Rebellion Festival – Thursday 1st August 2024

It’s that time of year again, the British Summer is showing signs of kicking into gear, time off has been booked and the The Punk Site is once more heading to Blackpool for our annual pilgrimage to Rebellion Festival. As ever the festival covers punk and beyond, with a few acts that paved the way for punk making an appearance alongside punk bands from across the world and bands from across the decades, from the veterans of ’76 to new bands who are taking punk into new directions. This is all delivered across across six stages, as well as a few additional attractions, including an unlikely array in The Old Vic and the quieter, but no less engaging, appeal of the Punk Art Exhibition and the Literary Stage. The festival isn’t just restricted to the confines of The Winter Gardens either, there are fringe events across Blackpool, basically for the next four days Blackpool is the punk capital of the world. We are here to catch a snapshot of the hundred of bands that are appearing across the weekend from almost every corner of the globe.

After a brief detour to the Pete Shelley memorial in Leigh, something we have meant to visit for a long time but shamefully never got round to, we blast down the Motorway to the accompaniment of a playlist of a smattering of the bands appearing over the weekend. With our wristbands collected our first stop is the Rose & Crown, the unofficial meeting spot for many across the weekend, and what is now our traditional first port of call once the parking, hotel and wristbands have been sorted out. Before the first band has hit the stage we have the unexpected pleasure of meeting the utterly captivating Blackpool Working Newfoundlands who are fundraising this year, with the hounds suitably punked up for the weekend. After this we catch up with a few friendly faces, this time supported by two legs, and we’ve hit the bar ahead of the weekend’s opening act. 

First band of the festival for us and what a way to start. There are long queues at the main entrance and hopefully everyone will get in to see North East industrial punks Chaos 8. Shouldn’t have worried because five minutes to stage time and the Empress Ballroom has filled up nicely. And what a way to start the weekend. Chaos 8 thunder and pummel their way through a storming set that is brutal and mesmerising in its intensity. The cavernous room doesn’t help the sound, but you’re left in no doubt that this is a vital band with an important message. Props to last minute replacement guitarist Adam who blended into the band at short notice and ensured the Chaos 8 sound was as apocalyptic as ever. We likey.

We’re very excited to see Yur Mum‘s Latin euro fusion noise punk translate to the big stage as they’re an intense recorded experience and we loved the album. On this occasion, however, the big stage and soupy mix doesn’t do them any favours and they’re a bit lost. Shame, because they have bags of personality. We’ve seen duos killing it on Rebellion‘s more intimate stages; Yur Mum were good but not quite as connected as they might have been to an admittedly enthusiastic crowd. Maybe an off day, soundwise. Something just not 100% today.

The first step into the unknown, which is an essential part of Rebellion’s appeal is Scotland’s The Fragz, based on purely in a chance encounter with David Delinquent (The Delinquents / David Delinquent & The IOUs) who sadly isn’t playing this year, but it’s always a welcome reunion when we see him. The Fragz delivered a set of ska fuelled punk, that the band appear to be getting as much joy delivering as those receiving. This is the spirit of Rebellion. Aside from the usual suspects and old favourites, there is the joy of the discovery of new music, despite the ubiquitous nature of streaming, the new music you deserve doesn’t always get recommended by your provider.

The nearby Abingdon Food Market provides sustenance of an international variety, including some excellent Philly Cheesesteaks, and the more usual liquid refreshments, before we head back into the Winter Gardens and divert to different stages for bands that display the alternate sides of Rebellion. Highly rated by the punksite cognoscenti, The Meffs are up for a banging time. Standout song of this raucous Rebellion set is, of course, Stand Up Speak Out, which features enthusiastic crowd participation. This is a great band, in tune with their audience but free of expectation beyond doing whatever they please. It’s thunderous, joyful noise that’s over far too quickly. An intriguing contrast with Yur Mum earlier, who didn’t quite carry the audience with them the way The Meffs have done today.

Meanwhile Blackpool’s very own Eye Scream Men are bringing your worst fears about your local creepy ice cream man to life, dressed as innocent gelato salesmen they deliver a set that is split between the excesses of The Misfits and the darker side of of 60s garage bands. Unsettling and tempting in equal measure the Eye Scream Men are serving up something that you might not want a flake inserted into. For me during a mid afternoon in a Thursday they bring a touch of horror fuelled garage punk to an unusually sweaty Thursday afternoon, and that’s probably the way they like it. Try to imagine Glen Danzig’s murderous love child unleashed upon a socially deprived sea side town. That is exactly what Eye Scream Men sound like.

After visiting various local establishments, including the excellent Dirty Blondes (not a strip joint) we get the feeling that fuck it Friday has arrived early in Blackpool as excess all areas seems to be the norm as people celebrate the return of Rebellion Festival, and who are we to argue as we relax in the pirate themed bar opposite the Opera House before Essential Logic appear. Carrying the perhaps unwanted legacy, given the acrimony of her departure, of Poly Styrene’s X-Ray Spex, this is a tough one to call ahead of the band’s appearance on the Opera House stage. What we’re treated to is – of course – a saxophone-led excursion into Laura Logic‘s post-punk, post Spex territory by a band unafraid to take an audience with preconceptions into new sonic landscapes.

One of the regular benefits of attending Rebellion is getting to catch the bands we have written about live, take Creature Creature for example, who are making their rebellion debut on the Introducing Stage. Their hooky blend of melodic alt rock fuelled punkiness draws us in, despite the temperatures in the Pavilion Stage approaching meltdown they give it their all and provide a welcome distraction ahead of tonight’s more established headliners on the Casbah stage that is our final destination for the day. 

Heading down into the sweatpit that is the Casbah stage we catch the end of the set by Tacoma, WA’s Noi!se, which is also the band’s UK debut appearance, that is a more melodic and anthemic street punk delivery than their name would suggest. They are swiftly followed by the filling in the Casbah‘s US punk sandwich, New England punk OGs The Queers, who bring their raucous, uncompromising American punk to an excited Rebellion crowd. A band with a tremendously chequered past, there’s a real buzz in the Casbah as the band take the stage and pummel their way through a set of tuneful, in your face punk rock. No fucks or quarter given. 

After a brief wander through a still busy Blackpool to cool down slightly we return to the Casbah for our final band of the opening day, The Dwarves. It was an early start today but regardless of our excesses and aches, which are already creeping in, sometimes you just have to power though. Last seen causing chaos and demolishing the stage at Rebellion a few years back the infamous band return with their rotating collective, with Blag Dahlia remaining front and centre. Despite a swampy sound mix The Dwarves return and conquer with a set that spans the decades and styles and that’s it, day one is over in an instant and we limp back to the overheated shoe box that was sold to us as a hotel room.

Photography by Phinky, The Meffs photo courtesy of Sheila Black. Words by Phinky & Peter Hough