by Mark Harrop
Evergreen rock stalwarts Reef close their whistlestop UK tour at the UEA LCR on Saturday with a show which promises an unforgettable mix of nostalgia and new discoveries.
And for newly-recruited drummer Luke Bullen it will be a particularly special show.
Norwich-born Luke, who has worked with KT Tunstall and Joe Strummer, will join band originals Gary Stringer on vocals and bassist Jack Bessant alongside Jesse Wood on guitar.
Luke said: “The very first gig I bought a ticket to attend was at the LCR at the UEA when I was about 16. I saw many great gigs there and have played there once before.
“It’s a fantastic room for sound and vibe so I can’t wait to return there with Reef and raise the roof.
“It’s great to finish the tour with a hometown gig and I’m sure the Norwich crowd will do us proud.”
After a raft of hits in the late-90s, most notably Place Your Hands, drawn from the stellar albums Replenish and Glow, Reef went off the rock radar before working their way back via various line-up changes.
In 2021 they started working with former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor, culminating in the new album Shoot Me Your Ace, released this week.
But it’s the thrill of a live show that keeps Stringer coming back for more.
“It’s really exciting for me to go out and to play and to look into people’s eyes who are ready to rock already,” he said.
“You get on stage and throw that energy down and it comes right back. That’s how you get an exciting gig.
“That’s a feeling that’s addictive for a musician. It makes you want to keep going out and giving it your everything and playing hard and rocking out.”
Cementing the local link, Reef will be supported by Suffolk rock veterans A.
Click here for tickets.
