Posted by Ren Today I want to write something beautiful and eloquent but I’ve been staring at my computer screen for the past 10 minutes blankly. So I’ll just write. Today, the 1st of June is my friend Joe’s birthday. I first met Joe when I was 8 years old, my friend Josh said I had to meet this guy, so we both walked over to his, it took about 10 minutes from my house. I was greeted by this kid covered head to toe in freckles, he grinned at us, climbed onto the back of his sofa and screamed “Swanton Bomb!” then front flipped off the top and landed right onto his back on a stone floor. He lay still for a moment, twitched a few times, then got up, grinned at us, brushed himself off, and did it again. This was Joe. He’d do anything to make people laugh. He ended up becoming one of my best friends. He was there when we stole our first cigarettes out of his mums pack, way too young. He was there when I had my first kiss, with a girl twice my size on the back of the 42 bus. He was there when I first got so drunk I threw up in the woods after drinking as much white lightning Cider as we could. I was there when he did his first backflip on skates, and saw him do a 720 off of the pier cave, that moment became legendary. Joe was the funny one in our friend group, he’d make us laugh till it hurt. No one had a bad word to say about him. It was impossible not to like him. Usually we put celebrities, athletes and actors on pedestals, turn them into role models and admire them from a far. The person I admired was Joe. Him and Sagar knew every word to the songs id write, we’d get drunk at parties and they’d be singing along as loud as they could. It gave me a lot of confidence back then. On Christmas Eve 2010 I was sitting in a pub with Joe, he’d been feeling low after a couple of consecutive break ups. He tried to check himself into a mental health outpatient facility a few weeks earlier but they turned him away because he didn’t have an appointment. He turned to me and said that sometimes he wished he could just walk into the sea and keep walking. He said it in a kind of half joking throw away comment type of way, then took a sip of his drink, walked over to the juke box and put Dig by Incubus on. If I knew that was the last time I’d see Joe id have hugged him, told him how much I loved him, how much I looked up to him, how much we all loved him, and I wouldn’t have left that pub. I didn’t know that, so I finished my drink, said happy Christmas and left. Two nights after Christmas I got woken up by a phone call at 3am, it was my friend Ella. She told me Joe was on the Menai Bridge, a large suspension bridge connecting the main land to the isle of Anglesey where we lived. He’d been on the phone to her in tears saying goodbye. He told her to tell everyone he loved them. I pulled on my clothes as fast as I could and started running toward the bridge. It was up a hill. I lived about a ten minute walk away, I could run it in five. As I ran I started dialling then redialing his number. The line was busy, which was a good sign, it meant he was still on the phone to someone. As I got about halfway, the busy tone changed. It told me the line was out of service. I got a sinking feeling and picked up my speed. I arrived to the bridge minutes after I left my house. It was deafeningly quiet. I was the first person to arrive. I got there probably about 2 minutes too late. Joe’s body was never found. Initially we refused to believe he was gone. The coastguard came out that night, with boats, and helicopters. Me and my friends spent the next 10 days putting up missing posters everywhere we could, walking up and down beaches with flashlights, getting about 3 hours sleep a night. When you’re walking up and down a beach with a torch when its dark everything looks like a body. We still haven’t found Joe. As his birthday came around, I wrote a song, freckled angels, a song I dedicated to Joe which I sang in front of his friends and family. A charity football match was put on for him, raising money for the RNLI where I won two bottles of wine in a raffle, I drank them both as quickly as I could, naturally, turned to my friend and probably slurred something along the lines of “This is the last time I ever drink” That was 12 years ago, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol since. My first ever album I named Freckled Angels in tribute of one of the best people I ever knew. Skip forward some years. I’d been sitting on this song I wrote a few years ago. It always felt a little incomplete. It was going to be my next release, but I was dreading it because of this feeling of incompletion. I decided, very last minute, to do something about it. I sat by my piano, and the rest of the song fell out of me. I hadn’t thought about Joe in a little while, and the song initially wasn’t going to be about him, but the words all fell out of me. I wrote and recorded a whole 2 minutes extra, recording each part as I wrote it. Tears spewing out of my eyes pretty much the whole time, and decided not to do my usual thing of perfecting each line, I just recorded every line as it came. This will be my next release. You can turn on notifications by following the link in the comments below During this campaign I will be raising money for the RNLI, the group of brave men and women who spent hours tirelessly looking for Joe after the night he went missing. I'll also be donating 50% of the profit on all copies of the 'Freckled Angels' album directly to Joes family as a nice surprise gift. I will include links to the RNLI donation page below where 100% of the money will go to support them, I will be travelling to the UK later this month to make a music video, and have carved out a couple of days where I will travel to my home town on the isle of Anglesey to present the royal national lifeboat institution with a cheque of all the money raised.
It’s good to see men showing their emotions it’s what this song is all about getting people to talk about the hard stuff! And telling the people you care about that you love them. So many kids grow up without seeing their dads show emotion only the anger or the laugh it off kind , so they don’t learn how to show their pain when it happens to them. Don’t be afraid to show emotions or to cry it’s a good thing!
Ren said in an interview that when he was very very poorly, he thought about taking himself out but he remembered how devastated Joe's family were when he did it, so Ren decided he couldn't put his family and friends through it.
Joe died just before Ren got sick. Really, really sick. There's a video he posted from that time and you can tell he's struggling, he thinks he's going to die and he's losing hope. Ren knew what the loss would be so he kept fighting even though he was in so much pain. Ren fought for years before things turned around. I really think Joe saved Ren and together they make amazing music.
When you said "I smile a lot because I think it hides the way I feel." Not exact quote, but that resonates so amazingly well with me, thank you for that
One word sums up Ren. IMPACT. Everything he's doing has an effect beyond the simple words and music of a song. It carries weight meaning and it impacts anyone who listens. That's a gift very few posses.
Ren blows me away but it was YOU guys reaction that got me on this one. Just like Ren ….this reaction was real and raw …..and it mirrored my feelings exactly. It’s good to see a man able to express and show emotion…..now that’s a real man.Thanks guys,really enjoyed this.Subbed x
This was really touching. I appreciate your vulnerability and I was crying right along with you, Kevin. Dustin I relate to the plastic smile that many of us show. Pleaes react to Chalk Outlines, I think you'll really get something out of it. Ren's music is emotional most of the time, but it's also healing. It's hard to show feelings.
Don't worry I laugh when I cry and cry when I laugh. I know what you mean, I've been told I laugh at the wrong time. Nobody can tell when I'm laughing or crying, I do look crazy (as I've been told) ❤️
Great reaction! Ren has a way of bringing out genuine vulnerability and emotions that have been bottled up in a lot of people for so long well done you guys thank you❤
Great reaction guys. This is a tuff one. REN has a way of just bringing the emotions out of us. I recommend reacting to something a little more light hearted and fun next. He has plenty of those:-) Losing It, 1990s, Illest of our time, Hunger, What you want (total throw back!). Great job!
Damn this is such an honest reaction. You guys might never even see this but for me this reaction really mean a lot. The way you talk and everything. Its amazing and if English was my first language i probably would expand my thoughts but right now i can't. thanks for this guys!
Sending hugs to you both and to Ren for putting his emotions and love for Joe RIP in a touching tribute song and hugs to everyone who has lost someone 💗
amazing reaction ,thank you so much to show us your honesty . you should embrace this song as a good thought ,talking about how you feel is a good thing and thanks for sharing .for he's next song maybe something happy . Genesis . it's briliant
We must not forget, that we are human beings We feel, we love, we hate, we suffer. Emotions are a human trait. Don't be afraid to be human Great reaction guys. Glad I subbed
New sub y’all’s vibe is awesome this hits home I lost 3 ppl to suicide and it was really tough I wanted to give y’all a hug watching this. Anyway here’s the story about joe rens best friend so you understand more Despite what the song is about and the theme of the heartfelt lyrics, ‘Su!cIde’ delivers a melody that can be described as upbeat as Ren seeks to find a balance in amongst the bittersweet sorrow of losing a loved one in this manner. The story behind this song is a very emotional one, as you will see below. “Today, the 1st of June is my friend Joe’s birthday. I first met Joe when I was 8 years old, my friend Josh said I had to meet this guy, so we both walked over to his, it took about 10 minutes from my house. I was greeted by this kid covered head to toe in freckles, he grinned at us, climbed onto the back of his sofa and screamed “Swanton Bomb!” then front flipped off the top and landed right onto his back on a stone floor. He lay still for a moment, twitched a few times, then got up, grinned at us, brushed himself off, and did it again. This was Joe. He’d do anything to make people laugh. He ended up becoming one of my best friends. He was there when we stole our first cigarettes out of his mums pack, way too young. He was there when I had my first kiss, with a girl twice my size on the back of the 42 bus. He was there when I first got so drunk I threw up in the woods after drinking as much white lightning Cider as we could. I was there when he did his first backflip on skates, and saw him do a 720 off of the pier cave, that moment became legendary. Joe was the funny one in our friend group, he’d make us laugh till it hurt. No one had a bad word to say about him. It was impossible not to like him. Usually we put celebrities, athletes and actors on pedestals, turn them into role models and admire them from a far. The person I admired was Joe. Him and Sagar knew every word to the songs id write, we’d get drunk at parties and they’d be singing along as loud as they could. It gave me a lot of confidence back then. On Christmas Eve 2010 I was sitting in a pub with Joe, he’d been feeling low after a couple of consecutive break ups. He tried to check himself into a mental health outpatient facility a few weeks earlier but they turned him away because he didn’t have an appointment. He turned to me and said that sometimes he wished he could just walk into the sea and keep walking. He said it in a kind of half joking throw away comment type of way, then took a sip of his drink, walked over to the juke box and put Dig by Incubus on. If I knew that was the last time I’d see Joe id have hugged him, told him how much I loved him, how much I looked up to him, how much we all loved him, and I wouldn’t have left that pub. I didn’t know that, so I finished my drink, said happy Christmas and left. Two nights after Christmas I got woken up by a phone call at 3am, it was my friend Ella. She told me Joe was on the Menai Bridge, a large suspension bridge connecting the main land to the isle of Anglesey where we lived. He’d been on the phone to her in tears saying goodbye. He told her to tell everyone he loved them. I pulled on my clothes as fast as I could and started running toward the bridge. It was up a hill. I lived about a ten minute walk away, I could run it in five. As I ran I started dialling then redialing his number. The line was busy, which was a good sign, it meant he was still on the phone to someone. As I got about halfway, the busy tone changed. It told me the line was out of service. I got a sinking feeling and picked up my speed. I arrived to the bridge minutes after I left my house. It was deafeningly quiet. I was the first person to arrive. I got there probably about 2 minutes too late. Joe’s body was never found. Initially we refused to believe he was gone. The coastguard came out that night, with boats, and helicopters. Me and my friends spent the next 10 days putting up missing posters everywhere we could, walking up and down beaches with flashlights, getting about 3 hours sleep a night. When you’re walking up and down a beach with a torch when its dark everything looks like a body. We still haven’t found Joe. As his birthday came around, I wrote a song, freckled angels, a song I dedicated to Joe which I sang in front of his friends and family. A charity football match was put on for him, raising money for the RNLI where I won two bottles of wine in a raffle, I drank them both as quickly as I could, naturally, turned to my friend and probably slurred something along the lines of “This is the last time I ever drink” That was 12 years ago, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol since.”
The first part of the song was from his new song, suicide. And the last part is from an album called freckled Angel. I believe he has a song called dominoes as well.
God bless you dude.... Never be afraid to share, we all hurt we all bleed. Be blessed that you've got your boys, I've lost two. Ren is helping many cope and he does make some great music you will enjoy, it's not all sad.
Joe is Ren's childhood best friend who took his life when they were teens. Ren found out thru a friend that Joe had called where he was and what was happening and ren ran there but was too late. The coast guard and search party looked for 10days before they finally had to call it off. Losing a friend in that manner is so beyond painful.. burying an empty coffin is a torture on a whole diff level... I'm familiar with both... I know this was painful and what I'm going to suggest wouldn't come without pain of its own it would however give understanding and help with finding the cracks of light in the dark... Ren's song Freckled angels is what he wrote and sang for Joe's family and himself at Joe's funeral Dominoes, helps with understanding and processing and knowing those thoughts that we get when we've gone through this kinda pain aren't unheard of.. you're not alone with those thoughts Su*cide is important for the topic bc it helps the mind with that thought so many get hung up on that it's something most have thought about or do think about though don't do... The 90sec addition Ren put on Su*cide is the beginning of this message to Joe which Ren hadn't understood he needed until he was preparing to release Su*cide. Thru you're Ren journey there is no emotion off limits lol he'll awaken them all ... there is beauty in the pain that can be incredibly cleansing if we're strong enough to allow ourselves to feel instead of doing everything we can to shield ourselves in order to stay numb❤❤❤🫂🫂🫂
Joe was Ren's best friend who jumped to his death and Ren was a few minutes late and couldn't save him.then Ren got extremely sick and thought about unlife himself but remembered the pain for Joe's family and himself and reconsidered and fought to live instead.these songs are literally For Joe,hence the title of the song.this song is really a medley of a few different songs he wrote for Joe,I believe he said in an interview that his entire Freckled Angel album is for Joe.I too lost a teenage love & boyfriend because he jumped off a bridge...just like Joe.its HEART SHATTERING!!! At that time i lived a few blocks from where he jumped...I pass that bridge ALL THE TIME.😞honestly,I've lost more people than the can count,in different ways,but it always sucks and never gets easier...thats the truth of it.I am sorry for your guys recent loss.thanks for the sincere reaction.🎶✌
This is the reaction and the conversation that this song should spark. I appreciated this reaction from the both of you to the fullest. Ren will hold a mirror up to each of us in this music, and I, for one, am here for it.
When I was 24 my friend committed suicide he had a 18 month old son I occasionally see him now and he is grown and is a image of his father. It breaks my heart each time. Gentleman life is truly a tear and a smile 🌿💔
Great reaction. Shortly after Ren released Suic*de he said he was going to give us a live version of it. I don't think anyone would have imagined he would start with the last half and give us a new song that he would end with the chorus from Freckled Angels; which he'd written in homage to Joe shortly after his passing. This is beautiful and heartbreaking but he shares his vulnerability with such talent and skill... and courage.
The most important, unique artist right now. The feelings he evokes is unmatched. No label, no frills, just genuine music. I mean he sells toys on his site. Not driving a rolls royce.
Im just so glad hes getting the views and recognition he deserves now! Great reaction guys! As u said, we all have gone through loss in our lives and everytime i hear this track i cry lol no lie. I love watching reNactions cause hes a true artist andhis vulnerability helps all of us to know we can open up and not have to hide feelings deep inside
Forget the song. Forget Ren. The important thing about you two watching this together is it starts a conversation. Too often we men don’t talk about things with substance and depth. Sometimes you need a conversation starter. This is a pretty darn good one.
Survivors of suicide are not the ones who try and fail, they are the ones who live thru the aftermath of those who succeed. I am here because my brother took that option away from me and 30 + years later I can't help but feel if I had been the one to check out he would still be here. Jesus have mercy on us.
I know that feeling, I thought my brother had taken that option from me. Didn't realise I had CPTSD, all my life. 50 years old fairly normal day driving home, wouldn't have said I was unhappy. Found myself attempting suicide without any warning. Just put my foot to the floor, shut my eyes. Fortunatly there was a bit of my sanity left. Screaming in my head wtf stop. I did. Diagnosed with CPTSD Have had EMDR and so much happier now. Make sure you take care of your mental health. It can creep up on you.
Love the reaction again guys. You nailed Jenny and Screetch, and then this. Welcome to the Ren Rabbit Hole. He is changing lives, one soul at a time. Please consider How to be Me (Live with Chinchilla) and Chalked Outlines live (with Chinchilla). Then you will go down Chinchillas rabbit hole as well lol
I disagree get some space with some other Ren stuff before you do how to be me. Do a couple happy ones first. Yeah it's amazing and beautiful but it can be a rough one too.
Hugs from BC Canada fellas. I know i'm a year late to these emotions you felt, but your open reaction was moving. Ren breaks our hearts, then heals us. Hope all is well in your world.
This is an assembly of a portion of two other songs (about Joe) and original material. I hope for his sake Ren can be at peace. And this is what I find amazing about Ren: ne shares his vulnerability openly, allowing you to connect it to your own joys and sorrows. Incredibly beautiful. I can't help crying when the music for "Freckled Angels" starts. Thanks for doing this one.
this is his own mashup of his song"frequels angels) the first song hommage for joe and the "su&cide" is the second and then this mashup.... just wow...he's just the GOAT
“Fuck you Ren” indeed! He is incredible at bringing out every kind of emotion out of all of us. Just please never feel ashamed to let out your emotion. Mental health especially men’s mental health needs to be spoken about so much more! I’m sorry for your losses too! 🖤
its because you skipped his early work , you need to look at so much more to understand this one. . youll see the titles in his words. domino and freckeled angels. but also try the the big push, its ren and a band, black sabbath, etc etc awsome
I should have watched the King Rotta diss, and started my day with a belly laugh. But no I have avoided this song until now, for very personal reasons, now I'm bawling my eyes out. I love Ren,,and I love you guys. The best reactors are the ones who show how it touches them..Thank you from Vancouver Island in Canada..
I apologize don’t mean to or want to ruin your day. When we reacted to this we didn’t expect to get emotional, as neither Kev or myself are not very openly emotional people. We love you too! Thank you for watching and being here with us!
I’ve lost three very close friends..one to murder, one to suicide and one to carbon monoxide poisoning from a dodgy gas fire. This song hits so hard but it helps to confront these feelings we bury away for self preservation..thx Ren and thank you too gentleman. I needed this.
Joe was his best friend that committed suicide 13 years ago and Ren was 5 minutes too late to save him from jumping. They never found him. It's a beautiful tribute. The first part is the last verse of his song Suicide, then there is a section I think is new and the last is from his song Freckled Angels that he wrote for Joe too. There's also him and Chinchilla How to be Me Live which is for Joe as well. That song is haunting as well. Thank you guys for reacting
Also, if you want an upbeat song for the next reaction to Ren try Losing It, Power, or What You Want. Ren is the first artist in a long time to be this vulnerable and this raw and intimate and it's about time stuff like this is talked about instead of people ignoring it. Too many people are suffering from mental health, addiction and committing suicide for our society to keep turning away from the conversation. And I think Ren opens people up to this conversation thru his art. But you guys are just beginning to see the layers of Ren. He has so many more layers. He has a band called Big Push too. And does busking (street performance) with them, with Chinchilla and with Sam Tompkins. Can't wait to see you guys start to peel back the layers and see what you think!
@@TheWholeAzzShow Can't wait! I've been watching you guys for a little bit and I like your reactions because we have similar views on a lot of things. I'll be along for the ride!
Damn guys, and I think this is the uplifting version of the song. The original Su!cIde version will destroy you. Ren has a way of pulling your feelings out of the box you keep them locked up in. But there are much happier Ren tracks to pull from. Power, What you Want, Right here Right now, Losing It. Best blend them with the darker ones like the Tales, this one, Chalk Outlines, How to be Me. Toss in Money Games, Diazepam, Crucify Your Culture, and I barely listen to anyone else now.
I get it, it’s rough, my mom passed at 46.. she didn’t even get to see her kids truly live or meet her grandkids. It’s really hard to live with, but hopefully somewhere she’s looking out, even if it just her energy floating around somewhere, because energy doesn’t die ❤
My maternal grandmother died when I was 5 but I never will forget her saying that freckles were angel kisses. She was the best and Im sad not getting to know her better. But she brings me light and joy and I know she loves me. I was her first grandchild and I know her love ran deep. I'm lucky I have my mother to project that to me. Appreciate who you have and tell them you love them because you don't know what it's like to be without them. I one year I lost my maternal grandfather and my paternal grandparents all in 2021 I was out of state and didn't get to see them or go to their funerals because of our fucked up government corruption. All of that wisdom and love lost because of the democrats pushing covid bullshit. I will never forgive the socialists foe that and it makes me a stronger libertarian.....
Believe Ren and Joe knew each other when they were either 7 or 9 years old and were best friends ever since, Joe committed suicide and years later Callum he mentions in the song suicide, killed himself as well shortly after Joe died, this is all a 1 take as well. Ren was misdiagnosed for practically his entire life, he suffered from Lyme disease and autoimmune disease. Not sure why Joe did what he did or why but his name is Joe Hughes this isn't the ending actually freckled angels I believe is the ending of the story. Ren is very inspirational and reminds me of the likes of NF. Also this song all the money went to Joe's foundation Ren created
Posted by Ren
Today I want to write something beautiful and eloquent but I’ve been staring at my computer screen for the past 10 minutes blankly. So I’ll just write.
Today, the 1st of June is my friend Joe’s birthday.
I first met Joe when I was 8 years old, my friend Josh said I had to meet this guy, so we both walked over to his, it took about 10 minutes from my house. I was greeted by this kid covered head to toe in freckles, he grinned at us, climbed onto the back of his sofa and screamed “Swanton Bomb!” then front flipped off the top and landed right onto his back on a stone floor. He lay still for a moment, twitched a few times, then got up, grinned at us, brushed himself off, and did it again.
This was Joe. He’d do anything to make people laugh. He ended up becoming one of my best friends. He was there when we stole our first cigarettes out of his mums pack, way too young. He was there when I had my first kiss, with a girl twice my size on the back of the 42 bus. He was there when I first got so drunk I threw up in the woods after drinking as much white lightning Cider as we could. I was there when he did his first backflip on skates, and saw him do a 720 off of the pier cave, that moment became legendary.
Joe was the funny one in our friend group, he’d make us laugh till it hurt. No one had a bad word to say about him. It was impossible not to like him. Usually we put celebrities, athletes and actors on pedestals, turn them into role models and admire them from a far. The person I admired was Joe.
Him and Sagar knew every word to the songs id write, we’d get drunk at parties and they’d be singing along as loud as they could. It gave me a lot of confidence back then.
On Christmas Eve 2010 I was sitting in a pub with Joe, he’d been feeling low after a couple of consecutive break ups. He tried to check himself into a mental health outpatient facility a few weeks earlier but they turned him away because he didn’t have an appointment. He turned to me and said that sometimes he wished he could just walk into the sea and keep walking. He said it in a kind of half joking throw away comment type of way, then took a sip of his drink, walked over to the juke box and put Dig by Incubus on. If I knew that was the last time I’d see Joe id have hugged him, told him how much I loved him, how much I looked up to him, how much we all loved him, and I wouldn’t have left that pub. I didn’t know that, so I finished my drink, said happy Christmas and left.
Two nights after Christmas I got woken up by a phone call at 3am, it was my friend Ella. She told me Joe was on the Menai Bridge, a large suspension bridge connecting the main land to the isle of Anglesey where we lived. He’d been on the phone to her in tears saying goodbye. He told her to tell everyone he loved them. I pulled on my clothes as fast as I could and started running toward the bridge. It was up a hill. I lived about a ten minute walk away, I could run it in five. As I ran I started dialling then redialing his number. The line was busy, which was a good sign, it meant he was still on the phone to someone. As I got about halfway, the busy tone changed. It told me the line was out of service. I got a sinking feeling and picked up my speed. I arrived to the bridge minutes after I left my house. It was deafeningly quiet. I was the first person to arrive. I got there probably about 2 minutes too late.
Joe’s body was never found.
Initially we refused to believe he was gone. The coastguard came out that night, with boats, and helicopters. Me and my friends spent the next 10 days putting up missing posters everywhere we could, walking up and down beaches with flashlights, getting about 3 hours sleep a night. When you’re walking up and down a beach with a torch when its dark everything looks like a body. We still haven’t found Joe.
As his birthday came around, I wrote a song, freckled angels, a song I dedicated to Joe which I sang in front of his friends and family. A charity football match was put on for him, raising money for the RNLI where I won two bottles of wine in a raffle, I drank them both as quickly as I could, naturally, turned to my friend and probably slurred something along the lines of “This is the last time I ever drink” That was 12 years ago, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol since.
My first ever album I named Freckled Angels in tribute of one of the best people I ever knew.
Skip forward some years. I’d been sitting on this song I wrote a few years ago. It always felt a little incomplete. It was going to be my next release, but I was dreading it because of this feeling of incompletion. I decided, very last minute, to do something about it. I sat by my piano, and the rest of the song fell out of me. I hadn’t thought about Joe in a little while, and the song initially wasn’t going to be about him, but the words all fell out of me. I wrote and recorded a whole 2 minutes extra, recording each part as I wrote it. Tears spewing out of my eyes pretty much the whole time, and decided not to do my usual thing of perfecting each line, I just recorded every line as it came. This will be my next release. You can turn on notifications by following the link in the comments below
During this campaign I will be raising money for the RNLI, the group of brave men and women who spent hours tirelessly looking for Joe after the night he went missing. I'll also be donating 50% of the profit on all copies of the 'Freckled Angels' album directly to Joes family as a nice surprise gift. I will include links to the RNLI donation page below where 100% of the money will go to support them, I will be travelling to the UK later this month to make a music video, and have carved out a couple of days where I will travel to my home town on the isle of Anglesey to present the royal national lifeboat institution with a cheque of all the money raised.
You’re not the first to end with “Fuck you Ren”…which is one of the highest forms of compliment. 🔥
Amen!
Why you gotta make me feel Ren I was so comfortably numb? lololol
It’s good to see men showing their emotions it’s what this song is all about getting people to talk about the hard stuff! And telling the people you care about that you love them. So many kids grow up without seeing their dads show emotion only the anger or the laugh it off kind , so they don’t learn how to show their pain when it happens to them. Don’t be afraid to show emotions or to cry it’s a good thing!
Ren is MERCILESS, he rips out your heart and THEN he heals you.
You nailed it. 🥹
Honest reactions are the best - thank so much for being true to yourselves. “We must not forget that we are human beings”
Ren said in an interview that when he was very very poorly, he thought about taking himself out but he remembered how devastated Joe's family were when he did it, so Ren decided he couldn't put his family and friends through it.
Joe died just before Ren got sick. Really, really sick. There's a video he posted from that time and you can tell he's struggling, he thinks he's going to die and he's losing hope. Ren knew what the loss would be so he kept fighting even though he was in so much pain. Ren fought for years before things turned around. I really think Joe saved Ren and together they make amazing music.
This is so beautiful Shari’s. I just thought the same thing. Joe saved Ren and he’s making music with Ren his best friend. ❤️🙏
Just beautiful 😇 ❤
12:22 hey, it’s healthy to shed a tear in remembrance of those who we love and keep them with us
thank you for reacting to this beautiful and powerful song R.I.P.Joe Hughes ❤❤❤
When you said "I smile a lot because I think it hides the way I feel." Not exact quote, but that resonates so amazingly well with me, thank you for that
Joe was definitely with Ren on this one To give Ren the courage to do this amazing tribute
Great reaction - you really feel it - Ren is a beautiful opener...🥹
One word sums up Ren. IMPACT. Everything he's doing has an effect beyond the simple words and music of a song. It carries weight meaning and it impacts anyone who listens. That's a gift very few posses.
Beautiful reaction guys. Love that Ren was able to captivate your attention and wring out those tears and heartfelt thoughts. Thank you.
Thank you so much!
Ren blows me away but it was YOU guys reaction that got me on this one.
Just like Ren ….this reaction was real and raw …..and it mirrored my feelings exactly.
It’s good to see a man able to express and show emotion…..now that’s a real man.Thanks guys,really enjoyed this.Subbed x
This was really touching. I appreciate your vulnerability and I was crying right along with you, Kevin. Dustin I relate to the plastic smile that many of us show. Pleaes react to Chalk Outlines, I think you'll really get something out of it. Ren's music is emotional most of the time, but it's also healing. It's hard to show feelings.
"Distance is my plaster cast..."
Its not a comfortable subject for anyone💔.
Keep them alive in your heart ❤️. ✌️❤️🏴
Don't worry I laugh when I cry and cry when I laugh. I know what you mean, I've been told I laugh at the wrong time. Nobody can tell when I'm laughing or crying, I do look crazy (as I've been told) ❤️
This is most of all apparently the stages of grieving through old and new verses dedicated to his friend Joe. Joe is the freckled angel.
Great reaction! Ren has a way of bringing out genuine vulnerability and emotions that have been bottled up in a lot of people for so long well done you guys thank you❤
Ah wow, you 2 are incredible. What amazing insights and interpatations. Would love to know more about you. Love from England ❤
Powerful work !! Mind blowing strength.
He must be from another planet !!
Great reaction guys. This is a tuff one. REN has a way of just bringing the emotions out of us. I recommend reacting to something a little more light hearted and fun next. He has plenty of those:-) Losing It, 1990s, Illest of our time, Hunger, What you want (total throw back!). Great job!
Damn this is such an honest reaction. You guys might never even see this but for me this reaction really mean a lot. The way you talk and everything. Its amazing and if English was my first language i probably would expand my thoughts but right now i can't. thanks for this guys!
Thanks for watching and the kind words.
Sending hugs to you both and to Ren for putting his emotions and love for Joe RIP in a touching tribute song and hugs to everyone who has lost someone 💗
🖤🖤🖤
Subscribed for nore Ren guys ❤
amazing reaction ,thank you so much to show us your honesty . you should embrace this song as a good thought ,talking about how you feel is a good thing and thanks for sharing .for he's next song maybe something happy . Genesis . it's briliant
We must not forget, that we are human beings
We feel, we love, we hate, we suffer. Emotions are a human trait. Don't be afraid to be human
Great reaction guys. Glad I subbed
❤hugs❤
New sub y’all’s vibe is awesome this hits home I lost 3 ppl to suicide and it was really tough I wanted to give y’all a hug watching this.
Anyway here’s the story about joe rens best friend so you understand more Despite what the song is about and the theme of the heartfelt lyrics, ‘Su!cIde’ delivers a melody that can be described as upbeat as Ren seeks to find a balance in amongst the bittersweet sorrow of losing a loved one in this manner.
The story behind this song is a very emotional one, as you will see below.
“Today, the 1st of June is my friend Joe’s birthday.
I first met Joe when I was 8 years old, my friend Josh said I had to meet this guy, so we both walked over to his, it took about 10 minutes from my house. I was greeted by this kid covered head to toe in freckles, he grinned at us, climbed onto the back of his sofa and screamed “Swanton Bomb!” then front flipped off the top and landed right onto his back on a stone floor. He lay still for a moment, twitched a few times, then got up, grinned at us, brushed himself off, and did it again.
This was Joe. He’d do anything to make people laugh. He ended up becoming one of my best friends. He was there when we stole our first cigarettes out of his mums pack, way too young. He was there when I had my first kiss, with a girl twice my size on the back of the 42 bus. He was there when I first got so drunk I threw up in the woods after drinking as much white lightning Cider as we could. I was there when he did his first backflip on skates, and saw him do a 720 off of the pier cave, that moment became legendary.
Joe was the funny one in our friend group, he’d make us laugh till it hurt. No one had a bad word to say about him. It was impossible not to like him. Usually we put celebrities, athletes and actors on pedestals, turn them into role models and admire them from a far. The person I admired was Joe.
Him and Sagar knew every word to the songs id write, we’d get drunk at parties and they’d be singing along as loud as they could. It gave me a lot of confidence back then.
On Christmas Eve 2010 I was sitting in a pub with Joe, he’d been feeling low after a couple of consecutive break ups. He tried to check himself into a mental health outpatient facility a few weeks earlier but they turned him away because he didn’t have an appointment. He turned to me and said that sometimes he wished he could just walk into the sea and keep walking.
He said it in a kind of half joking throw away comment type of way, then took a sip of his drink, walked over to the juke box and put Dig by Incubus on. If I knew that was the last time I’d see Joe id have hugged him, told him how much I loved him, how much I looked up to him, how much we all loved him, and I wouldn’t have left that pub. I didn’t know that, so I finished my drink, said happy Christmas and left.
Two nights after Christmas I got woken up by a phone call at 3am, it was my friend Ella. She told me Joe was on the Menai Bridge, a large suspension bridge connecting the main land to the isle of Anglesey where we lived. He’d been on the phone to her in tears saying goodbye. He told her to tell everyone he loved them.
I pulled on my clothes as fast as I could and started running toward the bridge. It was up a hill. I lived about a ten minute walk away, I could run it in five.
As I ran I started dialling then redialing his number. The line was busy, which was a good sign, it meant he was still on the phone to someone. As I got about halfway, the busy tone changed. It told me the line was out of service. I got a sinking feeling and picked up my speed.
I arrived to the bridge minutes after I left my house. It was deafeningly quiet. I was the first person to arrive. I got there probably about 2 minutes too late.
Joe’s body was never found.
Initially we refused to believe he was gone. The coastguard came out that night, with boats, and helicopters. Me and my friends spent the next 10 days putting up missing posters everywhere we could, walking up and down beaches with flashlights, getting about 3 hours sleep a night.
When you’re walking up and down a beach with a torch when its dark everything looks like a body. We still haven’t found Joe.
As his birthday came around, I wrote a song, freckled angels, a song I dedicated to Joe which I sang in front of his friends and family.
A charity football match was put on for him, raising money for the RNLI where I won two bottles of wine in a raffle, I drank them both as quickly as I could, naturally, turned to my friend and probably slurred something along the lines of “This is the last time I ever drink”
That was 12 years ago, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol since.”
Thanks for sharing. It gives the proformance even more gravitas .
@@Silkytoaster your welcome
Sending hugs and love to you both ❤❤🤗🤗
Love to both of you.❤ Kia kaha ( stay strong) 🇳🇿
The first part of the song was from his new song, suicide. And the last part is from an album called freckled Angel. I believe he has a song called dominoes as well.
God bless you dude.... Never be afraid to share, we all hurt we all bleed. Be blessed that you've got your boys, I've lost two. Ren is helping many cope and he does make some great music you will enjoy, it's not all sad.
Hey man we all love you brother. Both of you man
Thank you!
RENISIS!INTHE BEGINING !!!!
Subscribed guys - thanks for the genuine reaction - and you won't be the last people to feel every emotion that Ren brings to the surface.
Joe is Ren's childhood best friend who took his life when they were teens. Ren found out thru a friend that Joe had called where he was and what was happening and ren ran there but was too late. The coast guard and search party looked for 10days before they finally had to call it off.
Losing a friend in that manner is so beyond painful.. burying an empty coffin is a torture on a whole diff level... I'm familiar with both...
I know this was painful and what I'm going to suggest wouldn't come without pain of its own it would however give understanding and help with finding the cracks of light in the dark...
Ren's song Freckled angels is what he wrote and sang for Joe's family and himself at Joe's funeral
Dominoes, helps with understanding and processing and knowing those thoughts that we get when we've gone through this kinda pain aren't unheard of.. you're not alone with those thoughts
Su*cide is important for the topic bc it helps the mind with that thought so many get hung up on that it's something most have thought about or do think about though don't do...
The 90sec addition Ren put on Su*cide is the beginning of this message to Joe which Ren hadn't understood he needed until he was preparing to release Su*cide.
Thru you're Ren journey there is no emotion off limits lol he'll awaken them all ... there is beauty in the pain that can be incredibly cleansing if we're strong enough to allow ourselves to feel instead of doing everything we can to shield ourselves in order to stay numb❤❤❤🫂🫂🫂
Thank You both 💙💎🕊️
Wow guys. Beautiful real reaction. Thank you ❤
Joe was Ren's best friend who jumped to his death and Ren was a few minutes late and couldn't save him.then Ren got extremely sick and thought about unlife himself but remembered the pain for Joe's family and himself and reconsidered and fought to live instead.these songs are literally For Joe,hence the title of the song.this song is really a medley of a few different songs he wrote for Joe,I believe he said in an interview that his entire Freckled Angel album is for Joe.I too lost a teenage love & boyfriend because he jumped off a bridge...just like Joe.its HEART SHATTERING!!! At that time i lived a few blocks from where he jumped...I pass that bridge ALL THE TIME.😞honestly,I've lost more people than the can count,in different ways,but it always sucks and never gets easier...thats the truth of it.I am sorry for your guys recent loss.thanks for the sincere reaction.🎶✌
Love Music 1,2 and 3 for Rens Lighter moments
Money Game 1 and 2 for a political touch!
Losing It,
This rabbit hole is deep!
Very impactful reaction. i've seen many other's take on this video, but you showed me new things. Great job.
Very strong emotional reaction guy's. Well done.
This is the reaction and the conversation that this song should spark. I appreciated this reaction from the both of you to the fullest.
Ren will hold a mirror up to each of us in this music, and I, for one, am here for it.
Guys, don’t be sad. You reacted how I expected. You need to get an upbeat Ren song. Losing it or what you want for example. Great reaction brothers ❤
This was a hard one for you to do without knowing his back story,but you did a really good job.
Keep going guys, Rens music has a lighter side too!
❤❤❤
When I was 24 my friend committed suicide he had a 18 month old son I occasionally see him now and he is grown and is a image of his father. It breaks my heart each time. Gentleman life is truly a tear and a smile 🌿💔
Thanks for sharing Ren with us. Great reaction.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great reaction. Shortly after Ren released Suic*de he said he was going to give us a live version of it. I don't think anyone would have imagined he would start with the last half and give us a new song that he would end with the chorus from Freckled Angels; which he'd written in homage to Joe shortly after his passing. This is beautiful and heartbreaking but he shares his vulnerability with such talent and skill... and courage.
Beautiful reaction, ❤Ren does have some fun stuff too.
The most important, unique artist right now. The feelings he evokes is unmatched. No label, no frills, just genuine music. I mean he sells toys on his site. Not driving a rolls royce.
This song is all about his feelings about his friend Joe's suicide
Im just so glad hes getting the views and recognition he deserves now! Great reaction guys! As u said, we all have gone through loss in our lives and everytime i hear this track i cry lol no lie. I love watching reNactions cause hes a true artist andhis vulnerability helps all of us to know we can open up and not have to hide feelings deep inside
Forget the song. Forget Ren. The important thing about you two watching this together is it starts a conversation. Too often we men don’t talk about things with substance and depth. Sometimes you need a conversation starter. This is a pretty darn good one.
@CreativePhotoWS you are absolutely correct on that. Thank you for watching!
Boys ❤ it! Stay humble ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Great watching you have serious conversations and strong feelings.
Bros. I know it hits hard. Much love.
Nice Reaction. Relax, take your time. We got ya.
🎶🎶❤️🎶🎶 Joined at the soul with a pair of headphones.
Edit: gooseflesh is how I know when it's real
🕯Joe🕯
Love this reaction vid. That’s what music is about. I just want ren to be in Glastonbury next year
Survivors of suicide are not the ones who try and fail, they are the ones who live thru the aftermath of those who succeed. I am here because my brother took that option away from me and 30 + years later I can't help but feel if I had been the one to check out he would still be here. Jesus have mercy on us.
I know that feeling, I thought my brother had taken that option from me. Didn't realise I had CPTSD, all my life. 50 years old fairly normal day driving home, wouldn't have said I was unhappy. Found myself attempting suicide without any warning. Just put my foot to the floor, shut my eyes. Fortunatly there was a bit of my sanity left. Screaming in my head wtf stop.
I did. Diagnosed with CPTSD Have had EMDR and so much happier now.
Make sure you take care of your mental health. It can creep up on you.
Love the reaction again guys. You nailed Jenny and Screetch, and then this. Welcome to the Ren Rabbit Hole. He is changing lives, one soul at a time. Please consider How to be Me (Live with Chinchilla) and Chalked Outlines live (with Chinchilla). Then you will go down Chinchillas rabbit hole as well lol
I disagree get some space with some other Ren stuff before you do how to be me. Do a couple happy ones first. Yeah it's amazing and beautiful but it can be a rough one too.
Hugs from BC Canada fellas.
I know i'm a year late to these emotions you felt, but your open reaction was moving.
Ren breaks our hearts, then heals us. Hope all is well in your world.
Thanks for watching and better late than never!
Lot o healing going on. This is a great song. Chopping onions here too❤
Heartfelt reaction fellas. We're all here for you folks!!
Sending love to you all ❤ healing together makes you stronger 🙏
This is an assembly of a portion of two other songs (about Joe) and original material. I hope for his sake Ren can be at peace. And this is what I find amazing about Ren: ne shares his vulnerability openly, allowing you to connect it to your own joys and sorrows. Incredibly beautiful. I can't help crying when the music for "Freckled Angels" starts. Thanks for doing this one.
💜
I feel for you guys. I’ve lost 9 friends in 8 years either to suicide or overdose. This shit hits hard.
wow, thank you for your honest reaction .... I cried when I watched "Ren - for Joe" ... and now I'm crying watching you. Thank you!
This is Ren gift..... he helps us know & think only my opinion ofcourse... but still thankyou both for sharing your reaction amd thought lads 👍👊👊
I liked your response to this song. I love that Ren is bringing some love and humanity back in a time the world needs it.
this is his own mashup of his song"frequels angels) the first song hommage for joe and the "su&cide" is the second and then this mashup.... just wow...he's just the GOAT
Love to see real emotion . Real people 💙💙
It is a tough song, thank you for your reaction and vulnerability. ❤
❤😢😢😢😢
“Fuck you Ren” indeed!
He is incredible at bringing out every kind of emotion out of all of us. Just please never feel ashamed to let out your emotion. Mental health especially men’s mental health needs to be spoken about so much more! I’m sorry for your losses too! 🖤
its because you skipped his early work , you need to look at so much more to understand this one. . youll see the titles in his words. domino and freckeled angels. but also try the the big push, its ren and a band, black sabbath, etc etc awsome
We're just going based off suggestions. So there's no particular order really, but we'll look into those as well
Thank you for hour thoughtful and authentic reaction.
He's tupac with a guitar
Great reaction. No words
This hit me so hard, too.
I should have watched the King Rotta diss, and started my day with a belly laugh. But no I have avoided this song until now, for very personal reasons, now I'm bawling my eyes out. I love Ren,,and I love you guys. The best reactors are the ones who show how it touches them..Thank you from Vancouver Island in Canada..
I apologize don’t mean to or want to ruin your day. When we reacted to this we didn’t expect to get emotional, as neither Kev or myself are not very openly emotional people. We love you too! Thank you for watching and being here with us!
“I was in a great mood…” lol
This one hits hard 💔
I’ve lost three very close friends..one to murder, one to suicide and one to carbon monoxide poisoning from a dodgy gas fire. This song hits so hard but it helps to confront these feelings we bury away for self preservation..thx Ren and thank you too gentleman. I needed this.
Joe was his best friend that committed suicide 13 years ago and Ren was 5 minutes too late to save him from jumping. They never found him. It's a beautiful tribute. The first part is the last verse of his song Suicide, then there is a section I think is new and the last is from his song Freckled Angels that he wrote for Joe too. There's also him and Chinchilla How to be Me Live which is for Joe as well. That song is haunting as well. Thank you guys for reacting
Also, if you want an upbeat song for the next reaction to Ren try Losing It, Power, or What You Want.
Ren is the first artist in a long time to be this vulnerable and this raw and intimate and it's about time stuff like this is talked about instead of people ignoring it. Too many people are suffering from mental health, addiction and committing suicide for our society to keep turning away from the conversation. And I think Ren opens people up to this conversation thru his art. But you guys are just beginning to see the layers of Ren. He has so many more layers. He has a band called Big Push too. And does busking (street performance) with them, with Chinchilla and with Sam Tompkins. Can't wait to see you guys start to peel back the layers and see what you think!
@megandouillette240 thanks for watching and the suggestions! This one definitely took us out, so more upbeat Ren is what's going to be needed!
@@TheWholeAzzShow Can't wait! I've been watching you guys for a little bit and I like your reactions because we have similar views on a lot of things. I'll be along for the ride!
@@TheWholeAzzShowPower is a great palate cleanser after this emotional bomb…though Losing It is my favorite Ren flex fun ride.
Damn guys, and I think this is the uplifting version of the song. The original Su!cIde version will destroy you. Ren has a way of pulling your feelings out of the box you keep them locked up in. But there are much happier Ren tracks to pull from. Power, What you Want, Right here Right now, Losing It. Best blend them with the darker ones like the Tales, this one, Chalk Outlines, How to be Me. Toss in Money Games, Diazepam, Crucify Your Culture, and I barely listen to anyone else now.
I get it, it’s rough, my mom passed at 46.. she didn’t even get to see her kids truly live or meet her grandkids. It’s really hard to live with, but hopefully somewhere she’s looking out, even if it just her energy floating around somewhere, because energy doesn’t die ❤
100 percent facts! Thank you for joining us!
My maternal grandmother died when I was 5 but I never will forget her saying that freckles were angel kisses. She was the best and Im sad not getting to know her better. But she brings me light and joy and I know she loves me. I was her first grandchild and I know her love ran deep. I'm lucky I have my mother to project that to me. Appreciate who you have and tell them you love them because you don't know what it's like to be without them. I one year I lost my maternal grandfather and my paternal grandparents all in 2021 I was out of state and didn't get to see them or go to their funerals because of our fucked up government corruption. All of that wisdom and love lost because of the democrats pushing covid bullshit. I will never forgive the socialists foe that and it makes me a stronger libertarian.....
Thanks for all your thoughts.
💕💕💕💕
Believe Ren and Joe knew each other when they were either 7 or 9 years old and were best friends ever since, Joe committed suicide and years later Callum he mentions in the song suicide, killed himself as well shortly after Joe died, this is all a 1 take as well. Ren was misdiagnosed for practically his entire life, he suffered from Lyme disease and autoimmune disease. Not sure why Joe did what he did or why but his name is Joe Hughes this isn't the ending actually freckled angels I believe is the ending of the story. Ren is very inspirational and reminds me of the likes of NF. Also this song all the money went to Joe's foundation Ren created
You should have given your boy a hug
🫶🫶🫶