Replenish. What an album to hear live. Fucking wow.
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly thirty years since Reef dropped their debut in 1995. For me, Glow was the gateway — the record that introduced me to Reef while I was still living in the States. But Replenish was the one I went back to. The raw one. The record that captured a young band ready to tear through walls with riffs and swagger.
Hearing it live in full at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Saturday night was like being punched in the chest by pure rock energy. The band came out swinging with Feed Me, Naked, and Good Feeling — a one-two-three hit of grit, groove, and attitude that reminded everyone why this album holds up. You could feel it in your bones.
The standout of the night was Choose to Live. Zeppelin-esque verses, a slow build, then that explosive chorus that had the whole place moving. Gary Stringer’s vocals haven’t lost an ounce of power — soulful, raspy, perfectly imperfect. Amy’s guitar tone was monumental, the kind of sound that makes you grin like a maniac. A wall of Marshalls beside a Vox, cutting through the mix with razor precision. When she ripped into I Would Have Left You, it was hard to believe that much noise was coming from one guitar.
Jack’s bass locked tight with the drums, holding down the chaos while Gary prowled the stage like it was still 1995. This is rock ‘n’ roll stripped to the bone — no frills, no bullshit, just big songs, massive riffs, and even bigger hooks.
Two sets, twenty songs, and a crowd that sang every word. The only thing missing was Shoot Me Your Ace, but honestly, it didn’t matter. Reef delivered the kind of night that reminds you why you fell in love with loud guitars in the first place.
Too rock ‘n’ roll for their own good — and thank God for that.
