Newport Centre
Sat 15 Dec
words: RHIANON HOLLEY
★★★★☆
There was an air of anticipation before the Stereophonics emerged on stage at the Newport Centre as part of a new chapter in the band’s career, and they did not disappoint. In this rather intimate venue as part of their mini tour, it felt like a homecoming for the band who are visiting only a few other venues around the UK.
Opening with The Bartender And The Thief the crowd responded in rapturous fashion to Kelly Jones’ unique and distinctive voice. The Cwmaman-born singer clearly enjoyed being back in Wales encouraging the crowd to sing along to past favourites including A Thousand Trees and Mr Writer and moving the audience by dedicating Maybe Tomorrow to the late Stuart Cable. Jones also reminisced about going on tour in the early days as Supergrass’s former singer Gaz Coombes was the support act and performed an accomplished set that included an acoustic rendition of the classic song Moving.
The band’s latest single, In A Moment, displayed a new edgier sound and a taste of things to come. Getting the right mix of old and new songs can be difficult and after the excitement of the opening tracks, the atmosphere did waver slightly as the band performed tracks from their forthcoming album Graffiti On The Train.
Ending the main set on a high with an energetic rendition of Local Boy In The Photograph, the audience were impatient for the band to return for an encore. After a slower-paced track there was only one song that the band could perform for the finale, and after many shout-outs, the crowd were rewarded with a rousing rendition of Dakota.
The energetic set was a mix of old favourites and a chance to showcase edgier new material and the reflective sound to the new tracks offered a positive account of what to expect from a new phase in the band’s career. The crowd’s reaction proved that their popularity has not diminished over time and that they will always receive a warm welcome in Wales.