First the twang of the guitars and then, there it was; the unmistakeable, raspy, sexy voice of Kelly Jones. The audience were hooked from the moment the five members of the Stereophonics strode onto the stage – it’s clear to see why it was sold out at the Corn Exchange, Cambridge.
The crowd was pumped from the off, with the stage crew getting a roar of cheers, after the audience mistook them for the band as they set up Kelly’s numerous guitars (awkward). They opened with C’est la vie followed directly by I Wanna Get Lost With You, both from their newest album, Keep The Village Alive, released late last year.
Being a fan from about 2004 onwards, my highlights from the set were Mr Writer, the beautiful It Means Nothing and the (arguably) most well-known track, Dakota, which was very long awaited and came during the encore.
Kelly Jones has always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart and he didn’t disappoint with his rock star stance and lovely Welsh accent.
You can’t forget about the other members of the band, though. The drum solos from Jamie Morrison were incredible – notably a tremendous solo during Mr and Mrs Smith. Guitarist Adam Zindani and bassist Richard Jones were a bit more subdued in the background, adding in backing vocals when needed.
This gig (and the one the night before in Norwich) was part of the warm-up for the Keep the Summer Alive tour, which starts properly in June. There are still tickets still available on a number of dates. I promise you feelings of excitement, nostalgia and lust towards this incredibly entertaining band.
Find out how to get tickets on the Stereophonics website.
Will you be going to watch a Stereophonics gig this summer?
Let us know – @tweetjanes.