“We don’t know what genre we are,” smiles SJ Mortimer. She smiles a lot throughout the 40 minutes Morganway is on stage. “So if you do, can you please tell us?”
And that’s always the thing with the band. By fitting in everywhere, you can put them on any bill, and it works.
That’s the case here, as they veer from rock, country, Americana, and just about everything else in between.
“Come Over,” and the new song “Don’t Turn The Lights On Yet” – aptly about a love of playing live – are perfect examples of what they do, and when you mix it with the country song “Devil’s Canyon,” it’s quite something.
A freewheeling set takes in “Hurricane,” with its touches of Wille and the Bandits, the slow-building “Edge of the Sun” (“It’s about a prison break, not one we did,” explains SJ, reassuringly), while the guitar lines of Kieran Morgan underpin “Wait For Me.” And if the band seems to live for this, then the likes of “Letting Go” have a serious message.
The new single, “I Feel the Rain,” ends the set as if to underline that this is a band looking forward, and that the future, as far as Morganway is concerned, looks as bright as can be.
Look, it wasn’t what Scarlet Rebels wanted for their big finish.
They are doing “It Was Beautiful,” the big statement from “Where the Colours Meet,” and Chris Jones—their stunning guitarist— finds himself without an instrument.
Undaunted, the rest of the band not only carry on, they make up an impromptu verse and carry on.
In that moment, you can see why Scarlet Rebels are such a formidable live act. Things happen, but whatever the setbacks, The Rebels have the confidence that comes with knowing they’re good.
And they are. “….Meet” is their second top 20 record, and rightly proud of it, they play most of it across their 75-minute set.
“Secret Drug” is worthy of opening things, but there’s that other side to the band, the one with the anger and the social conscience. “How Much Is Enough” and “My House My Rules” both come from that end of things (and lead me to believe we’d have a lot in common).
Yet, they are as anthemic as any arena rock band. “Take You Home” sees Jones excel, “Streets Of Fire” swaggers. Well, it might, as the crowd is totally with them. “Grace” sees an impromptu singalong and when they do “These Days” singer Wayne Doyle speaks movingly about the struggles they’ve had to get to this point. It feels like a redemption, right here.
“Divide And Conquer” excoriates the political classes – and is sadly as apt now as it was with the last bunch – and with Jones’ guitar restored, “Declining” lays bare the struggles with mental health.
It is Friday night and Rebel Club is in session, and as such, the night needs an anthem to end. It gets one, and “Let Me In” – another from the new album – gives us that.
It has been, as Doyle points out, 20 years to get here. It is only in the last six years, though, that they’ve really found their true voices. “And you know what, Wolverhampton?” says Doyle defiantly. “We ain’t going nowhere”.
Make no mistake about it. These Rebels are ready to yell for a lot longer.
