Rebellion 2025 – Day 1

Rebellion Day 1

It’s still a.m. and the seagulls have been partying all morning. I have a wander through the decay of 1970s Blackpool and wonder if vapes had never become a thing what would these small businesses survive on. The shops are all despatch vehicles for cash and carries, with stock near its sell by date. 

Not near their sell by date is the rebellion introducing stage. This is for bands who have never played rebellion before and will be my go to stage throughout the weekend. 

Those Fxcking snowflakes kick it all off and by the second song they are singing we are all going to die. It’s a guitar assault mixing of punk and hardcore. The songs stop and start and head in lots of directions just as you settle into a rhythm. Those Fxcking snowflakes don’t want us bopping along too easy 

It seems like Vicki Vortex and the cumshots play every rebellion. I’ve managed to avoid them thus far but decide to take a seat in the Opera House and hear what all the fuss is about. I arrived for “new” song but that was all the tracks for me. Punk rock’n’roll from 4 decades ago. 

Scotish punk folkster David Delinquent is in the old vic. This room was used in previous years as the acoustic arena but that has now moved to the more calubriois surroundings of the spanish hall. Dave used to be the singer in the delinquents and now he’s off doing his own thing as well as playing in I.O.U. We clapped along and sang in unison “you’re so boring you make me wanna die”. It’s amazing the things rebellion can make people do. 

The drowns from Seattle take to the empress ballroom stage one week after the darts world masters was on here. Their high octane sing along punk rock is full of energy and has the crowd in full support. Much like Luke Littler in this very same place last week. “Live like you’re dying” the drowns say. Is it me as I get a bit slower or is everyone talking about death?? They win me over when they remind us to “Always stay true to the dream that Joe Strummer had and that is that Rock n roll can change the world”. Today they play to thousands, in a month they are in the Thomas house in dublin to a capacity of 75. Life eh?

I paid a quick trip to the Literary stage to hear Fiona Duncan from Slalom D talking about adhd, writing children’s books and songs for the band. It’s a lovely intimate surrounding as Fi stepped outside her comfort zone and opened up, despite her bad back after being on stage earlier. 

Evil Blizzard have replaced the drowns on the empress stage. They prowl around stage menacingly in their masks like characters from a doctor who episode. Their sound is loud and haunting, almost like they are trying to strike fear into you dare  daring you to like their public image. 

Back to the pavilion and introducing stage for Bullitz. Nice Scotish fronted sing along punk complete with an accordion for good measure. 

I’m doing my best to make acquaintances with each stage so I pop up to the Spanish hall for Carol Hodge. Her keyboard is laden down with flowers as she tries to bring acoustic harmony to the great hall. Carol also plays with Steve Ignorant in Slice of Life and when he does the Crass songs but tonight it’s just her beautiful voice stripped bare. 

I make the literary stage my home for next while and get a nice history of punk rock. Gaye advert talked of her schoolbooks and art. She had her record collection listed in a school book. It was an extraction rather than a conversation as open questions were at a minimum and Gaye was trying to open up. She has a new book out now with her memorabilia of the early punk days which gives good insight into that period. 

There was a siouxsie and the banshees soundtrack as the large rebellion crowd waited with great anticipation to hear what John McKay had to say. John Robbs interview skills came to the fore as we heard about McKays youth and living in dublin for a couple of years. His musical education was Bowie and Marc Bolan and he had a broad taste in music. Johns initial exploits into guitar playing didn’t last long as he brought his first guitar back to the shop. Thankfully for those of us in the audience he got a present of a guitar from his uncle and then taught himself. It’s a story not told very often but the history of siouxsie and the banshees needs to be told and heard. Stages like this allow such tales. 

Boff Whalley from Chumbawamba has been telling stories most of his life. Musician, activist and author he mixes the three of them here. The crowd has thinned out a fair bit but those of us who stayed clung on to the stories. These things mean so much to many of us. Boff clashed with both Steve Ignorant and the UK subs which was the first punk band he’d seen but I was happy to avoid that clash along with many others at this time. Punk was something more than Kings Road, for Boff it’s about politics and social responsibility. He told some great stories from the stage and gave us a couple of songs 

Two pieces are still proving popular as The Courettes bring their rocky pop noise to the Pavillion. The husband and wife duet bang out the pop tunes and as the evening descends into darkness outside the crowd light up with the sound. It’s a mix of garage pop and the band hailing from Brazil and Denmark get the crowd going. 

John McKays guitar sound is unmistakeable. It has lost none of its acerbic quality and for an hour tonight it was that guitar that intrigued. John McKays reactor is the band and in many ways they are banshees apprentices but this is not budgie drumming or siouxsie singing and it shouldn’t be looked on that way. It is hard and when they broke into Hong Kong Garden it became impossible. 

The night finished for me with Ruts DC. Many newer songs from the past 14 years were in tonight’s set. 14 years is how long the band have been playing here and each time the crowd treat the songs with reverence. Some of the classics came out near the end as we thought of the power of music and the delight it brings. 

We then trooped off happy. Over 12 hours had passed since it kicked off and I remind myself to try and retain energy for future days.