Friday 2 August @ Winter Gardens, Blackpool
It’s day two of Rebellion 2024, and after seeing a frankly ridiculous 21 bands on the first day (reviewed here), it’s time to slow down a bit instead of peaking too soon. Or that was the plan anyway…
I don’t know about anybody else, but I want to see as many bands as possible over the four days, and try to mix it up between bands I know and love, old bands I’ve somehow never seen before, and those who are completely new to me.
The Rebellion Introducing Stage (RIS), sited this year in the central Pavilion, is in the perfect place for the latter, and the first band on there today fit rhe bill perfectly. PEST, a two-piece from London who describe themselves as industrial nu-punk.
Consisting of singing guitarist Cameron Taylor, who’s thrashing out crunchy riffs, and powerful drumming courtesy of Harvey Denman, who are both dressed in grey overalls, they’re a cross between JOHN and Slaves (or Soft Play, as they’re called nowadays).
I’ve never heard of them, but enjoy their half-hour of power very much, so it’s disappointing when I check out their merch afterwards and their only music, the very limited 7in single Empire, is already sold out. They’ve had a couple of digital releases too, so do check them out on Bandcamp HERE.
Down in the Arena things are getting off to a noisy start too, as Brigata Vendetta make their Rebellion bow. They’re a new band, formed in California in 2023 by members of Bay Area oi! band Harrington Saints, but they’re a very different proposition.
They play hard, fast hardcore punk, with ex-Saints Darrel Wojick on vocals and bass and Mike Caputo on guitar joined by another saint, Bum City Saints drummer Brian Zobel. Together they play a fast and furious brand of hardcore, and the songs from their first EP and debut album (reviewed here) are well received.
Back on the RIS, Panic Attak, another new name to me, are making some noise with their two-guitar attack. They’re from Scotland, and sound like a cross between The Exploited and Control. Songs like Football Casual slip down nicely, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for any future forays south of the border.
Upstairs on the Almost Acoustic stage, Italian band Los Fastidios are playing a stripped-down set, and you can’t help but enjoy their catchy blend of streetpunk and ska. The connection between longtime frontman Enrico and his missus Elisa is a joy to watch, and they quickly have the room dancing.
After a quick bite to eat it’s time to hit the ballroom for my first must-see act of the day, London grime-punks Riskee And The Ridicule. I first saw them live in 2021 and have caught them half a dozen times since, and they’re getting better all the time.
Their sound is an intense mash-up of rap and post-hardcore, and although frontman Riskee looks like a pool attendant in his tight t-shirt and shorts, he’s in captivating form. The t-shirt’s soon off and he’s prowling the stage bare-chested as he spits his lyrics to a cacophonous backing. Songs like Accelerate, Body Bag Your Scene and Our Time go down a storm, reinforcing my belief that this is a band who can headline here one day if they continue their upwards trajectory.
Next up in the Arena are Smoking Gives You Big Tits, whose name means you’ve just got to see them, and they pull a good-sized crowd. They call themselves a high energy riot grrrl-influenced post-punk four-piece, and songs like My Favourite Fact About Maggie (“is that she’s fucking dead”) and Guts For Starters (from their 2023 debut album) go down a storm. The latter, subtitled Dance Like No One You Know Is Here, is a celebration of the DIY punk scene, and Helen Bradley proves an engaging frontwoman, even selling a T-shirt to a fan at the front for a tenner after insisting “we’re all just T-shirt salesmen”.
We stay to the end of their set, meaning we miss the start of Maid Of Ace, who return to Rebellion after missing last year. They’re fresh from a run of huge stadium shows opening for Green Day, and hurtle through their 40-minute set with scarcely a pause to draw breath. The four Elliott sisters from Hastings have grown immeasurably as a band since I first saw them here way back in 2012, and although their full-on attack bounces around the big room a bit, it’s a triumphant return.
From a band I know well to one who are new to me; Kombi Killers are one of a clutch of Australian bands appearing this year, and they kick up a hell of a noise down in the Arena, with their red-mohawked singer evoking thoughts of Wattie, and their old skool punk filling the void left by The Exploited this year.
Over in the Opera House, resurgent ’80s Leeds goths The March Violets are powering through a set of hits that never were and tracks from their fine new album Crocodile Promises. I managed to miss them all together back in the day, and don’t understand why they didn’t enjoy the same sort of success as contemporaries like Sisters Of Mercy.
It takes me a while to realise the drumkit at the back of the stage is unoccupied, and the Violets are in fact using a drum machine, but that’s soon forgotten due to the quality of the songs. Vocalist Rosie Garland has an entrancing voice, and the other original member, guitarist Tom Ashton, who’s throwing down piercing riffs. I don’t know many of the songs, but this is a most enjoyable set, and I resolve to dig deeper into their back catalogue.
On my way back through the horseshoe I drop into the Introducing stage, where The War Lovers, a two-piece UK82-influenced band from Syracuse, New York, are making quite a racket. There seem to be lots of duos around this year, and although their own stuff is OK, its a cover of The Exploited’s Army Life which goes down best.
I don’t stay to the end, as I’m on my way to the Arena, for another of my must-see bands of the weekend. I loved The Mistakes‘ 2023 album A Good Hill To Die On (reviewed here), and can’t wait to see the five-piece from Poole, Dorset, live. Their high-energy performance is everything I hoped it would be as they tear through songs like Brainstorm, the ska-inflected Together, Standard Definition and Never Be Quiet. They’re clearly having a fucking great time, and so does everyone else in the room. Today’s bar has just been raised to a different level.
The queue at the merch table, where I buy the only album missing from my collection, means there’s no time to catch the end of The Chisel’s set, as I had intended, so it’s back to the Opera House for a sit down to watch The Bar Stool Preachers‘ acoustic show. Unlike last year, where they basically played another electric set (apart from a token acoustic guitar), this time they’ve stripped things right back, and are joined on stage at various times by strings and female backing singers.
They’ve reimagined six songs from their latest album, 2023’s excellent Above The Static, for a new EP, and they’re the ones which stand out here: Flatlined, Doorstep and Call Me On The Way Home all prompt big singalongs, as does the stunning Lighthouse Keeper, which showcases the voice of singer Tom McFaull. Preaching to the converted? You bet they are, and they’ve more than proved they’re not one-trick ponies.
Unfortunately, their set also clashes with The Baboon Show, a Swedish band of some 20 years’ standing who are making their Rebellion debut on the Empress stage. I head down there to catch the tail end of their set, and find the ballroom is rammed. From my vantage point near the back I can see a lively mosh pit at the front, and singer Cecilia owning the big stage in much the same way Svetlanas’ Olga does, and although I only hear a few songs, I can see they’re making a big impression, as there’s a real buzz in the room. Hopefully they’ve impressed enough to get invited back next year.
I leave during their last song to head to the RIS, where Bristol’s Split Dogs have pulled a huge crowd. I saw their album launch gig last year, and to say they’ve improved is an understatement. Mulleted singer Harry is a force of nature you can’t take your eyes off, shaking her stuff on every inch of the stage as she barks out their high-octane anthems, like a British version of Amyl & the Sniffers. They’re being mentioned as one of the best up and coming punk bands in the UK, and on this performance you can see why.
Time for a bit of stage hopping, and I take in a bit of lively Californian hardcore band Stalag 13 and then old-school Colchester outfit Special Duties, whose sound is a bit lost in the sparsely-attended Casbah. I’m tempted to stay for oi! band Booze & Glory, who always put on a good show, but they sadly clash with another of my must-sees, Gogol Bordello, who are here for the first time, despite the fact they’ve been going 25 years.
They might be based in Manhattan, but Eugene Hutz’s energetic crew are a multi-national band of troubadours, and they play in front of a giant backdrop bearing the clenched fist logo of their most recent album, Solidaritine, in the blue and yellow colours of his native Ukraine. There’s so much going on onstage it’s difficult to keep up with as the musicians dash around, and Eugene is clearly demented, dousing himself in bottles of booze as he leaps around. It’s all a bit overwhelming to be honest, and I still don’t know what to make of it. Perhaps I need to familiarise myself with more of their Gogol Bordello’s music before I see them again.
From a band I’m seeing for the first time to once I’ve seen maybe half a dozen times, including at my first Rebellion back in 2012. Control‘s hooligan rock ‘n’ roll always hits the spot, and tonight is no exception. Songs like Tattoos and Ballad Of The Working Man get the crowd going, and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable set.
It’s 11.30pm and I’m knackered, so it’s time for another sit down. We head back to the Opera House, where The Men They Couldn’t Hang are headlining as part of their 40th anniversary celebrations. It’s a celebration tinged by sadness, of course, as founding singer Stefan Cush died in 2021. This is the first time I’ve seen them without him, and although Phil ‘Swill’ Odgers handles most of the lead vocals, Tom Spencer (The Professionals) stepping up when required.
There’s hardly a dry eye in the house as the band bring on original bassist Shanne Bradley for The Green Fields Of France, which is dedicated to Cush and the dearly departed Shane MacGowan. It’s an emotional song at the best of times, but takes on extra resonance tonight. And I can’t think of a better way to end the night than with a rousing Ironmasters.
Day two complete. Another 19 bands seen. And it’s not even the weekend.
Today’s six of the best: Riskee And The Ridicule, The Mistakes, Bar Stool Preachers acoustic, Split Dogs, Control, The Men They Couldn’t Hang.
Best new-to-me band: Pest.
