Bristol O2 Academy, April 22nd 2022
Form is temporary, class is permanent, Reef are FOREVER!!!
We all love gigs, we all love music, we all know that occasionally you get one of those very special gigs that’ll live with you for a long, long time.
Friday night was one of those special nights. This very much felt like a homecoming gig for Somerset’s favourite sons. The atmosphere in a jam packed O2 was electric as Reef took to something of a rarity these days… an empty stage. Devoid of all clutter it somehow made the band feel very close and accentuated the bond between band and crowd.
For me a band is at their very best when a performance feels utterly easy and relaxed. And this gig had that vibe from start to finish, up tempo, down tempo tracks performed effortlessly and Gary looked like he was enjoying every second of it.
And ohhh what a track listing and set we got. An absolute marathon of 18 songs with a further 4 for the encore that spanned the History of Reef. From the days of 1995’s “Naked” all the way to tracks from the brand new album (out this Friday) “Shoot me your ace”, which looks like it could well be some of the bands best ever work.
This was a celebration that played to the fans. Everything you could have wanted was in there. With even a surprise cover of Fleetwood Macs “The Chain” for good measure that sent the crowd into an absolute frenzy.
Reef are a truly special British band that hold a special place in a lot of our hearts.
& 
@bristolnomad_gigphotography / The Bristol Nomad
@thebristolnomad / @bristolnomad_gigphotography
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Chief, the one that bugs the team for team for their reviews and images. Creator and founder of The Bristol Gig Guide. Can usually be found swamped in admin or getting cramp kneeling at the front of a gig.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Videography work, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Republica, circa 1996.
First gig shot: Hands Off Gretel, at The Louisiana!
Dream gig: Huge metalhead and my ultimate dream gig would be shooting my heroes Slipknot at a huge stadium gig, or as festival headliners. And to experience shooting a headline tour outside the UK
