Reef used to be the band ignored back home while doing very nicely in the States. Slowly though, through music television, touring and an ill-advised spot on TFI Friday, they've gained the chart action, Glastonbury adulation and recognition they craved. And now while the Britpop shower, who still enviously eye their US hits, only turn up at stadiums, Reef continue to work at it.
Having recently elbowed boy bands aside on their get-em-while-they're-young school assembly circuit, they've tonight brought their missionary work deep into the West country. It seems building the fan base is the order of the day -go to the band's website and the faithful can even get their names added to the artwork for the next Reef sleeve.
Quite why they've named themselves after the Home Secretary is beyond me but special guests Straw -the scruffy Small Faces- get a warm reception from the show-starved locals - I wonder if there's a Mandelson out there somewhere looking for gigs.
Next Reef, currently making wild claims of being the best live rock band in the country, are roared onto the stage. Current long player 'Getaway' sees them leaving behind the sound of songs written while beach strumming around Cornwall in favour of that other surfer staple, tight Chilli Pepper-ed funk with a side order of rock.
Guitarist Kenwyn House picks axes from a small guitar shop that has opened for the night just off stage and makes all the right noises, at the right time. Question: How do you play that loud and not feed back? Answer: Practice. While other boys got that difficult third chord licked and went off to rifle through the medicine cabinet to find whatever it was killed Jimmy or made Ozzy talk to trees, young Ken diligently learnt to play those Thin Lizzy and Free lines, impeccably.
Singer Gary Stringer, whose once hilariously constipated bellow has now mellowed into more of a Brit Jon Bon Jovi, throws in regulation whoops, heys and yeahs and in soft rock mode gives it the soulful shoulders popularised by Joe Cocker - and recently resurrected by Craig David. Meanwhile Neanderthal man, Jack Bessant, constantly lurches about the stage fist raised from his bass. However despite doing the things great rock bands do, Reef aren't quite a great rock band.
Sometime during their tours of the States Reef, no doubt, with videos at home set to tape that seminal Boston appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test repeated on TOTP 2, became demographic FM radio incarnate. Los Angeles big hair cruiser 'Superhero' and forthcoming single 'All I Want' hammer on all the right strings but without either a Manics style manifesto or the humour of, say, Terrorvision and influences spread so thick that it's hard to hear any Reef in there at all.
During recent hit 'Set The Record Straight' and the Wonder Stuff-y 'Getaway', you wonder just how different the Reef Rock Experience can possibly be from watching a Robbie Williams concert.
