REBELLION FESTIVAL LAUNCH R-FEST!

REBELLION FESTIVAL LAUNCH R-FEST!

A NEW OUTDOOR FESTIVAL IN FRONT OF BLACKPOOL TOWER TO TAKE PLACE AUGUST 4-7, 2022, IN ADDITION TO REBELLION AT THE WINTER GARDENS

Rebellion Festival, the largest punk and alternative festival in the world, is returning in 2022 even bigger and better with the launch of new outdoor event R-FEST.

Confirmed to take place this coming 4th to 7th of August 2022, in addition to Rebellion Festival at its annual home the Winter Gardens, R-FEST will be located slap bang in front of Blackpool Tower on the promenade, directly down from the Winter Gardens. The organisers are building an arena with the sea on one side and the town on the other, with a capacity for 15,000 punters and space for bars, food, and band merchandise.

Today, R-FEST are proud to announce the line-up of bands now confirmed to perform across the four days. Whilst still staying true to the punk and alternative roots of Rebellion Festival, R-FEST looks to broaden the scope of artists playing to include acts who had their origins in alternative music but went on to achieve huge mainstream success.

With Levellers, The Stranglers, Gary Numan and Squeeze all set to take headline positions, they join a host of other artists scheduled to play and R-FEST can announce the following line-ups.

THURSDAY 4th AUGUST: Levellers, The Wildhearts, Misty in Roots, Dreadzone, Ferocious Dog, Beans on Toast, Millie Manders and the Shut Up

FRIDAY 5th AUGUST: The Stranglers, The Undertones, The Skids, From the Jam, Toyah, Jilted John, The Vapors

SATURDAY 6th AUGUST: Gary Numan, Peter Hook & the Light, Pop Will Eat Itself, Spear of Destiny, Chameleons, Primitives, Pete Bentham & the Dinner Ladies

SUNDAY 7th AUGUST: Squeeze, SPECIAL GUEST TBA, Tom Robinson Band, Hollie Cook, Buzzcocks, Altered Images, I, Doris

“At last!” exclaims organiser Jennie Russell-Smith. “After the long delays and world craziness we are absolutely delighted to give you the full R-FEST line up for 2022 (apart from one special guest slot that will be worth waiting for). It has not been easy to pull all of these amazing bands together for four days, many bands are still rescheduling shows from 2020, but we are all incredibly excited for our first ever R-FEST line up; four days of bands in the incredible headland arena with the tower and the Wintergardens on one side and the Irish Sea on the other! It’s going to be amazing!!

R-FEST will quickly establish itself as the North West’s premier music festival and Rebellion Festival look forward to welcoming many fans that could be experiencing one of their events for the first time. We’re sure they will be welcomed by the Rebellion Family and soon realise why Blackpool is such a special place for our summer gatherings.

R-FEST is a standalone festival and day tickets are available at £50 per day. However, if you are a REBELLION weekend or REBELLION day ticket holder your ticket will get into R-FEST Free Of Charge!

R-FEST is all ages and there is re-entry available.

Rebellion Festival also looks forward to hosting the best punk from around the world in 2022 with the likes of Sham 69, Bad Religion, Circle Jerks, Cock Sparrer and Stiff Little Fingers confirmed to play the Winter Gardens August 4th-7th 2022.

Head to www.rebellionfestivals.com/r-fest for all info and tickets.  

Murder Van – ‘Crooked Smiles’ EP

Murder Van – ‘Crooked Smiles’ EP

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia Murder Van hit all the criteria that their hilarious bio leads us to expect. Old school thrash riffs, a hint of doom, raw production values and some tight ass drumming. The only thing that I don’t want from a thrash band is a death metal style vocal, when I think of thrash vocalists, I want to hear a clean vocal al la Joey Belladonna or Coburn Pharr. Saying that, Sepultura are one of my favourite thrash bands and they certainly incorporate the death metal growl. Maybe I’m just talking bollocks…Ha ha.

 That’s not say that there isn’t plenty to love about their latest release Crooked Smiles. The four track EP (I’ve never been a fan of EPs, either build up enough songs for a full-length LP, or just put out a single), the only EPs I’ve really connected with are the fantastic first release from Queensryche back in 83 and maybe the Alice In Chains acoustic EPs.

Opening track Clawing the Casket tells us exactly what Murder Van (Great name!) are all about, fast riffing, breakneck drumming and shouty vocals get your head banging from the off. I really do like the production here, it gives us that old school thrash feel, the drums actually sound like drums, I’m not a fan of the whole digital recording thing. This EP sounds like an analogue recording, I may be wrong on that though. The other stand out track is Factor X with it’s moody and almost pretty opening, this doesn’t last long though and we are soon back in full on metal mode.

Well performed and recorded, Crooked Smiles is an enjoyable jump into the mosh pit, I can smell the sweat and beer from here.

Buy Murder Van Here

Author: Kenny Kendrick

The Scaramanga Six – ‘Worthless Music’ (Wrath Records)

The Scaramanga Six – ‘Worthless Music’ (Wrath Records)

Huddersfield’s finest release their tenth studio album. After the loosely conceptual albums ‘The Terrifying Dream’ and ‘Chronica’, the lead tracks ‘Horse With No Face’ and ‘An Error Occurred’ suggested a more feral, focussed sound this time round. And it is a righteous racket, indeed.

‘Big Ideas’ lurches from the speakers, lop-sided and menacing. If a song can drag one leg behind it, this one does. As the chorus hits, “the woman of my conscience looks like Servalan”, a reminder of the marvellous Jacqueline Pearce, for those of a certain age.

‘An Error Occurred’ is like a slap to the face, in the nicest way. It’s pared back, lean, like The Fall on steroids, with the signature punchy bass of Steven Morricone. ‘Decade With No Name’ keeps up the pace. What can I say? It sounds like The Scaramangas. You’ll love it or be confused and walk away. Which is fine; they attract a particular type of devotion, not unlike their previous mentor, Tim Smith. They have a way with their backing vocals which is unlike anyone else, it often draws me in.

‘Boy’ is the first drop in tempo. While Steven, Paul and Julia are all fine singers, I’m sure they realise that it’s Paul’s voice that is the secret weapon. Lush, he veers here between sinister and loving. His solo album from last year, ‘Cruel Designs’ is a highlight.

When I first heard ‘Horse With No Face’, I was puzzled, mainly by the deliberately off key backing vocals, but, as is often the case, it’s grown on me. I expect it to be particularly fierce live. ‘Dog Form’, with military drums and a bridge that surprises, is suitably odd and addictive. ‘Cults’ even throws in a bit of Showaddywaddy. Expect the unexpected.

‘Death Mask Of The Unknown Lady Of The Seine’, the longest track at over six minutes, sounds like the ‘side two’ opener; there are fourteen songs. The bass and drums push it along like a locomotive, before they keyboards evoke Cardiacs, and the vocals describe the story of the lady who sees her  death as a release.

‘Stranger In Your Own Mind’ has Ants style whoops and a hint of John Barry, only the Scaras can create these songs. It’s difficult to describe to someone unfamiliar with their work. Another similarity to Cardiacs, I suppose. But, this is perhaps a more accessible world, whilst equally satisfying and rewarding once you immerse yourself in it. It certainly seeps into your being.

‘Ipso Facto’ gets dancey, in a John Grant style, just to add to the mix. I can imagine Bowie singing ‘Kate And Cindy’, I don’t know why, but the chorus really takes off. Steven has the honour of closing the album with ‘Then I Met Joanna’. If you know the band, you can imagine his arched eyebrow, complementing the dark lyrics. “You took your silver spoon, and stuck it in the moon, and yet, you wanted more”.

Once again, only the Scaramanga Six could have created this album. I remember seeing them support Eureka Machines. I didn’t know a single song, then they played ‘Misadventure’, and I was hooked. Listen on Bandcamp now; I hope you get addicted to their unique musical world.

Buy Here

Author: Martin Chamarette

Rainy Days & Mondays

Rainy Days & Mondays

Craggy Collyde release their new video for the song ‘Don’t Put Me Down’, taken from 2020’s debut Wrapped Up in Ribbons. The video was first set to be filmed shortly after the album’s launch, but border restrictions due to the coronavirus meant that the band couldn’t meet for several months and so the video was delayed.

The video was shot by Oriol Camacho in an old disused theatre & cinema at the Brno Exhibition Centre in the Czech Republic, providing a nice backdrop for the nostalgic romanticism at the heart of the theme of the song. The modernist building was constructed from 1927 to 1928, along with the rest of the original centre.

This is the second video from the album, following last year’s release of ‘In the Shade of the Wild Oak Tree’.

Craggy says: “Oak Tree was never meant to be the only song to be given a video. The lockdown meant that we couldn’t make the follow-up video for Don’t Put Me Down, and so promotion of the album kind of ended with the melancholy of Oak Tree. I guess it turned out to quite fitting for the times, really.”

You can get hold of the mini-album ‘Wrapped up in Ribbons’ here

Next up is the video for the song ‘Living Each Day to Rock & Roll’ from Andy Guttercat. The song was mastered by Dave Draper, who’s CVincludes The Wildheart, Ginger and The Professionals to name a few. The autobiographical song is available for download, on Bandcamp and all proceeds from its sale with go to charity. https://andyguttercat.bandcamp.com/tr…

Finally, we have the new video from The Dollyrots. Track 3 off the B-sides, rarities, & covers collection “Down the Rabbit Hole”, A 2 disc deluxe digipak & exclusive bundles, straight from the band! Written by The Dollyrots, Jaret Reddick (Bowling For Soup), and Linus of Hollywood

The Drippers  –  ‘Scandinavian Thunder’ (The Sign Records)

The Drippers  –  ‘Scandinavian Thunder’ (The Sign Records)

The Drippers are back for a second bite at your cherry – If 2019’s “Action Rock” smashed you around the ball bag with it’s full on fuzz mastery, then “Scandinavian Thunder” may make you shit your pants!

After two years and a world wide plague, the Gothenburg threesome have teamed up again with the legendary Tomas Skogsberg – the man who has previously twiddled the knobs of The Hellacopters, Gluecifer, Entombed and Backyard Babies – and have squeezed the sound of all of them into one super sexy Sunlight Studio cock-tale.

Okay, phaser, wah, BOOM!!! and off we go……”5 Day Blues (2 Day Boogie)” is quite simply the banger that sets the scene for the next half an hour of full on sexy Scandinavian magic.

Next up “Overload” blends motor bikes and Motorhead into a very satisfying chunk of noise, while “No Stars” drags you kicking and screaming into Turbonegro / Hanoi Rocks territory.

Tempted to check it out yet? I bet you are!!

Next up “Time For Some Action”. A track so good that they filmed a video to celebrate its majesty. It’s simply a tune that Backyard Babies would kill to come up with these days.

“Shine No Light” is of a whirlwind of a rocker, while “Racing Down A Dead End” is another lesson in balls to the wall – Total 13 – Scandi-rock mastery.

The bass intro and drum beat of “Rollin’ Aces” takes on a fast and furious Motorhead white knuckle ride. Chuck in some wah guitar and BANG another stand out track.

“Draparshuffle” serves to remind you how great an album “Action Rock” is – whadda-ya-mean you haven’t heard it???……YET!!

Into the home straight now – the frenzied wah attack of “Shit Island Showdown” pulls you into ‘Copters territory and “Deadbeat Groove” takes you back into Backyard Babies territory – the great stuff they recorded before they discovered Social Distortion and went off the boil.

Last up, the Misfits / Where Eagles Dare intro of “Feel The Darkness” rounds out the best 30 minutes of your day in fine style.. This is the booze, bad decision kind of rock & roll that’s made Scandinavia THE place for all things fast and loud since the dawn of the 21st century (and a fair few years before that).

Buy it, steal it, love it!!

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Buy ‘Scandinavian Thunder’ Here

Author: Fraser Munro