Me yesterday
Me today
It’s the Blackpool Punk Festival.
Rebellion Festival Blackpool 2018
Interesting, exciting and intriguing four day event with a great atmosphere. I hang out but I don’t go to the ‘festival’. It attracts a lot of Europeans, including Dutch and German punks. They are all sweet and lovely and polite. A lot of local punks don’t go to the festival, they just hang out by St. John’s Church or around the Winter Gardens. People want to bond or socialise or relate with like minded people. I had a chance to see P.I.L who are headlining on Sunday but I turned it down. Why would I want to see John Lydon in the flesh? He would only disappoint me. I have no interest in seeing my ‘heroes’, I would feel that it would be a let down in some way. I had a chance to see Theatre Of Hate tonight, but I have C.D’s and videos of them. Plus I’ve seen Kirk Brandon before. I don’t really get the ‘live’ thing. I just don’t get it. If I could have a decent, lively, intelligent conversation with these people instead, then I’d prefer that. What I’m concerned about though, is the young punks who are so drunk (by 9 p.m) that they can’t walk straight and are dropping their money and hairspray and lighters….and I’m wondering how they are going to get through the night. And I worry about them. I suppose I’m getting old and mothery.
There was one guy tonight and his mohican was very flaccid. He staggered over to the glass window of a shop (one of those behind me in the picture) He used it as a mirror and put hairspray on and kept dropping it. He was very drunk. He looked over at me once or twice and I wish I’d have just gone over and helped him put his hair up and sent him on his way. I really regret that because he was all alone and seemed a bit vulnerable. I hate it when I wish I’d helped people and didn’t because I dithered or procrastinated or was too slow.
Oh, well, there’s always tomorrow.
Things In My Head 
Because he puts on a great show? Or at least he did about 30 years back when I last saw PIL. Maybe he just does on-stage butter commercials now.
Jeez Sue, rock music – especially punk – is interactive performance art. What you get in record shops is a pale shadow of the real thing. A teaser at best. The magic is at the interface of artist and audience, not artist and producer. You buy the album to remind you of the show. Or if you’re really a punk, you steal the album. You haven’t truly appreciated rock music until you’re dazed, deafened and covered in blood and bruises.
And if you want to see your artistic heroes’ feet of clay, try having ‘a decent, lively, intelligent conversation’ with them. You might get something lively and intelligent (albeit narcissistic) from Johnny, but I’d be very disappointed if it was decent.
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You’re quite right. I love live music. I was just ranting because I wasn’t getting any (live bands).
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