Richard’s first Picks of Richard Pics from the Rebellion Festival

Concert ReviewRebellion
Written By dick slaughter

Editor’s Note: We’d like to thank Dick for graciously editing his own name out of the title so as not to get us in trouble on Facebook again.

Last photo of the weekend taken outside the Scream and Shake at about 2:30am on Sunday—All photos ©dickslaughter.com

Another Year, Another Incredible Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, UK! The weekend was a massive success, packed with countless unforgettable performances. But as always, it’s not just the bands that make Rebellion so special—it’s the community that comes together every year to make Blackpool feel like home.

This year, I thought it would be fun to start with the fans. With In Spite Magazine having more than a few photographers and writers in attendance, expect plenty of coverage and band spotlights dropping throughout the year.

While I tried to mostly steer away from on-stage shots in this piece, I couldn’t resist spotlighting a few of my favorites. All photos were taken in and around the Rebellion Festivals this year. And if you haven’t already, grab your ticket for next year’s 30th anniversary—early birds are already gone, so don’t wait. Hit the link at the bottom of the article and sort it out now!

This was the first photo I took over the weekend. Watch for this punk hunk in the upcoming article about people and bands I seem to photograph every year at Rebellion and why. called Rebellion muses.

What really makes Rebellion great isn’t just the music — it’s being face-to-face with old friends you haven’t been in the pit with or queued up for a beer alongside in a year. It really is a punk family reunion.

Kids love Rebellion, and anyone 12 and under gets in free — so bring the whole damn family.

One of the best things about Rebellion, for me, is discovering new bands. And my favorite discovery this year—without any doubt—came on Sunday on the LOUD Women stage. Las Fokin Biches blew the roof off the Winter Gardens. Watch for their upcoming spotlight article, and catch them on tour across the UK and EU. You’ll be glad you did—Las Fokin Biches are not fokin’ around.

I wasn’t going to use the photo below of Penny Rimbaud and Eve Libertine — it didn’t quite meet my usual standards. But here’s a Fun Dick Slaughter Fact: my annual trip to Rebellion always lines up with a visit to Dial House, home of Gee Vaucher and Penny. It was actually Gee who first suggested I go to Rebellion to gather more photos for a book project we’re working on called Punk Is Dad. I showed Gee this photo and said I didn’t like the lack of sharpness. Gee told me she liked it—and that I should use it. So here it is. I always do what Gee tells me.

Eve Libertine and Eva LeBlanc delivered an unforgettable performance in the Opera House. Watch for their upcoming spotlight article.

Now here’s a match made in heaven—or maybe somewhere a little rowdier. Knucklehead Tom of the KnuckleHeadz Band and Uncle Dave of MDC. Could this be the catalyst of a tour, or at least a few chaotic shows together? After Tom left, Dave asked me—old geezer to old geezer—if I thought the band would be a good fit with MDC. And if you’ve read anything I’ve written about the KnuckleHeadz or the Punk Rock Fight Club, you already know Uncle Dick gave the gentleman a glowing recommendation. I’m hoping to be front and center at an MDC/KnuckleHeadz show very soon.

Gee is always right. Punk Is Dad at the Rebellion Festivals—this little tired punk didn’t quite make it through The Damned’s set. But her Dad did.

And it was an incredible set—Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies, and Paul Gray. Nonstop showmanship from start to finish, with two encores. They kicked things off with “Love Song” and didn’t let up. “Wait for the Blackout,” “Lively Arts,” “I Just Can’t Be Happy Today,” “New Rose”—too many great songs to mention. Relentless. Honestly, they were worth the trip all on their own.

I see a trading card or street poster in someone’s future. This handsome devil was a fixture on the rail in multiple venues inside the winter gardens.

Speaking of Rebellion muses—this dashing gentleman right here might be number one on the list. My dear friend Steve Stanners: the sweetest and most lovable punk rock grandpa you’ll ever meet. I must have a hundred photos of him by now, and I hope to take a million more. When this little one needed a hug, she knew exactly where to go.

Winner of Dick Slaughter Photo’s Favorite Hairdo at the Rebellion Festivals 2025 award.

Bungle of the Bar Stool Preachers, posing with his trading card — and most likely the image for the next one. Their set in the Opera House was one of the weekend’s standouts for me. I heard Bungle came down with the rona after the festival. Maybe if he wasn’t so quick to shove weird things that crazy people give him into his mouth, stuff like this wouldn’t happen.

There are two bands we've been championing at In Spite over the last year or so that have some things in common. Both opened the Rebellion Festival in the Empress Ballroom on different days—and, funnily enough, both have names that end in “Heads” or “Headz.” Even more impressive, both managed to fill the ballroom in the early afternoon—no small feat, even for seasoned veterans.

Angela of The Dollheads—All photo ©dickslaughter.com

The first I’ll mention is the Dollheads, a Las Vegas-based punk group made up of siblings who’ve basically exploded across the punk scene in the States and abroad. I first discovered them on the LOUD WOMEN stage last year. These three have a sixth sense for timing and a stage presence comparable to the early White Stripes. John Greenwood and One Man Underground have echoed my enthusiasm in their own articles featuring the band.

The second group needs no introduction to In Spite magazine readers—our heroes in Black and Green, the KnuckleHeadz Band. They absolutely destroyed during their set in the Empress Ballroom. There was blood. There was mayhem. And it was a seriously impressive pit, especially for one in the afternoon. But the brothers didn’t stop there—as always, they were all over Blackpool. They played Scream & Shake and at least two other Fringe gigs. To do a proper deep dive on the KnuckleHeadz Band and the Punk Rock Fight Club, just search “KnuckleHeadz” on the In Spite website, and you’ll find 19 other articles we’ve run featuring them—with two more features on the way.

Watch for KnuckleHeadz make Rebellion fun and Punk Is Dad—with The Effigies and the KnuckleHeadz Band

This punk hunk below—dashing, perfectly tattooed, and the center of attention—is the reason Mrs. Slaughter will never attend the Rebellion Festival. When he was first awarded the Punk Hunk title a few years back, Mrs. Slaughter said, “I’ve never looked at another man and found him attractive… but meow.” And now, this sexy beast has a fuzzy punk rock beard just like mine—except his isn’t grandpa white. I’ve hidden her passport.

This is the kind of moment I love to capture — when the crowd is so into the band, I’m invisible. Look who’s front and center. Taken during the Bar Stool Preachers' set in the Opera House.

A highlight this year for me was a rare appearance by Eve Libertine, featuring Eva LeBlanc. It was moving and captivating. Watch for the upcoming spotlight feature — with way too many photos, of course.

There’s always love in the air at Rebellion—sometimes in the pit, sometimes on stage, sometimes between two punks trying not to spill their beer, or in this case, Buckfast.

The Rebellion Festivals wouldn’t be the Rebellion Festivals without Dick Lucas and Subhumans. I never miss a chance to see them—and neither should you. They’re one of the best live acts out there. Dick has a command of the stage that few can match.

Another Rebellion muse—and another dear friend—is John Blankenship, a fellow Yank who crosses the pond every year for Rebellion. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve photographed John. He’s featured as the background photo on the In Spite Magazine Facebook page and will be prominently featured in the upcoming Rebellion Muses article.

John is seen below with members of one of his favorite bands, Lady Rage—regulars at Rebellion who absolutely ripped it up in the Arena this year. Watch for their spotlight article.

John Blankenship with members of  Lady Rage—All Photos ©dickslaughter.com

Another candid of everyone’s favorite Blues Lives Don’t Matter supporter, Dave Dictor of Millions of Dead Cops (MDC), pictured here with an unnamed friend as they leave the Empress Ballroom.

If you read my Rebellion Spotlight on the KnuckleHeadz Band, you might remember the photo of a young woman with “I’m a slut for KnuckleHeadz” tattooed across her stomach—also the title of the piece. Well, the ridiculous tattoo doesn’t fall far from the tree. Below is a photo of her father.

Peter Hook & The Light blew me away. I went in expecting a respectful nod to the past—instead, I got a full-on sonic gut punch. The way Hook delivers those Joy Division tracks live is raw and immediate, like he’s still living inside them. The setlist hit hard—it’s gritty, defiant, and entirely his own— And that bass tone is still thunderous. You don’t just hear it, you feel it in your chest.

Pictured below is Rebellion—and personal—favorite Steve Ignorant, who delivered an outstanding and very emotional set with Slice of Life. He’s seen here with members of Perry Bois, an Indonesian hardcore band that shares members with Turtles JR, who also absolutely killed it during their set. watch for the sol spot light.

Steve Ignorant with members of Perry Bois—All photos ©dickslaughter.com

Below are two members of the Punk Rock Fight Club—Drunko and Crow—who made the trip to support the KnuckleHeadz Band. Now, you might be thinking this photo isn’t particularly funny or doesn’t feature rock and rollers, so why would I include it in my first batch of favorite photos? Well, first—I love these guys. But more importantly, it represents the life-changing impact of the PRFC. These two probably never would’ve left California if it weren’t for the band and the club… And yet here they are, standing in beautiful Blackpool, England. Well done, gentleman.

You saw this genius at the top, and here he is again—because every day of the festival, Steve Hall unveils a new art installation mohawk. And they’re always great.

This year’s masterpieces featured tampons, toilets, turds, and bananas. A true visionary—and hilarious.

Below is an image I think represents the younger side of the Rebellion family pretty well. It’s full of theys and thems—and I feel it really shows the diversity and inclusivity of the festival. Plus, a couple of my favorite muses are in there.

These three strapping young men below might look a little scary from the back…

But from the front, they look like cuddly teddy bears.

Everyone—and I mean everyone—loves Los Fastidios at Rebellion. They’re a ska-punk, anti-racist, all-about-love-and-tolerance band from Italy, fronted by a husband-and-wife duo who bring great energy every single time. And it goes both ways—they love Rebellion right back. They even have a song about the festival called Back to Blackpool.

Elisa and Enrico of Los Fastidios—All photo ©dickslaughter.com

Maybe my favorite photo of the weekend: Tom and Randy—you guessed it—of the KnuckleHeadz Band. I don’t remember if they posed for it or if I just caught the moment, but either way, this image sums up the band and the club pretty well.

Winner: Dick’s Favorite Tattoo of the Weekend

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Speaking of handsome bastards — it wouldn’t be a proper festival for me if I didn’t take at least one Dick Slaughter Glamour Cop Shot.

A few years back, I did a series of Rebellion Spotlight interviews, and one of the questions I asked was, “Who’s the first person you think of when you think of the Rebellion Festivals?” The answer that came back more than any other was TV Smith—and I have to agree. He’s pretty high on my list too. TV gave three incredible sets this year, and I managed to catch two of them. He’s one of those performers at Rebellion — like Dick Lucas or Steve Ignorant — that you know will never disappoint. He’s just got it.

Next year’s lineup is already looking great, with some exciting early confirmations: Sham 69, Cockney Rejects, a Steve Ignorant band Crass set, the UK Subs, the return of the mighty Rezillos, GBH, and of course, the Subhumans. It’s shaping up to be a tremendous 30th anniversary.

As I said, early bird tickets are already sold out. Get your pass for next year now.

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