Be Reyt!

Fresh off a sweltering gig at SNAFU on Saturday night, I decided to take full advantage of the nicest bank holiday weather South Yorkshire has seen in a long time and enjoy some time on the other side of the stage. As luck would have it, I didn’t need to venture too far in the blistering heat, as Something Brew Inn in Rawmarsh hosted Reyt as Rain on Sunday.

First off, the venue. 

Something Brew Inn is a prime example of a bar that is small but perfectly formed. Located on Stocks Lane in Rawmarsh, they offer a range of craft ales, lagers, wines and spirits, an outdoor seating area in front of the pub, and ‘The Vineyard’ at the back which aims to keep it’s clientele chilled in the summer and cosy in the winter.

One thing I love about Brew Inn, is that they’ve got their social media presence locked down. They share new seasonal drinks, advertise their Thursday night quiz, and (arguably) most importantly, they work alongside the musicians they hire to promote the hell out of them. Speaking as a Rawmarsh lass, I can’t tell you how lovely it is to see a venue like this succeed!

So, onto the music.

Reyt as Rain are an acoustic duo from reyt here in Yorkshire (did the name give that away?), made up of Harry on vocals, and Adam on guitar and vocals. They play covers from a variety of eras and genres, promising “a blend of popular hits with a feel-good acoustic twist to get you up and dancing”. I have to say, I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly.

So often the word ‘eclectic’ is thrown around when reviewing cover artists, but there is no word which better suits Reyt as Rain. Seamlessly transitioning from Ozzy Osborne to Stevie Nicks, The Cranberries to Kiss, they truly leave no musical stone unturned. You couldn’t pin these two down to a genre if you tried, yet rather than that feeling disjointed or lacking direction, it just adds to the experience. You don’t know what’s coming next, but you’re along for the ride.

Adam is known to many of us as an extremely talented bass player, but in Reyt as Rain he swaps his bass for an acoustic guitar, without losing any of that skill. To say he sings backing vocals would be doing him a disservice, as he takes the lead on various songs in the set, from floor fillers like Mr Brightside, to forgotten bangers like JCB Song by Nizlopi. It’s safe to say he’s a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to music.

Harry is the definition of a vocal powerhouse. With a range that would intimidate the most experienced singers, he tackles songs that most would run away from. He manages to take songs from completely different genres and give them a grit that you suddenly wish the original had. I may be ‘Noisy’ within Surrender Dorothy, but I’m afraid I may have to give that title over to Harry, who I’m sure will take that as the compliment it’s intended to be!

However, as we all know, a good band is greater than the sum of it’s parts, and it’s when the two are working in tandem where the magic truly happens. They make more sound than any two people could be expected to, in the best way. You feel like you’re watching a full band, in that there is no emptiness in their sound despite there being no rhythm section. Their harmonies are nothing short of impeccable, with both vocals being perfectly balanced every time.

Sometimes acoustic duos can provide great ambience for a venue but be largely confined to background music, but Harry and Adam demand your attention, grab it, and keep it for the whole set.

Also on a personal note, Reyt as Rain are two of the most genuinely lovely blokes you could meet. Even with the amount of musical ability between them, they don't take themselves too seriously - I'm of course referring to the 'solo' from Take on Me by A-Ha, which was done via the medium of... Silly mouth noises? Whichever way you describe it, I nearly choked on my pint of Rattler laughing.

If you haven’t seen them yet, I HIGHLY recommend that you do.