Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
We’ve never had Rebel Club on a boat before!” declares Rebels’ frontman Wayne Doyle midway through their headline set onboard Bristol’s unique Thekla venue.
Touring to promote the recent successes of their latest album, ‘Where Colours Meet’, Llanelli’s Scarlet Rebels are on a busy schedule. It’s most certainly ship-shape and Bristol fashion from all perspectives.
Tonight is their sixth consecutive date on their current ten date Autumn tour squeezed into the somewhat tight fit of ten days. In many ways it typifies the journey to this juncture for the Rebels. It’s a tale of hard graft and gritty determination that with two top twenty albums in two and a half years is reaping dividends with a clearly expanding fanbase. This collection of dates is a definite indication of progression, an upgrade in venue capacity with a consistent two to three hundred punters in each night so far.
This evening follows the trend with what I estimate to be well over 250 inside the Thekla’s former cargo hold. It’s a far cry from the early days playing to one man and his dog in venues up and down the length, and across the breadth, of the UK. There’s no danger of a repeat of a certain infamous night in a chilly Dundee six or so years ago!
The darkened waters of the East Mud Dock, the Thekla’s permanent home, are overlooked by the tall slender spire of St. Mary Redcliffe. A solitary ecclesiastical ‘finger’ that points towards stormy threatening skies. Below decks things are coming up to the boil nicely with opening act Cambridge’s The Hot One Two taking to the cramped stage environs shortly before half seven.
Hitting squarely, and firmly, ‘tween the optical organs TH12 are right into the action with the meaty Southern-infused licks of ‘Playing With Fire’ lifted, like their five other tracks, from last year’s aptly entitled ‘Superbia’ debut long-player. Replete with a ‘machine-gunning’ conclusion it’s a track that ensures a listening ear and watchful eye from the off.
Formed back in 2017 this quintet is clearly in a determined mood with guitarists Kev Baker and Nick Manners – rhythm and lead respectively – effervescently trading riffage and jokes in equal measure. All the while vocalist Simon West strongarms with a bustling presence with strengthy vocals to match and the partners in the low end, namely bassist Nick Blackburn and drummer Joe Chivers, lay down a notably solid foundation that even McAlpine would be proud of.
Headlong into the searing blues of ‘God Forsaken Blues’ there’s no time for wasteful endeavours, it’s 100% business at the rock face with this titanic commencing couplet. ‘The Fray’ ensures the impactful freight train isn’t derailed with the healthily sized early-doors crowd lapping up the incendiary despatch from this solid outfit.
With it’s posterior-kicking highway groove ‘Rolling Stone’, redolent of Primal Scream in part, isn’t going to gather any moss with its seriously good swagger. The freneticism continues, unrelenting, with ‘Is It Hot?’, taking Jimmy Barnes’ ‘Good Times’ and souping it right up. This is a track that just doesn’t simply howl at the moon but blow the whole damn thing to smithereens. There’s a touch of Accept’s guitar ‘choreography’ between Baker and Manners; proper ol’ school rock doesn’t die.
Clear fan favourite ‘Tie Me Down’, with West’s powerhouse vocals shining through, befittingly rocks the boat with the Thekla ‘crew’ fully onboard as TH12 wrap up the set with a furious rock crescendo. The night is underway with anchors aweigh, full steam ahead.
“We’re too country for rock and too rock for country” observes Morganway’s vocalist SJ Mortimer partway through an enchanting 40-minute set. Blurring boundaries between genres is no bad thing in my book and judging by the vibrant reception this five-piece receives here in the heart of Bristol I’m far from alone in this train of thought. Who wants to be constrained by the notions of musical ‘fences’ anyhow?
Normally a six strong ensemble this evening Morganway are temporarily one member down with fiddle player Nicole Terry otherwise engaged. It seems I’m destined not to see this band at full strength as last year, supporting Elles Bailey in Cardiff, the band’s founding brothers Callum and Keiran Morgan performed as an acoustic duo with Mortimer fracturing her elbow a week before the gig.
As expected, however they give their all and once again captivate in a beautifully haunting fashion. Although they, like the evening’s opening act, hail from Cambridge Morganway is a much more laidback, chilled entity. With 21st century flair corresponding to the likes of Lady A and Elles Bailey the country tinged American of ‘Come Over’ gets the set rolling once feedback issues are very swiftly resolved.
There’s an ethereal nucleus with delicious harmonies and a rapid, surefire solo courtesy of Keiran. Mortimer jokes about feeling like she can now speak Welsh having chatted with the Rebels, “Love their accents” she notes happily. With strength and subtleties aplenty, this bewitching singer is one moment Stevie Nicks and the very next Alannis Morrisette. The graceful, knowing eagle in full flight.
The balladic ‘Don’t Turn The Lights On Yet’ gathers traction as it gently ascends with ‘You Can Only Die Once’ following. Swirling in the chambers where peak-time Fleetwood Mac once dwelt; harmonies so precise along with an ethereal Pink Floyd infused segment it’s a shimmering whirlpool of delight.
Blues rocker ‘Hurricane’ explodes from the everglades blurring genres along its way. A beguiling incantation for sure. Matt Brocklehurst’s shining keys enwrap themselves about mellow guitar and bass lines. This crowd pleaser tumbles into ‘London Life’, a country rocker that merrily trucks along. Touches of Bob Dylan nestle alongside notes of bluegrass fringed with delights of Tom Petty. Understandably it’s a crowd favourite.
Redolent of Cardinal Black ‘Wait For Me’ is an enthralling spirit that remains true to Fleetwood Mac influences that run through this band’s arteries. The set is concluded with the brace of ‘Feels Like Letting Go’ and ‘I Feel The Rain’ the two latest releases. The latter, inspired by Skunk Anansie, being released just two days prior. From a glorious foot-stomper to a coiled dynamo Morganway delight right to the very end. A passionate delivery throughout their eclectic charms have woven a cogent spell that has worked an absolute treat.
As dyed in the wool as the unofficial Welsh anthem ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ (Land of My Fathers), as Welsh as St. David himself Scarlet Rebels have undertaken quite the journey to reach this juncture. Garnering a reputation for a forthright approach to their hard rocking and commendable efforts such as such as supporting The Trussell Trust theirs’s has been very much an organic undertaking.
If it were not for a certain Taylor Swift occupying six of the positions above this year’s release ‘Where Colours Meet’ might well have dented the top ten of the UK’s Official Album charts. That being said, its eventual number 15 slot and top spot in the Rock & Metal charts was more than respectable. With two thirds of this evening’s 80 minutes long set drawn from the album it’s evident that this offering has a most special of places in the band’s heart.
“Bing-Bong, this is Scarlet Rebels Club” chimes the intro in a most familiar voice which precedes to inform, in the manner of a pre-flight safety check the virtues and requirements of what is to follow. “Please leave your troubles and worries at the door for the next hour or so” it instructs before most appropriately morphing into The Hues Corporation’s early 1974 disco smash ‘Rock the Boat’.
The band gathers on stage to this 70s groove with frontman Wayne Doyle giving band mascot Chop, sitting atop the backline, a reassuring pat before eliciting a loud Bristol roar from the ensemble as ever-the-showman guitarist (if you’ve got the licks why the heck not?) Chris ‘CJ’ Jones lets fly with the opening chords of ‘Secret Drug’. To CJ’s right Wayne roars “Let’s go Bristol!” and the green light is illuminated.
Out of the traps the first of an opening triplet from ‘Where Colours Meet’ gets the boat bouncing enthusiastically. Between tracks Wayne indulges in a spot of ‘housekeeping’, “I’d get a black eye from CJ” he quips adding “Pretend that didn’t happen!” It’s an assurance that is prevalent nowadays with The Rebels onstage, gone are the pauses between songs, there’s an application of polish notable as the transformation out of the small clubs and venues continues.
The heavy melodies of ‘How Much Is Enough’ – a new Welsh stadium anthem with it’s ‘Phonics’ and Manics brew – battering rams into ‘My House My Rules’ that harks back, with Ricky Warwick’s co-writing shining through, to the days of The Almighty. The pounding despatch of ‘I’m Alive’ sends waves rippling across the waters of the dock outside as Carl Oag, with a touch of actor Sean Bean about himself, reverberates his bass whilst drummer Gary Doyle is seemingly intent upon hammering his kit across Bristol’s city centre.
A seamless segue into ‘Take You Home’ ensures the back catalogue is represented well in these opening chapters of the performance. The Thekla crowd are right onside raising hands at the point of aptness reaching an effervescent peak. CJ whirls, trademark style, as the AC/DC-soaked juggernaut ‘You Take My Breath Away’ sees the axeman bending his fret into the next dimension.
Wayne, raising a can to the crowd, looks left and enquires “You broke a string?” as CJ swaps over guitars mid-track. Unseen the errant six-string is removed, and string replaced; these days there’s a tour manager, crew, and sound engineer as part of their entourage. A far, far cry from roughing it up and down the motorways on their own steam; another sign of the upwards trajectory undertaken.
Into the mid-section of the set and tracks old and new are traded with the driving rhythms of ‘Streets of Fire’ rollicking along into the ever faithful ‘Save Me’ via a couple lines of ‘Got My Mind Set On You’. The rules of Rebels club are laid out for those new, of which there a good number, before the always tasty snippet of AC/DC’s ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock n’ Roll) is despatched in time-honoured manner.
With Welsh blood coursing through its veins ‘Grace’ is simply wondrous; it’s one that’s ripe for rugby days at The Principality Stadium in my opinion. Galloping along with nods towards The Cult ‘Who Wants To Be In Love Anyway’ sets the tone for ‘These Days’. A track that stands the test of time so well, every ounce an eloquent anthem of our troubled times. Arching backwards, his blond locks hanging down, CJ nails a searing conflagrant solo to rapturous applause.
A full paced ‘Divide and Conquer’ serves well as a thundering rally call. It’s an all-out heavy rocker with a rumbustious finale in which Carl ‘shoot’s Wayne playfully with his bass. The emotive ‘It Was Beautiful’ brings the main body of the set with its signature lyrics to a soaring conclusion. “Saw a rainbow the other day” sings Wayne. It’s where the colours do meet after all.
The Rebels Choir are in fine, fine voice and there’s more than enough fuel in the tank for a couple more numbers in the encore. The dynamic ‘Declining’ and the re-worked ‘Let Me In’ are met with unbounded joy in all quarters; port, starboard, for’ard and aft. It’s been emphatic and purposeful; surely if there’s any justice in the world of rock greater things await.
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
