Reuben - Garage, London, 26/5/2003

  by Olga Sladeckova

published: 11 / 5 / 2003

intro

Olga Sladeckova had never heard Aldershot punk trio before going along to see them at the London Garage, but comes away completely commited to their cause...

Tonight is the the first time that I have been to see and also to hear the Aldershot-based band Reuben… The band are playing the Garage in London. The venue, which has a capacity of 500 people, is by the time I arrive already preparing itself for a very busy night. When my friend and I enter the concert hall , I kick a few fans-accidentally!-who against the heat of the rapidly filling up venue have collapsed alongside the wall. Looking at the stage, to my left, I see the second supporting band, Colour Of Fire, who are just in their mid set. While quite a few fans down the front rows are frantically jumping up and down to the music, my friend and I decide the priority in this case is a drink. The bar runs alongside the back wall and is at the moment occupied by a good quarter of the audience which enlarges still once Colour Of Fire finish. It's past 10 when the Reuben trio, Jamie, Jon and Guy, come up on the stage, as the DJ is playing a hit by 2 Unlimited 'No Limit'. As we are about to find out, there really is no limit. Jamie, the singer, wearing green short sleeve T-shirt that gives the impression we are going into war, greets fans, who enthusiastically scream back at him ordering songs already. Guy hits his drums, Jamie and Jon bring their guitars to life and the fans are in ecstasy from the very beginning of the first song 'Stuck In My Throat'. Reuben's music, even though there are only 3 of them, sounds very powerful and very quickly has the fans moving to its rhythms. The audience , which is largely male, can't calm their desire to be part of the music. From the back of the hall we see a few men floating on the hands of other fans to the energetic tune of 'Tonight My Wife Is Your Wife'. From time to time they are pushed up on the stage. There they look across the hall in victory before recklessly diving back into the audience. In betweens songs Jamie takes the time and talks to the fans who appreciatedly respond to him. We are getting towards the end of tonight's set when Reuben perform 'Freddy Kreuger'. I notice that it is girls this time who are being floated up on the stage. They are rather less reckless about taking off again... "This is our last song!" Jamie announces. "Thank you everyone for coming and have a good night." Even though the show has gone on for nearly 45 minutes ,the fans reach for their last drops of energy to put everything in to the last song, 'Let's Stop Hanging Out'. "They don't do encores?!" I ask my friend with slight disappointment at the end of the show. I tend to go to gigs where I know the music at least a little so that I can join in, but with Reuben I didn't feel left out for one second. The Setlist: Stuck In My Throat No One Wins The War Stux Tonight My Wife Is Your Wife Eating Only Apples Missing Fingers Horrorshow Push Freddy Kreuger Dusk Let's Stop Hanging Out The photographs that accompany this article were taken by Matthew Williams

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