Them Is Me (formerly Reef)

Had a trip down to Cornwall this weekend to go see the better half of Reef and their new bandmates... despite the emo sounding name and the fact their debut gig was in a trendy wine bar, they kicked some serious ass two nights in a row. The style's similar to the heavier side of what reef did, although obviously all new material.

I also tried out skim-boarding which made lots of people laugh and me smile when i finally got the hang of it.

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That guy's singing made me want to strangle alive things until they broke dead.

yeah yeah, lots of people dont like them I know. For me though, they are one of the best bands to come out of england in the last 20 years. I bet even you have danced your little heart out to the house version of place your hands at least once!

*shudders at the concept*

its weird... to me he's got one of the best voices in rock, but to others just him opening his mouth can cause mental breakdowns. I really dont get it.

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i will admit to being drunk many years ago and prancing about to House of
Pain but I never did sink so low as to get off on Reef. I remember going to a house party once in Hoxton and upon arrival being told Reef were going to play... I think one of the girls from that Irish band were there poncing about like a princess... it's all a bit hazy, but they were shite.

I remember now what caused my mental breakdown!!

I loved their music but couldn't stand the voice "lay your hands on MMMEEEEEEEEE" *punch*

I'll go further and admit that I have, on two occasions that I can remember, done the Timewarp - but I have never done a jig to Reef!!

i liked the fact not that many people liked them as it meant i got to see them in small venues : ) I really can't see what wrong with his voice?

I remember well an NME review of the album Replenish. "This is also the name of a vaginal lubricant. Wrong orifice mate. Stick this rubbish up you ar**."

i was a childhood friend of newton faulkner, reef = his band at the times fave cover

nuff said

Newton Faulkner... you can't say that name in public... ugh, it's sick.

I remember seeing them with Deus at The Boat Race, probably 12 years ago. Reef were OK but Deus were fu&king amazing - a truely gob smacking experience. However, most of the people there were there to see Reef and lots of people left before Deus even started. Reef returned to the Boat Race six weeks later and sold it out on their own. Members of Deus returned under the name Moondog Junior a couple of months later and were watched by a half empty pub. Again they were truely remarkable, I'd even say life affirming. Reef on the other hand has tunes that wouldn't be out of place on a soundtrack to an advert for a transit van. Musical taste is a funny thing isn't it.

Im with ya Will - loved Reef - looking forward to hearing this lot.

Deus - bleedin ell that's a blast from the past, I remmeber seeing them support Placebo in Bristol, Belgian I seem to remember?

Reef?? U2?? I thought you were about the rock sir. Reef... bejesus, like a small violent crab shoved up your ass with orders to snip at will.

I despise Reef. The voice, the songs, the retro sound and ernestness of the band. It's all dreadful. Plus I always associate them with TFI Friday and Chris Evans.
Deus on the other hand were quite good. They were indeed Belgian. They supported Placebo in 1997 and upstaged them on every gig.

Yeah it is a bit isn't it. They released an album last year but haven't heard anything since. Weird and wonderful Belgian types indeed.

I am intrigued by the new reef thing though, has to be worth a listen I guess.

was told they'd be recording over the next few months ozzy, so you wont have to wait too long : )
Any chance you're around for the junction this friday?

Is that the 5ver gig? I may well pop down...

yup... we're on at about nine-ish if you do fancy it : )
(not that we're the best band on that night!)

I think Mr jones hsould coem to the portland after as well due to general lee ness

Christ - we'll be discussing the Spin Doctors next - every bit as bad as Reef!

Ocean Colour Scene anyone?

Horribe but then they are Weller's children so what do you expect.

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Placebo played the Boat Race on Feb 2nd 1996 (supported by Sheer and Latimer) and May 25th 1996 Supported by Linonium and Ac Acoustics. They were actually quite good then and showed little evidence of what they would become.

I have just found out that the Spin Doctors are actually still going after a brief split and reformation in recent years. Sheesh.

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Placebo were fucking amazing at the Boat Race and shit once they got beyond that level. I'm hazarding a guess that cocaine useage probably played a part in this.

I didn't go to as many gigs as a teenager so the ones I did go to stick in my mind. I can probably remember the exact date and support of just about every gig I went to until about 1998 or so.

Downfall taught a generation of children the "Downfall Face", as a warm up to them playing Poker in later years. Great stuff.

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My old housemate (sound engineer at the old Matrix studios) was sold Brian's brand new Marshall stack set up for £350 as he needed to score there and then... I may have been at one of the Boat Race shows... they did used to be a good band before fame made them lame.

Brian Molko was off his tits for most of the time once he got famous. But yeah, they were superb at the Boat Race.

I saw the Spin Doctors in Dallas once, I even have a pick given to me by the Bassist. In my defence I only went cos Soul Asylum and Screaming Trees were supporting. Soul Asylum went on to the theme from Jaws which made me love them all that little bit more.

The fullest I've ever seen the Boat Race was (still my favourite gig of all time) Symposium. It was carnage.

I saw the Spin Doctors at the Corn Exchange. I had a friend who wanted to see them so much he paid for my ticket so he'd have someone to go with. Honest!! They were supported by Cud so that's something.

Symposium was the same night they re-released Star Wars on the big screen. What a night

Got lashed, watched Symposium then say Han and co show them empire lot whats what. Good times.

I saw Soul Asylum at the Highbury Garage around the time that Hangtime came out (88 I think) - they were brilliant. It all went wrong a couple of years later.

I went to see the re released Star Wars / Empire at the cinema about 14 times. I think I even sat through the reissue of Return of the Jedi just to complete the set of tickets on my wall.

I saw Soul Asylum at the Highbury Garage around the time that Hangtime came out (88 I think) - they were brilliant. It all went wrong a couple of years later.

I guess it's all down to taste but you're talking bollocks :p

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I can point you to evidence that backs up your argument http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psP1bKKEtHg

>>I guess it's all down to taste but you're talking bollocks :p

Look! We agree on something!

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Love this song - http://tinyurl.com/3dneoh

?????

shut it Thandor. Or I will smite you, infact I will do it anyway.

Consider yourself smitten. Or Smote. Or something.

What you have to remember with Soul Asylum is that they were once upon a time a credible act signed to Twin Tone and contemporaries of The Replacements - the two albums that they made for A&M were also great bar rocking records. It was only when they signed to Columbia that they really fell into the greater public eye and they were 100 times the worse for it.

This is a good tune from 1988 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HRA_9MxO3k

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"Sometime to return" is their finest moment. I have a live tape that I recored of their secret show prior to Milton Keynes Bowl... they used to be called LOUD, FAST, RULES.. I have a tape of them someplace...

"Marionette I haven't met you yet
I heard you're good, I heard you're made outta wood"

"Hangtime" is a fricken masterpiece.

Who released Grave Dancers Union cos I'll meet you in the arena in a fight till the death if you slag that off. Ok, Runaway Train was a bit shite but I won't have a bad word said about the rest.

I won't, I won't, I wont!!!

Thandor, you are lucky I am a forgiving God. but I hope you have learned a lesson here.

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The Replacements

Finally, someone brings up a proper rock 'n' roll band.

Was starting to fall asleep...

If you wanna fight Jazz about SA thandogdoopoo then you have to take me on too ! i love grave dancers union !

I almost brought a couple of Replacements CD's to work this morning but didn't... I had "Sorry Ma..." in my grubby paws but put it back down. Bugger it.

"Grave Dancer's Union" is superb record from start to finish. But I have a preference for the two before that...

Really want to hear "We 3" now... whatta song.

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Reef were ace. They have stood the test of time.

Reef fucking rock! They are a proper rock band you bedwetters.

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I always found REEF to be like a gay Terence Trent D'Arby tribute.

The Sword, is your name take from the band name?....

March of Lor, Bareals blade etc?

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reef were a bit shit but the lead singer once said that his hero was steve bull so that made them a bit less shit.

his name is ..... sword?

Bloody awesome

lol. Not many Swords in England (only a hundred or so I think), more common in Scotland, although I have no Scottish blood.

Your real name is more porn than your porn name if i remember rightly.

True, my porn name makes me sound more like a turnip farmer.

Hey Choc, as i said they kind of sound like the heavier stuff reef did. Actually the style is quite like the first reef album without the mellow tracks. Was great to be able to see them in such small venues (300ish capacity) again. I much prefer back rooms of pubs to really big gigs.

Reef nicked my old bands rehearsal slot at space we used in east London, we ended up in a more expensive room, and almost every time we showed up they were playing football on the green out the front. Admittedly this was preferable to them inching their "music" towards completion. Uninteresting fact, cable and travis supported reef on tour once, cable went down pretty damn bad every night.

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the kids what dug reef and travis, were not digging cable, and yes it was indeed the same group. One of my fave UK bands.

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cable were alright but i'm surprised so many people still go on about them. i'd say that bivouac were much better.....

Probably because Cable never made as bad an album as that major label bivouac one, which was well rubbish (although sublingual is a bit lame, get the first mini album "downlift the uptrodden" instead, that rules). econoline played with paul Yeadon's band back in March, he still sounds the same!

yeah, that album was pretty bad (although there were a couple of good songs) but then cable never made and album anywhere near as good as the first bivouac album.

edit - at least the two cable albums i've heard. aint heard that one you mentioned ian......

Was that The Wireless Stores? I put them at the Portland in June... their album is a bit of a korker. I have promised to put them back on in the new year. Good band... toruble is in June they had to follow BEDFORD FALLS and THE LEIF ERICSSON... not a task I'd wish upon any band... I enjoyed 'em though.

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I do not, groop dog drill were pretty wack, Hey Colossus played with the singers newer band (future ex wife) once and they were boring too.. i was all about penthouse and cable around then, and have since kicked myself for not checking out other bands who were playing around that time like elevate, joeyfat (who I subsequently saw alot since they reformed), unhome, bob tilton, th' faith healers and ligament who i never saw first time around.

I've got an elevate/ligament split 7" at home.

When I saw Groop Dog Drill at Wolverhampton Varsity the singer spent at least five minutes taping a mike to his mouth, only to find it didn't work. :)
Linonium supported them, who were another criminally underrated band. The guitarist later joined Elastica and make all sorts of lovely squiggly guitar noises on their second album.

the singer spent at least five minutes taping a mike to his mouth, only to find it didn't work. :)

Same thing happened at the Boat Race too...

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At least we got off of Reef and associated bollocks for brains idiot lite rock.

Now Big Country...

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Same thing happened at the Boat Race too...
They shouldn't have bought such cheap mikes on tour with them. :)

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Big Country.................................I'm speechless - horrid!!

Groop dogdrill were superb. I saw them at the boatrace in 1997 and they ripped it up.

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At this time IU was heavily intro me MEGA CITY FOUR/SENSELESS THINGS/DRIVE/THE REVS/LEATHERFACE/PERFECT DAZE... SAFFS...(!!)

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Identity are back... they are touring Japan... that Funbug CD was awesome. Travis Cut were going to play in Cambridge next month... back on the road too.

Would love to see Wat Tyler...

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