So after quite a few years of not attending, this year I decided to go back to Blackpool for Rebellion Festival. For those who don’t know, Rebellion is the biggest punk music festival in the UK, that has been running in some iteration for 30 years. Over 300 bands, 9 stages, 4 days, all based at Blackpool’s legendary Winter Gardens venue.

Every year, organisers blow it out the park by attracting some of the best music artists in the punk world. Older, more established bands like The Stranglers, and Stiff Little Fingers, appear along side newer bands like A Murder of Crows and Aftrshocks. The scene is not only alive, it is thriving. Growing and developing.

There were so many good bands playing. Barstool Preachers and Cockney Rejects have to be 2 of my favourites. But Choking Susan, Shanghai Treason, Anti-Nowhere League, Sham 69, Cock Sparrer, Los Fastidios, UK Subs,Citizen Fish, Cro-Mags, and Discharge were notable performances. Then you have Fife/ Dundee representation with Aftrshocks, EX-, A Murder of Crows, and Dave Delinquent. Which was bloody fantastic to see, and they all got a pretty decent crowd.

The people are what make Rebellion. I spend most of my time going around the festival myself, and I spoke to people from all over the shot. Folk from the USA, Mexico, Japan, Croatia, Poland, Germany, and obviously from all over the UK. It doesn’t just stay in the Winter Gardens though. It was glorious sunshine, and folk sat around outside enjoying cans of beer from the nearby Co-op. And all the nearby pubs ran punk gigs as well, as part of the fringe festival. In fact, Radio Chip Pan, another great Fife band, played in the fringe festival. Everyone seemed to get in the spirit, with the pubs putting up decorations, and DJs playing hours of various punk music.

It was a fantastic weekend, and I want to go next year. It is a shame I don’t have many pictures, because I floated up near the back. Where I could stand under the air-con, and have a wee dance. I can never see unless I’m right at the front anyway, so may as well have some fun.