‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘REBELLION’, WINTER GARDENS, BLACKPOOL 7-10.8.25
The annual Rebellion Festival is the biggest punk rock music festival in the UK. It is spread across four days and it attracts the largest bands and new emerging talent on the scene. It is annually held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, where it has been running continuously in one form or another since 1996. The iconic Rebellion Festival attracts people from literally all around the globe.
The venue has many sizable rooms including the Empress Ballroom, Club Casbah, Opera House, Arena, Pavilion (including After Dark & RIS (‘Rebellion Introducing Stage’), as well as the Mazzei Cafe for DJ’s. Upstairs there was also the Almost Acoustic, and the Literary Stage and The Old Vic. This is article one of four and concentrates on the happenings on Day One, and so without further ado, let’s get down to business and meet our reviewers and the bands…
Sonny Tyler intro…
We set off for Blackpool extra early this year, as my wife was working at the festival for the first time. We managed to avoid Storm Floris, but still witnessed an assortment of weather. Brighton was sunny, London could have been snowing for all we knew (we were indoors), Preston had rain and Blackpool enjoyed sun with a big dose of wind thrown in. It was almost enough to send a red-faced Michael Fish into a spin. Bags were duly unpacked into our BnB, and then it was on with the show.
Andy Murphy intro…
It was with some trepidation that for the sake of the bands playing that I made my way to Rebellion this year after last year’s experience where my tip for a band to look out for, Baby Teeth, split within a couple of weeks, whilst tragically Chon Travis lead singer of Love Equals Death unexpectedly passed away a couple of days after I had seen them play live for the first time.
Mark Kelly intro…
The Rebellion Festival has become something of an unmissable highlight of my year. Whilst it’s true that a lot of bands play almost every year, the sheer variety of new bands is utterly astounding. How am I going to fit all of these bands in? ‘With difficulty’ is the answer. It may be my imagination, but I’m sure that the line-up improves every year. What will next year’s 30th anniversary bring? I don’t want to wish my life away, but roll on 2026!!!
DAY ONE – THURSDAY 7th AUGUST
VIKI VORTEX & THE CUMSHOTS – Opera House (12:00pm – 12.30pm)
Over half of this particular band’s members live in Spain (they’re a 3-piece), and their drummer is also a founding member of Brighton psychobilly legends, The Long Tall Texans. Viki Vortex & The Cumshots were onstage bright and breezy this afternoon, and found themselves opening the weekend’s Opera House stage. They play punk rock with a big emphasis on ‘fun’, so what a perfect start to the festival ahead. The room soon filled up as the doors to the venue opened. I leant on the barrier as the band tore through saucy songs like ‘You Suck’, ‘Plastic Fantastic’ and the extremely catchy ‘Phone Sex’. There were quite a few new songs in the set too, carrying on in an infectious 1977 punk fashion. The climax was achieved at the end of the set, in the form of a special guest appearance from a Mr Del Strangefish of Test Tubes fame. It was a fun performance which left us all with big smiles on our faces, but we had to make it to the official smoking area to have a cigarette.
(Sonny Tyler)
SLALOM D – Empress Ballroom (12:35pm – 13:05pm)
Slalom D come from Sunderland and what a top band they are. I’ve wanted to check them out for a while and it was cool to see them opening the Empress Ballroom stage. Actually, their singer Fiona Duncan was so shocked at the amount of people in the room at such an early hour, she promptly walked back offstage. Business was soon resumed though, as they started their set with ‘Red’, and it was soon evident that they knew how to write a catchy tune. ‘Harbour Walls’ and ‘Final Girl’ stood out for me, but the highlights is when Fiona addressed some people’s attitudes towards gender, before playing the anthem that is ‘Cosmic Light’. The band did a sterling job on this big stage, and their songs made me want to dig further, and track down their recorded material. Fiona’s vocal delivery and the sentiment of her lyrics, reminded me of the late Mensi of The Angelic Upstarts (R.I.P). More punk rock songs should be written like this, with messages promoting a collective unity and a passion for a better world to live in. One where we all look out for each other. Great stuff.
(Sonny Tyler)
STAY SAFE – RIS in Pavilion (12:35pm – 13:05pm)
Stay Safe are a little bit of a bolt from the blue: a very tight, professional pop-punk band from Manchester (t’internet mentions Bolton and Leeds as well, but they say that they’re from Manchester, so I’m sticking with that). They’re very energetic onstage and are constantly on the move, which makes them very difficult to photograph, but at least they’re not boring. The band, and the lead guitarist in particular, are having a whale of a time. On top of that, they’re really good too! There are instant highlights: ‘Winter Hill’, ‘Bombshell’ and ‘Molehills’. The latter song has an interesting line: “Making molehills out of mountains”. Maybe we should all aspire to do that. The singer has an unusual voice. It’s thin sounding whilst simultaneously being tuneful and powerful. It’s certainly effective. The drum patterns are very pop influenced throughout. There’s nothing really to fault here. The crowd in the Pavilion is a little sparse, but the band play as if there are thousands there. They’re not entirely perfect though: the guitarists and the singer make a human pyramid which nearly ends very badly! There are a lot of different influences in their material, and they clearly love playing. The energy coming from the stage is immense. It may not happen immediately, but this lot will play arenas.
(Mark Kelly)
THE ATTACK – Empress Ballroom (13:25pm – 13:55pm)
This hard working DIY band are based in Orlando in Florida, and they have been on a long term touring schedule that would certainly make you miss your own bed. Fittingly, the band have just released a split live album with ‘Kicked In The Teeth’ to document the fact. They are also no strangers to playing in Brighton, and the first time I came across them was at the city’s ‘Chalk’ venue supporting Cock Sparrer. They came onstage today with a backdrop that hinted at a certain Scottish alcoholic tipple favoured by the punks. The singer, Charlie, asked the audience who had cleared the local shops of Buckfast, and some of the crowd had guilty looks on their faces. They blasted through some really well played American-style streetpunk songs, only achieved through a daily touring schedule like theirs. ‘1.2.3.4’ got a welcome airing (a request for skinhead unity), and ‘Vagabond’ was another highlight of their set, celebrating the DIY touring ethic. An impressive set, and I look forward to seeing them in Brighton again.
(Sonny Tyler)
TWAT UNION – Opera House (13:40pm – 14:10pm)
Twat Union are a very witty and ironic six piece punk band. According to their website: the “Ofcom friendly” version of their name is: Theatre Workers and Television Union. When they played an early show at Brighton’s Prince Albert back in April they described it as a “twatinee”. Well, so far so good. Is their music as good as their wit? Hell yeah! Their musicianship is excellent. They have a guitarist who also plays sax for goodness sake! Every song is a highlight. ‘Little Pink Drill’ is about masturbation, or DIY as they put it. Guitarist Lucy plays slide guitar with a ‘vibrator’. ‘Tiny Shorts’ is about lechery. ‘Red Flag’ is about Winston Churchill. Red ribbons are handed out into the crowd for this song. Many of the songs are about women being patronised. ‘Who Moved The Towel’ is about period sex, whilst ‘UTI’ is about urinary tract infections. Who else has the er…. balls to write about this stuff?!!! However, the absolute classic in their repertoire is ‘Singer Of The Band’, about the assumption that if a woman is in a band, then she must be the singer. I found this song to be absolutely shocking. After several decades of having brilliant female bands and artists in our midst, I couldn’t believe that there are still guys who will make such crass statements: “He must play the drums because he is a man. You must be the singer of the band”. I would love to see somebody try that one with The Lambrini Girls! I bet it’s happened though. Twat Union are indispensable and unmissable. Pop punk with riot grrrrl sensibilities. They don’t appear to have any shows scheduled at the moment, but when they do, see them!
(Mark Kelly)
THE DROWNS – Empress Ballroom (14:15pm – 14.55pm)
The Drowns are from Seattle (USA) and also just so happen to be my wife’s favourite new band. We have seen them a number of times by now, and I can safely say that they never disappoint. Featuring ex-members of The Briggs (for the fact fans), and while we’re at it, I can also report that they are very partial to a Gregg’s sausage roll. These were a major highlight of our day (The Drowns, not the sausage rolls!) and the room was packed, and in fine singing voice. The band were jumping all over the stage, and the energy transmitted was infectious. ‘Ketamine And Cola’ is a true streetpunk anthem, and by this time the dancefloor was getting lively. They ran through much of their familiar back catalogue with enthusiasm, and you just couldn’t fault the spirit of it all. A band that seems to be going from strength to strength, and a band that will be hard to follow (especially on the way to Gregg’s). They will be playing Brighton’s Prince Albert on 4th September with local hooligans Criminal Damage, so make sure you get yourselves down there!
(Sonny Tyler)
PUSSYLIQUOR – Opera House (14:30pm – 15:00pm)
I remain in the Opera House to treat myself to the delights of Brighton’s very own riot grrls Pussyliquor for the second year running at Rebellion. After last year’s outstanding performance in the Empress Ballroom, I daren’t miss this unruly bunch led by the irrepressible Ari Black on vocals who loves to shock with her punk outfits. This year she is sporting a Union Jack flag to the front attached to a St George’s cross at the back which is shorter than a nano-mini skirt!
Opening with ‘Pretty Good For A Girl’ is always a winner in my books as it is a personal favourite. This band isn’t scared to test the waters and play a new song called ‘Silver Spoon’ which is always a risk but goes down well. ‘Stolen Lands’ is a pertinent song given all that’s happening in the world now and it’s no surprise that I should hear my first Free Palestine of the weekend from this politically aware band. In my books there’s always room for politics in music and if bands use it as a platform to make people aware and even improve the world in the slightest then that is good with me. The storming ‘My Body My Choice’ is sung with such conviction that there really is no argument to be had whatever side of the fence you are on. Ari sure packs a punch with her vocals and onstage antics whilst the band behind her go at it all hell for leather. ‘All Cats Go To Heaven’ is a stark comparison to all the other songs in the set and shows the range of this band’s abilities. The set ending ‘C.*.N.T’ is dedicated to a man the band saw outside the Winter Gardens holding a St George’s Cross with “send them home” written on it. Ari’s use of the flag in her costume is far more tasteful. Another rip snorting set from Pussyliquor comes to an end and my blood is well and truly pumping as it should be at a punk festival. The unapologetic messages from this band are loud and clear for all to hear and if you disagree with them then tough.
(Andy Murphy)
NOISE AGENTS – Club Casbah (15:05pm – 15:40pm)
This band have come all the way from LA and features Andy, the former vocalist of UK82 legends, Demob. After hearing their new EP my anticipation was running high, so I made sure I was at the front for their set this afternoon. The room started to fill up as Andy and co. launched straight into songs from their new EP. This 6-piece play in a melodic Streetpunk style with an American edge, and the songs are definitely catchy. ‘Scarred Generation’ was co-written by Andy and Peter Ley of The Guitar Gangsters, and it was one of the highlights of the set today. Noise Agents share two vocalists and Ruthie’s vocals give the band an effective male/female vocal dynamic. This was proven especially with the song ‘You Don’t Know What You Want’, where they both bounced off each other nicely. How do you end a set like this? By playing a cover of Demob’s classic ‘No Room For You’ of course. Quality stuff and I hope to hear more from them soon.
(Sonny Tyler)
BULLITZ 23 – RIS in Pavilion (15:55pm – 16:25pm)
Bullitz 23 are based in Italy but have band members from the UK in their ranks. Their singer Andy was once the frontman of Scottish ska/punk band Ex-Cathedra who were one of my faves on the 90″s gigging circuit. Bullitz 23 are currently on a European tour and are making the most of their Blackpool visit by sandwiching this performance between two other fringe events in the city over the weekend. Bullitz 23 wasted no time at all in getting the party started today, by playing some great melodic songs from their new EP. They also boasted an accordion player too, which gave their sound a unique feel. Andy was on guitar duties and vocals today, and soon showed us the spirit he projected so brilliantly in his previous band. The room was close to bursting point by the end, and Andy put his guitar down to end the proceedings with a couple of Ex-Cathedra songs. ‘Something Coming Down’ and ‘Stop Yer Running’ are pure classics, which probably caused a few nostalgic wet eyes in the room. Bullitz 23 are a band to watch out for, so watch this space. Another Thursday high point.
(Sonny Tyler)
THE ZIPS – Opera House (16:15pm – 16:55pm)
The Zips first appeared at the dawn of punk in 1977, but threw in the towel in 1981, having been trampled into the ground by the New Romantic hordes. However, burgeoning interest in their music in the early 21st century led to the band re-forming, and luckily for us they haven’t looked back since! They retain original members John (aka JonZip) McNeill on vocals and guitar and Phil Mullen on bass. They have been joined by Fred-X on lead guitar, and Jimi Drums, unsurprisingly on drums. The band are still clearly political with songs such as ‘F*ck War’ and ‘For The People, By The People’, the latter song featuring some great lead guitar from Fred-X. ‘Spirit of 78’ is about Rock Against Racism, a movement which is sadly still highly relevant now. ‘19 Forevva’ is the title track of their second album, released in 2011, and I’m sure is a sentiment that most of us can relate to. ‘IOU’ is “for anyone who has a bastard of a boss”. The original members may possibly be knocking on a bit, but the band still burn with a righteous anger which gives their songs, old and new, real bite.
(Mark Kelly)
DAKKA SKANKS – Arena (16:35pm – 17:05pm)
Dakka Skanks are making waves in the ska scene at the moment, and also hail from the south coast of Brighton. The Arena was almost full to capacity and there was a great vibe in the room. They kicked off with ‘Sally’ and people were immediately skanking to these refreshing rocksteady beats. Dakka Skanks are also a band not scared to rock out. Clara’s vocals were top notch as per usual, giving the songs a soulful feel. She dedicated a song to Mensi too, before launching into their own unique version of ‘Brighton Bomb’ by the Angelic Upstarts. Clara told us about a long lost brother she never knew she had, and celebrated him with a song called ‘Nigel’. The band ended with ‘Aint A Skinhead’, leaving a room full of happy faces.This group are a sure-fire winner every time, and Dakka Skanks did Brighton proud today.
(Sonny Tyler)
CAROL HODGE – Almost Acoustic (16:45pm – 17:20pm)
I should have seen Carol play in Hastings back in April 2022 when she supported Ginger Wildheart at The Crypt and it’s taken me over three years to correct my error. Being a fan of Steve Ignorant I have long admired the undeniable talent of Carol as she often steals the show when they play the Crass set with her outstanding vocal performances, but until now I have never witnessed her solo show. It’s a well-attended set and she introduces herself as a Pisces from Huddersfield with a lot of her music being about personal life experience. She says she has only seven fingers so playing piano was an obvious choice of musical instrument for her to learn to play. I hasten to add that she was actually born in Scotland and is a former resident of Hastings.
Carol’s piano keyboard is draped in artificial flowers whilst she is also sporting a pink and yellow flower hairclip. She opens with a song about tinnitus called ‘Sound Of The Sea’, which is relevant to many gig goers. Carol tells us how she was one of the hidden homeless sofasurfing nine years ago and was told that all you need is worldly belongings to fit on the backseat of a car that you can sleep in, so she got herself a transit van! There’s a song about ageing and how we’re all going to fall prey to it as there’s no way to escape its grip. ‘The Queen of Fitting In’ is a song about how Carol did her best to fit into society rather than just being herself but now she is aware that she is neurodivergent she understands why she behaved in this way. ‘The Witch is Dead’ gets a great reception and I’m sure that many of a left-wing persuasion reading this will know who it is about. The venue itself, The Spanish Hall, is interesting and was designed in the art deco style with a three-dimensional frieze surrounding it depicting the Andalusian Hills and Villages, with Carol likening it to Gulliver’s Travels and warning us how the Lilliputians might come out and kill us if we’re not careful. The music and vocals are not what you would typically associate with punk, being so beautifully smooth and taking me on a journey far removed from Crass, but the lyrics are well crafted, and the topics are definitely covered in a punk style. This is a musical education for me, and Carol’s originality makes for a highly wonderful experience.
(Andy Murphy)
THE DEL STRANGEFISH INEXPERIENCE – Opera House (17:15pm – 17:55pm)
Del Strangefish, founder member of Peter & The Test Tube Babies and Flesh For Lulu, is no stranger around these parts. However, he and his band take to the Opera House stage before what is undeniably a rather sparse crowd. The place does eventually fill however. Del released his debut solo album last year, entitled ‘Clocking Out’. Unsurprisingly it’s rather good, as second song ‘Weak’ more than adequately proves. Del underlines his punk credentials with a very cool CBGBs guitar strap. Del is joined by two of The Pukes for ‘Silicone Beergut’, the tragic tale of a young man who had a silicone beergut implant so that he could look like his ageing punk heroes. ‘Nerves’ also from ‘Clocking Out’, follows. Without really trying, Del is one of the funniest men on the circuit. He could easily do stand-up. His book “Jinxed: How Not To Rock’n’Roll” should come with a Government health warning. When I read it I laughed so hard that I almost had an asthma attack on a number of occasions! After ‘Nerves’ Del introduces ‘Kneecap’, and a guy in an Irish tricolour balaclava walks onstage. He speaks to Del, who replies “nah mate – too political!” and the guy walks offstage. The end of Del’s set is marked by ‘Banned From The Pubs’ and ‘Elvis Is Dead’. Del is in grave danger of becoming a bit of a punk national treasure. Roll on part two of his memoirs!
(Mark Kelly)
BABOON SHOW – Empress Ballroom (17:35pm – 18:25pm)
This Swedish band were a lockdown discovery of ours, and I was looking forward to seeing them at long last on the Empress Ballroom stage. They are very popular at the moment and their melodic and distinctive brand of punk rock has certainly got them noticed amongst the new generation of bands coming through on today’s punk scene. They were the penultimate band on tonight’s Empress Ballroom and they definitely earned that status, with a highly energetic set. The room was very busy as Baboon Show kicked off with opening number, ‘Be A Baboon’. Who were we to argue as singer, Cecilia Boström jumped around the stage and balanced on the monitor speakers in impossibly tall stack-heeled boots. They played the wonderfully melodic ‘You’ve Got A Problem Without Knowing It’, which segued straight into a Black Sabbath riff to keep the Ozzy fans happy. ‘Class War’ was a highlight, and who can resist ‘Radio Rebelde’ for some singalong action? Cecilia jumped into the crowd at one point and was carried back to the front of the stage again. A thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all, and I can report that their mission was indeed accomplished, as we all willingly fell in line to ‘Be A Baboon’ tonight.
(Sonny Tyler)
BROKEN 3 WAYS – RIS in Pavilion (17:35pm – 18:05pm)
It’s unusual to think that a band has had a 15 year wait to play the Rebellion Introducing Stage, especially since they have supported the likes of Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, The Interrupters, Alkaline Trio, The Beat and The Skints along the way, but that’s how long the journey has been for Broken 3 Ways. Fifteen years also happens to be how long it has taken for me to actually hear them for the first time and I have to say their brand of ska punk is infectious, citing Rancid as one of their inspirations.
Although 15 years late to the party, I am now instantly captivated by the onstage energy from this six-piece band and their musicianship. You can tell that they have been together a long time and it’s great to see them enjoying themselves and being extremely grateful for the opportunity to grace this wonderful festival. For me the stakes are raised even higher when Ben and Jay are playing dual trumpets, with their last single ‘Doghouse’ being just one example of this. It’s a belter of a song about returning home from a tour to your partner with some ideas as to how to make it up to them. Thankfully I was not in the doghouse even though I have travelled up to Rebellion leaving my wife at home with a recently fractured ankle, and maybe more worryingly she encouraged me to go! Hailing from the Wirral they also sing about issues local to them, in particular the song titled ‘BP’ about the stench from the oil refinery in Ellesmere Port and the effect of the toxic waste. With catchy tunes and songs such as ‘Company Time’ telling employers to put their money where their mouth is, and ‘Hangman’ about Prince Andrew, I am left keen to delve deeper into their discography.
(Andy Murphy)
UK SUBS – Empress Ballroom (18:55pm – 19:55pm)
Perennial favourites UK Subs make a return to the Empress Ballroom – but wait!!! Something’s different!!! They have a new guitarist. His name is Marc Carrey and he’s from Barcelona. Guess what? He’s really bloody good!!! At different stages of the gig Charlie Harper and bassist Alvin Gibbs both watch Marc playing with huge grins on their faces. Marc does seem to have somewhat revitalised the Subs. There’s a fire in their playing that hasn’t been there for a while. The solo on ‘Time And Matter’ seems somewhat elongated compared to hitherto. For ‘Bitter & Twisted’ Charlie has his beer can in a mug. This man has class. ‘Down Here On The Farm’ is a Guns ‘n’ Roses cover that the Subs have been playing for a while, but it sounds pretty fresh tonight. ‘Barbie’s Dead’ features another ace guitar solo. It won’t be the last one tonight! The second half of the set is stuffed with beloved oldies: ‘Tomorrow’s Girl’, ‘Warhead’, ‘Stranglehold’, ‘CID’, ‘I Live In A Car’ and the closing ‘Endangered Species’, which soundtracks the only crowd surfers of the set. Still, it is early. This has been an awesome set. There’s still plenty of life left in the old dogs yet. See you Subs next year!
(Mark Kelly)
SLICE OF LIFE – Opera House (19:20pm – 20:10pm)
Having experienced a fair few of the Crass sets in recent times tonight is my opportunity to re-engage with Steve Ignorant’s Slice of Life whom I haven’t seen since Rebellion 2022. Formed in 2013 a Slice of Life concert is a completely different affair to a Crass set which is performed by the same musicians with the addition of Jay Bagnall on drums. Being semi-acoustic you might expect it to be a calmer affair and granted the music is that, but Steve’s spoken word vocals still carry that venom when required for optimum effect and it is easier to hear his powerful anti-system message.
With all band members seated apart from Steve this is set to be a more sedate concert compared to a Crass set. Opening with ‘Killing Time’ this song shows off Steve’s early love of film theme tunes with a hint of ‘Goldfinger’ about it. It doesn’t take long for Steve to start on his journey around the massive Opera House stage and regularly taking a place up at the front of the stage. He is almost apologetic to his fellow band members for doing so as he seemingly doesn’t want them to be overlooked and asks if they mind him doing so. As the set gets into full flow it’s noticeable that Steve is struggling to keep his emotions in check at times, in particular when they cover David Bowie’s ‘Sweet Thing’ as a tribute to the recently deceased lead singer of Conflict, his good friend Colin Jerwood. I can almost feel the crowd holding their collective breaths and willing Steve to get through it. Personally, one minute the tears are welling up in my eyes and the next the hairs on my arms are standing on end as Steve bares all in what is occasionally an insight into his mind as well as his understandable anger at today’s world. ‘Don’t Turn Away’ is performed superbly and ‘The Way Things Are’ is a favourite of mine. I can’t imagine that anything else this weekend will heighten my emotions as much as this set has. I love the contrast between Slice of Life and Crass both of whom have been major influences on my outlook on life.
(Andy Murphy)
THE COURETTES – After Dark in Pavilion (21:00pm – 21:40pm)
The Courettes (aka The Fabulous Courettes) are quite simply one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands around. Formed of married couple Flavia Couri (originally from Brazil) on vocals and guitar, and Martin Couri on drums, they are based in Denmark, Martin’s home country. Proceedings kick off with ‘You Woo Me’, one of their most recent singles, and what a firecracker it is. Actually, most of their songs sound like singles, and they acknowledge that by asking us if we want to hear “another smash hit?” Well of course we do!!! They’re not devoid of humour either. They tell us that they drove all the way from Rio de Janeiro this morning just to play to us. I get the feeling that this may not be entirely true. During ‘Hop The Twig’ Flavia ‘machine-guns’ the crowd with her guitar prior to standing on top of one of the speaker stacks. Then she stands stock still like a paused video. Unfortunately it’s a short festival set and ‘Shake’ brings things to a close. The song has a long coda whilst Flavia crowd surfs still playing her guitar. What can I say? Awesome!!!
(Mark Kelly)
JOHN MCKAY’S REACTOR – Opera House (21:45pm – 22:45pm)
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from John McKay’s Reactor, but I knew that it would be interesting, and I wasn’t wrong. John McKay will be remembered as the original guitarist of Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the sonic architect of much of their early work. John will also be remembered, along with drummer Kenny Morris, for leaving the Banshees before a gig in Aberdeen in September 1979, following a disagreement with Siouxsie Sioux and the band’s manager. John recently released an album, ‘Sixes And Sevens’ which was actually recorded between 1980 and 1989. Unsurprisingly the album very much has a feeling of the early Banshees about it. Half of tonight’s set is taken from the new album, whilst the rest is early Banshees classics. Needless to say, the set hangs together very well indeed. John has managed to put together an excellent band comprising Jen Brown (aka Jenny Drag) from The Priscillas on vocals, Billy King on bass and Jola (also from The Priscillas) on drums. There was a danger that they could fall into the trap of being seen as a Banshees tribute act, but thankfully they are too individual as a band to fall into that particular trap. ‘Fun On The Floor’ is a particular highlight, with John and Jen sharing lead vocals. Banshees classics are present, because they are part of John’s history. So amongst others we get the perhaps obvious ‘The Staircase (Mystery)’, ‘Hong Kong Garden’ and ‘Playground Twist’, but the songs from ‘Sixes And Sevens’ are every bit as good, and come highly recommended. John’s abrasive post-punk playing has in no way diminished over time. The band tour in late September. You know what to do.
(Mark Kelly)
SHANGHAI TREASON – After Dark in Pavilion (22:50pm – 23:25pm)
Having been awake since 4:30am after just four hours sleep, it’s amazing that I’ve made it until 10:50pm to stay up to catch the Yorkshire flat cap banjo playing punks that are Shanghai Treason. Even though I lived in Lancashire as a child and as a cricket lover Yorkshire were the sworn enemy, I now have an affinity with the county over the Pennines as my eldest daughter has made Huddersfield her second home and five years of visiting has endeared me to the area. I was unaware of Shanghai Treason, lead singer Sam was brought up near Huddersfield but is now based in Sheffield, and their Celtic punk songs musically influenced by the likes of The Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, and The Pogues. Formed in 2019 they have thus far supported the likes of The Rumjacks, Ferocious Dog, Hayseed Dixie, Terrorvision, and From The Jam. With songs about Yorkshire life this band keeps true to their roots. Seeing them playing with such gusto and putting in a raucous performance somewhat makes up for the void left in my life by the lengthy hiatus taken by Hastings band Matilda’s Scoundrels since the end of 2019.
Given that I’ve chosen to watch Shanghai Treason over the mighty Ruts DC is in itself a massive compliment to the band. It’s hard to pick standout songs from such a good set but I enjoyed ‘Tenterhooks’ with a great drum introduction that sets the intensity for the whole song, ‘In For A Penny’ with the crowd singalong, ‘Gatling Gun’ with some exquisite banjo playing from Tom Hardy (not that one!), but the highlight has to be ‘Freeman On The Land’ which is going to be an earworm of a tune for me. If you like Celtic punk, then do yourself a favour and catch this band playing live and you won’t be disappointed.
(Andy Murphy)
RUTS DC – Opera House (23:10pm – 12:15am)
Ruts DC’s bass drum skin features the slogan “People Unite”, a sentiment that is as relevant now as it’s ever been. The band bring a degree of unity to a rammed Opera House, starting with a dub version of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ playing over the PA before the band come on. The set is weighted towards Ruts DC material in the first half of the set, with Ruts classics towards the end. We learn that ‘Formula Eyes’ was apparently written for Kevin Coyne, but the band were never credited. We also learn that drummer Dave Ruffy has a new knee! I thought he was moving a little slowly! He has a T-shirt with the PiL logo on it, amended to read ILL! The band take up a remarkably small area of the stage, and when neither bassist Segs or guitarist Leigh Heggarty are singing, they tend to gather in front of Ruffy’s drum kit. Heggarty’s playing is frankly awesome, illuminating the entire set. However, his solo on The Ruts’ ‘West One (Shine On Me)’ is a particular stand-out. ‘Music Must Destroy’ shows that their righteous anger is undiminished, the closing chants of “we are not your property!” being particularly affecting. They’re still churning out future classics too. ‘Bound In Blood’ from last year being a prime example. ‘Born Innocent’ is a song that really shouldn’t be relevant today. Sadly it is. Ruts DC are still one of the most interesting bands around, both musically and lyrically. The closing part of the set features Ruts classics ‘Jah War’, ‘Staring At The Rude Boys’, ‘In A Rut’ and ‘Babylon’s Burning’. To the band’s surprise they still have some time left, despite having carefully timed their set! We gain though, as we get a cracking version of ‘Psychic Attack’, from the ‘Music Must Destroy’ album, so not a minute is wasted! Ruts DC have provided a brilliant close to the first day of Rebellion. If you were foolish enough to miss them, they tour the UK in November and December.
(Mark Kelly)
Reports from Rebellion Festival performances on Friday 8th, Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th will follow in due course.
The dates for next year’s 30th anniversary event will be Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th August 2026 and tickets are now on sale. Purchase yours HERE.
