The official Stereophonics topic
 

Aloha !

I'm not sure if there really are a lot of Stereophonics fans here, but anyway, I'm going to tell you a little bit about them, you will download a few songs of them and we'll see where it goes. :)

I got interested in this band roughly at the same time I became interested in Oasis. However, unlike Oasis, their latest album wasn't really that exciting and there wasn't a lot exposure on them here in Holland. Have A Nice Day was their current single at that time and was what did it for me. A song written about a taxidriver that drove songwriter Kelly Jones thru New York. The lyrics are pretty self explanatory and yet tell a story. I thought the lyrics were clever, and the poppy chorus made the song complete.

Now, 7 years further I got interested in the Stereophonics again, and this time I bought all the albums in roughly 2 months, something I'd never done before. Up intil then I only had one album of them (JEEP) but I soon found out that it wasn't what they were like at all.

Their music sounds a bit indie with some punk influences, mixed with a pop sausage. It all blends rather well and over the years they've become a very good live band. Some of their lyrics are funny (My beer don't taste the same without my name painted on my glass) but Jones has written serious tunes as well. What actually striked me just the past few months since I really gave them a good listen is how Jon always says how he wants to write about things that are happening now (9/11, the presidential election, the economical crisis) but never ever succeeds, while the simple lyrics of the Stereophonics do exactly that. Some examples of this;

It Means Nothing;

You can find yourself a God
Believe in which one you want
Coz they love you all the same
They just go by different names
Did ya fly your flag today?

written about the bombings in London.

Daisy Lane;


Now there's red spray paint slashed on the wall
R.I.P. Baby, we love you from all
Just that one moment, ended their days
Outside my house on Daisy Lane...

Written about how a young boy was stabbed to death in the street Kelly Jones lives.

Local Boy In The Photograph

He'll always be 23, yet the train runs on and on
Past the place they found his clothing

There's no mistake, I smell that smell
It's that time of year again, I can taste the air
The clocks go back, railway track
Something blocks the line again
And the train runs late for the first time
Today

And all the friends lay down the flowers
Sit on the banks and drink for hours
Talk of the way they saw him last
Local boy in the photograph
Today

Written about a boy who committed suicide by jumping in front of the train, and people suddenly recognizing him as the local boy in the photograph.

Mr. Writer

I used to treat you right
Give you my time
But when I'd turn my back on you
Then you do what you do


Written about a journalist who had toured with the band and had later gave them negative reviews, a thing Jon without a doubt can talk about as well.

It's lyrics like these that I think touch people, and I don't think it'd hurt if Jon would go back to writing songs like these, because songs like August 7 and Midnight In Chelsea have proved that he's capable of doing so.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...andcarryon.jpg

The new Stereophonics album is being released on the same day as the one of Bon Jovi, and the band are huge in the UK, I think only Oasis are a bigger band in the UK, but I'm not sure. I think it's rather weird that they never broke thru outside of the UK, because they seriously do have some good songs that are very underrated.

Anyone else a fan of this band? Personal favourites? Favourite albums?

My favourites; Dakota, Local Boy In The Photograph, It Means Nothing, The Bartender And The Thief, Mr. Writer and Drowning.
My favourite albums: Pull The Pin and Performance And Cocktails.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I'm a big fan! I've seem them twice but will still be up early on Saturday to get tickets, they're one of them bands I can keep on going back to And still love the music as much as ever. The band aren't really that big in the uk tho, yeah they can easily do arena tours but I wouldn't say their one of the biggest in the uk, that's oasis, coldplay, take that :( etc etc

great live band tho

Edit: forgot to mention my favourite song by them is easily traffic, it just gets me everytime :p

I've liked them ever since my sister bought Word gets around, I nicked it from her and she never got it back :) Performance and cocktails has to be there best work IMO.

I prefer their big rock songs to the ballads apart from this one, which is one of my faves.


They come into their own live though, a top class act who are getting better and better the more shows they do. Im by no means a die hard but when I went to see them in 2005 they played Carrot cake and wine (bside) and it was fantastic.

Seb you should try get over for a gig next Spring :)

Really good band. Good live too. I remember reading a shitty review of one of their early albums and the reviewer made a remark that Kelly Jones was trying to sound like Jon Bon Jovi, implying that he was forcing his voice rather than singing natural, which is bollocks as he's comfortable live and seems well within his natural range, at least when i saw them.

I think Superman is a great song, Have A Nice Day is awesome, and i also like Just Looking, but prefer the verses over the chorus for some reason.

Performance and Cocktails gets the most listens i would say.

Aloha !

I forgot about Coldplay and Radiohead, but I don't see Take That as a proper band.

Unlike a certain other big band from the UK the Stereophonics actually like playing in Holland, so no, I'm not coming over for them. And next year is about Bon Jovi anyway. :)

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Haha understandable but unfortunately because they a massive female fanbase they are massive here lol

Im not actually that fussed that they arent "massive" here. Can get tickets easily and pretty cheaply by todays standards.

I'm a big fan of Stereophonics. I just love Kelly Jones' voice.

I have the albums Pull The Pin ; Language Sex Violence Other? and Just Enough Education To Perform

I never had the chance to see them live, where I come from I'm not sure they even get airplay and I missed them last year in the city I live in now... I really hope they will come back with this new album. I'm not a big fan of the new single Innocent but I definitely will buy the album.

My favorite album is Pull The Pin. It's not easy to name favorite songs but I'll say Lady Luck because the vocals and the lyrics get me. Same thing for Stone and Drowning

Now I need to buy the albums I don't have yet. I also think that they are underrated, I can't understand why.

I've been into them from after word gets around was out / before performance came out.

A great band. I kind of went off them after JEEP (whatever album they put out after that was dire if i remember correctly) but i was bored last december in the pub and they were in town so me and a mate ended up getting tickets outside their gig and it rekindled my like for them.

I wouldn't put them up with my favourite bands. they aren't even close to being my favourite indie band but they are pretty great when they're on form and of the 7 or so times i've seen them live, they've only been off once which is a pretty good hit ratio imo.

Did someone already pick up the new album? I have to wait until this weekend so if you want to share your review, please do! Thanks

As already stated, Coldplay, Oasis, Radiohead and Kings Of Leon are all bigger than Stereophonice here.
They're at a strange level in the UK, there's no doubt that 'Language Sex Violence Other?' and the huge single 'Dakota' saved their career here after two DIABOLICAL albums in 'JEEP' and 'You Gotta Go There To Come Back'.
But i can see them happily doing a yearly/bi-yearly arena tour without ever troubling the singles chart again. I can't see them getting any bigger now, they have definately peaked.

Lyrically, Kelly has always had the gift. But sometimes the actual 'songs' don't do the words justice. 'LSVO?' reinvented them a little with a slicker image and sound and the songs benefited immensely.

A pretty ok band, but dissapointingly they don't reach thier full potential often enough and have definatley passed the peak of thir career. I'd still take the time to catch live if they were at a festival that i was at though.

ps. I have met Adam (the recently recruited 2nd guitarist) numerous times (he's from Birmingham and i've played a few gigs with him), and that whole set-up is a bit wierd. His band supported Stereophonics a few times. He looks like Kelly, his onstage mannerisms are exactly like Kelly's. He properly idolises him. Now he's a fulltime member.
Tenner says sucking Kelly's cock was the deal-maker.

I got it yesterday and I liked right away "I Got Your Number" "100mph" and "Stuck In A Rut"

I really hope they will tour outside the UK with this album, I want to see them live

It's almost the only album I'm listening to since I got it and I can say that I really like it. There's not another "Stone" or "Lady Luck" for me, but it's really good.

And good news for me, they will play in my town in February. Tickets will be on sale Friday. I hope I will be lucky...It's a really small venue, 2000 persons when it's sold out.

I am so happy we have a Stereophonics thread.

I've liked them since I first heard from them.

Carli, I am finally going to see them live at the O2 in March after I arrive from Argentina. I can't wait!

...and I got lucky! I will see the band for the first time in February. I'm so happy!!! The venue is so small and it's the best one in town. Oh and the ticket cost me 27€

Fantastic news! You'll have a great time :)

Aloha !

I'll be seeing them for the first time as well, I've got tickets for their show in Amsterdam. I might go see another show if I can get someone to join me. :)

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Great news! Maybe I'll do another date too, tickets are so cheap ! Maybe Paris...

Did you get the album yet?

my bands on a really small label and got two tickets for their Glasgow invite only gig on Saturday!

not a big fan but should be pretty cool!

only 500 people there!

Lucky you! Enjoy the privilege and please let us know how it went

February can't come fast enough for me!

2 days before my first show! I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I just hope it won't be "just" a new album support gig because I really want to hear songs from Pull The Pin

I'm ready :cool:

Aloha !

They've been skipping most of Pull The Pin, the only song that's been played so far was Bank Holiday Monday. They do mix up the set a bit though, overall they play good sets, and if you haven't read any setlist before you'll get at least 4 surprises I think. :)

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I liked the first album - then the rest until Dakota bored me.
Pull the pin was half good half average and I havent bothered with the new one.

Seen them live twice - once supporting Aerosmith and once on their own tour.
Like Jovi they are much better live than on record

Back from my first show. I really enjoyed every minute of it!

They started with Live'n'Love from Keep Calm And Carry On (bought a cool tshirt with the title on it :cool:) and they ended the encore with Dakota.

They played a great version of Superman and Maybe Tomorrow. From the last album, I Got Your Number really rocked.

You were right Seb, nothing from Pull The Pin but a lot of songs from the 3 first albums. I will get them this weekend!

I was really impressed by Kelly Jones' voice, there's no difference between his voice on the albums and live. Guitars sounded really great too.

I hope they will come back this summer for some festivals. In the meantime, does someone has a live DVD to recommend? I saw they released several of them.

To sum up great show, definitely great band live but just a little bit disappointed by the setlist, nothing from Pull The Pin. By the way, is there a reason for that?

I preferred Stereophonics when they were a rock band. The first album is awesome and the second one is pretty good as well. I've started to listen to some of their later stuff recently and it's decent pop rock. Obviously Dakota was a really catchy single but another song I'm really digging is Stone off Pull The Pin. I was gonna go and see them in Manchester in March but the show is sold out so unless I can get cheap tickets on eBay I won't be going. :(

Aloha !

Good to hear you had a great time. I reckon they don't play a lot of stuff from Pull The Pin because not many fans like it as much as the earlier albums and because it got a lot of negative reviews. Personally, I like it a lot and don't think it deserved all that slack because it rocked a lot more than their previous 3 efforts but it's the album cuts that make the album really great.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I'm happy I never read the critics about Pull The Pin! Sometimes it's great to discover a band without knowing how the critics rate it!

Some videos of the concert I went to. I think there's I Got Your Number, Maybe Tomorrow and Dakota.




From some comments here, I think that I should get the album "Performance And Cocktails", maybe I'll find it this afternoon!

I hope the band will play some festivals this summer, that would be awesome!

Aloha !

I've seen the band yesterday in Amsterdam, it was my first show. Very good crowd apart from some British wankers, band had a great time and the setlist was good as well. Great setlist, proper flow and all that. They will play festivals but aren't allowed yet to say which ones. They did say they will play Pinkpop, Glastonbury and I reckon they'll be on the bill for Rock Am Ring as well. I rather have another show in Amsterdam though, fingers crossed they'll return by the end of this year or the start of next year. I had a great time. :)

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I'm glad to read that you enjoyed the show. About the festivals, in addition to Pinkpop I also read rumours about Werchter in Belgium and Arras in France. I already planned to go to Arras to see Pearl Jam, so I hope Stereophonics will be there too.

Agreed!!!

Great in-depth post seb.

Thanks to someone's post in the "What are you listening to" thread I got the double album Live From Dakota yesterday. I'm listening to it for the second time and it's just getting better and better. It's definitely a must have for every Stereophonics fan. The setlist, the voice, the music...you just don't want it to end! It ends, but with a perfect version of Dakota.

haha that was me! im glad it made you buy it, it reall is a cracking performance and like you said the version of dakota is fantastic!

Yes it was you, thanks! And now I'm discovering "Performance And Cocktails"
What a great band.

I'm so disappointed right now! After my first show in February I was thrilled to see Stereophonics again at the Main Square Festival in France.

After 45 minutes of waiting for the band to come up on stage, Kelly Jones came and announced that he will start alone with his guitare, and when a technical problem will be solved, the band will join him. That didn't happen...So Kelly played Maybe Tomorrow, Dakota, Have A Nice Day and Don't Let Me Down and left the stage, pissed off. And left the fans with nothing but frustration.

So I just decided to go to Rock En Seine, a rock festival in Paris, on August 28. Because I really want to see them again, and the 4 acoustic songs just make me want more.

Ah. thats a shame they didnt do the gig! Kelly could have given you a full acoustic gig though :p what a bore, i remember when i saw them in 2007 and he did the acoustic version of maybe tomorrow and it was absolutely brilliant!

I actually saw this band opening for Bon Jovi back in Hamburg 2001. They didn't make much of an impact on me then. (The other opening act did, though – Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes – especially when they, surprisingly enough, were joined by Jon and David for a few songs.)

Anyway, I sumbled upon a Stereophonics song a couple of weeks ago and picked up their greatest hits collection. It's pretty good and features some quality tunes, but I also find it repetitive and somewhat generic at times. Might give them a more thorough scan, I haven't decided yet. Kelly's voice is killer, obviously.

They got a couple of good songs in Dakota and I Don't Want To Live Forever.

Loving their new song Indian Summer, fantastic lyrics, saw them live just last month and I reckon the albums going to a belter! Check it out, unlike a certain other song just released, you can see this easily being played acoustically.

http://youtu.be/qcguxHc4hiU

Heard Indian Summer for the first time today, loved it. Looking forward to the new album!

Great band but totally lost their way with 3rd, 4 th and maybe 5 th albums.
Language and albums from then onwards are very good.
Seen them live and they are fantastic.