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Reef’s Jack Bessant
after a break away from the limelight, reef are back with their new tour, taking in
several South Coast hotspots including The Joiners in Southampton and The winchester in
Bournemouth. Bassist Jack Bessant chats to Listed’s Chantelle mcInnes about music, mellow
vibes and making waves in Boscombe.
In today’s era of manufactured bands
from talent shows, it’s refreshing to find
a group that worked their way up to the
top from scratch. Reef are most famously
known for their catchy single, “Place Your
Hands,” which reached the impressive
position of number 6 in the UK charts.
Their second album, Glow, ranked at
number 26 in Kerrang’s 100 Albums You
Must Hear Before You Die list. So what
seems to be the secret to their longevity?
“Just keep on going, really. Touring’s
what it’s all about,” says bassist Jack
Bessant. His enthusiasm for performing
is clearly evident; alongside regrouping
with Reef, he has also found the
time to form “Stringer Bessant,” an
acoustic double-act featuring himself
and lead singer of Reef, Gary Stringer.
When questioned on the issue of
musical progression, Bessant feels that
development is a positive thing: “Music’s
always evolving. You change and it
changes with you. Sound, lyrics, all of it.”
It is this adaptability which ensured
Reef’s return to the festival circuit this
year, rocking up at The Isle Of Wight
Festival and Glastonbury respectively.
Festivals are well-known for being a
wellied step into the realms of hedonism,
so was there a noticeable difference
in the vibe of the crowd? “Not really.
Everyone’s just there to have a good
time and enjoy themselves, regardless of
whether you’re performing at a club or
festival. The crowd become one.”
I love to support the smaller places, the
whole atmosphere and vibe is really welcoming. You
come back to places where you started off at and
there’s a real sense of belonging. Yeah, I’m up for it.
Bring it on!
This sense of community cohesion runs
deep, with Reef playing at the “Surfers
Against Sewage” Christmas Ball in 2001,
an event founded to raise awareness of
the necessity of coastal environmental
protection, whilst promoting surfing in
Dorset. Bessant can’t praise the initiative
highly enough: “It’s a really good cause.
I feel proud to have been part of it,
definitely.” But will he be trying out the
new artificial Surf Reef when he returns
to the West Country to perform this year?
“Yeah. I’d probably give it a go. Who
Knows?”
Reef won the critics’ appraisal with
their third album, “Rides,” and continued
to achieve considerable acclaim for their
single, “Superhero.” This single features
a video of an impromptu gig held at
Bessant’s Hoxton Square flat in London
one summertime. He was vacating the
property, and used the opportunity to
Interview
hold a small gig with a select guest list,
including Kerrang and NME magazines in
attendance.
Is there a reason behind the overall
propensity towards performing at more
intimate venues this year?
“I love to support the smaller places,
the whole atmosphere and vibe is really
welcoming. You come back to places
where you started off at and there’s a
real sense of belonging. Yeah, I’m up for
it. Bring it on!”
Reef will be performing at the Pyramids
in Portsmouth on Saturday 27 November.
For tickets, and further information, visit
www.pyramids.co.uk
Catch Stringer Bessant perform live at
the Joiners in Southampton on 02 Oct.
Tickets are available at www.joinerslive.
co.uk. They will also be performing at The
Winchester in Bournemouth on Saturday,
16 Oct. www.thewinchesterpub.co.uk
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