Back and better than ever, Reminders stormed the stage of the Joiners with their first show post-lockdown. With teasing coming from their mailing list (which you should definitely be signed up to), this band is ready to take on the world with not one, but two label signings and a bunch of new beach punk offerings in the wings.
I have never been happier to be at a socially distanced, seated gig. The Joiners and I have a history: it was my haven during University and where I was able to see a number of my favourite bands (Fatherson, Vistas, and notably, Reminders), and where I did a double-take because I saw a man who looked exactly like Stephen Merchant. As in, so much like him, that I almost fell over and embarrassed myself. Turns out, it wasn’t him and he was the merch guy that night who asked my friend and I to look after his table whilst he went to the loo.
Anyway, this was my first gig since seeing a bunch of comedians pay tribute to the musical episode of Buffy back in March of 2020, so my excitement was off the charts. Meaning Reminders were in good standing from the get-go.
Once shown where to sit by the incredible staff at the Joiners, we didn’t have to wait too long for both table service and the first band of the evening, Bournemouth surf-punk quartet The Lonely Surf, to begin.
After a few words about how amazing and strange it was to be back on stage but faced with a sat down, distanced crowd, The Lonely Surf had us all bopping along with their lifting choruses and indie charm. It was difficult not to smile during their set. They also had one of my favourite moments of the night which came from vocalist Dom Wright, who asked the crowd for hair tips. He told us that throughout lockdown, his hair had gotten too long, and he didn’t know what to do with it, leading to an impassioned shout of “Shave it!” from the audience.
There wasn’t a single lull for The Lonely Surf, even when they were tuning their instruments between songs. They had the crowd in the palm of their hands and were a wonderful first band back post lockdown.
Next were stars of the night, Reminders. It was such a thrill to be in a crowd, cheering our heads off as they came on stage in matching boiler suits. The anticipation was palpable, from us and the band themselves, as they opened with a fan-favourite: “Purple Stripes”.
From there, they didn’t slow down once. Even with the three new songs, everyone was having the time of their lives. The first new song, “If You Want It (Don’t Let Me Down)”, teased in their Spotify bio, was played second – a ballsy move that payed off big time as I’m itching for it to be released as soon as possible. We were further treated to another two new singles in the middle of the set, one after the other, with lead singer Leo Dyke proclaiming that “This will either be really boring or really cool.” It was the latter. If this is a taste of what’s to come next from Reminders, you’ll want to start listening to them now.
The rest of their set was made up of their most popular (and most fun) songs, including “If I Know You”, “Picturesque”, and “Carousel”. All were delivered with high impact and energy. The spirit of punk was alive and on a stage after fifteen months of no gigs.
It was a night no one wanted to see end, with endless chants of “one more song!” which Reminders obliged to. “We haven’t practiced any other songs, which one do you want to hear again?” asked Dyke, to which I was able to shout for “Carousel”.
All in all, it was the most incredible experience and I’m more excited than I was beforehand to see where Reminders go next. A big thank you goes to them, The Lonely Surf, and the Joiners for putting on a safe but brilliant concert.