Promoter: Rebellion Festivals Tickets: Dave Harris and Lesley Marketing: Daryl Smith Production: Murphy Public Relations/Press: John Robb Photo Accreditation: Dod Morrison Stage Managers: Empress - ‘Leaky’ Jim Dyer Olympia 1 - Keith Curtis Arena - Peter Bywaters Bizarre Bazaar Opera House - Del Greening Olympia 2 - Walnut Almost Acoustic - Huggy Spanish Hall – Raggity Bizarre Bazaar Pavilion - tbc Crew: Beano, Pedro, Neil, Jock, Danny, Paul H, Steo, Ross, Tinky, U.S Dave, Maggie New Band Stage co-ordinator: Jonny Wah Wah Box Office: Margaret Smith, Lora, Sharky, Krys Moo-lay, Anne-Marie. Wristband Exchange: Mr No Mullet and Dave, Maryanne, Graham & Vyv. DJ’s: Dave Paranoia, Sav, Rubber Skeleton PA & Lights: Empress/Opera House/Arena – ESS & KC Lighting Olympia 1&2/Pavilion/Almost Acoustic - STS Sound Engineers: Empress - Djura Arena - Owen Olympia - Naff Dave PunkArt: Jennie Russell-Smith, Carl Swinnerton, Margaret Curwen Literary Festival: John Robb, Jennie Russell-Smith, Dom Warwick, Richie Tomlinson Cinema: Sav Healing/Chill Out Area: Andi, Niki, Liz Stalls/Merch Co-ordinator: Paul Swinnerton & Stu No Rules T-Shirt design: Richard Stone, Andy Mac, Daryl Smith T-Shirt printing: International Insignia Websites: Daryl Smith Facebook Chief Elf: Dalb Official Merch: Stu Taylor Security: Showsec Barriers/Fencing/Staging: UK Effects Backline: STS Programme Compiler & Graphic Design: Daryl Smith at Chase The Ace Design www.chasetheacedesign.com Programme Front Cover: Jacknife Programme Contributors: Hannah McFaull, Richie Tomlinson, Dom Warwick, Jonny Wah Wah, and many others....THANX Programme Photography: Sam Bruce, Dod Morrison, Libra Snake with thanks for UGLY PUNK use of pics online.
Welcome All to this Rebellion festival 2012. After a wonderful year last year we hope you’ll enjoy this years’ festival as much or if it’s your first time then we hope you will have the best weekend ever!
We hope you are as pleased as we are with this years’ line up. Finally we have secured Rancid, amazing! But also US giants Social Distortion and John Lydon with Public Image Limited. The Buzzcocks are back after 16 years and the mighty SLF. A much anticipated re-union for Anti Pasti, Bow Wow Wow, The Only Ones with full original line up, the list goes on. We are very sorry but some quality bands have pulled their European tours so will not be appearing, which is something of great regret. This year we have split Bizarre Bazaar into bands in the daytime in the Pavilion and in the seated Opera House in the evening. Let’s see how it works and please let us know what you think. The Opera is a beautiful space and gives us great opportunities for the future! The New Band Stage is also new this year – as well as giving lots of up and coming bands a spot within the main festival, we decided that this year we should have a day showcasing some of the finest new bands on the scene today. So with the help of Jonny Wah Wah who trekked around the country looking out for the best new talent we’ve put together 13 brilliant bands for you to enjoy between 11.20am and 8pm in The Pavilion on Thursday. Please go and support them all and we look forward to hearing your comments and favourites. Also new this year, loads of stuff going on up in The Spanish Hall and adjoining rooms, as well as the 7th PunkArt exhibition which is now bigger than ever, we have moved the Literary Stage up there and added spoken word and poetry to it, there will also be open mic sessions every morning up there too. In the adjoining rooms you’ll find the cinema in the Baronial Hall and Tattooing, meditation and yoga sessions in the Renaissance Room as well as healing sessions in the little room off the Spanish Hall – there’ll be loads of info up there as to what’s going on when so please do check it all out. Please as ever try to support the bands who have spent a fortune travelling from afar to be here such as RUST from Australia, Maximum RnR from Canada, The Blame, Rat City Riot, Choking Susan, Downtown Struts, Derita Sisters and Sydney Ducks from USA and many from around Europe. We would like to thank all of the advertisers, with special thanks to Jagermeister for contributing towards the high costs of making this programme. This means we can continue providing it for FREE to every person who purchases a weekend or day ticket. We’re comfortable with Jager as they are a brand that supports lots of Live Music events, especially in the alternative music scene. Putting their contribution directly into the programme means that the only people that benefit are the people that come to the festival, YOU. We’re proud that Rebellion remains a true independent festival. And always will.... Don’t forget looking ahead to the winter we have an amazing day at the brilliant Birmingham Ballroom venue on Saturday 8th December. Cock Sparrer headline to celebrate their 40th anniversary with two incredibly special guests Rancid and The Exploited plus Street Dogs, The UK Subs, Anti-Nowhere League and many more on three stages! Have a wonderful weekend!!! With love Team Rebellion xx THANKS TO: Deia and Keir, Dave Harris and Lesley, Daryl Smith, Pop, Dalb, Margaret, Lora, Krys and Anne-Marie, all Rebellion staff, stage managers and crew, Ian Armstrong, Djura, Richie Tomlinson, Dom Warwick, Jonny Wah Wah, Carl Swinnerton, Paul Swinnerton, Stu Taylor, Stu no-rules, Catrin Owen, Stretch, Darren@crucialtalent, Chris Shadow, Jake, Martin@peopleforprint, Dod Morrison, Chrissie Yiannou, Jon@gigbox, Dirk Peeters, Betty and Ricky, Kathy@Rockersengland, Gerry and Mo, Peter@foadrecords, John Robb, Tara Rez, Sarah Pink, Oonagh, all at Blackpool tourism, Carla, Kathy, Michael and all the staff and crew at the Winter Gardens, All the 2012 Rebellion Street Team for their awesome work and of course to you!!!!
ENTRANCE TO INDIVIDUAL VENUES CANNOT BE GUARANTEED ONCE LEGAL FIRE CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED The views in this programme do not necessarily reflect those of Rebellion Festivals Ltd or its employees. This programme is produced independently via contribution and neither Rebellion Festivals Ltd, the compilers, the designers or printers take responsibility for the content. All images, text, logos and copyright remain the property of their respective owners.
Most festivals have a HEADLINE band. REBELLION likes to do things bigger and better.
This year we have loads of them...........!!! With 7 stages we have the likes of STIFF LITTLE FINGERS, AGNOSTIC FRONT, BOW WOW WOW, KING KURT, ALTERED IMAGES, ONLY ONES headlining various stages. Plus many other bands on during the day that would be headliners on any other festival. But it’s the iconic venue THE EMPRESS BALLROOM where we have really surpassed ourselves this year if we say so ourselves! Check it out:
THURSDAY BUZZCOCKS
FRIDAY SOCIAL DISTORTION
SATURDAY PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED
SUNDAY RANCID
This year sees Rebellion continue to grow. In times of global austerity, cut backs and more doom and gloom than a British summer we still go the extra mile to make this THE festival for the punk rock calendar. The festival itself has added stages, booked more bands, expanded the Punk Art, Cinema, Literary, Poetry, Healing areas. There’s more merch stalls for you to pick up all the things that the high street refuse to stock, so support the traders and get your hands on CDs, Vinyl, Tshirts, Hoodies etc etc... The bands themselves are as diverse as ever with many genres of ‘punk’ represented. Whilst the ‘77 punks probably don’t want to listen to Oi and the Oi boys aren’t interested in the UK 82 bands and the young kids want more modern bands whilst the old guys don’t get it and just want to chill out in the bingo (!), we have a smile on our face..... It means that there’s something for EVERYONE. A truly all inclusive festival for the alternative music scene. We know that YOU (the Rebellion family) appreciate it, which is why we ignore the Facebook moaners (really guys if you don’t like a band go and watch one of the other 250!!) and continue to book what we think is an amazing weekend. So, what’s this got to do with YOUR PROGRAMME - well, to keep up with the growth of the festival, we’ve added more pages, more articles and it’s still FREE (thanks to the advertisers - please support them). There’s a wide (and diverse) range of bands featured: JAYA THE CAT, THE BOYS, BOOZE & GLORY, THE ENEMY, THE FITS, SUBCULTURE, CYANIDE PILS, THEE SPIVS, SYDNEY DUCKS, DOWNTOWN STRUTS, CASE, LOUISE DISTRAS, MONKISH, START, RUST, ARGY BARGY, THE CRAVATS, THE PIGS, CHEWING ON TIN FOIL, ROCK n ROLL GYPSIES, CHOKING SUSAN, CRASHED OUT, THE SYSTEM. There are articles on the history of the Fest, Carry on Up Yer Tower (ooer missus) , the plight of bands trying to play in the USA and much more. So make sure this gets safely back to your hotel room / B&B and enjoy the read. Cheers
“Vive Le Rock is the best punk rock magazine on the planet!” Louder Than War It’s all about rock ‘n’ roll. It’s about the passion and the power, music that means something. The songs, the bands, the albums that we grew up with and stay with us to this day. That’s why we started Vive Le Rock magazine and that’s why we’re here at Rebellion festival. We were tired of reading about prog rock, classic rock and indie rock. We wanted punk rock, rock ‘n’ roll, new wave and beyond – and that’s what Vive Le Rock is all about. So, from Adam Ant to Anti Pasti, Screaming Jay Hawkins to the Stray Cats, Black Flag to Blondie and Jerry Lee Lewis to Joan Jett, this is what we bring you – written by the fans for the fans. We’re out there every night on the live music circuit, dedicated to bringing you not only the classic bands, but also those young up-and-comers who guard the legacy of rock ‘n’ roll to this day. And we’re just getting started. This year sees Vive Le Rock moving from strength to strength and now going bi-monthly, which means you’ll be able to pick it up from your sussed local newsagent six times a year. Each issue also comes with a free CD featuring the best new and classic tracks. With previous cover stars including The Ramones, Adam Ant, The Stooges, The Specials, The Damned, Motorhead and PIL, we’re celebrating going bi-monthly with a UK82 punk special with the likes of The Exploited, AntiNowhere League, Discharge and many more and future issues will feature the likes of the Psychedelic Furs, the Misfits, Sparks and, of course, full coverage of the 2012 Rebellion festival! See you down the front! Eugene Butcher Facebook.com/Vivelerockworld Vivelerock.net
Originating from Boston and currently based in Amsterdam, Jaya the Cat play an original and uncompromising combination of punk rock, reggae and ska music. Founded in 2002 through a shared passion for 60’s and 70’s dub and punk, the band draw inspiration for their unique style of music from seedy bars, cheap hotels, dysfunctional love affairs and political disillusionment. The resulting albums contain songs that range from booze fueled singalong anthems, to mellow tracks with a dance feel to outspoken social and political commentary. Since their formation and transatlantic relocation the support for the band has continued to grow. They now have played hundreds of live shows to an ever expanding audience including a number of perfromances at Rebellions past. This is in addition to bolstering their sound with keyboards, samples, percussion and a tiki bar, which has now become essential to their onstage act. Whilst there is no such thing as an average Jaya the Cat concert, gigs usually become more of a party than a performance with the audience singing, dancing and drinking with the band onstage. With a new album out just before Rebellion, you know that this lot are up for a party. Make sure you don’t miss the celebration. Rebellion: Is it good to be back at Rebellion? When was your first Rebellion? Do you think it has changed since then? Geoff: Hell yeah it’s great to be back! I think this is our third or fourth year going, and it’s always a blast. I actually don’t see too much of a change in the festival. With Rebellion you pretty much know what you’re getting into. Rebellion: Is Rebellion different from playing other festivals? If so, in what way? Geoff: People are pretty damn cool there, from the stagehands to the audience it’s pretty relaxed. And I like the whole vibe Blackpool as a sorta beat down resort town gives the festival as well. A lot of the bands we’ve played with and friends we’ve made touring the UK tend to be there as well so that’s cool, it’s a good party. Rebellion: Do you have any top tips from this year’s line up that we shouldn’t miss? Geoff: This is gonna sound bad but we play so fucking much, and we’ve also been so busy getting our newest album done, that I haven’t had much of a chance to check the lineups of any of the festivals we’re doing this summer. I usually just show up and hope to be pleasantly surprised. One good thing about Rebellion though is there’s no worries, there’s always a bunch of stuff I’m stoked to see no matter what. Rebellion: I saw your set last year when members of The Skints joined you on stage, how healthy is the state of ska-reggae-party-punk music in 2012? How important has joining Bomber Music been to the band? Geoff: I would say in the UK it seems to be fairly strong, I mean that sorta sound was pretty much born over here, right? In mainland Europe it’s not as prevalent I guess, bands tend to stick in just one style, strictly rocksteady, or reggae or whatever. I personally like a bit of a mixup. Bomber is cool, they’re a nice bunch and have quite a few of the bands in the scene we play with signed to them. Rebellion: Would you agree with the statement that Jaya the Cat’s philosophy is to drink as much as you can and don’t take anything too seriously? Geoff: That sounds like a pretty good philosophy! Maybe I’d change that to drink as much as you feel like and don’t take anything too seriously. If I spent my days drinking as much as I could I wouldn’t have time for anything else. Rebellion: You’ve got a new album, ‘The New International Sound of Hedonism’ recently released, where have you drawn inspiration from? Geoff: I guess mostly just being on the road. We travel a lot and tend to imbibe in whatever the local poisons are when we get there, hence the international and the hedonism.
Rebellion: Is it work or play in the studio? Geoff: It’s a bit of both. It’s a fine line, but I guess most of the work is done getting ready for the studio. Once you’re in there you just want to cut loose, fuck it. You don’t wanna come across as stiff or too professional on your recorded stuff. Rebellion: What’s your favourite track from the new album? Are there any which you’d recommend to people as being representative of Jaya the Cat in 2012? Geoff: I dunno I’ve got a couple. My favourite one now is a track called bos en lommerweg, it’s not so representative though. It’s kinda a slow one. We did a few calypso style numbers on this album with guest vocals from some UK artists, Itch Fox from the King Blues on one and Adam Parsons from Captain Accident on another. It was cool to do some collaborations and I’ve always been a big calypso fan but have never been able to make it work before with Jaya. Every time I’ve tried in the past it just sounded too much of a stretch from our sound. So maybe that’s a bit representative of the overall vibe on this one, it’s still very much Jaya the Cat, but on this one we’ve been able to bridge out a bit more and expand our sound. You’ve gotta do that. Keep things from getting stale while sticking to your vision. Rebellion: What’s exciting about music in 2012? Geoff: Music is always exciting, huh? I guess I like that technology just keeps getting cheaper, faster and more accessible. Say what you want, but the spirit of punk rock, the whole do it your fucking self deal, is more possible than ever now. As much as I still love the whole cassette tape single input 4 track deal, we’re lightyears beyond that know and I think it’s pretty rad. Rebellion: What’s next? Geoff: Just supporting the album really and touring as much as possible. WORDS: Hannah McFaull PHOTO: Dod Morrison
With Rebellion 2012 almost upon us it’s hard to believe it is now almost a year since we played at Rebellion 2011. Blackpool is starting to feel like an annual trip to the seaside! It’s been an eventful year for The Boys. Since last year’s Rebellion we have certainly played a lot more gigs than we usually would over a 12-month period. We’ve played in Italy, Canada, France, Japan, Slovakia, London, France again, Sweden, Spain and Germany. We also found time to spend a week in France recording tracks for the first new Boys album since 1981. It went even better than we expected. Like the cobweb-covered Volkswagen Woody Allen discovers in a garage after he is defrosted 200 years into the future in “Sleeper”, the old creative songwriting engine started up first time and slipped nicely into gear. We have at least four or five new tracks in the bag and will be heading back to Rock On Studios in Annecy straight after Rebellion to work on more tracks. We expect to release the album early 2013. Last but not least, The Boys have entered cyberspace… well sort of. We have a snazzy new Boys App thingy, which can be downloaded for free to smartphones from: cqr. se/62q6 We look forward to seeing everyone – both old friends and new faces alike – in Blackpool this August.
Matt Dangerfield The Boys
THE BOYS - The Punk Rock Anthology. 2 CD set from www.cherryred.co.uk
This London band formed in 2008 and describe their influences as British Oi!, dirty streets and cold booze. Rancid six-stringer Lars Frederiksen says, “Being a personal favourite and one of the best bands out there right now, I’m proud to be playing a few shows with Booze & Glory this year. Their record ‘Trouble Free’ is in current rotation on my record player”.The band write poignant sing-a-long skinhead music with careful attention given to the production and delivery of their records. Rebellion sat down with guitarist and vocalist Liam in an East End boozer to talk about their upcoming gigs with Rancid, the Olympics being held in London and the comeback of Oi! Rebellion: Hi Liam, Rebellion’s at the bar and getting a round in, who’s having what? Liam: Booze & Glory are Mark on vocals & guitar, Liam also on vocals and guitar, Bart on bass and Mario on drums. As for drinking, whiskey all the way! Rebellion: This is your second Rebellion now, being the absolute festival openers last year. Are you pleased to be back? (and slightly higher up the bill!) Liam: Yes! We’re very happy to be back at Rebellion again for the 2nd time (although we have been coming for years anyway!). We had a great time last year, there’s not many places your’re going to play at 11am on a Thursday morning! But the crowd was brilliant and we were happy to kick Rebellion 2011 off in style! Rebellion: Who on the bill do you recommend we don’t miss? Liam: There’s such a good line up it’s hard to pick favourites, but I will definitely be dragging myself from the bar the catch Sydney Ducks. I’ve wanted to see them live for a while and I’m sure its going to be great. I’m also looking forward to seeing The Uppercuts, they are a quality London band and well worth getting your arses up to see! The Agitators from Belgium always do a great set! Rebellion: Would you agree that we’re currently experiencing a resurgence of Oi!, with bands like yourselves, Runnin Riot, Sydney Ducks, Old Firm Casuals, Noi!se, Harrington Saints, Control, all seeming to be doing really well. Liam: I’m sure Oi! is making a comeback, there’s some great bands out in the US now and it’s great some of them are making it over here to play, I think with so many new bands appearing it’s keeping the scene fresh and exciting. As for gigs its seems theres a lot more younger Skinheads coming out and the older fellas are being drawn back by the reforming of some of the classic bands like Infa Riot. The future’s looking good for Oi! Rebellion: Your track ‘Swinging Fucking Hammers’ was one side of the memorial record for Maximum Rock N Roll’s Bruce Roehrs, how did that come about? Liam: Skippy from Pirates Press approached us with the idea of a special memorial vinyl release for Bruce. He thought that ‘Swinging Fucking Hammers’ optimised the character and spirit of Bruce Roehrs, so we more than happily donated the song for the record, along with the Harrington Saints who gave ‘Claret & Blue’. Pirates Press did an amazing job of the vinyl which was crossed hammer shaped and came in various claret and blue colours and splatters, all of which are now framed on my wall! We were very proud to be part of it. If you’re lucky you may still be able to donate and pick up a copy at www.piratespress.com/bruce Rebellion: As far as I can count, you’ve worked with at least six different labels to date, how do you decide what projects to be involved with? Liam: Six! Well what can I say? We’re just a bunch of tarts that will go with anyone! Both our first album ‘Always On The Wrong Side’ and our second, ‘Trouble Free’ were released on Step 1 Music, with Contra Records taking care on the vinyl release of ‘Trouble Free’, We also worked with Pirates Press Records for the Bruce Roehrs release and appeared on the ‘Oi! this is Street Punk’ compilation. We also released a split 7” with the Warriors on Randale Records. As for deciding what we do and don’t do, it’s tough sometimes because we all work full time. It’s difficult
enough to fit all the gigs in, let alone get in the studio to record for further release and although we get offers to be on compilations and splits we sometimes haven’t got the material or time to record more and no one wants to hear the same B&G track on 4 or 5 different comps. Rebellion: London is central to many of your tracks. Are you excited about the Olympics? Liam: I really have a love/hate relationship with London, when it’s good there’s nowhere I would rather be than in London, but when things get bad it can be a pretty grim place to be. Take last summer for example! As for the Olympics, I live 5 minutes from the main site and I worked in the main stadium during the building. Apart from giving some people a bit of work for a short time, what good is it really going to do? Oh, and I’m still praying West Ham don’t get it after! We have played at Upton Park for over a century, if we move I think it would be a real shame to lose so much heritage. Rebellion: What does where you come from mean to Booze & Glory? Where else do you draw inspiration from? Liam: I think one of the defining things about Oi! and Punk is that it’s real, you sing songs that are about things that affect you day in day out, so coming from where we come from has a huge influence on what we play and how we play it! I’m not just talking about London either. Although now living in London, Mark, Bart & Mario are from Poland, which brings in a different perspective to our music. They obviously take influence from the Europeon bands that they were listening to when they were younger like Horrorshow from Poland. Rebellion: How would you describe one of your gigs? Liam: Fun I hope! We’re just out to enjoy ourselves so as long as the crowd enjoys it we’re happy! Rebellion: What’s next for Booze & Glory? Liam: We’re keeping ourselves pretty busy. We will be playing in Germany, Scotland, Poland and France before the end of the year and in December we will supporting Rancid in Manchester and Rancid & Cock Sparrer in London! In March we are playing with The Templars and Stomper 98 in London and possibly a tour with a top US Oi! Band! We will be featuring on a couple of records including a split with Swedish band On The Job on Contra Records, another one with Gimp Fist, Agent Bulldogg, The Sandals on Bad Look Records, with The Old Firm Casuals, Argy Bargy, Harrington Saints on Pirates Press and on a Rebellion Records release alongside The Old Firm Casuals, Razorblade & The Corps. As well as Step 1 and Longshot putting out our ‘Back Where We Belong’ EP which, if you can’t guess, is a dedication to West Ham United!! And as if that wasn’t enough, Mark & Bart have found time to form a Vanilla Muffins tribute band for a one off gig at The Voice Of Oi! festival in London 2nd & 3rd of November. WORDS: HANNAH McFAULL
Back in the extreme mists of time, during the early 80’s, I used to regularly travel to Harrow for a coach ride to what felt like the back of beyond, to watch the band Chaos (not to be confused with Bristol yokels Chaos UK). One such journey took us to the Sugarhill club in Dudley, which I later found out was Daz’s first gig as a promoter. Many years later, he is now promoting the Rebellion festival in Blackpool, having taken his own journey from less classy pubs to the biggest independent event in the punk rock calendar. Here follows a snapshot view of having been to many of Daz’s gigs over the years…… So, what of that trip to Dudley? The gig itself was organised to help promote the Who?, What?, Why?, When?, Where? album released on Conflict’s Mortarhate label, featuring several of the bands appearing – the previously mentioned Chaos, plus 16 Guns (or 16 Bums as we used to call them). In those days you could drink on coaches, which also didn’t have toilets, so you can imagine the desperation at getting stuck in a jam on the motorway and consequently losing several folk on route, who simply couldn’t wait! All I can remember of the gig is the huge speakers stacks in each corner (this was a Reggae club, which I guess is obvious from the name) and someone had brought along a mini-chain saw in case of any trouble (not that there was any, although these were still tempestuous times!). I also seem to recall that no-one paid to get in (I think Daz has finally cottoned on to that one!). Roll forward a few years to April 1989 and Daz had reached the heady heights of promoting an all-dayer in the East End of London, The Uppercut in Forest Gate. This old hall (which was more like a giant shed) had previously borne witness to gigs by the likes of The Who. Playing that day were 999, GBH, Exploited, UK Subs, Splodge, Drongos For Europe, S*c B*y F*d*r*tion and the Sect. This was the first time such a comprehensive line of major players had been put together and was later emulated by the F*ck Reading gigs down at Brixton Academy. Come the latter part of 1989, Darren had started to co-promote with a character by the name of Fish (more of him later) and set-up several festivals at the George Robey (or Ropey as we affectionately called it), under the banner of Back on the Streets. This place was your typical dive and was located in North London, opposite the famous Rainbow Theatre. We spent many a weekend up there and the occasional trip to Birmingham for one of Daz’s all-dayers at the Barrel Organ or Hummingbird. These gigs were a mish-mash of old faces (UK Subs, Test Tubes, Splodge), Psychobilly (Skitzo), Crusty Punk (Culture Shock), newer bands (The Sect, The Price, Identity) and the downright odd (Floral Sex????).
By the late 80’s/early 90’s, a handful bands seemed to form a last bastion/rearguard of old school punk – 999, Lurkers, UK Subs, Splodge and the Vibrators, backed-up by their early 80’s counterparts such as The Exploited and GBH. The scene was propped up by a series of various newer/smaller bands, offshoots of punk with a more indie sound and the odd band from across the pond. It was with the former that Daz continued promoting, with various tours, until entering semi-retirement and handing the baton over to his partner in crime at the time, Fish, who promoted under the guise of MMR Promotions (Mega Majestically Rude – you’ll have to ask Max Splodge about that!). Following a series of pub gigs, Fish eventually upped the anté and put on a few shows at the Astoria (RIP), culminating with 3 x nights of punk, SLF headlining each night. These were all great gigs and well attended, however not all was fine and dandy. It transpired that said promoter had borrowed money from some local Hells Angels, but failed to pay this back. Needless to say Fish has never been seen or heard of since……….. Roll forward a few years (1996 to be precise) and I started hearing rumours of a massive new punk festival up in Blackpool. This was later confirmed by adverts appearing in the music press, which caused huge excitement amongst the punk fraternity. Slaughter & the Dogs, Eater, The Drones, Suburban Studs and many other bands that I thought I’d never get to see, having been a few years too young for the original punk explosion. And so Daz’s reappearance on the scene emerged with the first of what has now become the annual event on the punk calendar, originally under the Holidays in the Sun moniker. This was also the year the Sex Pistols reformed, so in a number of respects became a pivotal year for punk rock. Since the initial festival, punk has experienced a revival, with many bands enjoying belated success as a consequence (although others have disappeared back into the woodwork, in some cases thankfully!). From 1997 the festival moved to Morecambe and occupied a series of venues, included the fondly remembered Dome, which has sadly been demolished, culminating in the use of the Market Arena & various surrounding pubs and clubs. There have also been gigs staged in other parts of the country, from Bath to Dublin and London to Glasgow, as well as abroad (Berlin, Venice, Japan & the States). Throughout this, there have also been name changes, from HITS to Wasted and now Rebellion, having moved back again to Blackpool a few years back. Rebellion has gone from strength to strength, epitomised by the bands this now attracts. However, Daz could never have achieved this without a good woman behind him – unfortunately Jayne County didn’t return the phone calls! Seriously though, much of what has been achieved is down to Daz’s long-standing (or should that be suffering???) partner Jennie These are not just gigs, but major social events, where new friendships have been made, old acquaintances errrr re-acquainted, marriages forged (& I guess responsible for some divorces). Enjoy another great weekend and raise a glass to absent friends, or as they say fill your tankard let’s get wankered! (phew, managed to finish that off without mentioning Cock Sparrer – damn!!!)
DOM WARWICK
Hailing from Derby, The Enemy were formed early in 1980, and in a four year period produced some of the finest punk records of that era. From their first single ‘50’000 Dead’ through to their final album, ‘Last But Not Least’ you always felt that they had more in common with the original 77 bands than the hardcore merchants of the time, indeed many, myself included felt that this was to their detriment, they were never given the kudos they deserved, and they called it a day in 1984. Well, after a chance meeting of three of the original members at a gig in Derby they are back playing again, ‘rehearsals are going really well’ stated Mark Herrington the bands drummer when I asked what prompted a return at this particular time. ‘The time seems right now, we had an offer to tour the States in the late 80’s but some members of the band couldn’t do it’. The band recently played a triumphant home town comeback gig, and have more gigs coming, and even plan to record new material in 2013. ‘Both Mark, (vocals) and Kev (guitar) have been to Rebellion before and we are all really looking forward to playing the festival’ Mark tells me. Not half as much as I’m looking forward to seeing them. Catch The Enemy in The Arena on Saturday 4th August. Richie Tomlinson
Think of Blackpool, and what springs to mind? Sticks of rock, The Tower, John Robb!! All legends in their own right, but back in the early 80’s Blackpool was also home to some of the best punk bands around, and right up there with the best were The Fits. Forming in 1979 and playing their first gig only a few days later the band soon built up a decent sized following. The band started off as you may imagine as a snotty loud punk band, their first single coming out in 1981 on local label ‘Beat The System’ and I think even the band would agree it may have been released too soon. Moving to Rondelet Records the band released a couple more singles, then the album ‘You’re Nothing You’re Nowhere’ Although containing some fine moments, they were few and far between, and it looked like this may be the bands lasting legacy. Then a friend of the band came up with a masterstroke, they were put in touch with Crass offshoot label ‘Corpus Christi’ and the resulting single ‘Tears of a Nation’ was a classic, this was more like it, and the band soon won themselves a whole load of new fans, classic followed classic , resulting in the sublime ‘Peace and Quiet’ 12 inch on Trapper records, a superb slice of punk rock, complete with Reggae middle 8. And then all too soon it was all over, what could have been achieved if the band had stayed together we shall never know. In recent years vocalist Mick Crudge has played a few solo sets at the festival, however this year he has finally put the band together again, so get down the front and salute one of Blackpool’s own, leave a space for me and let’s make sure there ain’t no peace and quiet! Richie Tomlinson
SUBCULTURE hail from Cambridge UK, they were part of the original UK82 streetpunk scene. In 1983 they released the now legandary ‘loud and clear e.p ‘ and later featured on the Oi Oi THATS YER LOT LP with the classic youth unity anthem ‘STICK TOGETHER’. Subcultures star burned bright for a couple of years back then ..... The band are now back for the first time in 30 years with a brand new e.p. called ‘JUST PLAY THE MUSIC out now on council house records. www.councilhouserecords.com Check out the bands past, present and future at their website www.subcultureuk82.com
Belfast’s finest Oi! band have been described as producing songs that “revere booze, brotherhood, and politics and their combined effect on the working class”. A band set apart from the other Oi! bands who sing on these classic themes by their overriding sense of fun, their experience in gigging and by having the knack of writing bloody catchy anthems, they have become firm Rebellion favourites. They will be playing with Rancid later this year and with a new album due later this year, things are looking good for Belfast’s premier bovva boys. Rebellion: Welcome back to Rebellion boys! When was the first time you played here? Has it changed? Runnin Riot: We played at H.I.T.S way back in 2001. We played Rebellion in 2009 and 2011. We love the festival! It’s good to see so many great and colourful people in one place, it’s a great time for catching up with our mates. We wouldn’t change a thing about Rebellion. Rebellion: What’s your favourite Rebellion memory? Runnin Riot: That first year we played we’d been across to England a few days before the fest and had done a few gigs around the North of England and Scotland, so we had been partaking in quite a bit of Buckfast. Anyway, the day we play, our bassist is nowhere to be found. So with various search parties dispatched he is eventually located asleep on the beach. He is then virtually carried back up to the venue about a half an hour before we play. Incapable of speech he plays an absolute stormer of a gig, then promptly disappears again as the rest of us retire to the sanctuary of our Buckfast. Then around 3-4 hours later the bass player reappears with those immortal words (which still bring a smile to my face!) “alright lads? What time are we on at?” Laugh?.....I even bought Watford Jon a drink that day!! Rebellion: Who do you recommend not to miss on the line up this year? Runnin Riot: We’re big Social Distortion fans so we’ll be front and centre for them, The Slackers, Argy Bargy, Gimpfist, Booze and Glory, Control, Marching Orders, The Blame, Los Fastidios, Hardskin and of course Rancid! Far too many great bands to mention!
Rebellion: Who would be on your ideal line up? Runnin Riot: All of the above with the addition of ‘Sparrer, Cockney Rejects, The Skints, Patriot, and from Oz, Plan of Attack and the mighty ROSE TATTOO! Rebellion: What are your live shows like? Runnin Riot: It’s somewhat of a Buckfast fuelled sing-a-long! We have the odd stage invasion too! I guess if ya really wanna know come down and watch us play. Rebellion: Are you happy with being described as an Oi! band? Runnin Riot: We don’t really care how people describe us or label us, but the roots of the band and the music we produce are based firmly in the hey day of good old fashioned oi! of the early eighties. It would be fair to say that our music has evolved immensely since the release of “Reclaim the Streets” in 1998. Oi!, Punkrock, Streetpunk! We play working class street music! Oi! Oi! Rebellion: You appear to tread the very careful line of carrying a strong social message in your songs without being overtly political. How important is that to you? Runnin Riot: We think its important to be responsible with lyrics. I think nowadays we have a lot to be pissed off about! We try to strike a balance with our songs. We have songs about injustice and working class struggle but we also have songs about George Best and getting pissed! Rebellion: How would you describe the state of punk and Oi! in Northern Ireland right now? Any bands we should watch out for? Runnin Riot: With the recent opening of the new Warzone Centre Belfast’s scene is looking healthy! It’s a drop in centre with a stage and huge sound system, a great place to put on gigs or play with a great atmosphere. There are a lot of great bands doing the rounds at the minute! Hardcase, Excuses, Thee Radicals, The Jollars, Section 4,1000 Drunken Nights are all worth checking out. Rebellion: You are all renowned for liking a beer/vodka/bucky, how did you celebrate completing your last album ‘Boots and Ballads’? Runnin Riot: Think we had a few bottles of the monks’ finest to celebrate. We’re very proud of the album. We have a great engineer who knows what we’re looking for when we record. We’re in the middle of writing our new album at the minute. We hope to have it finished and out by the end of this year. The new tunes are shaping up well and we’re looking forward to airing a few at Rebellion this year. WORDS: Hannah McFaull
LEEDS finest punk band apparently, well that’s what Geoffery Oicott say, and they should know! One of the best live acts around, their sounds harks back to ‘77 with just a hint of the proto-glam that influenced punk’s first wavers. All this is encapsulated on the band’s current single “Where Did It Go?”, a taster from the band’s second album which is due out later in the year. If you’ve yet to experience Cyanide Pills live, don’t miss their set this weekend, you won’t be disappointed.
Thee Spives, three lads based in London are appearing at Rebellion for the first time this year, having just returned from their third tour of Europe. They’ve been together since 2007 and have released two albums so far, ‘Taped Up’ and ‘Black And White Memories’ both on Damaged Goods. This show will be the last featuring original bassist Dan May, another Dan...Daniel Husayn (of the Red Dons) is taking over bass duties soon. Their new single, out this week, is ‘Flickin’ V’s’, set to become an anthem for disaffected youth worldwide. The cover features lead singer Ben’s uncle, who you may have heard about on their first album. He’s the one with ASBO. We can’t think why! The b-side is a cover of Patrick Fitzgerald’s classic ‘Safety Pin Stuck In My Heart’ www.theespivs.com
The Sydney Ducks are a band gathering momentum at a rate of knots since forming in 2009. The unusual name was taken from a crew of criminal immigrants that burned San Francisco to the ground in 1849. The San Franciscan five piece have been labelled as an Oi! band, and whilst this label does fit them to a certain extent, there are a number of different influences to be found in their music which make them stand out from the crowd. The simplicity of Oi! is peppered with influences ranging from classic American hardcore to first generation European post punk to neo-psychedelia and prog rock. Maximum RocknRoll stated earlier this year that “the resultant sound is like the Templars crossed with Ignition...� a mighty combination for any fan of street punk or Oi!. This is not a band of newcomers to the scene though, and many of the members have been playing in other bands for over twenty years. The experience they have collectively amassed definitely lends a maturity to their writing and playing. Lyrically, the songs contain both an element of story-telling and of personal reflection. Musically, this might be the smartest Oi! you’ll hear this decade, with weaving guitar lines and bass drop ins making them at times not fit that label at all. Recently back from the East Coast where they played shows with both Boston hard core legends DYS and Rebellion favourite Cock Sparrer, this is the first time the band have visited Europe. Songs not to miss: Espirit De Corps, Stray Dogs, He Lives For Today
Rebellion caught up with bassist Mike for a drink and a chat about their upcoming European tour and what they are expecting Rebellion to be like. Rebellion: What are you most looking forward to about playing Rebellion? Mike: For me, I’m just excited to be there! I have never actually even been to Rebellion before! I’ve been to so many All-Dayers and Weekenders in other cities and countries all over the world, but never to the legendary Blackpool festival!! I’m sure there will be lots of old friends and familiar faces, so that will be a good time no doubt. As a band of course, it is just an honour to be given this opportunity, especially as a relative new-comer. Rebellion: What does each member bring to the band? Mike: We all have diverse musical tastes that border on eclectic for each of us as individuals. This ranges from classic to obscure, not only punk rock but metal, garage, glam, etc. Yet there is a common-ground within that wide range of music that we can all converge upon to try to create what is hopefully a bit of a fresh take on “punk rock” in the year 2012!! As individuals, we all bring some unique quirks to the band as well. I don’t wanna incriminate or call anyone out, but I know that I am the nag of the band... The “band dad” as they say! Rebellion: Where do you draw your inspiration from? Mike: We all have super diverse musical tastes as individuals, but as a group, I think we all started this band with the intention and desire to try to not be a typical “Oi!” band. We all love classic music from the 60’s, 70’s and even the 80’s, particularly anglo-centric stuff like glam and early punk like the Boot Power stuff. Our drummer Phil is also a massive garage music fan and brings some really great ideas and influences from that realm. Most of us are also super into stuff like old Black Sabbath and once in awhile there will be a bit of that kind of influence in our music I think when we try to do things that are a little “groovy” or “experimental” maybe. Rebellion: How does the songwriting process work? Mike: Uh... Not very well!! Haha. We are all super busy with our lives outside of the band that we unfortunately only get a chance to practice once a week, so our productivity is somewhat limited by that, especially if we have a lot of shows going on, then we have less time to focus on the writing. In general though, guitarist Grant has been the one to bring a cool riff or idea to the band, and then from there it gets worked on and usually goes through a bit of a drawn-out process of morphing into a finished product eventually! There have been a few rare occasions though where an idea falls into place an becomes a song relatively quickly, but that is not the norm for the Sydney Ducks!! Rebellion: Who would be on your dream festival lineup? Would you put yourselves on there? Mike: I can only speak for myself, but I would have to say Bryan Adams, Neil Young, Rush and Nickelback of course, as they are all Canadian superstars!! (Mike is the band’s only Canadian). Just kidding. In all seriousness, I could create multiple “dream festivals” of different combinations of bands depending on my mood, but I think that for me personally, most would include the following bands for sure: Black Sabbath, The Clash and The Who, all with original line-ups of course! I am always happy to see Iron Maiden and Motorhead live too, but I’ve seen both of those bands many times, so the previous 3 bands are much more of a “dream” line-up. And hell no, I would not want to be part of that show. I am not worthy. I would be happy just to see those bands play!! Rebellion: Do you agree that we are seeing a current resurgance of Oi, particularly from America? Mike: I think that you have to agree with that statement. I think that “Oi!” music has never really gone away for those of us that have always been into it. It is just far more accessible now, thanks in part to things like the internet. And there are also certain bands out there that are breaking ground in the Oi!/streetpunk genre like never before which is expanding the fan-base of many bands and giving them opportunities that they would not have had previously. So yeah... I guess that would be considered a “resurgence”. Rebellion: Who is the most annoying member of the band to share a tour bus/hotel with? Mike: We are still relatively new at this, so I’m not sure if we’ve had a chance to figure out the “most annoying” one of us yet!! I’m just gonna cross my fingers that it’s not gonna be me, but that could be the case since I am the “band dad”... Rebellion: What’s next for the Sydney Ducks? Mike: I think the next big thing on our agenda is to try to get into the studio to record about 6-8 songs for a 12” EP that we had hoped to have out by this time already! But definitely by the end of 2012 we would like to have that recorded for an early 2013 release hopefully...
DATES: 06.08.12 London – 12Bar (UK) 07.08.12 Eindhoven - Café Aloys (Netherlands) 08.08.12 Frankfurt – Elfer Club (Germany) 09.08.12 München – Backstage / Rockers Special (Germany) 10.08.12 Ieper – Ieperfest (Belgium) 11.08.12 Torgau – Endless Summer Fest (Germany) 12.08.12 Ostrava – Barrak Music Club (Czech Republic)
CARRY ON UP YER TOWER Britain in the 1950’s. Still recovering from WW2. Safe, predictable, boring. It was certainly true of British TV and Film of that time, a few Ealing classics aside. Would anyone dare to take a risk? ‘STOP MESSIN ABOUT’ of course they would, like a bolt from the blue came the ‘Carry on films’. Laced with British seaside humour and innuendo, these films were a breath of fresh air during the 60’s and early 70’s, chaotic, anarchic, great fun. You had Sid James, the maverick, always on the lookout for a quick pound, or a bunk up, and not fussy which came first. Kenneth Williams the brains, always outspoken, always questioning authority, Hattie Jacques the ice maiden with a heart. So how come a lot of people felt threatened by them? Was this the 60’s permissive society made flesh? Or just a great way to let off steam at the end of the working week? Britain in the 1970’s. Still safe, still boring, still predictable. Music was in the hands of the prog rock brigade, novelty acts littered ‘Top of the pops’ and to make matters worse Pans People were no more. Would anyone dare take a risk? ‘I WANNA BE ANARCHY’. Enter, Malcolm Mclaren, the maverick, John Lydon, the brains, Jordan…. Get the picture? Punk Rock, another British institution. Another cultural shake up, who could not look at John Lydon in the early days and not think of Kenneth Williams with that sardonic wit and great line in put downs. Mclaren as Sid James even down to the lined features on his face, or was that Vivien? Some people may think this is a tenuous link, but think about it. Could the more sexual explicit comedies of the 70’s happened without ‘Carry on’. Could the more extreme music and fashion of today happened without punk? The answer to both questions is no. It was all down to taking risks and being true to yourself. And boy were people threatened by punk rock! Of course the establishment could not have the status quo upset, and in their own, but different ways set about destroying both punk rock and ‘carry on films’. Punk Rock first, council bans on gigs, records banned from being sold in shops, punks attacked on the streets, questions in parliament, what were they frightened of? It was just kids having fun, and for the first time ever, a generation of kids saying to their ‘elders and betters’ this is our life and we will make what we want of it. Not the sort of thing to appeal to your average Daily Mail reader. Then came the attack on the ‘Carry on films’. But this time the attack came from inside the entertainment industry itself. Led by the so called ‘alterative comedy culture’ anything considered, sexist, racist, or any other ‘ist’ was considered fair game by the new ‘politically correct brigade’ We were told what we could watch, what we could listen to, what we could read. All in the name of being open minded of course!! So, what do you do when you are told you can’t? That’s right you rebel, which is why ‘Carry on films’ are still so popular, and why the stars of those films are still household names even today, Barbara Windsor would surely be elected prime minister if she stood for it. They even sell Sid James t shirts in Asda! Not seen a Ben Elton one in there yet!!! And of course there is Punk Rock, still going strong to this day, people still want an alternative and are prepared to go and look for it. And the best place to find it is Rebellion. WHAT!! A bunch of old men reliving their youth I hear you cry. Not so, the amount of young kids coming to the festival increases each year, SAFE, PREDICTABLE, BORING! Really? This festival is an independently run festival, no sponsorship here, all Darren and Jennies hard work, assisted by a team of friends and family, which is why there are no rip offs, and no cancellations!!! It is far from safe, its all the promoters money, if this festival goes down, then so do they. Predictable? So who last year predicted Rancid, Social Distortion, and PIL all under one roof? Boring? You can come to this festival on your own and go home having made a hundred new mates. So there ends the rant, enjoy the festival, and if you are camping somewhere remember the words of Dr Soper. ‘No no Barbara, tent up first, bunk up later’ Sid Boggle
Just got the new DOWNTOWN STRUTS!..Yes .. VICTORIA! If only JOE STRUMMER (R.I.P.) were around to hear these guys .. bet it would really put a smile on his face....This Record is one hell of a gem..... really speaks to me..... this record must be heard! Chicago... You have a good thing going on! Heiko Schrepel (One Man Army, US Bombs)
The Downtown Struts play Rebellion for the first time this year in support of the release of their debut full length Victoria! The album was recorded with Matt Allison at Atlas Studios in Chicago and follows the release of the EP ‘Sail The Seas Dry’ and the first single to be taken from the full length, ‘Anchors’. This year has been unbelievably busy for the Downtown Struts, with much of it spent on the road. The band have been touring with The Business and Face to Face, and have dates planned with the Sydney Ducks, Street Dogs and Bouncing Souls later this summer, as well as a number of different festivals. Formed in 2008, the band come from both Chicago and California but are now all based in the mid-West. Their music isn’t easily categorisable, but fans of melodic punk, clever guitar work and belting vocals should give them a listen. Many of the reviews have cited their inspirations as including The Clash, The Descendents and Springsteen, although you get the impression that their influences are broad and wide. We sat down with guitarist and vocalist Dan Cooper for a chat about playing Rebellion, life on the road and visiting Europe for the first time as a band. Rebellion is getting the drinks in, what are the Downtown Struts having? Dan: Ryan our bassist would have a beer, guitarist Ben loves a root beer, Zach our drummer is a whiskey and soda man, and I’ll stick to the water thanks! Rebellion: If you could only save one record from your collection in a fire, which one would it be? Dan: We have an original pressing of ‘Damn The Torpedoes’ (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) at the house that I would jump through fire for. Rebellion: The reviews for your first album Victoria! are overwhelmingly positive, how do you react, when a positive one is brought to your attention? Dan: We’re pretty stoked to be honest with you. When the record came out, we were really nervous about getting reviews back. Our first review, I don’t even remember what it said but it wasn’t super positive, and I thought from here on out they’re all going to be shit and I’m not excited to get any more reviews in. I decided I wasn’t going to read anymore. Then (bassist) Ryan sent me the second one and it was good, and then I started paying more attention. It got to the point where whenever we saw one another after that, we’d be like ‘did you see this one?’ It’s really funny too when we get a bad one, that’s when we make sure that we all read it because we find it funny, depending on what it says. You never take it too seriously. Rebellion: The album has garnered incredible support from punks and other musicians. What were your reactions to hearing some of those quotes? Dan: I thought it was great, I didn’t expect people to hear my band or to say good things about it, so it was really nice to hear any sort of validation outside of just like good friends and other people you would expect. So it was really nice. Growing up, I never expected to put out my first record and for people to hear it and actually like it. You never assume that will happen so it’s nice. Rebellion: You’ve got a reputation as a solid touring band, one that appears to have endless stamina on the road. Where does that motivation come from? Dan: Because if we were at home we wouldn’t be doing anything fun. When we’re at home it’s weird because now we’re just used to being on the road, so I still live out of my suitcase! It’s something you just get used to. We’re still young and we still like to play shows, and we still feel like we have a lot to prove, so it’s nice to go out and feel like you’re still on a mission to do what you have to do and make it bigger and better than it was before.
Rebellion: Would you agree with the assessment of your writing that you appear far wiser than your age should allow you to be? Dan: I try to be more honest and relatable. We’re very big on ‘what can we do to be different and better than other shit that we listen to?’ It’s a hard question to answer, in one way I’m a dick and in the other way I’m indifferent so… I wouldn’t say that we are wiser, but that is an impression that some people get, and it’s a positive thing. Other people must just see that we try a little harder. I’ve read reviews that say that our song writing is more complex than the typical punk band. I think a lot of people just thought we were a streetpunk band, and I think that when we put out this record they were a bit surprised. If I got to a point in my career where I was just singing songs about partying or just random shit, I would probably hate myself and wonder why I was even getting paid to do what I do. If the only things that were important to me were going out, being young and doing dumb things, then I hope my band would stop letting me write songs. I don’t want to be a pointless band. Rebellion: There are some negative portrayals of American life on the record, how optimistic do you think America is right now about the future? Dan: I think America is doing pretty badly right now, the recession feels like it’s getting a little bit better, but with the election coming up and people not feeling that they have a decent person to elect, that is getting to people. But the reality is that those aren’t my problems. My problems are do I have money to pay rent? Am I going to be able to eat a solid amount of food so that I won’t pass out later tonight? Am I going to go to a city, play a show and are people there going to enjoy it? Those are my problems. Rebellion: You’re playing Rebellion in the middle of your first European tour. How excited are you about crossing the Atlantic? Dan: A lot, we’re very excited. I’ve been there a few times and Zach, our drummer, has been there once or twice, but everybody else hasn’t been there. I’m most excited about being the one who has already experienced it and being able to share it with my friends. Rebellion: Is there anywhere you’re particularly excited to visit or any tourist attractions you want to see? Dan: The two places on our tour I haven’t been are Denmark and the Netherlands, so I’m really excited about that. Europe is a lot prettier and a lot older, so any American tourist enjoys going over there. History is not something you get to see whilst touring America. On top of it not being a familiar place, Europe is also a better place. Rebellion: The thought that goes into your releases seems to continue to the artwork and the design. How central to the Downtown Struts is the way that your records look and feel? And how do you decide what the visual aspects of your releases are going to be? Dan: I’d say that it’s very important, the artwork is critical to the whole package. To me the visual is super important, it’s stronger than just the music on its own. I think that when you’re listening to something and you can look through the artwork, those two things should click and people should be able to relate to you even better. And Paul who does our artwork is very important. Rebellion: Finally, is there anyone who is playing at Rebellion who you haven’t seen before and you’re excited to see? Dan: I’ve never seen Rancid play, and I’ve never seen The Slackers play, those are two groups I hope I have time to see. WORDS: Hannah McFaull
This Father’s Day I bought my Dad a copy of ‘The Other F Word’, the documentary about punk and fatherhood. It features a who’s who of Californian punk from Black Flag and US Bombs to Blink 182 and this year’s Rebellion headliners Rancid. The film focuses on Jim Lindburgh, the singer from bro-punk pit-inducers Pennywise and the conflict between the need to tour to support his family and the band, and missing important times in the lives of his children. The concept is an interesting one; the punk bands that are approaching their twentieth year mark are all reaching the age of marriage and children. The state of the music industry and the decline in record sales means that mid-level bands have to tour almost constantly to pay the mortgage and provide for their families. Having children has impacted on all of their lives, how has it changed them as people and altered their perspectives on punk? Whilst the weaving of the Pennywise narrative throughout the documentary allows for the other interviews to fit nicely into the structure, it was the discussion of fatherhood from the perspectives of the range of punk stalwarts that really give this film its strength. Those of us at Rebellion last year who saw the Pennywise play without the original singer already know how his story ends. One thing that they all acknowledge is that the arrival of their offspring changed their lives. The majority of the men state that becoming fathers changed their outlooks, (all except NOFX’s Fat Mike who stands out as the anomaly in his assessment of the bringing a child into the world he already occupies, rather than making the adjustments the other dads allude to). There’s one particularly touching moment with Flea and his articulate teenage daughter, when he breaks down talking about how much joy being a dad brings him. There’s a few other tear jerkers in there that I won’t spoil for those that haven’t seen it, but I recommend not watching it after a couple of bottles of wine like I did the day after Fathers Day when I watched it with my old man. And it did make me think. I’m not a parent, so I’m not in a position to comment on that side of things. It struck me that I know lots and lots of English punk families but very few other families in the people I’ve met from around the world. And by this I don’t necessarily just mean couples both being punks or skins, but actual generations of punks and skins in the same family. Needless to say we are one of them. A quick anecdote for you. At a local gig in which one of my friends was drumming for his former band, I turned to another punk woman I knew and asked her if she lived nearby. Turns out it was his mum. I’d known both of them for years and heard them reference each other on countless of occasions. I never connected the dots and I felt like such an idiot. They are now both friends with my family. I think that the English experience of punk and families is different to the one portrayed in the film. The differences are only subtle but significant. There’s one thing that I’ve always loved about Rebellion is that it has always been a family affair and my relationship with my Dad has been strengthened with the time we get to spend together in Blackpool or in Morecombe. I came to my first festival aged 14. It’s now the first thing that goes in my diary each year. The best years for me have been those years when the atmosphere has that family feel. That means seeing the little kids in their first pair of boots and braces, or sporting their first mohawk. I love the fact that you see anarcho-punk parents with the biggest mohawks you’ve ever seen, carrying tiny kids in UK Subs shirts wearing ear defenders. Regardless of punk sensibilities, sensible parental choices prevail. The family feel means meeting the kids of my friends as they bring them to Blackpool for the first time, watching their faces as they are captivated by the sights and sounds of our summer’s annual family gathering. And seeing those kids again next year, and the year after that, bringing their own mates and making their own friends. I think that Rebellion does it better than any other festival in providing the space for people to have the festival experience they want. I have siblings who aren’t punks, come to Rebellion to have a good time, and go home raving about what they’ve seen and the experiences that they’ve had. I have a friend who bought her elderly mother last year to see The Adicts. What other festivals could you say that about? I can imagine the concerns parents have when deciding when it’s appropriate to bring their kids to a festival like this, and I also understand the argument that it’s one of the only chances some people have to get messy with their mates in the year. But I think that for the sake of getting the next generation of punks who love live music and support the bands, we have to allow for other kids to have the same access to the gigs as I did. The important point I suppose is that I’ve always felt welcome, even when I was a youngster. Coming to Rebellion at a young age allowed me to grow up in the punk world, find the love of my life and a large majority of my closest friends in our smelly pubs and grotty clubs. And of course, on the streets of Blackpool and Morecombe. The reality is that family to me extends to the people I see once a year at the Winter Gardens. I hope it continues so I can one day bring my kids and introduce the next generation to the world’s greatest festival.
The Other F Word for me isn’t fatherhood, it’s family. PUNK ROCK DADs buy the book! www.punkrockdad.com
Rebellion this year features a rare chance to see CASE, who have played just a handful of shows in the last thirty years. They had only one vinyl release before the very recent release of their new “Grow or Die” EP (the ‘Wheat from the Chaff’ EP back in 1983) which rode unexpectedly high on the independent charts at the time but their reputation as a phenomenal live band is what CASE are most remembered for. Nobody who has been to a CASE gig fails to remember whether they’ve seen CASE or not. CASE originally formed in the suburbs of Croydon, South London in 1979, (if you were around South London in the early eighties you will know the band from the massive amounts of graffiti that sprung up all over that part of town). Going on to gig all over the country, primarily as one of the most renowned support acts of the early 80s, CASE never officially split up, They just stopped doing it. Now, the time seems ripe to start doing it again … bigger and better. Following on from last years highly-acclaimed “Ain’t Gonna Dance” compilation album release and a reformation gig at the 100 Club in London, where there was much talk of the “full-on” nature of their performance, CASE are well and truly back with a new EP out on Damaged Goods and a focus on making their Rebellion set something a little bit special. DEFINITELY A TOP REBELLION RECOMMENDATION Miss them at your peril! SMILING MY LIFE AWAY
Ladies and Germs of Rebellion, we appear to have a problem. Well collectively we have many problems, but the one I want to bring to your attention is the problem that America has with British music. To play in the States, bands should apply for work visas, which includes an interview at the US Embassy in London and the requirement that you prove you’re a band worth letting in. The American visa system seems to be keeping UK bands out of its borders based on nothing more than whether the random jobsworth who gets your file has heard of you or not. It’s an uphill struggle anyway. Trying to tour in America is beyond the financial and organisational means of most of the bands I know. Then you have to factor in that the country is bloody enormous, some of the people very strange and their tastes in music stranger still. The sticking point really though is that tough visa requirements have been made tougher by increased bureaucracy and more money needed to actually make it happen. Over the last ten years there has been an increase in rejections for British bands. There is no appeal process once you’ve been rejected, they don’t give you any explanation, and none of the money you’ve shelled out is refundable. Musicians and their promoters have wasted considerable money, as well as having to rearrange and cancel tour dates. The system is making it too expensive and unpredictable to book tours in the US, and is not favouring the bands that don’t try and fly under the radar. We’ve all heard of a band that either got rejected or didn’t have enough time to apply properly, turning up to gigs with little or no equipment because they’re playing on a tourist and not a work visa. The madness gets madder still. What if one of you can’t get the time off work to tour so you get another mate to stand in on bass? The problem is that your drummer has only been in the band for 11 months. To even get anywhere close to near being granted a visa, the rules require that at least 75% of the members of the group must have a substantial and sustained relationship with the group for at least one year. And there’s no flexibility in this at all, no
UK Costs – for 4-piece band Embassy fees for 4 US visas Calls to Appointment Line @ £1.20/minute Return of passports by SMS Total
£400.00
Consultancy fee VAT Total:
£280.00 £56.00 £792.00
£48.00 £15.00 £463.00
Data supplied by Traffic Control Group, which provides visa and immigration services to music industry
www.trafficcontrolgroup.com
extenuating circumstances can be given. These words ‘sustained and substantial’ come back to bite British bands in the arse in another ridiculously impractical demand. I mentioned earlier that part of the process is to prove that the band is a legitimate band that deserve visas. Did I tell you that it has to be a substantial bundle of evidence (at least 30 pages) showing that the band has an international reputation and has attained a high level of achievement for a “sustained and substantial” period of time? Define high level of achievement to a punk band. The costs can become prohibitively expensive for non-London based bands. I heard of an 80 piece orchestra from Manchester who had to cancel US gig dates (or I suppose it’s a concert with an orchestra!) because coordinating getting all of them to the interview at the London Embassy for the 8am time slot just wasn’t going to happen in the real world. This problem is widespread across the music industry, an industry which generates over £6 billion per year for the UK economy and employs over 130,000 British jobs. In March, for the first time in 25 years, UK acts occupied all 3 top slots in the US album charts. But it’s not the Adele’s of this world who are being denied visas - although interestingly she had to get the UK Culture Minister to phone the Embassy and vouch for her as her fast-paced success didn’t meet the requirements on her first US tour. It’s the non-superstars who don’t have the spare cash to pay for the fast-track process or a consultant’s fee to get it done. Louder Than War is working with professional musicians associations and MPs in campaigning for this process to be reformed and for the US to show the same love to UK bands that we do to their artists. If you have any experience of this we want to hear from you.
Email: louderthanwar@btinternet.com
The campaign is calling for American immigration policy to be reformed: • •
•
To implement their proposed plan to reduce processing for visas to 15-20 days, which was announced in July 2010 and never enacted. To consider exempting particular showcases and festivals from visa requirements, such as SXSW, CMJ festival (for which bands do not get paid either) and Coachella Festival and, along the same lines as currently happens for Glastonbury, the Proms, etc. Managers in the industry have got together to lobby for such an exemption for trade events. The system could certainly be clearer and more transparent, to the extent that this is consistent with security concerns – so that bands don’t have to either pour money into the system or risk cancelling their tour. This should including clearer eligibility criteria for demonstrating international reputation, so that record labels etc do not waste huge amounts of money applying for visas for bands that will be rejected.
WORDS: Hannah McFaull
Stepping up to the plate in the largely male dominated world of acoustic punk is young Wakefield born contender Louise Distras. After running away from home at sixteen, she has lived a nomadic lifestyle, just her and her guitar documenting the hostile towns, sexism and desperate situations she has encountered along the way. Cut from a similar cloth to the legendary Billy Bragg or the now huge, Frank Turner, Louise is making her own mark as an outspoken activist in our urban sprawl. Obvious comparisons with Brody Dalle and Courtney Love aside her passion and outlook have garnered her much praise from The Guardian through to Garry Bushell. Tours with New Model Army and Mike Scott have only cemented the praise further. She is currently putting the finishing touches to her debut album which is being produced by Steve Whale and Pat Collier. The album features collaborations with UK Subs drummer Jamie Oliver and Style Council songwriter and keyboardist Mick Talbot and succeeds her debut single ‘The Hand You Hold’, a song exploring the way women are viewed in a male dominated world and the consumerism, feminism and autonomy of the individual. Aptly she released it on International Womens Day. You can bet your last fiver you’ll be seeing a lot more of this talented songsmith in the not too distant future. Most likely hitchhiking, guitar slung over her shoulder on the way to a town near you. Louise began her solo music career in late 2010, releasing two demo EPs independently via her website in 2011, which were received with acclaim by the underground press. Her second demo EP, Heartstrings On A Handgrenade, was listed at #6 in Punknews.org’s Best EPs of 2011, and Distras was also given Band Of The Day status on John Robb’s website Louder Than War in January 2012
In April 2012, Distras was interviewed in depth by The Independent newspaper about sexism in the music industry, along with the likes of Kate Nash and Rose Elinor McDougall (The Pipettes). She was featured on The Guardian’s new music podcast and spirit of punk feature. WATCH THIS SPACE.......
London based cabaret punk band Monkish are back with a new lineup for 2012. Founder members Brad Frugal (lead vocals) and Camp David (bass) remain, alongside recent guitar additions Joeseph Schnitzl (ex-Lost Souls), and Filthy Rich (ex-P.P. and The Pungent Smells). Jim Panzee now occupies the drummer’s stool, and the band, as always, are ably assisted by stalwarts Snelgers O’Guinness (dancing & vocals) and Vaughan O’Graphic (bagpipes & vocals). Formed in 2005, Monkish have steadily increased their fanbase by playing regularly, and picking up support slots with the likes of Bad Manners, The Vibrators, Johnny Moped, Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Beat, and Neville Staple. Monkish have played various Rebellion Festivals in the UK, Holland, Italy, and Austria, as well as Scotland’s Wickerman Festival and Ireland’s Drumacanoo Punx Picnic.The band have also completed 2 tours of Germany in 2010 and 2011 and last year released their debut album, “You Can’t Polish a Turd” which has been well received, and received a higher score than the Red Hot Chilli Peppers last album in Big Cheese Magazine. The song “Please Don’t Piss In My Microwave” was voted Best Punk Song of 2011 on Gary Bushell’s Rancid Sounds show on Total Rock FM. With a large number of gigs and festival bookings already in the diary for 2012, it promises to be a busy year for the eccentric outfit. Don’t miss what has been described as “the most chaotic band in the UK” www.reverbnation.com/monkish
are a four piece outfit based in Camden town, London. Formed in October 2010, a debut album entitled ‘Sick Note’ to their name, they have recently been touring extensively promoting their particular mix of haunting punk. is a four-piece punk rock band from Camberley, who formed in 2010 for their love for all that is loud, fast and melodic, Drones have set out to provide hysteria with sociopolitical tunes reminiscent of Anti-Flag, Strike Anywhere and Rise Against. are an explosive new alt-punk band from London. The antithesis of the saccharine sweet pop princesses this country seems to dig, in the few months they have been together, they have already garnered favour with crowds up and down the country . are a female-fronted Punk band based in Birmingham UK. They received national exposure when they appeared in an episode of Hollyoaks. Hailed as "Blondie and Ramones illegitimate lovechild". They have worked with producers, including Gavin Monaghan (Editors, Kings Of Leon, OCS) and Pete Lyons (Amy Winehouse, Babyshambles, Buzzcocks) Hailing from London and Winchester and formed from ex-members of the 241ers, the King Blues, Dep, Chocolate Hostage and One Day To Live, Science Made Us Robots take influence from Rancid, Strung Out, Bad Religion and Snuff, and mould it into a sound that has accents of pop and hardcore but remain essentially nothing more or less than frenetic punk rock. Punk Rock from Milton Keynes featuring ex members of Capdown, Dun2def and Desperate Cycle who always promise a chaotic live show. Party Punk Exeter, Devon. Think The Beastie Boys partying with Refused and Prince. Their live show is not for the fainthearted or easily offended, there will be blood! This Irish band will set the sirens off in your head with their mix of ear-splitting, punky, rocky, poppy, hardcore with odd tinges of Ska and some metal thrown in. That’s right, they can’t be pigeon holed - they just write great tunes and deliver them with more bollocks than a sack full of balls..... If SKURVI were a disorder they would be Hyper-mania, fast, full on and in your face hailing from Brighton, expect this 4 piece to bring binge drinking, boundless amounts of energy and public displays of nudity. SKURVI have been described as inheriting Atilla the Stockbroker’s social concern and Peter and the test tube babies sense of fun. After touring around the UK for a number of years they joined forces with Antipop Records and released their first EP ‘Tell Your God To Ready For Blood’ in Summer 2011. They are a volatile hardcore inspired collision between punk rock and politics, driven by a disdain for the apathy and ignorance that pervades modern culture. was formed in Southampton July 2009. We play DIY hardcore punk. Influenced by early 1980s American and British hardcore punk. This is our pressure release valve from having to deal with the day to day bullshit inflicted on everyone by the fucked up, money, power and greed driven capitalist system was formed in 2010 in Lancaster. This is punk with light and shade, melancholic moments and dramatic female vocal harmonies. Their debut album Kings and Fools was released independently in June 2012. Extensively touring form a young age under the name of The Monacles, backing the likes of underground rapper LOWKEY to old school punk acts like the LAST RESORT, this new incantation ‘Mind Of A Lion’ construct politically fuelled songs full of raw integrity, made for the streets of the modern day UK.
ALL PHOTOS BY DOD MORRISON, SAM BRUCE, LIBRA SNAKE & with thanks.
BANDS / TIMES CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT - SUBJECT TO CHANGE - THAT’S THE NATURE OF A FESTIVAL THIS SIZE. KEEP AN EYE ON THE NOTICE BOARDS FOR ANY CHANGES
BUZZCOCKS THE BUSINESS SNUFF THE FILAMENTS OFF WITH THEIR HEADS SCREAMA BALLERINA
12.45am 11.15 10.00 8.50 7.45 6.50
CLOSED
HEALTHY JUNKIES DRONES LEGEND IN JAPAN THE BENWAHS SCIENCE MADE US ROBOTS RSI RAT ATTACK SETTING OFF SIRENS SKURVI IN EVIL HOUR CHEMICAL THREAT MITFORD REBEL MIND OF A LION
7.20 6.40 6.00 5.20 4.40 4.00 3.20 2.40 2.00 1.20 12.40 12.00 11.20am
CLOSED
SECTION 5 DEMOB NEWTOWN KINGS THE SYSTEM DIRTY REVOLUTION ON TRIAL (UK) ACID DROP FIRE EXIT XTRACT 3CR BONEYARD ZOMBIES GIRLFIXER ROUGHNECK RIOT HI-FI SPITFIRES OUTL4W VERMIN SUICIDES
CLOSED
1.10am 12.10am 11.10 10.10 9.20 8.30 7.40 6.50 6.00 5.15 4.30 3.45 3.00 2.15 1.30 12.45pm
THE SKINTITES THE HEAVY METAL KIDS ROCK N ROLL GYPSIES THE P’UKES 5 SHITTY FINGERS BINGO WITH MAX
12.45am 11.25 10.20 9.35 8.40 8.00
RORY McLEOD LUCY WARD JIM SORROW TINA LEE BALSALL HEATHENS MAX SPLODGE REB SUTTON (Dirty Revolution) JOHNNY ONE LUNG ED ACHE CHRIS BUTLER MONICA & THE EXPLOSION RO ASHIKA BRAD FRUGAL (Monkish) DAVE HUGHES MARK McABE BINGO WITH MAX
10.30 9.30 8.45 8.00 7.15 6.30 5.45 5.00 4.20 3.40 3.00 2.20 1.40 1.00 12.20pm 11.30am
ENTRANCE TO INDIVIDUAL VENUES CANNOT BE GUARANTEED ONCE LEGAL FIRE CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED
BANDS / TIMES CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT - SUBJECT TO CHANGE - THAT’S THE NATURE OF A FESTIVAL THIS SIZE. KEEP AN EYE ON THE NOTICE BOARDS FOR ANY CHANGES
SOCIAL DISTORTION ANTI-PASTI THE BOYS TV SMITH & THE VALENTINES CHELSEA THE FITS ZERO BOYS PIPES AND PINTS
12.00am 11.00 9.30 8.00 6.50 5.45 4.40 3.30
BOW WOW WOW LUCY WARD THE PIRANHAS THE NOTSENSIBLES
12.15am 11.40 10.40 9.35
PETE BENTHAM & THE 2.35 DINNER LADIES
ONE WAY SYSTEM TEXAS TERRI BOMB CONFLICT THE RESTARTS THE STUPIDS DEADLINE MAXIMUM ROCK & ROLL TYRANASAURUS ALAN ANTI VIGILANTE THE DERITA SISTERS THE UPPERCUTS
1am 11.35 10.10 8.45 7.25 6.10 5.00 3.50 2.40 1.30 12.30pm
SENSA YUMA RUST LOST CHERREES THE BLAME NAPALM
12.20am 10.55 9.30 8.05 6.50
7 SECONDS 1.10am CITIZEN FISH 12.05am VINCE RAY & THE BONE SHAKERS 11.00 DRONGOS FOR EUROPE 10.05 CRASHED OUT 9.10 PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES 8.10 SICK ON THE BUS 7.15 CHURCH OF CONFIDENCE 6.20 2ND DISTRICT 5.25 JB CONSPIRACY 4.30 HDQ 3.40 VICTIMS OF CIRCUMSTANCE 2.50 EASTFIELD 2.00 DIPSOMANIACS 1.15 HOTWIRED 12.30pm
BITEBACK PATROL LOADED 44 LAST ROUGH CAUSE AVONDALE 45
5.35 4.25 3.15 2.05 1.00pm
VIV ALBERTINE HERE AND NOW THE MOB HAGAR THE WOMB ANDY T THE BROKEN TEA SET GOODFORNOTHING CIRCUS
8.15 7.15 5.55 5.00 4.05 3.15 2.15
PAVILION EVENING DJ PARTIES New for 2012 enjoy evenings of great music in the Pavilion once Bizarre Bazaar bands have finished 9PM – 2AM DJ Ro-Ashika/Ashika Sound System back for the third year with his Killing Joke dub mixes and much more!!!
KEVIN SECONDS THE DIRTY FOLKERS NECK LOS FASTIDIOS UNPLUGGED LUCY WARD (2nd set) PARANOID VISIONS ACOUSTIC ARTURO LURKERS’ PUNKTRY BILLY LIAR REN SPITS AT MAGPIES PERKIE POG TOM HINGLEY JAKE AND THE JELLYFISH EMMA HALLOWS THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE KID BINGO WITH MAX
10.50 10.00 9.15 8.30 7.40 6.50 6.00 5.25 4.50 4.15 3.35 2.55 2.15 1.40 1.05 12.20pm
ENTRANCE TO INDIVIDUAL VENUES CANNOT BE GUARANTEED ONCE LEGAL FIRE CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED
BANDS / TIMES CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT - SUBJECT TO CHANGE - THAT’S THE NATURE OF A FESTIVAL THIS SIZE. KEEP AN EYE ON THE NOTICE BOARDS FOR ANY CHANGES
PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED SLAUGHTER AND THE DOGS RUTS DC THE SLACKERS PENETRATION PURE HELL HARDSKIN 999 LOS FASTIDIOS ZOO PARTY CHARRED HEARTS
12.00am 10.30 9.00 7.40 6.25 5.20 4.15 3.15 2.25 1.30 12.45pm
KING KURT SUBHUMANS VICE SQUAD The CHOKING VICTIM show PARANOID VISIONS FUNERAL DRESS DRAGSTER THE AGITATORS GEOFFREY OICOTT DIRTBOX DISCO
1am 11.20 9.50 8.20 7.00 5.50 4.40 3.35 2.35 1.35
THE LURKERS RESISTANCE 77 THE VIBRATORS REAZIONE DOWNTOWN STRUTS
12.15am 10.40 9.10 7.40 6.25
THE ONLY ONES THE MONOCHROME SET SPIZZ ENERGI THE SHAKESPEAROS
MENACE THE REAL McKENZIES ABRASIVE WHEELS THE VARUKERS BLOOD OR WHISKEY NECK CASE SPLODGENESSABOUNDS THE ENEMY POLICE BASTARD CHOKING SUSAN THE PIGS THE PORTERS SYDNEY DUCKS CYANIDE PILLS THE FUCKWITS
CHEWING ON TIN FOIL SUBCULTURE RUNNIN RIOT F UK BARNYARD MASTURBATOR
12.30am 11.10 9.55 9.00
1.15am 12.20am 11.20 10.25 9.30 8.35 7.40 6.45 5.50 5.00 4.10 3.20 2.35 1.50 1.05 12.20pm
5.15 4.10 3.05 2.05 1.05
THE CRAVATS TV SMITH & LEIGH HEGGARTY PASCAL BRIGGS & THE STOKERS THE BEATLESONS HAIGHT ASHBURY LIZ IS EVIL STATICS
8.00 7.00 6.00 5.00 4.10 3.20 2.30
PAVILION EVENING DJ PARTIES New for 2012 enjoy evenings of great music in the Pavilion once Bizarre Bazaar bands have finished 9PM - 2AM Mr Mass & the Liquidator Sound system presents............. Rudeboy blues party! 50 years of Jamaican independance Liquidator sound system present ... “Original Rudeboy Ska Killer Rocksteady Mighty Boss Reggae & Original Roots!”
PATRIK FITZGERALD SKUYELA MICK CRUDGE NICK CASH KELLY KEMP VIC RUGGERIO (The Slackers) MIKE SCOTT EL MORGAN THE CROWS (& friends) CRAIG TEMPLE (Moral Dilemma) SOME SORT OF THREAT OLIVE ANNE LOUIE RAW KATIE RAINE BINGO WITH MAX
10.10 9.20 8.35 7.45 7.00 6.10 5.25 4.50 4.05 3.25 2.50 2.15 1.40 1.05 12.20pm
ENTRANCE TO INDIVIDUAL VENUES CANNOT BE GUARANTEED ONCE LEGAL FIRE CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED
SU Y AY DA ND SUN
BANDS / TIMES CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT - SUBJECT TO CHANGE - THAT’S THE NATURE OF A FESTIVAL THIS SIZE. KEEP AN EYE ON THE NOTICE BOARDS FOR ANY CHANGES
RANCID UK SUBS NEVILLE STAPLE BAND THE LAST RESORT ARGY BARGY SONIC BOOM SIX RANDOM HAND GOLDBLADE SEGISMUNDO TOXICAMANO BOOZE AND GLORY
11.00 9.25 8.00 6.45 5.35 4.30 3.20 2.15 1.20 12.30pm
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS STAR FUCKING HIPSTERS RED ALERT THEE SPIVS MONKISH PINK HEARSE HUMAN PROJECT
10.20 8.50 7.30 6.10 4.50 3.30 2.20
THE MONGOLOIDS DUN2DEF THE DUEL TAKE OFFENCE
11.50 9.40 8.10 6.50
ALTERED IMAGES SPIRAL SCOUTS THE OUTCASTS
11.30 10.30 9.10
AGNOSTIC FRONT THE CREEPSHOW JAYA THE CAT MxPx PROTEX RAT CITY RIOT KUNT AND THE GANG GIMPFIST CONTROL START THE TALKS SENSELESS ANGRY BOMBS
11.30 10.30 9.30 8.15 7.15 6.20 5.25 4.35 3.45 2.55 2.05 1.15 12.30pm
THE DUBTONES FOREIGN LEGION THE KIRKZ SEPTIC PSYCHOS
5.30 4.10 2.55 1.50pm
HILLBILLY MOON EXPLOSION 8.00 FRANZ NICOLAY 7.00 THE REAL McKENZIES UNPLUGGED 6.05 RUBELLA BALLET 5.10 CAPTAIN HOTKNIVES 4.15 CHAS IKSTAN & THE BON BON BON’S 3.20 EMILY AND THE FAVES 2.30 PAVILION EVENING DJ PARTIES New for 2012 enjoy evenings of great music in the Pavilion once Bizarre Bazaar bands have finished 8.45PM – MIDNIGHT Finish the weekend with some great sounds from Ricky Reazione
GINGER WILDHEART TV SMITH MIKE ONLY (ex King Blues) ROBIN LEITCH (Random Hand) MIKE HERRERA (MxPx) HENRY CLUNEY (ex SLF) JOE TILSTON (Random Hand) CHAS PALMER WILLIAMS LOUISE DISTRAS PAUL CARTER JAMES BROCKBANK UKELELE KRIS SUICIDE SI BINGO WITH MAX
9.35 8.45 7.55 7.10 6.20 5.30 4.45 4.05 3.20 2.40 2.05 1.35 1.05 12.20pm
ENTRANCE TO INDIVIDUAL VENUES CANNOT BE GUARANTEED ONCE LEGAL FIRE CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED
The Broken Tea Set – Female fronted Indie Rock with so much more. From intimate folk to thumping grooves and screaming guitars this band plays with a style and maturity that belies their years. 2012 sees them release their debut album and embark on their first festival appearances. Lucy Ward – British Folk singer whose voice is described as expressive and powerful. She also plays guitar and concertina .Winner of the BBC young folk singer of the year she plays traditional Folk songs along with her own numbers. The Notsensibles – Light hearted Punk Rock from Burnley who formed in 1978 , split in 1982 then got back together to play Holidays in the Sun in 1996.They reformed properly in 2005 and have been playing regularly ever since , still in love with Maggie Thatcher we are still in love with them ! The Piranhas - A Ska influenced Punk band from Brighton formed in 1977. Their live act was one of the best around soon attracting a large following. Their songs are laced with a dry, sardonic wit, backed up with some catchy hook lines. Best known for their mega selling single ‘Tom Hawk’. Bow Wow Wow – Created by Malcolm Mclaren in the early 80’s and fronted by 14 year old AnnaBella Lwin they had a string of hits including “I want Candy” and “Go Wild in the Country”. Splitting in 1983 they are back touring here and in the US. This weekend they have original drummer Dave Barbe back. The Shaespearos –Taking their name from a line in the Stranglers song no more heroes and featuring Steve Smith from The Vapors they play covers form the likes of The Clash, Gen X, Ruts, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Oasis, Sex Pistols, Primal Scream they play these fantastic songs as close to the original recordings as possible results in a fantastic live show.
The Heavy Metal Kids – Formed from two previous bands Heaven and Biggles in 1972.They took their name from a gang of street kids featured in the novel “Nova Express” by William S. Burroughs and play Hard Rock. They split in 1985 after the untimely death of original lead singer Gary Holton. Back playing now for 10 years with original members Keith Boyce and Cosmo. Rock n Roll Gypsies – Are part of Mat Sargent’s (Sham 69, Chelsea, Splodge) Sex, Drugs n HIV charity album project. It has now encompassed Over 200 Musicians 2 albums, 40 Tracks and has been 15 Years in the Making. The albums will be here tonight. 5 Shitty Fingers – Funny but Clever Folk Punk with a bit of Morris dancing thrown in. Created by Snuff’s Duncan Redmonds he adds another string or two to his bow and shows he can play just about any instrument in any musical style he wishes! The Pukes – With 17 members that could all appear on the stage at the same time, they play classic Punk songs in “ukulele anti-society” style! The band includes members from various “name” bands, can you spot any?....... The Skint-ites – Brilliant all star line-up includes the rhythm and brass section from Citizen Fish, members of RDF and The Rhythmites – get your dancing shoes on!!!! Viv Albertine – A welcome return for Viv to the Pavilion stage having gone down so well in 2010. With the success of her debut solo ep “Flesh” we are hoping she will be promoting an album
Spizz Energi – Formed in the late 70’s there is no band fitter for the Bizarre Bazaar stage! Known as Spizzoil, Athletico Spizz and the Spizzles among others frontman Spizz is as mad as anyone and will be bringing his manic performance to the stage still asking the eternal question “Where is Captain Kirk?” The Monochrome Set - an English Post Punk band formed in 1978. The band is notable for its witty lyrics, the laconic delivery of lead singer Bid and the idiosyncratically retrogressive playing style of original lead guitarist Lester Square. Back with a full tour and a new album “Platinum Coils”. The Only Ones – Formed in the late 1970s they were associated with Punk Rock, yet straddled the musical territory in between Punk Power Pop and Hard Rock with noticeable influences from Psychedelia. In 2006 “Another Girl Another Planet” was used in an advert prompting them to reform and they have toured ever since with their full original line up. Spiral Scouts - Spiral Scouts are more of a collective than a band, playing their own brand of funky folk, and acoustic giggery pokery.The songs are penned by George Spittal, and made into what they become by the talents of the rest of the musicians involved. The Outcasts – Original Punk band from Belfast formed in 1977 and splitting in the early 80’s they reformed especially for last years Rebellion festival. They are back this year by popular demand after their amazing performance on the Empress last year. Altered Images - The Singer and Actress CLARE GROGAN started her 30 year long career as a schoolgirl Popstar in her band ALTERED IMAGES. By day she was studying for her A Levels and at night she was touring with SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, playing festivals alongside ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, U2 and recording sessions for legendry DJ, JOHN PEEL. The band were signed to Epic Records in 1981 the same year CLARE appeared in the BAFTA winning comedy GREGORY’S GIRL. CLARE never got to finish her exams – she wasn’t too upset!
this time. Whatever, it will be a beautiful. Here and Now – Psychedellic/Progressive/Space Rock playing for the second year running. The band has been steadily releasing stuff since 1974 including “Floating Anarchy Live 1977” with Gong. Favourites on the free festival circuit they played alongside ATV and The Astronauts back in the day and will bring that atmosphere to the Pavilion perfectly, they wont play ‘A dog in Hell’ but if you shout loud enough they’ll do ‘What you see is what you are’!!!! The Mob – What an amazing treat we are in for this weekend with the full original line up of The Mob to continue that free festival vibe. Their ground breaking single ‘No Dove Fly Here’ was iconic in its time and remains so to this day. We played ‘Let The Tribe Increase’ in the car recently and it sounds as fresh as ever, still current and valid on its 30th Anniversary! Hagar and the Womb – Razor Sharp female fronted UK Punk band who came out of the Anarcho Punk scene of the early 80’s but who were always very untypical of the standard sound of the genre. Never taking themselves too seriously the music was serious enough to keep the Smiths off the top of the indie charts with their ep “Word of the Womb”. Split in 1985 but back in 2011 armed with re-issues of all the old stuff. Andy T – A welcome 3rd year return for Andy and his band Statics – experimental sounds from Dublin based trio (moved to Saturday) The Goodfernothing Circus – Young Vibrant collection of 4 performers who mix Punk Rock Music with crazy Circus acts including a bed of nails! Something really different to Kick off the Bizarre Bazaar stage on Friday this year…..
The Cravats – Now playing their 4th Rebellion in a row and headlining for the first time. The Punk band who formed in 1977 but split in 1982 only got back together for the 2009 festival and have been getting more popular every time. A unique Punk sound that experiments with Jazz feels they were recently guests at Steve Ignorant’s last supper shows. TV Smith & Leigh Heggarty – 2nd of his 3 performances this weekend sees TV pair up with Leigh from Ruts DC with his amazing guitar playing. Gonna catch all of TV’s gigs this weekend? Of course we are! Expect some guests on stage with them tonight! Pascal Briggs and the Stokers –Pascal has been a rock’n’roll vagabond for half of his life playing in numerous punk rock bands. Releasing an album in 2009 titled “The Mercenary”, he’s playing more solo / acoustic stuff. We first saw them at Rebellion last year and now they are back with their gypsy punk carnival. The Beatlesons – Vocalist Monique Masson is no stranger to the Rebellion family having joined it back in 1995 as front woman for the wonderful B-Bang Cider. Formed in 1993, she returns to Blackpool with her Folk Punk Rock from Germany. A 7 piece instrumental section backs up 2 singers and their sound is described as the Ramones supporting Debbie Harry or Joan Jett singing along with Johnny Cash. Haight Ashbury - The two female singers, backed by a talented male guitarist, are like a new and improved version of a psychedelic Abba. The lyrics are great, the vocals are haunting, the timing is impressive and they fill the stage like a much bigger and fuller band, from Glasgow Scotland. Liz is Evil – Irish Punk riddled Rock n Roll. Liz is Evil have been playing live constantly lately and 2012 will see the release of ‘It’s Official...Liz is Evil are...LIVE!’ - 11 brand new tracks recorded the way the band ought to be seen - LIVE!
THURSDAY PunkArt – annual exhibition now in its 7th year featuring artists/craftspeople from all over the world - times: 11am7pm Open Mic session 11.45 – 1.30 – hosted by The Crows Literary Festival – John Robb interviews guests – already confirmed Micky Fitz, Max Splodge 2.30 – 4.30 Poetry/Spoken word 4.30 – 6.30 FRIDAY PunkArt – 12 midday-7pm Open Mic – 12.15 – 2.30 – hosted by Billy Liar Literary Festival - John Robb interviews – Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets), John King (Football Factory etc) and Dave Barbarosa (Bow Wow Wow etc) Dave, Tom and John will also be doing book signings. 2.30 – 4.30 Poetry/Spoken Word – headlined by Atilla the Stockbroker 4.30 – 6.30 SATURDAY PunkArt – 12 midday - 8.30pm Open Mic - 12.15 – 2.30 host tbc Literary Festival – John Robb interviews – Mick Rossi and Wayne Barrett (Slaughter and the Dogs), Peter and John (The Only Ones), Viv Albertine 2.30 – 4.30 Poetry/Spoken Word – Steve Pottinger, Joolz Denby 4.30 – 6.30 Fashion Show 7.00 – 8.00 SUNDAY PunkArt – 12 midday-7pm Open Mic 12.30 – 2.30 host tbc Literary Festival - John Robb interviews – Henry Cluney (ex SLF), Gaye Black 2.30 – 4.30 Poetry/Spoken word – 4.30 – 6.30 Hair-do competition winners announced
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - The Hillbilly Moon Explosion are a female fronted pan-European Rock’n’Roll band based in Zurich. They are in the middle of a European tour and have a new album out which includes a dark duet with Sparky from Demented are Go. Recently turning down the chance to represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Concert they are in high demand! Franz Nicolay (World Inferno/Hold Steady) - is that multiinstrumentalist and man-about-town peddling a modern vaudeville with full-throated songs and stories shamelessly strident, stentorian and more than a little sentimental. He also founded the outlaw orchestra Anti-Social Music and has been an occasional touring member of agit-punks Against Me! The Real Mckenzies Unplugged - The Scottish influenced American Folk Punk Rockers give us an acoustic version of their High Energy set. Captain Hotknives – Punk Comedian with a guitar that will have you falling about with laughter at his take on classic songs and hilarious antidotes. Chas Ikstan and the Bon Bon Bons - Circus-styled punk outfit featuring ex-Lightyear front man. Rubella Ballet – Day-Glo Anarcho Punk band from the 80’s who always liked to stand out. Their single “Ballet Dance” was once described as having an appealing sharp edge to their claustrophobic punk thrash, a poppy surge and even a discernable funk readjustment! Emily and the Faves – Female fronted Liverpool based IndiePop that is reminiscent of the brief early 1990s period when Belly, Breeders and Lush dominated indie music. WORDS: Jonny Wah Wah
Vamplifier / Punk in London / Filth and the Fury Smithereens / Punks not Dead / Corrupt Luitenant / Today Show / Shes A Punk Rocker / Johnny Thunders / Confessions of a Music Lover / UK SUBS Punk Can Take It / Crass doc / Cockney Rejects / Punk Rawk Show / Great Rock n Roll Swindle / Rude Boy / Another State of Mind / Punk Attitude / Fugazi-Instrument / Westway to the World- / Control CHECK NOTICE BOARD FOR DETAILS
CHRIS BUTLER OK, so you’ve arrived at the Rebellion Festival and are already scanning through the programme to check out the days and times when your favourite bands are playing. And there’s this stage called the Almost Acoustic stage listed which you’ve never really paid much attention to previously. Well it aint punk is it? Well, what if I was to suggest that I think maybe, just maybe there was a connection between folk/acoustic music and punk rock?… Firstly, what are my punk credentials? Or rather, how on earth has a folk singer armed with just four chords and an acoustic guitar blagged his way onto a stage at the UK’s biggest punk and alternative music festival? I first heard punk music as a young child via my older brother and I soon progressed to buying/swapping my own vinyl records by the time I was 11 or 12 (around 1981/82). I went to my first gig on my 14th birthday (GBH and Ausgang at Birmingham Digbeth Civic Hall in 1984) and that was a catalyst for a lifetime of discovering and falling in love with music. As I discovered different music and bands, I also became politicised, turned vegetarian at the age of 14 (and later vegan), would try to form a band with friends. I wrote a fanzine, supported all the local gigs in my area, travelled around the UK watching live music, organised gigs myself - anything to be involved in the punk and political movements. Somewhere along the way though, I also discovered folk music. It’s difficult to say exactly when though I knew I already loved the sound of acoustic guitars as I’d by this time picked one up myself. I started listening to a local radio show on Radio Derby and that’s where I discovered the likes of Christy Moore, Leon Rosselson, Roy Bailey, Dick Gaughan and a host of others. I bought their back catalogues and went to see them live which led to discovering a whole lot more songs, singers, concerts and festivals and a love of folk music which has stayed with me (and alongside my love of punk rock) to this day. Songs and singers who were just as political as the punk bands I was listening to. Songs of struggle and resistance. Songs that were angry, inspiring, political, uplifting, beautiful, humorous, defiant, from the streets, the mines, the battlefields, the mills…Songs and stories that were written, sung, played and passed down by ordinary folk. And so when I stood on the ‘Almost Acoustic’ stage at the Rebellion festival a few years ago, I realised I’d travelled full circle. From listening to punk rock to becoming a folk singer who was now playing folk songs to punks at a punk festival! - Try reading and understanding that sentence again after a few drinks! The beauty of punk for me (despite what some music critics, fashion magazines and tabloid newspapers would sometimes tell you) is that it doesn’t have a dress code or a particular musical sound or style. It should be flexible, diverse, ever changing, suit all tastes, challenging, exciting, uncompromising and above all (for me) listenable. Dress how you feel comfortable, wear your hair how you like, listen to as wide a range of musical styles as possible, as wide as The Mob to UK Subs, from Andy T to Rancid and from say, Chris Butler to Eastfield. There’s something for everyone you might say… To have an acoustic stage at a punk festival may seem strange to some. I think it’s an example of the diversity of punk rock: The wide range of bands and artists, the flexibility of the movement and more importantly, the relevance (still) in 2012 of Punk. We mean it maaan…
Rory McLeod - Rory McLeod - ex-circus clown and fire eater. A one man soul band, poet and storyteller singing his own unique upbeat dance stories. A modern travelling troubadour using tap shoes, acapella, harmonica, guitar, trombone, spoons, finger cymbals, bandorea, djembe and various percussion instruments! Lucy Ward - Lucy is 21 and a BBC Folk awards winner. She plays guitar and concertina but considers her voice to be her first instrument. Her sets are an eclectic mix of traditional and modern folk interpretations, interspersed with her own songs. Johnny One Lung - Of The Filaments, Suicide Bid and Deadline notoriety he gives us a taster of some the songs from these bands and his own. Max Splodge - The Charismatic front man cum bingo caller delivers a solo set which will be entertaining to say the least but will also showcase the talent of the man. Monica and the Explosion - Power Punk at its acoustic best with Monica Welander on Vocals and Guitar and Paul Slack (ex UK Subs) on Bass. Balsall Heathens - Sam and her Violin team up with Jock (GBH) and his guitar again. Established now as one of the highlights of the acoustic stage.
Tina Lee - A set full of great songs sung from the heart is always guaranteed with Tina. Reb Sutton - Dirty Revolution front person she is warmly welcomed back for another solo set. Ed Ache - the Ex ICH man is back by popular demand, delightfully socially aware. Jim Sorrow - The Freaks Union guy who is now a very popular solo performer in his own right. Chris Butler - Folk singer, songwriter and activist enlightening us since 1990. Ro Ashika - DJ with Killing Joke brings his acoustic show to Rebellion with great anticipation…… Brad Fugal - We don’t know what to expect from the Madcap Monkish front man and there is only one way to find out! Dave Hughes - Righteous Folk Punk from the Scottish Renegade sure to get everyone going. Mark McCabe - Hailing from Aberdeen and just back from living in Paris check out his new album ‘When I Grow Up’ Bingo with Max - Every Morning at the same time, as soon as the doors open and Max Splodge has his first pint in his hand, Bingo is calling! Fun for all the family it’s a slice of Punk Rock slapstick in the greatest seaside tradition with marvellous prizes to be won. Alcoholics welcome…..
Kevin Seconds – 7 Seconds front man strips down his songs to the acoustic format. Heart felt and thought provoking it is an eagerly awaited set. Tom Hingley – Inspiral Carpets front man returns for a fourth year with another set of acoustic songs with a Punky edge. Catch him earlier on the literary stage talking about and signing copies of his new book The Dirty Folkers – After being convinced by Jennie to do an acoustic set last year Beki and Paul (Vice Squad) are back, and if it’s just half as good as that one then it is definitely a set not to be missed! Neck – Acoustic set from the Celtic Punk Rockers which will be sure to keep the glasses raised and the voices singing. Los Fastidios – Unplugged prelude to the full electric set which is on the Empress stage tomorrow. Lucy Ward – It’s a real honour to have Lucy at Rebellion and we can only reaffirm this by presenting her for her 2nd set of the weekend on the almost acoustic stage. Arturo Lurkers Punktry – Always different and always outrageous the Punk cum Country Superstar is sure to create musical chaos in the finest sort of order! Paranoid Visions – The Irish Chart sensations bring their Punk Rock songs to the acoustic stage. Billy Liar – One of the most popular acts of the last couple of years the Scottish Punk will be playing his own brand of punk with sincerity. Ren Spits at Magpies – Female troubadour brings politically aware acoustic Punk filled with love, rage and relentless imperfection. Perkie – She has played with Resolution 242 and King Blues and now tours the festival circuit with her acoustic folky piano simples. Jake and the Jellyfish – Folk Punk with a Reggae edge from Bristol and Leeds. Emma Hallows – Amazing Folk Punk from the girl who decide to “Go it Alone” The Slaughterhouse Kid – also plays for Penetration but brings his new acoustic set to us this weekend. Bingo with Max – Day 2 Eyes down…. Trousers up!
Patrik Fitzgerald - Regarded as the original Punk Folk acoustic singer he recorded on Small Wonder records and Polydor, he also toured with the Jam. He has recorded on and off since, including a split with Pog, and fitted in a distinguished acting career. This will be a set honed with over 30 years experience and not to be missed. Vic Ruggerio – Front man with The Slackers Vic brings the distinctive style and sound of his solo set to the acoustic stage for us all. Nick Cash – 999 front man almost has a residency on this stage and it wouldn’t be the same without him… Mick Crudge – welcome return of Fits frontman with his own solo stuff Kelly Kemp – Former No Comply front person back with her beautifully powerful songs. Skuyela – Once again Monique from B-Bang Cider/The Beatlesons returns to us with her wonderful covers and original songs in Punky Folky way filled with plenty of Heart and Soul. Mike Scott – Ex Phinius Gage and now with Lay it on the Line he also performs a mean solo set.
The Crows – Jennie, Richie, Mandy and Pascal, with maybe a few friends joining them – namely Mick Rossi, JP Tholette and Phil Smith of Slaughter and the Dogs, return with their gritty Folk/Punk to the acoustic stage after going down such a storm last year. Proving Rebellion is just one big family. Craig Temple – Moral Dilemma man with his excellent solo project. El Morgan – Female Acoustic Singer Songwriter from the South Coast with beautifully crafted songs. POG – Electro Funk Punk brought to the acoustic stage should be a blast! Some Sort of Threat –Acoustic music in the style of Billy Bragg and the Dead Kennedys. Olive Anne – Enchanting acoustic guitar and vocals from Cardiff. Louie Raw – Still the youngest member of the Almost Acoustic family back for the 3rd year and playing more than ‘one song’ we love him!!!!! Katie Raine – A Wonderful voice to open up the acoustic stage. Bingo with Max – Day 3 – 2 fat ladies clickerty click
Ginger Wildheart – Enigmatic front man who created the Wildhearts after leaving the Quireboys, He has collaborated with countless musicians over the years and has had many solo projects … enjoy a taster of all tonight. TV Smith – A hat trick of appearances at this years festival culminates with what I think Tim loves doing best, playing songs with just him and a guitar. Throw in a receptive audience and a night doesn’t get any better. Henry Cluney – Original SLF guitarist who is now touring and playing his own songs along with songs from his former band. Mike Herrera – MxPx front man with his own wonderful solo compositions Paul Carter – Another fun filled set from Paul that never fails to put a smile on everybody’s face. Louise Distras – Wild acoustic Punk from the nomadic runaway from Wakefield. Building up quite a reputation. Mike Only – Ex King Blues man throws on his guitar and shares his music with us all. Chas Palmer Williams – Lightyear front man performs his solo set which never disappoints. Joe Tilston – Bass player and Vocalist from Random Hand with a solo set. Robin Leitch – Trombone player and Vocalist also from Random Hand with another solo set, Random hand heaven today with the full band on the Empress as well. James Brockbank – Acoustic set from the Guilty Pleasures Guitarist. Ukelele Kris – The “Marmite” performer love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him! Suicide Si – After a great debut on this stage last year Si has been giving the chance to do it again. Bingo with Max – Day 4 – Polishing his balls for the last time this year… WORDS: Jonny Wah Wah
The 6th Annual PunkArt exhibition promises to be bigger and better than ever with a huge collection of artists from all over the world including:KAREN DUCKWORTH CHARLIE HARPER CORRINE STREETLY GAYE BLACK JACKNIFE POSTER ART KNOX LIZ VENGEANCE ART CHRIS BRIEF ALISON PARKS KEV BAMBRA HANNAH BRUNNER FE LE PAIN DAVID WORTH CAROL LYNN PERRY + many more…. DOD MORRISON PHOTOGRAPHY
After the popularity of last years’ Craft Market it’s back with lots more delightful goodies and tempting treats! Including:Jock Hart – bespoke wooden boxes Pretty in Punk – retro soaps, yummy body butters, shower gels, upcycled cake stands and much more. Rosie Posy – Corsets, bags etc made from re-cycled ties and bras Rockin Arrangements – alternative floral arrangements and much more Fairy Creations – one of a kind bespoke jewellery Three Gypsies – up-cycled and re-cycled one of a kind jewellery and other goodies from Rebellion elf Jennie Russell-Smith Maggie’s Bazaar – Cushions, Mirrors and glamorous goodies Polkydot Jewellery – handmade funky jewellery
The Sophie Lancaster foundation presents:
Each morning throughout Rebellion festival the Sophie Lancaster foundation will be leading two back to back meditation sessions, about 20 minutes each over an hour. Open to everyone but aimed at those who haven't experienced it before, it’s called ‘Punk Meditation' because practicing doesn’t have to be about belonging to an organisation or being affiliated to any faith, it’s about the fact that anyone can do it.... anywhere, anytime, DIY style. Surprisingly perhaps, meditation is similar to punk in other ways...it’s about challenging the status quo, about internal values in contrast to material accumulation…. it’s about cutting out all the mental clutter in our lives, only instead of using the noise of punk rock to do it we use silence. The physiological, psychological and spiritual benefits of regular meditation can be huge, including; • • • • • • • • • •
Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation. Good for people with high blood pressure. Reduces anxiety. Decreases muscle tension Builds self-confidence. Helps with focus & concentration Increased creativity Decrease in potential mental illness Helps in quitting smoking, alcohol addiction Increases sense of responsibility
• • • • • • • • • • •
Increases listening skills and empathy Helps make more accurate judgements Promotes greater tolerance Gives composure to act in considered & constructive ways Provides peace of mind, happiness Helps you discover your purpose Increased self-actualization. Increased compassion Deeper Level of spiritual relaxation Increased acceptance of oneself Helps living in the present moment
Meditation is also completely FREE! It requires no special equipment, and is not complicated to learn. It can be practiced anywhere, at any given moment, and it is not time consuming (15-20 min. per day is good). With such a huge list of benefits, the question you should ask yourself is, “why am I not meditating yet?” -Meditation: who: Iain Broadley what: Punk Meditation when: Midday -- 1:00pm approx ..... Fri/Sat/Sun where: The Renaissance Room -Yoga: who: Mel C what: Punk Yoga when: Thur/Fri/Sat/Sun 12:30pm-2:30pm where: The Renaissance Room -Healing: who: Andi, Niki, Liz, what: Massage, Reiki, Metamorphic Technique. when: Fri/Sat/Sun 1:30pm-8:00pm where: The Bernie Room (Upstairs in the Spanish Hall, beside Punk Art).
Barnyard Masturbator are 2 chicks and 2 dicks ( Dear Punter - Please don’t mis-read or quote to friends as chicks with dicks!!) They play crusty-anarcho-metal-cider sniffing, glue drinking punk belched out from Satans ass-hole (Well Leicester & Blackpool really) Last years Rebellion stage theme was Alice in Wonderland - This year is a tribute to the RAF wing commanders with a dancing pig. Confused? Get your moustache on and your air-wings & check them out. Be there or be disappointed.
Girlfixer from Nottingham, have been on the scene for 6 years now, tearing through the UK and Europe with their own brand of hardcore punk rock. Straying away from the standard trends, Girlfixer’s music is littered with catchy rock and roll riffs and rhythmic breakdowns, taking influence from a variety of genres including punk, hardcore, rock and metal. A fearsome gigging schedule seen them tearing up stages all over the UK, two forays into Germany, multiple festival appearances and high profile support slots alongside bands such as Sham 69, UK Subs, Street Dogs, Vice Squad, The Casualties, The Skints, Random Hand, Anti-Nowhere League and many many more. Now busy writing and recording their debut album whilst maintaining their commitment to playing their energetic set live and loud, Girlfixer are definitely one to watch!
The Piranhas 3D The legendary Brighton band formed in 1977 and became a John Peel Show regular before conquering the charts with Tom Hark and later Zambezi. The current lineup includes founder members ‘Boring’ Bob Grover and Johnny Helmer as well as saxophone player Dominic Dring, who joined in 1981. With a new rhythm section the band sound hotter than ever, and mix original favourites with new songs in their tradition of hangdog humour mixed with garage punk, reggae and African-inflected rhythms.
START It’s 3am, three weeks to go until Rebellion, the moon woke me up shining through the bedroom window forty minutes ago and now I can’t get back to sleep! Weeks ago Pascal asked me to write a bit about The Stokers and Start for the programme if I had the time, so now seems like as good a time as any! So starting with Start and their catchy, powerful songs that basically anyone into melodic punk rock tunes with great, thoughtful lyrics couldn’t fail to like - check out their new release (although I now hear it’s going to be released in December, but you can still hear them on Facebook) ‘Angel Soldiers/Better not to wanna be Loved’. Now none of the three members of Start (who take their name from The Jam song) are strangers to Rebellion, drummer Chris Bell has seen his fair share of festivals, you’ll know him better from The Briefs the U.S. Band who became popular over here a good many years ago and have recently been playing Punk Rock Bowling shows in the States. Chris is also an amazing artist so be sure to check him out in Punkart this year. Guitarist Martin Bleisteiner of Frontkick is also no stranger to Rebellion, last seen in Vienna in 2008. So that leaves Pascal Briggs who plays Bass in Start. Rewind to 2010, a couple of months before that years’ festival I received an email from Simone, of Muttis booking agency in Berlin asking if I had any space left on Almost Acoustic, I didn’t, it was totally full! She sent me a link to ‘Millionaire’ from Pascal’s solo album ‘The Mercenary’ which despite having no space I clicked on anyway to listen to out of curiosity. Needless to say I emailed her straight back and said ‘I’ll find space!!!’. However, I didn’t get to see either of the two sets he played that year (he stepped in for someone who pulled out on the Sunday) but I did play the album when I got home from Blackpool and loved it. So last year we were introduced to The Stokers and some great new songs such as ‘Blackheart’ and ‘Brothers and Sisters’, this year they’re playing The Pavilion where their blend of gypsy punk will go down a storm especially since they’ll have long standing friends The Beatlesons and Tim Smith playing before and after them, you’ll find yourself in the middle of a family re-union party where you’ll be made most welcome and end up dancing like no-one’s watching you! So if you have the stamina this weekend and want to come along on this gypsy tour of the crowded corridors of the Winter Gardens, starting on Friday afternoon in the Arena when Pascal joins 2nd District to play some classic District songs, to Almost Acoustic on Saturday afternoon when he’ll be stirring up a bit of acoustic anarchy with The Crows, party on Saturday night in the Pavilion with The Stokers and then don’t fall at the last hurdle and get to the Arena for Start on Sunday afternoon!!! You may be thoroughly worn out, but you won’t be disappointed. Ok, back to sleep now :-) ..... I hope. Jennie Russell-Smith
START play an unique power-pop-punk composed with masterly skill and melodies that will be stuck in your head for at least weeks, making the audience at their first shows instantly fall in love with them. This is your chance to see them! REBELLION caught up with PASCAL BRIGGS for a chat.....
Rebellion: You’re playing with your band the Stokers on the Pavilion stage Saturday night and then Start on the Arena on Sunday , what can we expect from these performances? The Stokers are a band of gypsies at heart and we play a kind of Carnival Punk I guess. But it’s a Carnival held in a garage. It’s not a sad event though, it’s funny I believe. Start is a neat Punk Power Pop three piece with Chris Brief on drums and Martin who used to be in Frontkick on guitar, I play bass we all sing. It’s all new, we formed the band in March, this is our first UK appearance. It feels great to back to the roots and strip the music down to the basics. We’re not a Supergroup, but it’s a super group! Rebellion: You have a split album out with Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss , how did that come about? Sean got a hold of my solo record and dropped me a message asking if I thought it’d be a good idea to do a package tour of Europe. I thought it was a very, very good idea. We both had homeless recordings flying about, getting a split album together seemed to make sense in every kind of way. Sean and Zander are unbelievable, as performers they’re the best..and the most hilarious characters. The time we spent on the road with the two was precious and unforgettable...the split album is the perfect keepsake.
Rebellion: You’re playing on the acoustic stage with the Crows as well but what is the difference between playing with a full band behind you and going out solo? Yep, it’s a busy Rebellion for me this year, but I love every bit of it. Performing with The Crows is far from going on stage solo though, with the female voices and the two guitars it builds up to a wall of sound at places, and that’s what I like. Rebellion: What gives the greatest reward , the performing of songs live or creating them? Playing a song live for the first time, if it goes down well I’d say, that’s the reward...sometimes when you’re by yourself and you know you found something special, an expression, a melody that seems to mean something, it can be a relief... but if no-one ever listened I wouldn’t be able to finish a single song. Whichever way you look at it, all we have is the moment I guess. Rebellion: Your debut solo album “The Mercenary” was recorded over 4 years and it seemed like quite a chaotic process , what was the most challenging thing about getting this album together? I’ve been thinking about chaos today. Not just my chaos, but the power of chaos...it can be a peaceful force, if you have the deep feeling that everything will fall in place at some point. And so it did with the album. It’s a collage. There’s two ways of looking at my life, I never work or I never stop working. Most of the songs were meant for other destinations some didn’t have any in the first place. The idea of making it an album came out of chaos...it came slow, but it came from nothing but chaos. Nailing it down was the challenge I guess. But I did a bit a of travelling since then and I feel another album coming up if anyone’s willing to put it out... Rebellion: You have collaborated with many great artists over the years , any that really stand out and who was the maddest? Yes and I was lucky to do so. Sean and Zander got mentioned already, I have certainly learned a lot being on the road with TV Smith, he’s amazing... and a show comes to mind I played with Tymon Dogg in Berlin some years ago, the man who taught Joe Strummer to play guitar and later became the violinist of The Mescaleros. Among other instruments he played the Tetra Harp which he invented and crafted himself...the man is pure genius. We did a version of Mondo Bongo together. Certainly a moment for me. Rebellion: Is there anyone you would love to work with but have never got the chance to? Alabama in True Romance Rebellion: You recently did a tour of the USA , how did that go and what is your favourite country to tour? It was a great little adventure, me and my tour manager Johnny Falcon in a car going down all the way from Seattle, where I opened for the Swinging Utters and The Stiff Little Fingers at the Soundfest, played a strip bar in Portland...we were like a male version of Thelma and Louise..through Idaho, Nevada...mostly supporting my mates from the US Bombs with my acoustic set... driving through the desert, mind blowing...California was an experience, too, hung out in LA for a while and did some recordings with Zander Schloss...then all the way down to San Diego, and it was nice to meet so many old friends and make new. One afternoon I was sitting outside Shorties in Belltown Seattle with Chris and we decided to play music together. So a lot of good things came from that US tour. The whole place is bizarre, but I’d love to go back with a band and do some touring with START over there. And I would like to play New York one day. But there’s hardly any country I wouldn’t want to tour, and too many I haven’t seen! Rebellion: Travelling around with just a 6 string on your back is great but you must find yourself in some awkward situations , what was the craziest? Being a rather withdrawn not to say autistic person having done a fair share of low budget touring all by myself with no tour support or tour management, it might be easier to enumrate the situations that weren’t awkward, ha...but you meet great people everywhere and I love it, it’s my life. I can sit around only for
so and so long. The first solo tour about 5 years ago I did with a fake interrail ticket, the gigs were booked but I didn’t look at any schedule beforehand, I just took the slow trains from town to town all the way through Germany, Check Republic, Austria, Switzerland...sweating at every ticket inspection. Apart from that it was more like some sort of meditation. I walked 20 km through the night and over the border to France when I got stuck in a dump in Belgium one night and the next train wouldn’t go until the morning. I just kept on moving. But I always made it just in time for the shows. All the way to the 12 Bar in Soho, where luckily I wasn’t on until 3am... There’s been a hell of a lot of craziness everywhere... but most of it in Basque Country”! Beautiful and crazy. Rebellion: What are your plans for the rest of 2012 , how far ahead do you ever plan and do you think you will ever settle in one place? START is only a baby yet, we can’t wait to get all our ideas together and work on a record. There’ll be some more shows coming up in December, Germany and Rebellion Birmingham festival for us...The Stokers are going strong, too, and we made a couple of recordings along the line that still want to see the light of day ...and I’ll be going to Ireland with The Crows in autumn, another country I haven’t been before. And I will start working on an album with Honest John Plain of The Boys in November. But apart from the gigs and recordings I don’t plan much. I just live from day to day. That’s how it’s always been. The guys from The Ones In Charge take care of me well, they know my schedule...I skipped the settling down bit for a while. Maybe it will happen one day. I love Vienna. WORDS: Jonny Wah Wah
It’s the 3rd visit to the UK and Rebellion by this Sydney 4 piece street Rock N Roll band RUST,a big effort considering they are self funded and totally independent. This tour co insides with their release of their 2nd full length album Oi! Oi! Aussie Rock N Roll (LIVE) out on Manchester label STP and available at the Rebellion official merch stand. Recorded in a tiny inner city Sydney pub, the recording captures the rawness and intensity of RUST live on stage, ”hear our music in street side bars, beat up amps and scared guitars, worn out boots street punk venom Rock N Roll and faded denim’. RUST are a band that cover allot of ground musically and can’t and won’t be jammed into any certain pigeon hole, However this album includes two 4 Skin classics ACAB and CHAOS so you do get an idea were these lads are coming from. In a recent interview Gazz (vocals) was asked to name RUST’s 3 biggest influences? The answer was short sharp and very direct! “Rose Tattoo Motorhead and The 4 Skins!” Check them out for yourself you will not be disappointed.
Hard as nails Rock N Roll from Sydney Australia
UK Street Punk herberts ARGY BARGY celebrate their 20th Anniversary with a brand new album: “HOPES, DREAMS, LIES & SCHEMES”. This, the band’s fourth full length album, see’s ARGY BARGY deliver their own unmistakable brand of relentless brick wall punk with 17 songs of love and hate. Love for family, friends and their way of life. Hate for the governments, the media fat cats and those who have used the scene for their own gain. Argy Bargy have been a constant feature on the Street Punk scene for 20 solid years - the highs and the lows. Choosing to stay true when it would have been easy to through the towel in.... Renowned for their raucous live shows and no nonsense lyrics, ARGY BARGY prove once again why they are the real deal on “HOPES. DREAMS, LIES & SCHEMES”. For fans of COCK SPARRER, RANCID, AGNOSTIC FRONT, SOCIAL DISTORTION etc. Available on CD, vinyl and download. www.randale-shop.de
Sax-riddled dada punk combo, The Cravats, emerged from Redditch New Town in the Midlands, England in 1977. Signed by influential indie label, Small Wonder in 1978 they delighted and bamboozled in equal measure with their eccentric jazzy punk racket, dubbed, ‘The Dustbin of Sound’. Quickly becoming John Peel favourites (doing 4 sessions for the great man), they released further acclaimed LPs and singles with Crass Records, Glass & Corpus Christi. Their musical merits have been discussed favourably in public by such luminaries as; Steve Albini, Ian Curtis, Jello Biafra, Marc Riley, Henry Rollins, Mark E. Smith and a host of others. Now back playing live again with original founders, The Shend and sax behemoth, Svor Naan, and with their double CD retrospective, The Land Of The Giants (Overground Records) and the August 6th, CD release of their first LP, ‘The Cravats In Toytown’ (including all Small Wonder single A & B sides, plus a bonus CD featuring a re-imagining of the original LP, 8 track masters by Penny Rimbaud of Crass!), they are attracting attention from a whole new audience in search of something odd and unique in the musical universe. Eccentrically frantic on stage, odd but on the ball, The Cravats sporadic performances are the stuff of legend and there has never been a better time to recycle that dustbin of sound! www.thecravats.com
Summer 77, the Pistols’ God Save the Queen is top of the charts, the Clash are taking the White Riot tour up and down the country... and meanwhile, in Bristol, the Pigs are recording their first and only EP, Youthanasia. It’s probably less than 20 weeks since they formed, but in that time they’ve already supported Generation X and caught the ears of Step Forward Records head Miles Copeland, the same ears that would later pick out the Police, Squeeze, Gary Numan and REM. Over the next few months things would only get more hectic, with gigs at the legendary Marquee and Roxy clubs, plays on John Peel’s radio show and the chance to back up bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and fellow bristolians the Cortinas, before finally burning out and splitting in early 78, just about the time the Pistols blew up in San Francisco. The Pigs story was very short, very fast and full of energy, rage, excitement - exactly like their songs, in other words. And that’s the way it ended, at least until 2009 when Bristol Archive Records, aiming to bring forgotten gems back to public attention, rereleased those 1977 recordings and a new chapter began. Now the Pigs are out and about playing live again, recapturing the energy and excitement of those early days for an audience that missed out first time round. They’ve released a newly recorded version of their original set on CD - Put It Down - and got a great response. So check out their live show if you get the chance; we can guarantee it’ll be very short, very fast and... well, you know the rest.
“Chewing on Tinfoil are a Dublin-based ska/punk band. They released their first record “Get Rich or Try Dyin’ “ in 2009 on the New York based label Quote Unquote Records. The album was recorded in a cottage built on the burial site of an ex-communicated, fornicating monk. They returned to this cottage to write their follow up EP “Shaving” in 2010. Since then they have toured Ireland and the UK numerous times and toured the North East of America. In 2010 they were invited to perform a live session for BBC Radio 1 and RTÉ Radio 1. They have started to work on their next album and this Summer will be touring Ireland, UK and France and will be featured on Ska is Dead’s 7” of the month club.
Rock n Roll Gypsies were formed by Mat Sargent in South London in 1996 to perform songs from the ‘Sex Drugs & HIV’ album. The HIV project was recorded at Dave Goodmans, Mandala Studio in ‘Gipsy Hill’ which is where the name ‘Rock n Roll Gypsies’ came from. Dave, known as the Phil Spector of punk and for his production with the Sex Pistols was the man for the job when recording the epic ‘Sex Drugs & HIV’ album with over 200 guest musicians to raise funds & awareness for the following charities; Rape Crisis, Release, Terrence Higgins Trust & Cancer Research. Rock n Roll Gypsies was to have an ever changing line-up with various guests playing the tracks from the HIV album. The first incantations of Rock n Roll Gypsies between 96 - 98 included; Polystyrene (X-Ray Spex), John McGeoch (Magazine / P.I.L), Wally Nightingale (Sex Pistols) & Roly Wynne (Ozric Tentacles). Previous members of Gypsies include; Tracey Lamb (Girlschool), Wurzel (Motorhead), Seaweed (Ozric Tentacles), Leo Smee (Cathedral), Stuart Soulsby (Chelsea), Andy Anderson (The Cure) Rock n Roll Gypsies played their debut show on 12th September 2000 at Chislehurst Caves in Kent, many of the musicians from the project attended the show. In 2006 Rock n Roll Gypsies played the Rebellion Festival which was a fitting tribute to Dave Goodman who sadly passed in 2005. Mat finished the album at Panther Studios in 2011 so this year Gypsies play Rebellion and celebrate the completion of the Sex Drugs & HIV album which took 15 years to record. The CD’s will be released with a DVD of all the songs on 1st December (World AIDS Day).
Rock n Roll Gypsies
‘Rebellion 2012 line-up’
Vocals & Guitar - Mat Sargent Vocals - Monique Maasen (B Bang Cider) Lead Guitar - Richard Stone (Splodge) Guitar - Ronny Rocka (Angelic Upstarts) Bass - Noel Hendrick (Streatham Hillbillys) Drums - Robin Guy (Faith No More) The album is available now to download via the project site; www.sexdrugsandhiv.com
Hailing from the stench filled slums of Detroits motor city in 1999, female fronted punk band Choking Susan has lots to complain about......just like a 60 year old hooker, Choking Susan has had plenty of members in and out! They’ve kept themselves raw and willing and have toured from coast to coast all over the USA, Canada,Spain,England,Scotland ,Ireland and France!! If you dig punk in any definition, see them live! Buy them a drink! Give ‘em a kiss! Check them out!!!
Having honed their stunning sound, this masterful quartet have nailed their in-yer-face yet melodic punk rock that will grab you by the throat, slap you on the cheek and give a cheeky grin. With there very infectiously energetic and powerful live show, these heavily tattooed North Eastern lads are the real deal. The amazing journey of Crashed Out dates back to 1995. As 15 and 16 year old kids, they soon went from punk covers to unleashing their declaration of intent with their debut self released album ‘This Is Our Music’ And their aptly titled second album ‘Here Now & Real’ was self released in ‘98. The band developed a fresh sound that combined the urgency of punk rock with the musicianship and full-on force of rock, drawing on influences such as AC/DC, Rancid, Motorhead and The Dickies. Self-releasing their 2001 third album ‘Back For More’ Crashed Out were rolling on. Touring extensively through the UK and Europe, the boys looked back with their ‘best of’ album ‘Working Class Aggression’ that included tracks from their first three albums as well as unreleased tracks. This was released on Germany’s DSS Records in 2003. The same year they made a video for future live favorite ‘The Jarrow Song’. 2005 was a breakthrough year for Crashed Out, with the critically acclaimed fourth album ‘Pearls Before Swine’ hitting stores through the highly respected Captain Oi! Records. The four-piece toured their raucous anthems all over the UK and Europe in 2006, and even headed over the Atlantic with an extensive US West Coast tour. Impressing American crowds, US label SOS Records released their ‘The One And Only’ album in 2007. After trying out a couple of drummers, Crashed Out solidified their current line-up with the addition of the Mr Johnny Halling, delivering new energy and enthusiasm as well as solid drumming. With banter-loving founding frontman and Viking Tattoo Studio owner Chris Wright, fellow tattooist, brother and axeman ace Lee Wright and thundering bass powerhouse Geordie Brown, Crashed Out are now an unstoppable and focused punk ‘n’ roll force, proven by their first live album ‘Fast Loose ‘n’ Live’, released in 2008 on their own: ‘I Want It Records’. Having toured and played alongside punk legends such as Rancid, The Adicts, The Undertones, The Misfits, The Damned, The Dead Kennedys, Stiff Little Fingers, Cock Sparrer, Exploited, The Levellers and many more, the band’s rousing live reputation is ‘hard earned’ and has to be witnessed at one of their many upcoming shows. 2009 saw Crashed Out release a split vinyl single with Spain’s Secret Army, and in Sept 2010 the band release their fifth album Crash & Burn on Germany’s I Hate People Records. Then in 2011 Crashed Out released a split album ‘The Dirty Dozen’ with punk legends and good mates Angelic Upstarts again on Germanys I Hate People Records. The Band continue to tour the world winning audiences over with there punk rock attitude and hard rock sound. So Raise ya glasses, shout out “cheeeaaaz” and sing along loud and proud, with Crashed Out the band that puts the Rock back into Punk Rock.
Evolving out of two local bands, The Condemned and The Atomz, The System went on to play a major role in the ‘Anarcho’ punk scene. Hailing from Wigan, various members of the band were regular gig goers from 1977 onwards, seeing bands in venues like Wigan Casino and the legendary Eric’s in Liverpool, so it was a natural progression to go from audience to stage. One of their earliest gigs was in the car park of their local pub on the day of the Royal Wedding in 1981, were their performance was cut short by the police and a vicar! Like alot of bands at the time it was seeing Crass for the first time that made the band get serious, and realise that playing punk music could mean more than just being in a band. Soon they were promoting Crass gigs themselves, then they were being invited to support them on tour, I saw a couple of these gigs myself, and I have have to say, with all due resapect to the other bands playing, The System wiped the floor with all of them. Soon it was time to record their first single, and the fact that they had the choice of either Flux of Pink Indians label Spiderleg, or Crass goes to show the esteem in which they were held. They chose Spiderleg, and the resulting Dogs of War EP was a classic, musicaly it was far more diverse than alot of other bands of the genre, and once again gigs to promote it saw them blow any band brave enough to play with them off the stage. Sadly by the time of their second EP The System is....Murder they had all but split up, but they justified their existance a hundred times over with those two records. Thankfully they are back playing again, and will grace the Rebellion stage for the first time. I urge you to catch them.
WORDS: Gladstone Screwer.