Dublin's Hope Collective
The Pukes The Pukes always make me smile. They are the perfect band for a good time. And the acoustic stage can be a great venue to appreciate bands who can make a point, raise a laugh and even inspire a good old fashioned pub singalong. They played 'Johnny got himself a wife' 'Down by … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 The Pukes
Toyah The punks were out in full force for this one; proof that Toyah has a lasting appeal for the people who were teenagers when she was at her commercial peak in the early 1980s. The Opera House venue was packed, and there was something very appropriate about Toyah playing for the punk gathering in … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 Toyah
MDC Hearing MDC always takes me back to the days when I first came across them with Mick 'Mohawk' McCaughan and Barry Cooke. They were one of the bands I listened to most when Mick was the Ents Officer in Trinity in 1984-1985. They proved that low-resource black and white photocopied punk (think fanzines/Maximum Rock'n'Roll) … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 M.D.C. Acoustic
TV Smith plays the Adverts TV Smith is always a complete and total highlight of Rebellion for me. Tonight he doesn't disappoint even though he is playing the outdoor stage where naturally the sound is not as condensed as the indoor venues. I completely love the first Adverts album. Funnily enough, it reminds me of … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 TV Smith Adverts
Bad Religion These punk rock giants stride like a colossus over the modern scene. What is most astonishing is how long they've held that lofty position. To me, Bad Religion, Social Distortion, and the Rollins Band, seemed to define the evolution of punk in the US into a commercial form that could not only draw … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 Bad Religion
Slice of life Here we have Steve Ignorant of Crass with an interesting piece of theatre. And by interesting I don't mean crap/self indulgent. This is raw emotion with a lush background of keyboard, acoustic guitar and bass from a cracking backing band including beautiful male female harmonies. It's a reminder that Crass's gift was … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 Slice of Life
Rebellion 2017 day 1 And so we return. A little greyer, mostly a little bigger but no less enthusiastic. Blackpool 2017 for this first weekend of August is less kiss me quick and donkey rides and more punk rock nostalgia as the home of the 80s political conferences is taken over by the punks. 7 … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 – Day 1
BRATAKUS It's not even four o,clock and I already have a new favourite band. Girls and boys looking for contemporary punk role models need look no further They are two-piece, so lazy comparisons with House of f Freaks and even Carter the USM are inevitable, yet that shouldn't take away from how original and … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 Bratakus,
Bear Trade Silent unspeakable Dead broke records "Please raise a glass and speak well of me when I'm gone " sings Greg robson on the opening track to bear trades third album. Well I'm not going to wait and I will continue to speak well of Greg and his band as long as those lungs … Continue reading Bear Trade – Silent Unspeakable
"Punk rock saved my life", Derrick Johnston proclaimed one Monday night in the hut to an audience one could quite comfortably count with two hands and we knew exactly what he meant. My saving wasn't on the form of punk but it certainly shaped my life. So many decisions I make on a daily basis … Continue reading A week of punk
