The Rabble

The Rabble are a New Zealand punk band from Auckland, active from 2001 to 2013. They are a three-piece group and, in the version of the band described here, the line-up centres on Chazz Rabble, with brothers Chazz and Rupe forming the band in 2001 and Jamie Douglass later joining on bass after several earlier bass players pass through.

Sound and influences

The band plays punk with strong street punk and punk rock leanings. Their sound draws on bands such as Rancid, The Unseen, Dropkick Murphys and The Casualties, and it also incorporates elements of hardcore, rock and roll, rockabilly and Celtic music. Their material is described as combining gravelly vocals with melodic, soulful punk songwriting.

Releases

The Rabble release music independently, reflecting a DIY approach. Their debut album is No Clue, No Future, followed by the This Is Our Lives EP and the full-length The Battle's Almost Over. Their second album contains 16 tracks and is presented as a record built around themes of perseverance, hope and resistance. A later compilation of their best songs, New Generation, is also given away with an issue of Big Cheese magazine.

Recording and collaborations

The Battle's Almost Over is recorded by Chazz at his own Number 8 Wire Recording Studio and mixed by Jim Siegel in Boston, who is associated with Dropkick Murphys. The album also includes guest vocals from Mark Unseen of The Unseen on the track “This World Is Dead”.

Touring and live appearances

The Rabble tour extensively in New Zealand, the UK and Europe. They perform with acts including Agnostic Front, The Unseen and The Living End. Their festival appearances include Auckland's Big Day Out, where they play to more than 1,500 people, and the Blackpool Rebellion Festival, where they appear on the main stage in front of more than 2,000 people.

Recognition and airplay

The band have four hit singles in New Zealand, with songs and videos appearing on radio and television. Their UK headline tour in support of New Generation broadens their audience beyond New Zealand.

Approach

The Rabble present themselves as a band with a strong emphasis on independence, persistence and direct political and personal themes. Their songs focus on positivity through struggle, and they describe their work as an attempt to bring punk rock back into wider attention.