Reef return to Frome

The 6th July marked the return of Westcountry rock band, Reef and the opening of the 12th annual Frome Festival. 2012‘s Frome Festival was the most successful to date, with 12,000 people attending events over the 9 days. And Reef’s gig at the Cheese and Grain was in front of a packed house. FromeTV caught up with frontman, Gary Stringer, and captured their live performance. “I’m really excited about the concert,” Gary Stringer, told FromeTV before the gig. Reef’s appearance at Frome Festival was thanks to Leander Morales. Frome’s resident singer/songwriter and live music organiser, Leander has previously worked with one half of Reef. Stringer/Bessant the acoustic duo spin-off from Reef played Rook Lane Chapel in 2010. At the gig Gary Stringer and Bassist, Jack Bessant, performed their debut acoustic album “Yard.” “Leander just got it. He heard the record [“Yard”], and he put us on at Rook Lane Chapel…It was wicked,” Stringer says. “When he asked us to come back with Reef, and we said absolutely.” Stringer and Bessant returned to Frome this summer along with Reef bandmates, Kenwyn House [guitar] and Dominic Greensmith [drums] to play the festival. It was one of the few live dates the band played this year, and was the first of their summer festival gigs. Reef, who split in 2003, have only played intermittently since their reunion in 2009. But their Cheese and Grain debut demonstrated that the band have lost none of the energy that gained them chart success in the past two decades. “If you don’t please yourself, you ain’t going to please anyone else,” Stringer says of the band’s approach to creating music. Reef seek to make music they are proud of rather than taking the money and following their management’s line. Growing tension’s between the band and their label Sony played a part in the band’s split. “New music is created by doing your only thing and not listening, always, to other people,” Stringer said. “Just follow what you think sounds good.” The band’s performance at Frome Festival was full of rock gusto. Delighting the crowd with top ten hits such as ‘Place your Hands’, classics like ‘Naked’ and a collective of fan favourite B-sides. The crowd were in exuberant raptures, singing along and leaping around with Reef’s frontman. Stringer bounded around the stage with the enthusiasm of the Energizer Bunny. The gig was a testament to the bands popularity and prowess. Journalist & Producer Selina Cuff Director, camera and editor Jade Thomas Camera Adam Bowman Camera Charlie Nowlan VJ Artist VJ Ultra