Greenslade - Islington Academy Bar, London, 20/10/2005

  by Philip Vincent

published: 26 / 10 / 2005

intro

Philip Vincent has been following hard rockers Reuben since he was 16 and they were a local band in his native Aldershot. At Londons large Islington Academy, he sees everything at last come together for them as they play a sold out, headline show.

I’m 16, in Aldershot and at my first ever “rock show”. Until this point my musical tastes have consisted of dance music and Eric Clapton. Onto the stage walked a band called Angel and played a kind of music that I had never heard but which immediately got me hooked. That was six years ago and in between I have seen them play to crowds of four. So tonight's show blew my mind as I turned up at a sold out Islington Academy for a headline show by Reuben whom Angel were born out of. I was shocked. The last time I saw this band they were playing at my local venue to 150 people of which I recognised three quarters. Here I was in a large London venue with 799 other people of which I recognised two people (weirdly who I ended up standing next to!) Anyway enough of my history. Reuben opened up with the track 'Every Time A Teenager Listens to Dance Music A Rock Star Dies' which got the entire crowd jumping up and down immediately, and this didn’t stop for the hour and a bit show that they played. The crowd were singing along (to the extent that Jamie Lenman the lead singer could stop singing and the crowd could be heard above the music!) All of this from my local band. The show was a blinder. I was left thinking how amazing the difference and growth of Reuben had been in the two years since I had last seen them and feeling heartened that maybe this industry isn’t quite so bad as every one makes out. The photographs that accompany this article were taken by Matthew Williams

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