (supp HEALTHY JUNKIES)

Fri 13th December 2019: WESTGATE 23, HECKMONDWIKE

Sat 14th December 2019: LEEDS PUNK ROCK XMAS 7 @ BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB, LEEDS (all dayer w/ GBH, DUNCAN REID & THE BIG HEADS, GEOFFREY OI!COTT, CYANIDE PILLS, KNOCK OFF, THE SWINDELLS)

What can we look forward to from you in the next twelve months?

RATBAG: Probably more of the same. Trying to get as many people as possible to hear the new album – we’re really proud of Brute Force And Ignorance, we think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. Outside of that, I’ve always said that if you don’t plan anything, nothing can go wrong.

Do you have any festival survival tips?

PHIL E STINE: Festival survival tips , plan your itinerary ahead and definitely don’t get way too drunk far to early. Check out some of the lesser known bands you may just catch a few gems.
RATBAG: Get a good breakfast inside you, pace the drinking, check out as many bands as possible that you’ve never seen before. Get a good printout of the schedule to try to minimise the clashes. Wear comfortable boots, you’re gonna be standing up a lot.

Is there anything else in Blackpool you’d recommend people experience whilst they’re in the town?

PHIL E STINE: I will be there following weekend for the air show, but also check out some of the fringe gigs if at all possible…
RATBAG: Well, the Doctor Who Exhibition closed, so that’s out. If you have time in between all the bands playing, there’s all the usual seaside stuff, it’s always nice to have a pootle down the prom and an ice cream. DO NOT get pissed and then go to the Pleasure Beach, beer and rides are a bad mix…

Finally when and where are you appearing?

RATBAG: Thursday 1st August, 3.05pm, Arena stage. So BE EARLY!! See ya there!

Thanks for taking the time to speak to us, we’ll see you down the front

The Kingcrows website is here and they can be found on Facebook here