South Wales outfit Scarlet Rebels were a solid choice for supporting The Winery Dogs on tour, their rabble-rousing brand of blue-collar hard rock the perfect kick-off for an evening at Epic Studios, Norwich.
Scarlet Rebels
Epic Studios, Norwich – 8 October 2023
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Photography: Steve Ritchie
Their second album, See Through Blue, was tagged by MetalTalk as one of the classic rock albums of the year upon its release. Steve Ritchie spoke to Chris ‘CJ’ Jones, suggesting it had been quite a journey since he saw them at Hatfield’s Rock Den, pre-Covid.
“There has been good movement when you think about it,” CJ says. “It’s kind of nice looking back sometimes from where you’ve been. We got to the See Through Blue, which charted at number seven, and then it just took off from there. It’s like, wow! It’s nice to see it grow, so it’s been a really great year.”
From shows at The Black Heart, “That was a sweaty gig,” to the recent NWOCR Livefest, “That brilliant as well,” we find the Llanelli boys sharing the stage with The Winery Dogs tonight. “This came out of the blue,” CJ says. “We were doing some demos for the next album, and pretty much we had an email asking if you want to go on the tour with The Winery Dogs. It took us about five seconds to say yes, and here we are. It’s been a great run.”
CJ says the demos have progressed well. “We’re aiming to record at the end of this month. We’ve got a lot of songs to get through, and we’re excited about it. I can’t wait to get going. I’m eager now, you know. It’s nice to have a tour, and then we will settle down now and just focus on little bits of the songs and everything and get it sorted.”
Of course, they will be following up a Number 7 album, which made them the first band from Llanelli ever to achieve a UK Top 40 Album. “No pressure is there,” CJ smiles. “There’s like a new vibe, not musically, but just between us. It’s gelling more than ever it has, and it’s flowing. All the juices are flowing, and everything’s just going really well.
“Wayne’s [Doyle] has written a couple of songs. I’ve written a couple of songs. We are happy with the stuff we’ve written. It’s only going to get better when it’s in the studio. We’re really excited for it. I can’t wait for it to come out next year. Hopefully.”
Tonight, Epic Studios in Norwich is a perfect venue, I suggest. The size and layout are just awesome. “The first time we walked in, we thought this is insane,” CJ says. “Seeing all the pictures of all the films and TV shows recorded here in the past. I saw Top Gear photos in the dressing room. It’s a lovely venue, and the lights are brilliant. It is made for shows, so it’s a really lovely place.”
Down to a four-piece tonight, Scarlet Rebels nonetheless captured the crowd with their easy bonhomie and stadium-filling crunch. Led by frontman Wayne Doyle, the quartet hit the ground running with the fire of I’m Alive, its joyful and defiant chorus impossible to miss.
Take You Home is equally full of passion, with lead guitarist Chris Jones throwing shapes as he peels out the riffs and rhythm section Gary Doyle and Wayne Esmonde laying down a thunderous beat.
Whilst there’s more of a heavy Springsteen/Gaslight Anthem vibe going on here, the band certainly aren’t afraid to get down and dirty, Save Me and Let Me In, heading into the raw boogie territory AC/DC have built a career on. In fact, the former features a snatch of It’s A Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock ‘N’ Roll, hitting the point home. 
Where Scarlet Rebels score biggest tonight is with epic closer Heal, its heartrending commentary on mental health capturing emotions that so many felt during the pandemic.
Big, ballsy and hard-hitting, they pour their all into the song, and its lasting impression sets them out as a band destined for future triumphs.
At points in the show, CJ is out front, standing on the front of stage monitors. “It’s hard to see out on stage,” he says, “because the lights are beaming straight down on you. When I was up the front, I was like, oh wow. Look at all these people. It’s been great, but tonight was really good. We all enjoyed it. Everything about it was great.”
Plans for next year are not finalised yet, but they want to get the album finished, “I want a number one,” and then maybe more live shows early in 2024. 
