Reef – The Drill, Lincoln – Thursday 22nd October 2026

Review By Mark Pitfield | Photos By Matthew Pitfield

On Thursday 22nd October, Reef rolled into Lincoln, and I was proud to have my son Matthew (15, our photographer) with me to shoot the night. The Drill Hall is our home venue and a great one for a night like this. We first shot Reef back in 2025, so having them come to our home town was a real treat.

The Drill was close to capacity, and you could feel the buzz before the lights went down. Waves of nostalgia swept over the whole room from the very first song and didn’t let up all evening. Grown men and women were back in the nineties, arms in the air, singing like no time had passed at all.

Reef have been doing this for years, and they never fail to entertain. Tonight was no exception. Gary Stringer is still one of the best frontmen around. He crouches at the edge of the stage and leans right into the crowd, shaking a tambourine between lines. Jack Bessant, with that flowing white beard and glittering green bass, was a sight to behold, dropping low and keeping that heavy groove rolling. The red and blue lighting through the haze made it a dream for Matthew behind the lens.

The hits kept coming. “Naked” still sounds as fresh as it did when it was all over the TV in that Sony MiniDisc advert. “Good Feeling” brought that big bluesy swagger, and “Consideration” had the whole room moving. “Come Back Brighter”, the anthem from their chart-topping album Glow, was a proper singalong.

During the night, after about 45 minutes, the opening of “Place Your Hands” rang out. Most bands save their biggest song for last, but Reef threw it in mid-set, and The Drill went up. The crowd sang it back to Gary word for word, so loud you could barely hear the PA. He stepped back from the mic and took it all in, and he looked genuinely moved. Moments like that are why live music will always matter.

Playing for a full 90 minutes, Reef showed exactly why they’re still touring after all these years. There was no going through the motions. This was a band having fun, and every one of us could feel it. I, for one, will definitely be seeing them again.

The tour continues into November, so grab yourself a ticket, get down to a show and enjoy. A fantastic night in our home town, and one Matthew and I won’t forget in a hurry.