Rebellion 2026 Day 3

Thankfully today is a bit slower for me. I’m still blown away by the magic of Thursday and yesterday’s set by Versaints as I enter the Winter Gardens for the third consecutive morning.

I get there bright and early for the band opening the Introducing stage. The wonder of Versaints still rolling around my head, I hope to have a new favourite new band by the end of the weekend.
Tallon, from Galway, were playing their first gig outside the Emerald Isle which shows how good an opportunity Rebellion is. They rock more than punk but I will be looking out for them when I get home. They released an ep recently. Check it out.

Pete Bentham gets everywhere, him and his dinner ladies play different stages throughout the weekend and now he was on the literary stage talking about his influences as punk was beginning to take off. Velvet Underground, Dr Feelgood and Andy Warhols art is what got him interested in making art. Pete tells us there’s lots of different scenes in punk but the bond is that they make their own rules. Dinner ladies have an eclectic style, kitchen core is their mood. The interviewer Helen McCookerybook described the songs as “children’s tv theme tunes for adults”. Songs about goth postmen and all sort of observations on life.

Diaz Brothers were going to start my day but Talinn and Pete Bentham beat them to it. Golly has been singing this style of hardcore for over 30 years in different guises. It’s still energetic, it’s still tuneful and feels very much heartfelt.

A quick couple of I,Doris songs. I,Doris are the antidote to last nights Sham 69. No macho aggression stuck in here.

Wrex from Brighton take to the introducing stage like professionals. Structured sound and songs that rock, not quite as heavy as petrol girls but close enough.

Paranoid Visions are all over this festival. Guitarist Peter Jones appears everywhere and 4 of the band were the Radical Architets yesterday.

Barry Warne was on the literary stage. I popped my head in to see if there’s was a crowd and if the stranglers playing Israel has had no effect on the crowd numbers. I didn’t see them but their appearance at the empress ballroom was completely full, like this event.

I was struggling to keep my eyes open. As Nomeansno, fine purveyors of bass lines themselves, would say “It’s catching up”

Dave Formula from Magazine has never played Israel So I listen to his talk with Noko as they spoke of early Days and punk rock and Noise.

The Gakk from Dundalk pulled a good crowd in the Arena. Again some support from the loyal Irish contingent who were ready to sing along. Some good inspired fiery punk rock went down well and woke me up after the literary stage.

The Nanaz were on the introducing stage. Songs about the menopause sung in a manner similar to Hagar the womb. They have a reckless abandon on stage with people swapping instruments and a violin providing the backing to the punky poppy tunes.

Ruts DC – there are no words. The perfect combination, this is their home and we are their creed. Tonight’s religious service was given by 2 acoustic guitars and a couple of drums with bushes for sticks. Stripped bare the songs are still amazing and no one on this opera house on Saturday just after the Angelus bells rang in Dublin will disagree. Ruts DC have been doing an acoustic set each year for the past 12. One dozen missives of love. This is a set to give you faith back in humanity. It got emotional at times, cling on to those you love.

It’s so hard to be excited about another bands music after seeing Ruts Dc but the 9 people on stage for Last Tree Squad do a good job trying to get everyone moving.

Theatre of Hate were upstairs in the the transformed Literary room and their haunting sound was as menacing as ever until we started clapping along to one of the songs. Kind of felt right but didn’t. Kirk Brandons voice was as strong as ever and those songs filled this huge room

I then hung around for a while waiting for something to happen but despite a fleeting glance at the Chameleons I journeyed home thinking of all those Ruts DC acoustic gigs and how different my world is as Diaz Brothers sang about earlier.

Niallhope