Dan Reed Network faded away in 1993 after failing to break into the big time on the same scene that saw the likes Bon Jovi sell millions upon millions of records. Unbelievably talented, maybe in the wrong place at the wrong time, we shall never really know why they didn't go on to become stadium headliners in their own right. But now they're back. Dan Reed has been playing acoustic solo shows and house concerts for some time, but the fact the Network are perfoming together again for the first time in the UK for twenty years is something truly rather special. 400 lucky fans coughed up £48 a ticket for the Enchanted Festival at Greenwood's Hotel & Spa in the quaint village of Stock, just outside Chemlsford to see the Network headline the festival on the Marquee Stage.
Headlining a one-day bill that featured over a dozen artists across three stages, Dan Reed & Co hit the boards just before 10pm with Dan giving us a short dialogue intro covering where the band had come from to the present day, breaking into Cute on You and Eruption along the way. It was then down to business with an evening of classics almost exclusively taken from their debut album and Slam. Cruise Together slipped into Forgot to Make Her Mine, then to Under my Skin. It could quite easily have been 1993 again, same vibe, same tight band delivering everything everyone wanted. Brion James cranked out riffs out with support from Melvin's funked up bass, and the groove was set for the evening. Other highlights included Rainbow Child, Tiger in a Dress and an intense I'm So Sorry.
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| No mention of DRN, but trust me, they were there! |
Due to an 11pm curfew they had to snip Ritual, World has a Heart Too and Seven Sisters Road from their set, and things were rounded off in style with an acoustic Long Way to Go. Most of the audience had seen Dan Reed during Network's hiatus at his acoustic shows or house concerts, but this was a real statement that Dan Reed Network are well and truly back after two decades should they have that desire. A major UK festival appearance is on the cards for 2014, and the band will be back at Enchanted next year so for those of you like me who enjoyed a glimpse back to special times, well let's just say it looks like there could be many more memorable evenings to come from Dan Reed & Co.
Due to curfew, the band missed out Ritual, World has a Heart Too, & Seven Sisters Road
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