Band:
Reef Venue:
Middlesbrough Music Festival, Middlesbrough,
UK Date:
26 May 2003
Having only found about this gig a few days before it actually happened
and being unfortunate to be stuck in work on this gloriously hot Bank
Holiday Monday, it was decided that we'd make the trip down to
Middlesborough, to catch Reef headlining this festival.
This festival was kind of overshadowed by Newcastle's unsuccessful bid for
Capital of Culture where 'festivals' of all types were popping up...even
though they weren't real festivals and the bands tended to consist of
bizarre African drum ensembles and performance art...hmm, so off we went
to Boro for some proper music!
Granted they're famous for that song that everyone knows, the
rock club dance floor filler that is 'Place your hands' but they've got so
many songs that are equal if not better than it.
Taking to the stage in the middle of a small park at around Nine O' Clock,
and in front of a healthy crowd made up of a mixture of drunk kids, old
rockers, nu-metallers and the curious folks who wanted to see what the
noise was, reef set about doing what they do best ... delivering a set of
bluesy-funked up-rock songs.
Rock they did, for a good hour and a half, playing tracks spanning their 4
albums and of course the recent 'best of'. New track 'Waster' was given an
airing and they played a cover song. Not something you would expect...but
the Black Sabbath metal Anthem War Pigs!
It was strange as I had actually seen them performing this live on the TV
a few days earlier and wasn't sure if it was a strange dream ... Reef
covering Black Sabbath ... surely not! They did and what's more they did a
damn good job of it to!
Funnily enough the last time we saw Reef was earlier in the year also in
Middlesbrough, at the Corner House, for an intimate gig to promote the
Best of album. They rocked that night to!
If you want to see a band who's music puts a big smile on your face, makes
you feel good, makes damn fine music that makes you wanna boogie, go see
Reef, surely the UK's most underrated band ever!
Respect must go to Middlesbrough for putting on a free festival and
attracting some big names to play it!
Setlist included:
Summers in Bloom
Place Your hands (of course)
Naked
War Pigs
Set the record Straight
Waster
Yer Old
Come back brighter
Superhero
Good Feeling
