Desert Mountain Tribe and their nineties interstellar sound resonates with Space Rock majesty as the band get a well-deserved reception for their short but intensely entertaining set. Hard to believe that Reef is (not) celebrating their 25th anniversary. For my TFI (“It’s your letters, it’s your letters”) generation, this is a disturbingly sobering thought. Reef are no end of the pier nostalgia act, in fact, they’ve never sounded fresher. The hair may be greying but the youthful energy that saw them bound into a million living rooms remains alive, albeit in a more mature frame. The band seamlessly manoeuvre between the musical Islands of Blues, Gospel, Southern and all armed with good old fashioned Rock spine. ‘Just Feel Love’, ‘Higher Love’ and an early ‘Place Your Hands’ gets the floor moving and arms aloft as lead singer Gary Stringer beams while flicking the peace sign at every given opportunity. The set whistles by as each sumptuous song is tucked into savoured then begrudgingly swallowed by the grinning sold-out throng. ‘Come Back Brighter’ and ‘Yer Old’ keep the those there the first time around happy with a nostalgic jolt while ‘Revelation’ highlights the band’s depth, craft and current musical credentials. Reef are a celebratory joy and tonight I cursed myself for waiting so long to witness their confident south country swagger live.
The tour continues with a handful of headlining gigs and also a run of shows with Dodgy, Terrorvison and The Wildhearts on the mouthwatering Britrock Must Be Destroyed dates, now that’s some line-up.