As I enter the room, I'm immediately glad I made it in time to hear Desert Mountain Tribe kick off their support performance for Reef at the O2. They clearly believe nothing says 'rock' better than a faded black skinny jean twinned with a tight black t-shirt, but their music is original enough and certainly impressively loud for a mere trio, while managing to remain tuneful. I had my ribcage fundamentally rattled and I won't deny the irrepressible urge to sway and tap one foot in an 'I'm not dancing yet, but in time I could be persuaded to mosh' kind of way.
I detected a moodier and more psychadelic Kasabian hint to a few songs, but to the band's credit they retained an authentic sound. After four or five pretty bass heavy, rocky numbers there was something of a surprise from their final song, which was interestingly melodic and almost mournful. This heart felt, anthemic finale was a pleasant hint at their ability to play something other than loud and very loud. I wouldn't be surprised to hear this as the skilfully selected, tone setting trailer music for a hard-hitting TV police drama.
Looking around I saw a lot of respectful nodding heads from a very attentive crowd and there was no shortage of appreciative whooping and cheering as DMT closed their show. In my experience of support act love, this rates quite highly. The band members appear to be around the age I was when I first encountered Reef, in a tiny, dark, grimy club in Exeter, circa 1994. A smidgen more stage presence and they could stand a fighting chance of playing with the big boys.
After an impressive intro from support act Desert Mountain Tribe, the reason we're all here, Reef, emerge from the darkness and take their places, oozing all the confident stage presence and charisma of the seasoned performers they are. Their first number, 'Feed Me' crashes in and reassures the crowd that Reef still have what it takes, in spades. They've always been bold, musically and visually arresting performers, and this has only intensified with age and experience. In particular, front man Gary Stringer captivates the audience's attention, prowling around like a predatory animal, standing defiantly at the edge of the stage, giving us his thousand mile stare - but any hint of menace melts when he starts to bounce like Tigger, flashes us his winning, pearly white smile and chats to the audience with a comfortingly warm and amiable West Country twang.
The first four songs in the set are true to form, rock and roll heavy hitters. The crowd is word perfect and thrilled to hear some old favourites and some lesser known tracks, such as 'Stone For Your Love', which is an intense, sternum-rattling song in which the bass and drums get to flaunt their stuff. There's a real sense that everyone on that stage is really relishing the power of the thing they're creating and the ripple effect out into the audience is tangible.
After a dramatic start there's a quiet interlude. 'Mellow', from their first album, Replenish, gives us beautiful, rolling beats that lap hypnotically at our ears, like the tides of the lyrics. It's plaintive and atmospheric and showcases Gary's impressive two (or more?) octave range and the soft, emotional tones he can bring to his voice. All the spiritual potency of the sea, so well understood by surfer dudes like Reef, is present here.
Following this with the equally soulful, 'Consideration', again shows the bands ability to create something truly sensitive. This song clearly resonates with a lot of people and when commanded 'Oxford, sing it with me' we respond en masse with 'it's gonna be alright', and we believe it! Looking out at their enthusiastic scratch choir of fans, Reef surely know they're loved.
There are further style shifts aplenty, including some evangelical preacher style singing and the introduction of a bit of Hammond organ for a rock gospel number that puts a smile back on everyone's faces, swiftly followed by a switch to something close to metal for the next song, 'Ball and Chain'. Bass and guitar battle it out for maximum reverb, there's lots of screaming and good hard stuff that the likes of Royal Blood would be pleased to emulate.
Amidst the much loved favourites, they also give us a few new tracks that they endearingly hoped we liked, including 'Just Feel Love', with its slightly Americana country groove. During one guitar riff Gary adopts his trademark half-crouch stance, seemingly taking in the mood of the song, which is verging on tender. It's not a style that should sit naturally with this band, but it works.
Some fifteen songs in, my ears are satisfyingly raw, but there's no let up and as Reef commence their biggest hit, 'Place Your Hands', I feel the crowd collectively exude ' YES!!!'. From the Cheshire Cat grins on stage, it's clear the band is loving giving us such a treat, and thoroughly enjoying the audience reaction.
Not that this is the climax to a show heaped with highs. There's still more, and they continue with 'Summer's In Bloom', which is sexy and primal as hell. Appropriately the stage lights are set to mental mode for this number and the head banging contingent get more of what they came for.
Reef leave us with 'Naked'.The oh-so-familiar guitar riff and irrepressible foot-tapping beat make it the ultimate exit song, but as the slow hand clap and repeated cry of 'Reef Reef Reef' goes up, there's no way it can be the last.
When Reef bounce back to the stage, having paused only briefly to wipe the sweat from their forearms, they're clearly pleased to play on. After Gary takes up an acoustic guitar to bring us 'I've got something to say', and new song 'Lone Rider', one rocky, the other slower and more melodic, both with a tinge of country, there's a thrashy, wall of sound to finally end on. 'Revelation' and 'Yer old' aren't their most tuneful numbers but that's not the point. This is Reef showing us that they are a powerhouse of noise and are giving us everything they've got. It's total musical satisfaction.
The set is a superb combination of nostalgia, pleasing introductions to what the future of Reef looks like and a demonstration of the bands huge versatility. The long standing fans got all the hits and a tonne of nostalgia and the newbies were left wishing they had been around to associate memories with half those tracks. We were all thankful that nothing has really changed – except that they've just got even better.