On the road to Rebellion with the Knuckleheadz
The Rebellion Festivals—the huge, multi-day punk extravaganza that occurs yearly in Blackpool, UK—is not just a music festival. Rebellion is actually many different things to many different people. It’s an opportunity to display your art before a receptive audience, a seaside excursion, and an excuse to ditch your diet and drink a lot of beer. For some of us, it’s also a journey of thousands of miles at great expense to be a part of something bigger than us.
For a group of muscle-bound men from Whittier, California, clad in green and black leather jackets, it is all of these things and more.
All Photos ©dickslaughter.com
Meet the KnuckleHeadz: a California-based band and punk rock fight club whose mission is not just a noble one, but something far more important than a bunch of dudes who play loud hardcore punk and like to punch each other in the face.
To change and possibly save lives.
The Knuckleheadz are a bit of an enigma. Are they a band? Are they a street gang? Are they a family? Are they a home for disenfranchised young people looking to better themselves through exercise and keeping off hard drugs and out of jail? Are they open to all races, genders, and orientations, and are willing to put up or shut up against racists and assholes?
The answer to all of these questions is yes.
A black eye in Blackpool
As a borderline senile stoner, I’ve learned that the easiest way to get to Rebellion from London is to just follow the punks. I don’t think I have ever taken the correct train to Blackpool – and each adventure is better than the last.
Determined to get my route right this year, I arrived very early for my train. But as soon as arrived at the station, I noticed a group who were drawing more than a few stares. I immediately knew my carefully laid plans were out the window. There were about seven very large gentlemen and three young ladies, all in black and green leather jackets and vests with a skeleton logo on the back and that read, ‘Punk Rock Fight Club’. I thought, now this seems like a group of youngsters who could get Grandpa to Rebellion. So I blew off my reserved train and joined the Knuckleheadz.
I walked up to the biggest Knucklehead and just said, “Rebellion?” He looked at me with obvious surprise, answered in the affirmative, and asked how I knew. I said, “Look at you lot. Where else would you be going? Do you mind if I tag along with you?” I mentioned that I was interested in possibly writing about their Rebellion experience for In Spite Magazine. He looked over at his squad and responded, “Hell yeah, you can!” He said his name was Knucklehead Tom, and that his group had traveled all the way from Southern California, where they have their own gym and fight club. They train and try to keep each other out of trouble. He also explained that the Knuckleheadz have a few rules. They are anti-racist and don’t allow hard drugs or any of their members to commit crimes. That’s one of their biggest rules—no crime. Ultimately, Tom emphasized, “We just want to better ourselves and our brothers.”
We boarded our train to Blackpool and it seemed that we had the whole car to ourselves. People would walk through the car, see the Knuckleheadz, and keep walking. It was actually quite nice. As the group was about 19 hours into their journey from LAX to Rebellion, most were passed out except for Zack, the drummer. He and I had a nice conversation about police and government corruption, crime and punishment in California, Chicago, and Baltimore, his theories about who killed the Kennedys, and, of course, the club. He was full of praise for what he described as a completely DIY program, noting that the club helps all kinds of kids from broken or abusive homes who needed a push away from gangs and drugs. The Knuckleheadz even allow people to crash at their gym if they need to. Their commitment to building a community includes helping people find jobs, stay out of trouble, and providing a support system for members to share their struggles.
At some point, the conductor came to check my ticket and informed me I was on the wrong train. I played the ‘stupid American’ card and looked over at Zack, saying I didn’t know what’s what, but these punks told me this was my train and I didn’t want to argue with them—look how big and tough they are. The conductor looked over at Zack and said, “Oh, you lads are looking after him then?” Zack looked very confused and said, “Yeah, I guess we are.” I added:
The Knuckleheadz are all about helping the elderly and mentally impaired, and I am both.
“Are you going to toss me off the train? I don't have any money.” She took pity on me and said, “Don’t you worry about it, Love. The boys and I will make sure you get there.”
Indeed they did. And over the next few days, I got to know a few more Knuckleheadz, and even joined in on some of their adventures. They seem like nice young men with a real love for one another. I promised to shoot their Rebellion set but, sadly, by the time I arrived, they had already started—the room was full mayhem—and getting through the crowd to the photo pit was virtually impossible. So I just enjoyed the show. During the show, Tom picked up a child, bled from an open head wound, and the boys blasted out some ear-blistering hardcore that the crowd loved.
After the set, I was approached by a Knucklehead or two about my absence. I told them I couldn’t get any photos because of the crowd, so they invited me to their show at an off-grounds venue called Scream and Shake. I thought to myself: Leave the comfort and safety of the Winter Gardens with a possible street gang? This sounds like a great idea.
The Knuckleheadz did not disappoint. They packed the tiny venue and within seconds of them erupting into their set, the whole place was in an uproar. Tom was soon bleeding again, moving in and out of the crowd—there was no escape. Outside, at least fifty people were crowding the door and windows for a peek at the chaos. The Knuckleheadz played one of the best the sets of the weekend, which is saying a lot. I must say, they did a great job of performing while making sure no one knocked over their elderly photographer. I was very impressed by both their musicianship… and bodyguarding skills.
If you know me, I often bring up my partner Michelle, who is a public defender for children in Baltimore. If there’s something I’ve learned over the past 10 years being both her cheerleader and witness to a corrupt racist system that systematically ruins the lives and futures of children, it’s that young people need a place to belong and a strong support system. Without that support, they can quickly fall into activities that can ruin or even end their lives before they even start. The Knuckleheadz and their punk rock fight club may not appear to be a squeaky-clean youth outreach on the surface, but as I often tell my life partner, if you keep one kid from getting killed or killing someone else, you’ve succeeded in your mission. She has done that many times over. And from what I’ve been able to learn about Knuckleheadz, they seem to have done that several times as well. And that’s what matters.
I plan on visiting their gym the next time I’m home in California, as I think Knuckleheadz are onto something really positive. So keep an eye out for more Knuckleheadz news in the future.
Learn more about the band and the fight club on their Instagram
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