Reef

In the Hall By The Sea at Dreamland, Reef brought their Revelation tour to life as they delivered one of the best live sets I've had the privilege to witness this year. The recently rejuvenated band were in fine form as they played to their strengths to the delight of the crowd. 

After a spirited support slot from Broken Witt Rebels, returning to this corner of Thanet for the second time in three months and certainly helping to warm up a packed hall, Reef were welcomed onto the Dreamland indoor stage with giddy enthusiasm. The atmosphere in The Hall By The Sea was symbiotic throughout the evening with genuine appreciation and honest gratitude flowing both ways. BWR had already called it out as one of their best gigs as they drew an energy from the gathering crowd so that by the time the venue was at capacity Reef were guaranteed a fillip from the off. 

Gary Stringer and his band performed brilliantly as they tore through a set that had just the right balance of new and old material. They opened with 'Naked', a song lifted from their debut album of twenty three years ago 'Replenish'; rather aptly one of the tracks that helped set them on their way in the beginning. With the first lick of Jesse Wood's guitar to introduce Stringer's rasping vocal, Reef sounded absolutely on it; fresh, energised and clearly up for a great night themselves.

Continue reading: Reef - Dreamland, Margate 23.11.2018 Live Review

After a positive 20th anniversary tour last year, Reef have announced that they are going to do a bunch of live shows; they're not back with a shiny album or anything like that, it's more of a 'let's do a bit of a tour and take it from there' sort of thing. Well, this had to be a date in a diary with it potentially being their last tour. It is just an opportunity not to be missed.

For Reef's Nottingham show at Rescue Rooms, they were set for a good start because the night was a sell-out. Within the space of five minutes, you couldn't move and the venue was buzzing in anticipation for Reef to come on stage. They entered to a rapturous spattering of applause, wolf-whistling and screaming. Gary Stringer was sporting one of the most impressive beards you are likely to see this year, waving to the crowd, seizing their instruments and then, boom, the bass kicked in. The show began with 'Just Feel Love' and as soon as Gary Stringer sang the first few words, his voice sounded stronger than ever and you just knew these guys were totally on it.

It was more like a greatest hits set which the crowd were lapping up; naturally, they played their most commercial track 'Place Your Hands', but it was all about 'Consideration': as soon as the first few chords were played, you sensed the temperature in the venue just drop and every hair on your body just standing on end. There is just something about this song that gives you the goose bumps. Everything on this track is just so pure and beautiful (bet you never thought you would hear that said about a Reef song).

Continue reading: Reef - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham - March 26th 2015 Live Review