1) A three-piece punk band, b… Read Full Bio ↴There are two bands called the rabble.
1) A three-piece punk band, based on the Hibiscus Coast of New Zealand, with heavy influences such as rancid, the unseen, dropkick murphys and the casualties
Storming out of their hometown of Auckland, The Rabble are exploding out of New Zealand and into the hearts of punks worldwide. Harnessing the advantages of both experience and youth, this powerful and passionate band have been a band for over seven years but they're still only just out of their teenage years and are truly unstoppable. One listen to the gravelly vocals and infectious soulful punk anthems on their 16-track second album ‘The Battle's Almost Over' and you'll be hooked.
Formed in 2001 by brothers Chazz and Rupe at the young ages of 14 and 15 respectively, the first six years saw them honing their gritty yet catchy sound and seeing several bassists come and go, before settling on recent addition Jamie Douglass. Their DIY ethos has seen them independently release debut album ‘No Clue, No Future', the ‘This Is Our Lives' EP and the mighty sophomore full-length ‘The Battle's Almost Over'. Relentlessly touring all over New Zealand, the UK and Europe over the last few years alongside Agnostic Front, The Unseen and The Living End, to name just a few, they're also no strangers to festival stages, playing to over 1500 people at Auckland's Big Day Out and, more recently, to a crowd of over 2000 on the main stage at the Blackpool Rebellion Festival. Having given away a compilation of their best songs, titled ‘New Generation', with issue 102 of Big Cheese Magazine, their huge accompanying UK headline tour of the same name has recently won them many more fans up and down the country and spread the fire of The Rabble burning bright into the Northern hemisphere. So what inspired their several month-long mission to the other side of the globe at this time?
“We decided we were strong enough to take our music to the world now after all these years, starting with the UK and Europe. We have a new generation of punk rock music at hand. The UK deserves another round of real, honest and soulful music and we want to kick off that march!” vocalist/drummer Rupe confidently declares.
It's surely fate that The Rabble charge into England, as they meld the sounds of '77 legends The Clash with more recent American heroes Rancid, while adding inspired flavours of hardcore (‘This World Is Dead'), rock n' roll (‘Seeking'), rockabilly (‘Devil's Highway'), Celtic sounds (‘The Battle') and an irrepressible spirit all of their own. The album spawned four hit singles in New Zealand, with their songs and videos appearing on radio and TV, and, having conquering their homeland, they've now set their sights on the rest of the world. ‘The Battle's Almost Over' was again recorded by vocalist/guitarist Chazz in his own Number 8 Wire Recording Studio and mixed by Jim Siegel (Dropkick Murphys) in Boston, their latest record was a suitably international affair. The ambitious rabble-rousers even secured guest vocals by their new friend Mark Unseen, frontman Boston hardcore-infused punks The Unseen (who they have shared stages with), on the raging ‘This World Is Dead'!
“Chazz and I have been big fans for a lot of years,” Rupe explains. “We really got on with Mark and kept in touch over the internet and eventually thought why not ask him to sing guest vocals on a track we had coming up that was fast and hardcore?” Laying down his part in the US, Mark was flown over by The Rabble to appear in the video for the song too. “The whole experience was mind-blowing and we've made a lifelong friend!”
On ‘The Battle's Almost Over' the three-piece have a clear message. “The theme for the record is generally that freedom's battle is almost over, but the war is just beginning,” declares Rupe. The album is full of songs stressing positivity through perserverance and hope through struggle. “We have a soulful message that doesn't only concentrate on hatred. I think the world needs that. We don't ignore the negative, we embrace it and turn it around! We wanted to make an album that makes people take notice of their surroundings and help The Rabble put punk rock back on the map!”
The Rabble are doing just that, stamping their mark from country to country. With a deep belief in their songs and a dedication and determination to relentlessly tour and spread their music and message, it's no wonder that Rupe confirms, “the sky's the fuckin' limit!”
“The Rabble is my life, The Rabble is my hope, mine and my brother's creation that is as beautiful as a red rose and as stand out as a black sheep in a field of white.”
Battling on and winning fans and friends worldwide, the war may be just beginning but The Rabble's awesome arsenal will see their punk rock army grow and grow. Raise your voice and rise up.
“Musically, this New Zealand trio has talent coming out of every pore and have truly perfected their craft.” - MutinyZine
“…A sound that is the band’s own and it’s a formidable, tumultuous, pulsating Punk Rock beat that’s as addictive as it is enjoyable!” - Scannerzine
https://www.facebook.com/therabbleband
2) A Canadian 60's lo-fi blues-psych band.
Enemy
The Rabble Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A villainous hatred in disguise
They fed her so much lies
Never let go what's inside
For years she walked these streets
Clenched fists and hated the fear.
Ids-empowered with a few words
Not gonna take it anymore
Society had turned its cheek that day
And left her alone in the wake
Of the monster that it had created
It's not herself that she want's to hate
We will not cry in vain
Our power is our pain
We will not be ashamed
We'll fight to the last day
It's but a product of society's fear
Millions abused and killed over the years
Murdered by misogyny
The Ignorance is the enemy
Another object to be owned
Take power from what you control
Just yet another body part
It will take a lot to cure this sick heart
The Rabble's song Enemy tells the story of a woman who has been victimized and oppressed by society. The lyrics portray her as a strong, resilient person who has been walking the streets with clenched fists, filled with the fear and hatred that has been instilled in her by those who have mistreated her. She has been fed lies and manipulated, but she refuses to be a victim any longer.
The song addresses the issue of misogyny and the violence and abuse that it has created throughout history. Society has turned a blind eye to this violence and left women alone to face the monsters that have been created by this culture of hatred. However, the song asserts that victims will not allow their pain to be in vain. They will fight back and demand justice.
The lyrics condemn the ignorance and objectification that are at the root of this problem. Women are treated as objects to be owned, and their abusers take power from what they can control. The only way to cure this sick heart is to reject this culture of hatred and replace it with empathy and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
First time she saw those eyes
She remembers the moment when she first encountered her attacker.
A villainous hatred in disguise
The attacker's hatred was masked behind a facade that appeared harmless.
They fed her so much lies
She was deceived by her attacker with deceitful statements that fueled more hatred.
Never let go what's inside
She refused to let go of the anger she felt after being wronged.
For years she walked these streets
She bore the weight of her trauma for years, feeling unsafe as she walked the same streets where she was attacked.
Clenched fists and hated the fear
She was constantly on guard, fearing another attack, and couldn't let go of the hatred she felt.
Ids-empowered with a few words
The attacker felt empowered when they demeaned and belittled her, and used words to assert their control over her.
Not gonna take it anymore
She decides to take action against her attacker and refuse to be a victim any longer.
Society had turned its cheek that day
Society had ignored her plight and turned a blind eye, and was nowhere to be found in her moment of need.
And left her alone in the wake
She was left alone to pick up the pieces and move on from the trauma.
Of the monster that it had created
Society had created and contributed to the monster that had attacked her, allowing it to exist and harm others.
It's not herself that she wants to hate
She doesn't want to blame herself for the attack and the pain she endured.
We will not cry in vain
The pain and suffering that was endured will not be in vain and actions will be taken to ensure it doesn't happen to others.
Our power is our pain
The pain felt can be harnessed and utilized to empower oneself and others to take action.
We will not be ashamed
There is no need to feel shame for being a victim and experiencing trauma.
We'll fight to the last day
They will continue to fight and stand up against violence and trauma until it is no longer a threat.
It's but a product of society's fear
The system that allowed this violence to occur is a result of societal fears and beliefs that need to be dismantled.
Millions abused and killed over the years
The issue is not isolated and is part of a larger problem affecting millions.
Murdered by misogyny
The root cause of much of the violence and trauma faced by victims is a result of misogynistic beliefs and societal values.
The Ignorance is the enemy
The lack of understanding and awareness regarding these issues is what allows them to persist and cause harm.
Another object to be owned
The attacker saw her as nothing more than an object to be controlled and possessed.
Take power from what you control
To take back power and control from the attacker, one must focus on what they can control in their own lives and take action.
Just yet another body part
The attacker saw her as nothing more than a sum of her body parts, dehumanizing her and making it easier to inflict harm.
It will take a lot to cure this sick heart
The issues and problems leading to violence and trauma are deep-rooted and require significant effort and change to address and fix.
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Blake Suman
Love it! stoked u guys are uploading ur whole discography cheers
Lam Lê Trần Nguyên
this song is awesome