the biography youve seen a million and one times is still here, but now ive done some profiles so you can get a ton of useless information bout the boys!! just click on the pic to see the profile
When I have the time I'll write my own, a hell of a lot more laid back, version of this - until then you'll have to make do with the official one!! [sorry V2..... sorry everybody who's read this a million times over.....]
Stereophonics signed to the then nascent V2 in the Summer of 1996 and good things have not stopped happening since then, but this story of stories goes way back. Kelly Jones, Richard Jones (no relation) and Stuart Cable have known each other since infancy and have played together since their early teens, rehearsing in Stuart’s bedroom, in Cwmaman, in South Wales. A luckless few years hugging the M4 back and forth to London under the moniker Tragic Love Company came to an end with a swift name change (taken from the brand name of Stuart’s gran’s gramophone) and a few dates on their doorstep.
Kelly and Richard were born a few yards and a few days away from each other, Stuart arrived a couple of years earlier. The three’s earliest musical experiences were shaped by the record collections of their elder brothers, taking in Creedence, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Stevie Wonder and gigs on the working men’s circuit. With a history of music coursing through the Kelly Jones (former market trader, one-time boxer, budding scriptwriter) family, it was probably inevitable that he would end up singing and playing guitar. Stuart (worked on a building site, delivered school dinners) had sung in other local bands before taking the stool in Stereophonics. Ever the pragmatist, Richard (scaffolder, coalman, electrician) took up the bass because everyone else had guitars. Kelly got him in the band because he was the ‘coolest fucker in the village’.
"...just like any other bass player - hanging back and looking cool."_Richard Jones defines his role for Kerrang
Cover versions came first, and then originals simply inspired by Kelly’s surroundings, but seemingly summoned from a rich vein of rock’n’roll storytelling followed. These songs included ‘A Thousand Trees’, a song about a loyalty-testing, village opinion-splitting drama which entered the charts at number 22 in August 1997, the suicide note of ‘Local Boy In The Photograph’ (number 14 - February 1998) and the twisted vision of a wedding reception (‘Too Many Sandwiches’). In marrying these dark visions to the most ravishing guitar pop music, Kelly created something unique and captivating, personal and yet universal. ‘Word Gets Around’, their debut album (released in August 1997, entered the charts at number 6) is dominated by stories of rumour, desire, whispers, murder and suicide, and memorable blasts of thrilling tunes.
Aside from recording ‘Word Gets Around’, Stereophonics spent the end of 1996 and most of 1997 earning a reputation as one of the best new live acts in the land, touring relentlessly, admittedly away from the glare of media coverage. Over the course of the 12 months they trod UK boards with Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, Skunk Anansie and The Who, whilst also spending time across Europe with Supergrass. They ended ‘97 with their 100th and 101st gigs of the year in Cardiff: the shows were subtitled ‘Happy With That’. They even almost completed the set of Summer festivals. At the time, however it was one concert that seemed to capture the band’s ascent in sharp focus.
Stereophonics played a tremendous early afternoon set at the Hillsborough Justice Concert at Anfield (May 1997) - it was raining and Kelly was jolted by a succession of electric shocks. The next day they received the warmest welcome at a big outdoor gig in Cardiff. A week later they appeared on Jools Holland’s Later, and released their single ‘More Life In A Tramp’s Vest’ (it’s about the fall of the market trader, and it was the band’s first Top 40 hit). Thirteen months later Kelly, Richard and Stuart floored 10,000 fans in the grounds of Cardiff Castle. Stereophonics were the first band to play in this breathtaking venue for 20 years. After that they completed a fully sold out UK tour, and three more big shows in Newport and Cardiff.
The NME recently called Stereophonics Princes Of Wales, and while the band are more than proud of their achievements on their home turf, its worth pointing out that Cardiff Castle aside, their biggest live shows have taken place in France - where Stereophonics are serious business. Beyond France the rest of Europe loves them, their first tours of Australia and Japan were sell-outs, and when it comes to the States they’ve barely scratched the surface. They even found themselves in Thailand on promo duty filming the video for their highest chart entry yet - ‘The Bartender And The Thief’ (number 3, November 1998). Dressed in Oriental dragons they surrounded themselves with helicopters, gunboats, the campest army ever and numerous explosive charges on the banks of the River Kwai. The locals hadn’t seen anything like it for over fifty years.
"This is definitely a ‘fuck me’ moment. You write a song in your bedroom, and a few months later there are people running about beside the River Kwai filming a video for it."_Kelly Jones
The success of ‘Bartender’ capped a brilliant year, then, and signposts the future big style. The first single from the second Stereophonics album ‘Performance And Cocktails’ released in the UK March 1999, and USA September 1999, ‘Bartender’ roars along at breakneck pace, and is almost certainly the first top 5 hit to concern itself with a conman landlord and his hustler wife. You’ll find less of the Aberdare Leader in ‘Performance And Cocktails’ than its predecessor, instead Kelly’s thrown his net wider, taking in a NY performance art club experience (the "staggering, whiplashed" ‘Roll Up And Shine’), a record company receptionist being shot (‘T-Shirt Suntan’), Billy Liarisms (‘I Wouldn’t Believe Your Radio’) and a did he/didn’t he mystery thriller (‘I Stopped To Fill My Car Up’). The rock is rougher, the ballads bigger on ‘Performance And Cocktails’.
Stereophonics have stretched their blueprint in every direction. There’s songs like ‘Just Looking’ and ‘Pick A Part That’s New’ that you’ll be hearing a lot of this year ...
Going back a little, Stereophonics started 1998 with the most votes in the Melody Maker Best New Band Poll. They won the same category at the Brits in February '98, and claimed a hat-trick in August '98 winning the Best New band award at the Kerrang Awards. They met lifelong heroes Angus Young and Brian Johnson from AC/DC too.
"All I can think about is when me and Richard were eight years old and we went to a fancy dress party dressed as Angus and Malcolm Young. And Angus Young is sitting over there in the corner and I’m absolutely shitting myself!" _Kelly Jones
In February '98 ‘Word Gets Around’ went gold in the UK and has now sold around 300,000 world-wide, and in November the band entertained the crowd for the Wales v South Africa Rugby match at Wembley Stadium. In April '98, a documentary filmed following their first few months on the road won a Welsh BAFTA, and they made it a double in ‘99 with a film of the Cardiff Castle show. Add to this the hits, the sold out gigs and tours, the new countries and the recording of a brilliant second album, 1998 had been a big year. 1999 promised to be even better!
Stereophonics ended 1998 with sold out headline shows at Newport Centre and Cardiff International Arena in December. ‘Performance And Cocktails’ was released on 8th March 1999 on V2, entering the charts at number one. It has since gone platinum (as has ‘Word Gets Around’). Stereophonics last two singles, ‘Just Looking’ and ‘Pick A Part That’s New’ have both reached Number 4 in the National Charts. Their most recent single ‘I Wouldn’t Believe Your Radio’ was released on August 23rd and went in at Number 11. August 16th saw the Stereophonics being nominated for 6 prestigious Kerrang! Awards, and walking away from the bash with 'Best British Band' Award and 'Best LP' Award for 'Performance and Cocktails'
Last year saw Stereophonics complete a sold out UK tour both in April/May and November/December (not forgetting the 4 sold-out shows in Cardiff CIA), and participated in a benefit for Kosovo with Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher and Ray Davies. That Summer they supported Aerosmith at Wembley and co-headlined T In The Park. They headlined their biggest show to date in a day of Welsh celebration at Morfa Stadium, Swansea in July 1999 (50,000 tickets all sold out within days of being released), and were Special Guests at V99, the penultimate act before headliners Suede. They even found time to record a collaboration with fellow Welshman Tom Jones, which was later released as a single, going top 5 in the UK. The last couple of months has seen the Stereophonics touring Australia, and the USA extensively with Our Lady Peace and Charlatans UK, while making excellent ground on what is a massive market to crack.
So what's next for the 'Hardest Working Band in Britain'? Well after all the hard work of promoting the multi-platinum album, 'Performance and Cocktails' over the past 15 months and preparing to headline some of the biggest festivals in the UK this summer, the band head back to the studio at the end of June 2000 to start recording of their yet-untitled 3rd album, due for a release in April 2001, with a brand new single to precede it.
