Rebellion Festival – Friday 2nd August 2024

After waking up in a hotel room that is roughly the same size as prison cell we escape back into Blackpool, and after coffee and breakfast as the excellent Compass Cafe, where the staff always seem to remember us from previous Rebellion fests, and witnessing an audacious sandwich theft by one of Blackpool’s corpulent seagulls, we have a relatively tranquil moment by the sea, where there is a punk yoga class taking place, we obviously weren’t involved in this activity but there’s always something new happening around Rebellion. A brief stop at the Rose & Crown on our journey back into Rebellion reveals that they have run out of draft beer, and it’s only day one of the festival. Thankfully the beer shortage not a universal problem and we’re off down the rabbit hole once more to catch another snapshot of the punk scene past, present and future.

Quite a start to day two as PussyLiquor thunder out their sassy punk pop. The Brighton-based girl punks are bursting with energy and fill the big stage and room with a raw kind of, frankly, fun sexual energy. Determinedly provocative but not threatening, physical and visceral with a heavy 90s vibe that we found refreshingly entertaining. We are not alone in this, as there is a gratifyingly big crowd in the Empress Ballroom enjoying it too.

Highly rated Irish two-piece Vulpynes look a bit lost on the big stage but they’re undaunted and their stripped back grungy punk is deceptively complex. Great songs and presence but their hooky garage-rock is maybe better suited to a more intimate experience. Nevertheless, a great showcase and surely another stepping stone on the band’s march forward to glory.

One of the defining characteristics of Rebellion, that would probably surprise outsiders, is how polite everyone is. Whilst many are indulging in assorted intoxicants, there is a good natured feel to the whole weekend and there are reminders around the festival of what amounts to a no dickheads policy, which is hard to fault on any level. We continue our day on the ridiculously overheated Almost Acoustic stage and catch Canada’s Jenny Woo delivering Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down, as is typical on this stage the set is autobiographical, more in the vein of songs and stories rather than a straight up live set, which of course just adds to the varied appeal of Rebellion.

Hot Flab from Bristol and they play brisk slices of energetic singalong power pop. Not stunningly original, but a whole lot of hot fun that goes down well with a very appreciative Pavilion crowd. The Pavilion sound is top notch as always and Hot Flab have pulled a very enthusiastic and appreciative audience with whom to commune. Hopefully the band will use this as a springboard to greater things.

As the retro-computer-themed name and backdrop suggest, there’s a strong 80s vibe from Spectrum 4 that their chorus-heavy bass and synth lines do little to dispel. Out of time or charmingly retro? Who knows, but we’re loving the confident vibe and tunes that mix introspection and driving rhythm in equal measure. With a dash more stage presence, Spectrum 4 could really find their niche with those hankering for simpler times and tunes.

We remain in the rearranged Arena stage, something which has resulted in much improved sound on this stage, for Smoking Gives You Big Tits, a band we’ve been following and championing from their early days and have seen them move up the bill steadily, both at Manchester Punk Fest and Rebellion, and develop a reputation as a truly unique act of the punk scene. Millie Manders is in attendance, which is a nice synchronicity given that Smoking Gives You Big Tits formed following a Millie Manders & The Shutup show. The peppering of Hawaiian shirts also indicates that their steadily growing following is present.

With a typically understated introduction, Smoking Gives You Big Tits launch into a set that pegs them out as one the truly unique bands appearing this year, something that’s hard to achieve in the increasingly genre bending punk scene, but they nail it. Next year surely a bigger stage awaits them, as the Arena Stage is packed from the barrier right back to the bar and they get a reception that they’ve earned on every level. Self confessed DIY t shirt salespeople, they get better every time we see them. One of the highlights of the weekend, irreverent, joyful and exactly the soundtrack you need to lift the fog and jadedness and get those aching feet moving. 

Recommended by our Californian correspondent, Spider deliver a brutal lesson in American hardcore that in the cavernous Club Casbah turns into a battering that leaves a relatively sparse audience bemused. Too loud, too fast for an early evening slot perhaps. Ouch. The dreadful soupy mix doesn’t help, something a few Casbah bands have suffered from.

After heading back into the Abingdon Food Market, and being weighted down by a bowl of ramen that somehow acted like a bowling ball to the stomach, we needed a wake up call, and riot grrrl outfit Sourflake provided it on the Introducing Stage. Another gap in the schedule, another fortuitous spur of the moment dive into the Pavilion to catch another new band on what is a regular goto stage throughout the weekend. Sourflake are a tough and visually striking four piece that play hardcore punk rock. Up and comers, for sure, and one to watch out for as I’m sure they’ll be back and playing bigger stages before very long.

A brief wander round the arts and crafts market shows Rebellion is not just about the music, there’s an impressive array of original art and literature on display from likes of former Adverts bass player Gaye Black and the excellent Apocalypse Days who were making their debut in the creative space. As well as literature, art and original clothing, it’s also wonderfully cool in the more modern side of the Winter Gardens. Outside of the art and crafts lies the Rebellion Remembers wall for those members of the family who are sadly no longer with us. I add my own small addition for a much missed close friend who came to my first Rebellion with me, everyone on the wall is much missed, but not forgotten. 

Recommended from various quarters, we’re keen to find out what Swedish band The Baboon Show‘s buzz is all about. We’re not alone, as a substantial crowd has gathered in the Empress Ballroom. It’s a theatrical start to the show with a light show and sound collage thundering into a dramatic intro which explodes into massive slabs of heavy power pop. This is a rock show and then some. Slick, raucous and melodic with bags of personality. Catch them if you have the chance, you won’t regret it.

We follow The Baboon Show‘s rock ‘n roll theatrics with Spizzenergi who is playing a vintage set to a largely vintage crowd. Often tagged as a one hit wonder due to Where’s Captain Kirk, but maybe that’s doing him a disservice as a) it wasn’t technically a hit single and b) that was a long time ago, but he’s still here and has drawn a sizeable crowd into a sweaty Opera House but for us it falls a bit flat in the wake of the theatrics that came before and the sheer energy and exuberance of what came next. We head back into the Introducing Stage to catch another fly by, partially as we were intrigued by the name, and secondly as they are already building a serious reputation by word of mouth and social media. We were not disappointed to find that Split Dogs are kicking some serious ass in the Pavilion to an almost full house. Fast but not furious, fun but not funny. spunky accomplished raw punk pop delivered with huge confidence and verve. Another one to watch.

We finish the night with punk rock royalty. The real punk rock princess and if doubters are reading, her credentials are impeccable. What we get is a very engaging, super professional festival set that is rapturously received. Toyah knows her crowd and can please herself and them. Keep your punker than you attitude in your pocket, people. This is as punk as it comes. Original, engaging and a delight. And a rammed Opera House agrees. All too soon it’s back down the rabbit hole to the Alice in Wonderland experience of our ridiculously and seemingly ever shrinking hotel room to recuperate ahead of day 3.

Photography by Phinky & Scott Bradley from Phukin Photos. Words by Peter Hough & Phinky