Rebellion Festival: Who Should You See?

1st August 2016 0 By Tim Jones

Thursday 4^th August is the first of the four most important days of the year in the calendars of fans of punk and hardcore. That’s right, it’s the start of Rebellion Festival in sunny Blackpool.

This year is the 40^th anniversary of punk and the 20^th anniversary of the Rebellion Festival nd it promises to be an absolute belter.

But who should you check out if you’re going?

Well, I’ve tried to stay away from the obvious headlining choices and have chosen 10 acts you really need to see.

GEOFFREY OICOTT

Thursday, Tower Street Arena 2:45pm – 3:25pm

Cricket-themed punk from Yorkshire, anyone? These guys are always an absolute hoot and their tongue-in-cheek songs about balls and stumps are guaranteed to help you kick start the first day. Look out for streakers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9CkLpLV4vI

TED DIBIASE AND THE MILLION DOLLAR PUNK BAND

Thursday, Arena 4:50pm – 5:25pm

This band aren’t too serious either, but their music is. Ok, there may be lyrics about burying dead prostitutes and the like, but few bands are this fast and precise.

FLAG

Thursday, Tower Street Arena 6:00pm – 7:00pm

A covers band playing covers of their own songs. What? You heard correctly. This is former members of Black Flag playing Black Flag songs. Promises to be classic.

THE PUKES

Thursday, Opera House 12:15am – 1:00am

Anyone taking a genre of music and injecting life into it by doing it differently is to be applauded. This lot number around 20 in total (try and count them when you’ve had a few pints) and play classic punk songs on ukuleles.

ARGIES

Friday, Pavilion 5:20pm – 6:00pm

Don’t cry for these Argentinian punks. Don’t let the fact that most of their stuff is in Spanish put you off – these fellas will have you singing along anyway. Just don’t mention the Falklands War.

KUNT & THE GANG

Friday, Pavilion 7:10pm – 7:50pm

Not a band and not a punk, but his outrageous songs with hilariously political incorrect lyrics are a real mood lifter. Unless you worked for the BBC in the late 70s or early 80s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rUHSr59ftI

IN EVIL HOUR

Saturday, Tower Street Arena 2:35pm – 3:15pm

This band from Darlington have been compared to Rise Against and they now have quite a following which is no bad thing for a band that was on the New Band Stage only four years ago.

LOUISE DISTRAS

Sunday, Empress Ballroom 3:40pm – 4:20pm

You might have heard her awesome acoustic stuff. If you have, witness it getting the full band treatment. If you haven’t, which rock have you been hiding under?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nBPfURdmzU

CITIZEN FISH

Sunday, Tower Street Arena 4:40pm – 5:25pm

Socially aware ska that by Sunday you might need to rid you of a four-day hangover. If you don’t at least tap your feet to this lot then you might well be dead.

DIRTBOX DISCO

Sunday, Tower Street Arena 5:45pm – 6:30pm

Do you like “na na na” and “woah-oh” type singalongs? You’re in luck then. Dirtbox Disco have a knack of writing instantly catchy songs that everyone can join in on. Expect it to be packed out for these unusually-dressed chaps.

And if you survive all this and the 200+ other bands that are performing over the course of the weekend, congratulations, you qualify to buy a ticket for the same again in 2017 when Rebellion will return.