Rebellion Day 2
Here we go again. The sun is still shining and the floors of the venue are getting sticky. Last night I kept feeling splashes on the parts of my legs my shorts weren’t covering as people dropped their not so empty plastic beer glasses to the floor. The floor absorbed most of it but by the time I was leaving Bar Stool Preachers my feet were beginning to stick to the floor.
Today I start again with the songs of to the Vulpynes. It’s an electrified version of the set Molly played yesterday. The songs sound better this way, the way they were intended maybe? Rocking riffy two piece.
Jenny Woo in the acoustic room was next. Jenny is very comfortable playing her songs to an audience and even managed some good audience participation in a singalong acoustic Oi sound.
I then settle into the literary stage to hear Fat Bob from Hard Skin spin a few yarns. Again I remember writing to Seán many years ago trading tapes and buying all the madmen records on mail order. He has been around this diy scene for decades and his stories told of these times. Not too many people seque from Crass to Brotherhood of Man but Seán managed to do it. The crowd was very entertained but unfortunately Johnny Wah Wah doing the interview was a bit lost as he was the brunt of many jokes.
Simon Wells from Snuff was then on. It was like 1989 all over again. Wat Tyler followed by Snuff. Except this time it was literary and acoustic as we mellow with age. I am amazed that Simon didn’t have a bigger crowd. His songs are moving, his history with the movement is obvious. A lot of people here chatting and I wish they were elsewhere. They didn’t deserve him. A brilliant set of folk-ish music with a few covers thrown into the mix. He has a new album out in October. Get the first one and prepare for this.
Steve Drewett hit the stage with The Newtown neurotics. This is more Steve’s thing as the songs had the full sound which was missing in the acoustic room. Plenty of neurotics songs right through the ages. I believe it is the last Rebellion set from the band as I guess all things must end eventually but what a send off.
Pauline Murray from Penetration told some stories from those early punk days of which many are in her book. It seemed like Pauline wasn’t too comfortable with the whole process but these stories are so good to hear. Our history being captured. Interesting to hear Pauline talk about women’s route to music before punk was pretty much concentrated on being a backing vocalist or singer. Punk showed that anyone can play anything in a band.
I sped off to see The Chisel. A modern Oi band with a Flying V guitar. I saw them in the smaller room last year which was a lot more interesting and maybe more the home for their sound. The Chisel aren’t out to win any friends with their songs though and played a tight modern Oi sight.
A quick trip up the almost acoustic room to see Swill from the Men they couldn’t hang. This is home to Swill. Acoustic is his forte so he carried the set very well. There a rumours of an EDL March in Blackpool tomorrow. Swill is encouraging people to get out and show them an opposing view. So many musicians here this weekend have taken on the words of anti fascism. Hopefully there won’t be too many from the other side tomorrow.
Back to the opera house to see the Bar Stool Preachers doing an acoustic set. TJ is the ultimate showman and the crowd loved it. Sing along while we are sitting down which pleases old punks like me. At one stage there was 11 people on stage. Extra vocals and strings to fill out the sound.
It’s kind of wierd sitting down listening to those finally honed songs but at times I felt like I was watching Xfactor. If I was then it was an episode I would love. It’s all a bit strange but I love them. Is that what a guilty pleasure is?
It was standing room only for Kirk Brandon telling his stories from days in Theatre of Hate and Spear of Destiny. He gave an interesting tale from the anti heroine gig they played, considering class A drugs the infect music scene. I think Kirk is more at home on stage with the noise and atmosphere rather than stripped bare and we didn’t see the nut of detail cracked tonight.
Split Dogs were in the introducing stage. Hard to describe but maybe put Dead Kennedy’s or maybe Black Flag and Rudimentary Peni into a blender and this might spit out that sound. So tight.
Even aging punks need to eat so i used this opportunity to grab some grub from a nearby Indian. Rebellion gives a great chance to catch up with old friends, just as important as most bands sets this weekend.
I made it back to see the Nilz with Aoife Destruction on vocals. Punk rock’n’roll complete with Rezillos cover so what’s not to like. Featuring Dublin Crust film stars helps put the band on a bigger setting and there was a nice gathering for them in the pavilion tonight
Toyah was always a strange one for me. She was in Jubilee so it gave her some punk points but her music never gripped me. I decided to visit the opera house to give her a chance. The place was packed. This was no Tom Robinson reawakening but pleasant enough new wave rock. Toyah’s energy on stage was amazing. She never stepped moving and to someone who was in a static position throughout by choice I was jealous of that energy. Echo beach got an outing and got everyone in the crowd singing along as did her other covers of the night, Black Sabbaths Paranoid and Billy idol’s Rebel Yell. When I heard that one I knew it was my cue to leave though
Steve ignorant band playing Crass songs is another conflict for me. Those songs released over 4 decades ago meant so much. This was a way of life being spoken about. A way I could identify with. These songs meant something, a huge amount. Steve is an uncomfortable frontman. He doesn’t introduce these songs, just gets up and songs along. They are brilliant songs, from a different era and creating a platform for living. Steve is an uncomfortable leader and unfortunately that’s what crass became. That leadership was their demise as they never wanted it. But those songs lit fuses. When Crass sang Punk Is Dead it was punk getting a bypass. They provided the procedure. And now 4 decades later he’s put together an amazing band playing those amazing songs. Most of us are now 4 decades older so the effect has happened. The lifestyle change occurred and for tonight this is nostalgic. Some songs though.
And while the Stranglers )or the strangler as Seán Forbes aptly put it earlier) played the empress I passed it by determined not to be sucked in by the memories of those great albums. They broke the cultural boycott of Israel and the Crass fan in me said that was enough to ignore them forever. So I go and see anti fascist troubadors the Men They Couldn’t Hang. They are missing Cush since the last time I saw them. Cush tragically passed away in 2021. So I sit listening to the songs, thinking of Cush, thinking of my own tragedies and how I had to leave rebellion after day 1 last year to get ready for the worst week of my life. I was thinking of the first time seeing the men they couldn’t hang in Ireland and traveling around with good people to see them play. Music meant so much to us back then and it guided our direction in life. The men are still singing about the dangers of fascism and as we dream of a time when these songs won’t be needed for now they are needed more than ever over the past 4 decades. Punk is definitely not dead.
niallhope
