Writers Ruth, Alex, and Herman and photographers Per-Åke and Phil are at the UK's largest punk festival in Blackpool, catching as many bands as they can!
Blackpool, UK locals always welcome the annual arrival of punk fans from across the globe to Rebellion Festival! This traditional seaside resort’s streets fill with people (and even dogs!) sporting rainbow spiked hairdos, studs, chains and every punk band shirt imaginable, in early August each year.
Held in the extensive and iconic Winter Gardens, Rebellion’s four-day extravaganza boasts an impressive lineup of over 300 punk and alternative acts across eight electrifying stages. From the newest bands on the Introducing Stage, to the big headliners in the Empress Ballroom, to the latest book releases and informative interviews on the Literary Stage, it’s a haven for the punk community. Nowhere else does the spirit of punk, ska, goth, and spoken word converge in such a riotous celebration of counterculture!
On a mission to rock until we drop, the Punktuation team bring you daily reports from Rebellion Festival 2025:
Day four – Ruth Rae’s Report
Something a little different for the Almost Acoustic stage, Menace Generations – From 1976 to now – with Leigh Heggarty from Ruts DC joining in the jollity on guitar. They all had a blast – literally as a fart expoloded during the set – “There might be a loud noise, I’ve been overdoing it a bit” explained singer Noel Martin! He mostly remembered the words, but as usual the crowd were singing along loudly anyway! It was fabulous to see Shanne Bradley (The Nipple Erectors) and Charlie Harper (UK Subs) watching the show from the side.
Another band I’ve championed since their early days, the scourge of Southend, Rat Hole returned after a triumphant Introducing stage appearance last year. Their ireverent and side-splitting debut album ‘Proper Cunt Music‘ dropped on 5th June this year, along with a riotous album release party at London’s legendary Hope & Anchor, which was brilliant fun for all of us who were there! Dr Smackpot (drums & vocals) and Johnny Sideways (guitar & vocals) performance on the Arena stage today had grown men crying with laughter at their comedy / punk rock show – totally hilarious AND totally rocking! Johnny kept asking us if we were “Real Punk Rockers like me”! The mosh pit erupted in their last song ‘Still Be A Cunt‘. Rat Hole are touring across the UK this year, including an appearance at Undercover Festival in South Essex this September – don’t miss ’em!
Always expect the unexpected from Attila The Stockbroker! His Early Music Show featuring Calum Baird had a long run at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival last summer, and they’re returning to do it all again this year – make sure you catch them if you’ll be in the city? It was a delight to see their show on the Acoustic stage in Blackpool first, where Attila had taken inspiration from characters in the English Civil War to write his ‘Restoration Tragedy‘ album with his band Barnstormer. “Cromwell’s rule was like a combination of Morrissey and The Taliban, it was so miserable” said Attila, of a leader who actually kept the ordinary people down. ‘Wellingborough & Wigan‘ diggers were sung about, Attila playing a variety of recorders and his violin, While Calum strummed an acoustic guitar. ‘Abiezer Coppe‘ told the people to have fun and do whatever they enjoyed, but the 1649 Puritans weren’t at all happy with this man, who made the rest of us look very tame! Hilarious song! ‘The Monarch’s Way‘ told the story of the restoration, after the king was returned to the throne, before ‘The Fisherman’s Tale‘ finished an amusing and uplifting set.
Posponed from last year, Grade 2 were a massive highlight of this year’s Festival for me, taking the Empress stage by storm! It’s hard to believe that Sid, Jack and Jacob who have over a decade’s playing and touring expereinces, plus four studio albums under their belts, are still only in their mid-to-late twenties.. Two songs about their native Isle of Wight – ‘Graveyard Island’ and ‘Murder Town’ started their cracking set, before brand new song ‘Standing In The Downpour’ got a great reception! The crowd jumped as requested for ’Fast Pace’, then ‘Brassic,’ a brilliant piece of rock n roll with melodic bass lines, challenged The Meffs for wall-shaking! A lively pit kept going throughout the set, and we were also treated to another new one ‘Hanging On To You’ which had the crowd singing “Woah-oh-oh-oh” for several bars after the the song finished. I thought ‘Midnight Ferry’ was going to elevate the roof. “I wanna see everybody moving” cried Sid for older song ‘Turning the Tide’. He thanked the crowd; “YOU make live music happen”, before Grade 2 played the last songs of a set that felt far too sh0rt – ‘Tired Of It’, ‘Only Ones I Trust’ and an absoulutely immense ‘Under the Streetlight’!
A lively pit kept going throughout the set, and we were also treated to another new one ‘Hanging On To You’ which had the crowd singing “Woah-oh-oh-oh” for several bars after the the song finished. I thought ‘Midnight Ferry’ was going to elevate the roof. “I wanna see everybody moving” cried Sid for older song ‘Turning the Tide’. He thanked the crowd; “YOU make live music happen”, before Grade 2 played the last songs of a set that felt far too short – ‘Tired Of It’, ‘Only Ones I Trust’ and an absoulutely immense ‘Under the Streetlight’!
Another main stage must for me, the Bar Stool Preachers‘ set was unmissable for many other fans too – the massive audience already started cheering the band during their soundcheck! ‘8.6 Days (All The Broken Hearts), ‘Choose My Friends‘, and ‘Doorstep‘ kicked off another amazing set by the Preachers, with their cover of Cock Sparrer‘s ‘Suicide Girls‘ a nod to the older generations of punks. “At Rebellion, I belong and feel accepted for being myself” proclaimed singer TJ, introducing the rest of the band after they played their first single ‘One Fool Down‘.
TJ demonstrated his total command of the crowd during ‘Flatlined’ – the instant he said “shut up”, the “woah-oh’s” stopped and you could’ve heard a pin drop! “From the bottom of my heart, thank you” he said of the crowd’s enthusiastic singing. Encouraging a mosh pit, the youngest crowd surfer I’ve ever seen – a young lass who couldn’t have been more than 9 years old – bravely went over the barrier twice! Ending the Preachers’ show with their customary ‘Bar Stool Preacher‘, I reckon the Winter Gardens staff might want to check the foundations of the Empress hall are still intact..
LOUD WOMEN took over the Introducing stage for all of Sunday again this year, bringing us emerging female artists such as BEX, a Milton Keynes-born punk. She has exploded onto stages across the country with her ferocious bass riffs and feminist lyrics, with songs such as ‘Tiptoe‘, ‘Filfy‘, ‘Crybaby’ and latest single ‘Politix’ written about her lived experiences as a woman. The crowd who filled the Pavillion evidently thought BEX was brilliant too, as she had them dancing, jumping and batting several huge red balloons around! ‘Big BEX’ made an appearance to help with the balloons and dancing, and we rocked out to ‘Fight‘ and ‘SPYD4 K1NG‘.
Heading to the Arena for a Ska-tastic set from Californians Bite Me Bambi next, their sheer vitality and energy had everyone on their feet! I don’t know if the earlier encouragement to attend from Bar Stool Preachers helped, but the place was absolutely rammed for this band’s first Rebellion appearance! Singer Tahlena implored us to “support minority musicians – female and non-binary” after asking for a show of hands of male vs other musicians in the audience – there is still vast inequality. We all went nuts as the band threw down several great numbers; ‘Strippers On A Sunday‘, ‘Bad Boyfriend‘, ‘Gaslighter’s Anthem’ (a song about Tahlena’s divorce!), ‘Do The Damned‘ and ‘Hot Lava‘! Please, Rebellion, bring them back!
Staying in the Arena, Swedish rockers The Headlines were an appropriately-named band for me to end my Rebellion 2025 journey with! Formed in Malmö in 2005, their music is heavily influenced by The Clash, Rancid and Ramones. “It’s good to be back tonight – we are blood brothers and sisters” affirmed singer Kerry, then the band tore through a totally brilliant set, including ‘Sticks of Dynamite‘, and recent releases ‘Pills (Get Me Out)‘ and ‘Pirate Signal‘. Kerry and lead guitarist Jake often knelt on the floor to perform, while there was wild dancing in the crowd. Kerry insisted upon a circle pit, as she sang in the centre of a swirling mass of bodies who somehow found the energy in The Headlines’ music, despite the late hour! During ‘Warpaint/ Authority‘, Kerry shared her mic with the audience, as we on the front row took turns to sing or shout “I hate authority!” It doesn’t get more punk than this to finish the weekend at the biggest punk festival in Europe!
Day four – Alex Goose’s Report
Ladies and gentlemen, Alex Goose has left the building, and all that remains is the ghost of his former self. Luckily, that ghost is able to write semi-coherent reviews, so here we go for the final day of Rebellion 2025!
“It’s not fucking rocket science, this band!” That’s the vocalist of Banjoey Ramone; yes, sir, you are right, but it is a lot of fun! The quintet specialise in countrified renditions of punk classics, complete with a banjo player and violinist, and from the opening ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ they have everyone at the Almost Acoustic stage singing, clapping and laughing along with them. Entertaining, but the musical chops are certainly there, and a more sombre version of X-Ray Spex’s ‘Germ Free Adolescents’ shows the level of respect they have for their source material. A great and revitalising start to the day.
In terms of a great quote or two, beer-spitting, stage-stalking Clobber frontman Charlie is a music journo’s wet dream – today we all grin as we learn that we’re all ugly, and that he’s happy he’s got all our money. His band’s oi-meets-hardcore stomp is as much a welcome blow to the senses as ever, but we certainly weren’t expecting him to get down on one knee and propose to his partner onstage! Happily, she accepts, and joins him for a raucous run-through of that sweetly romantic Cro Mags classic ‘Hard Times’. With an album around the corner, greater things surely await the London quartet, and you’d be well advised to tune in now if you haven’t already.
Over to the Opera House now, for Guitar Gangsters. We had no idea the London veterans were so popular outside the city, but the place is packed, and with good reason; they deal in honest, straight-up punk rock with more fists-in-the-air choruses than there are mohicans in the crowd (i.e. loads). We especially enjoy the more reflective ‘I Used To Be Cool’ (think prime-era Undertones) and the celebratory ‘Shut Up And Get Me A Drink’ (with plenty of crowd assistance!). There’s no great nuance to what they do, but if this is meat-and-potatoes stuff, it’s prime British steak with roast King Edward’s spuds. Yes please.
It’s been amazing to see Bruise Control grow over the past few years, to the point where they’re now able to utterly dominate the large Empress Ballroom stage. There’s something delightfully unhinged about them; it could be vocalist Jimbob careering around the stage in denim hotpants; it could be the seriously volatile pit that they incite; equally, it could be songs like ‘Taxman’ on which they combine elements of post-punk, hardcore, and some seriously squalling guitar work. There’s a real sense of this band of misfits grabbing an opportunity with both hands and squeezing out every last drop of juice, and should they headline this festival one day, we’re going to be unbearably smug that we foresaw it.
The Bolokos are a trio from Guadeloupe, and they certainly look distinctive in their smart clothes and black and white face paint. Alas their sun-kissed blend of punk with creole music somewhat falls victim to the Casbah echo, but there’s no faulting their enthusiasm, or the music itself. ‘Poisoned Land’, in particular, is the kind of fierce but catchy punk rock that wouldn’t sound out of place on an early 00s Hellcat Records compilation (remember those?), and trust us when we say that’s no bad thing at all. Plus, they’re clearly as stoked to be here as we are to see them, and their enthusiasm is infectious.
Brigantes know how to keep us dancing in fine style. Given that it’s a genre most often associated with sunnier climes, there isn’t half some great ska-punk coming out of the Yorkshire area, and these folks are a case in point, turning in a belter of a set on the Arena stage. The likes of ‘Misbehavin” and ‘Up In Smoke, Down In Flames‘ are delivered with no little panache and a great triple-vocal attack. You get the impression that they’re all such good friends that there’s a kind of musical telepathy going on here, and a barnstorming finale of ‘Apocolips’ is the sound of a band with one hell of a fire in their collective belly. Memo to ourselves: catch this lot in a smaller venue, they’ll destroy it.
Bad Religion aren’t at Rebellion this year, but if it’s breakneck-speed punk rock with smart lyrics and great harmonies that you’re after, then veteran Swedish quintet No Fun At All will more than fit the bill. They certainly draw a decent-sized crowd to their Casbah set, and go straight for the jugular from the start, managing to whip up a small but dedicated pit down the front. The couple of newer songs land well enough among an increasingly tired audience, but it’s the closing salvo of old favourites ‘Strong And Smart’, ‘Suicide Machine’ and ‘Master Celebrator’ that really show just how much fun No Fun At All can be. (Bet they’ve never heard that one before).
Alas, I soon have to catch a night bus back to London, but a Las Fokin Biches set (hosted by LOUD WOMEN on the Pavilion stage) is a superb way to sign off from Rebellion 2025. They’ve come all the way from Mexico, sing in Spanish, and are on an ultimately successful mission to prove that hardcore punk can hit just as hard when totally stripped of machismo. Hampered somewhat by technical gremlins, they persevere, dedicating ‘Somos’ to all the women who give everything for the sake of their art (just as LFB have), and depart leaving everyone wanting more.
Day four – Herman De Tollenaere’s Report
The first band I saw at the last day of Rebellion 2025 was Blagged on the Introducing stage in the Pavilion. They were the first LOUD WOMEN band of this last Rebellion day. Everyone dressed in black, except for the white T shirt of the drummer and the white cap of the bassist. They sounded like pop punk with reggae influences. The singer dedicated their last song to abused women.
Their successors in the Pavilion were 50 Foot Woman from Limerick. They called themselves ”punk from the West Coast of Ireland”. The singer shouted: “Now is the right time for new punk rock!” to introduce their song ‘Let the punk go on‘. The full hall liked it.
Then, at the Literary stage, Rebellion organiser Jennie Russell-Smith was interviewed. She spoke about Rebellion 2026, celebrating 30 years of Rebellion. There are plans to have also events on Tuesday and Wednesday, in the Blackpool church building. Will Kneecap play Rebellion? “I don’t know enough about them yet – though I love it when anybody pisses off the establishment” replied Jennie!
At the Literary stage next was Joe Keithley of the band D.O.A.: What, as a Canadian, do you think about Trump’s plan to make Canada the 51st state of the USA? he was asked. “Trump has been never been worth trusting. Before becoming president, he got rich by ‘forgetting’ to pay his workers’ wages” replied Joe. “Thirty years ago, we had to fight against greed, racism and sexism. That is still the same today.”
Remaining in the Literary hall, to hear a Steve Ignorant interview. Steve named ten songs which influenced his songwriting. From Shirley Bassey singing ‘Goldfinger’ to ‘Janie Jones‘ by The Clash; which made him think; “I wanna do that!”
Still at Literary, HR from Bad Brains in the USA. HR stands for Human Rights. He first heard the Sex Pistols and Pure Hell, then reggae. He is working on a new reggae album. Which reggae apart from Bob Marley, does he love especially: “Pablo Moses, Augustus Pablo.”
Next, a panel about North American West Coast punk, with Joey Keithley (D.O.A.) from Vancouver, Canada; Jack Grisham (T.S.O.L.); Eddie Tatar (D.I. and The Dickies); Casey Royer from Los Angeles (The Adolescents, The Detours, Social Distortion and D.I.) They love SS Decontrol from the USA. And which British punk bands? Joe: “The Damned and UK Subs“. Eddie: “GBH“. Jack: “Crass, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Adam and the Ants.”
Finally, for me the last item of my Rebellion 2025 – I stayed at the Literary stage to hear the interview with Ed Tudor-Pole about his new book; ‘The Pen Is Mightier: Autobiography of a Punk Rocker‘, including about being on German TV. His first girlfriend was Glen Matlock‘s future wife.
A great four days in Blackpool, as the 15,000 Rebellion audience will agree!
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