Reef are one of those bands that always seem to pop up at English summer festivals, and who can, in my experience, always be relied upon to put on a foot-stampingly, arm-wavingly, thoroughly enjoyable performance of no-nonsense, riff-driven indie-rock music.
The band, hailing from Glastonbury, UK, formed in the early 90s and had a steady string of hits from their 1995 debut 'Replenish', including the singles 'Naked' and 'Good Feeling'. However, their most enduring song to date is the party playlist classic 'Place Your Hands', on which vocalist and frontman Gary Stringer's signature deep, rasping tone is accompanied by steady blues-inspired drumbeats and infectious guitar riffs.
These were all staples of Reef's set when I saw them play a festival in the O2 Arena, London, way back 2003, where the crowd went wild for 'Place Your Hands' and formed a huge circle-pit! Since then however, they've only added to their repertoire of catchy tunes with later releases such as the commercially viable grooves of the single 'Set The Record Straight' produced by former Pixies mixman Al Cay. Their musicianship has also progressed since the early days, and their experimentation with a wider range of instruments on later albums further adds to the complexity and feel-good nature of their sound.
Reef are guaranteed to put on a solidly rock 'n' roll show, whether you see them in an intimate venue, huge stadium or outdoors at a festival. You'll be singing the words to songs you didn't realise you knew, and will definitely be smiling long after the curtains come down.
The View
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