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Artist: Reef Venue: Middlesbrough Music Festival, Middlesbrough Date:
26 May 2003
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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 Review by Oddity
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