Reuben are from the United Kingdom, based in Surrey, close London.
They are best described as RockMetal.
Xtramile are their small independent record label.
They are:
Jamie Lenman - Guitar, vocals, piano
Jon Pearce - Bass, backing vocals
Guy Davis - Drums
The estimated average time of 5.5 minutes it takes to read this you could have listened to “Every Time A Teenager Listens To Drum And Bass A Rock Star Dies”.
Quick history
The story unwinds from Collingwood School in Surrey where Jim and Jon used to go to school. They became friends after being taught by the same guitar teacher. An initial band was formed called Angel, but after going through a couple of drummers they stuck gold with Guy and a new band was formed and remained to be called Reuben. Reuben have a mouthful of early songs which are quite unknown and hard to find. After the release of their first proper collection of their courageous music in the “Pilot EP”,” Alpha Signal Seven” - was played on Radio 1 and XFM.
In March,2002, "Scared of the Police", the band's debut single was released.
A tour followed, and the song was embraced gracefully by many people, reaching number 87 in the UK charts (quite unheard of for an unsigned band) and the video reached number 2 on the MTV2 most requested chart.
More touring, charting and fan base building followed, and at the end of 2002 Reuben were offered to support Vex Red at the Astoria in London. Playing with Vex Red and a another band, Biffy Clyro was a massive chance for the band, and they took the chance to film the video for their next single: "Let's stop hanging out".
This is one of their best songs. 2003 saw the development of their first incredible album: “Racecar is Racecar Backwards”. Following their huge underground support, they have been accumulating some of the finest minded music lovers I know. “ Very Fast Very Dangerous” has not been around long but it is a ferocious mind-blowing album, accelerating hard across the north and south of the UK. Expect great things without a lingering doubt.
Opinion
With it becoming harder everyday to sift through the utter shite that the music industry is pumping out, paying more attention to those shitty ‘Idol’ shows and the takeover of Rap, R&B, Trance and all their equally ugly cousins, Reuben are blessed by concentric rhythms, harmonising vocals, lyrics that are fresh, real, compelling and interesting, original, understandable and so relevant to our teenage era.
Reuben have an extremely strong aura of understanding what actually goes on in the world, not the news, not politics, not global warming, but your individual life.
This is highly refreshing, in notice of the repulsive emo movement, which tries to justify complaining and depression through screaming about problems without dealing with them.
The lyrics are so real, you discover that you’ve been thinking these things your whole life. Their songs are a contrast of quite heavy, catchy, songs like “Stuck In My Throat” and “Blamethrower” to more balanced easy songs like “Freddy Kreuger” and “Best Enemies” to very moving, in-depth ballads like “Dusk” and “Nobody Loves You”.
The bass and drums lay a fantastic accelerating platform with originality from both Jon and Guy, with Jamie playing passionate guitar with energetic riffs to literally impress God with.
There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for mankind to ignore and then forget this band, and if they don’t make it big it will go down in history in the top 10 worst injustices ever committed by humanity next to executing the son of God. Just Listen to them.
Trivia:
The name Reuben came from Jamie's first friend apparently and there is supposed to be referrences to him or a song or something.
The biblical referrence of the name Reuben comes from Exodus. Reuben was the first son of Jacob or Yaqub, son of Issac or Ishaq, son of Abraham or Ibrahim. This makes him 4th in line from the beginning of the 3 religions: Islam, Judaism and Christianity. In Islam his name is Robil. Joseph or Yusuf (as in Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat) was brother to Reuben. When the brothers planned to kill him, Reuben was the one who saved Joseph by saying: "Lets not kill him, lets just throw him in a well." In Islam it is not specified who said this. Unfortunately this act was never praised by either the bible or the Qur'an and poor old Reuben was never credited. (He probably should have actually stood up for Joseph).
Influences:
Aphex twin, Mr Bungle, Glassjaw, Refused, Nirvana, Queen
Bands that did not influence them:
Their words: “Fucking Led Zeppelin or Black fucking Sabbath”
Some Lyrics: (spoken not screamed) “So one day somebody asks you how you feel and instead of telling the truth you read off a list of things you think they want to hear because its easier that way. So they end up treating you like this completely different person because all they know about you is misinformation and you gradually detach yourself from all your actions thinking…”
The band speaking seriously
Collectively:
We nearly signed to many major labels in the country, and a few in the U.S. A lot of people said things, but really if it's too good to be true, it usually is. We're really glad we've signed a deal with a label who seems to have faith in us.
Jamie:
Usually it's me that comes up with the songs and then I'll bring it to practice and we'll bash it into shape - that's more or less how it goes. It can take any time between one afternoon and seven months.
Jon:
We knew each other from school but I didn't really get to know Jim until we had guitar lessons together with the same guy. Then we formed a band, went through a few drummers and then we got Guy here and we've been together for a couple of years.
Guy:
Jim's jaw clicks quite a lot.
The band speaking more generally
Jamie on Mcdonald’s:
It is wicked. You can get food there - it is massive value. They used to do a meal there for £3.50 which was…check this…two burgers, massive sized fries, massive size drink
Jon on the new tour bus:
"Yeah so I don't have to drive my fiesta to gigs anymore, it can't cope!"
Guy on his “broken nose”:
Hehe…I definitely didn’t have a broken nose.... but perhaps you thought that cause I’m ugly or something...oh well…
Without slapping you with my ego, I met Jamie outside his gig in Manchester, or Liverpool once. He was on his own, leaning on a wall, eating an apple quite modestly. He was blissfully down to earth and as friendly as they come, and even complimented and talked to small band playing in a rented truck outside the gig. I can’t hate my self enough for not doing a write up to the standard with this band ultimately deserves, I fear my literary abilities cannot nearly match the quality of music and performance these fine fellows deliver outside this website.
Here are the track listings:
Pilot EP 2001
1. Alpha Signal Seven
2. Crimson
3. Words From Reuben
4. The Death Of A Star
5. Shambles
Racecar is Racecar Backwards 2004
1. No-One Wins The War
2. HorrorShow
3. Stuck In My Throat
4. Oh The Shame
5. Fall Of The Bastille
6. Freddy Kreuger
7. Tonight My Wife Is Your Wife
8. Eating Only Apples
9. Our Song
10. Let’s Stop Hanging Out
11. Missing Fingers
12. Song For Saturday
13. Moving To Blackwater
14. Wrong And Sorry
15. Parties Break Hearts
16. Dusk
Very Fast Very Dangerous 2005
1. Kick In The Mouth
2. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
3. Best Enemies
4. It's All About Control
5. Every Time A Teenager Listens To Drum And Bass A Rockstar Dies
6. Nobody Loves You
7. Blamethrower
8. Keep It To Yourself
9. Lights Out
10. Alpha Signal Three
11. Good Night
12. Return Of The Jedi
13. Boy
Other Reuben tracks from somewhere
Alpha Signal Five, Banner Held High, Doll Fin, Enemy, Glitterskin, Lissom Slo, Miffy in Auschwitz, Push, Scared Of The police, Stux, Approaching By Stealth, Victim, Ways of staying pure, Wooden Boy, Stealing is easy.