Review: Stereophonics at Echo Arena Liverpool

Dec 10 2008 by Paul Mannion, Chester Chronicle

STEREOPHONICS/Echo Arena, Liverpool, December 9

REVIEW/by Paul Mannion

INSPIRED by countryman Joe Calzaghe, Stereophonics made their entrance on the opening of their greatest hits tour to a stadium announcer right out of a boxing ring.

Running through the Welsh four piece’s long list of achievements, including number one albums, sell out shows and hit singles, the crowd was whipped in to a frenzy by the call of “lets get ready to rumble”.

The stage curtain dropped and enigmatic frontman Kelly Jones and company were straight out of the blocks with a powerful rendition of Vegas Two Times.

The hit makers didn’t stop and ploughed through the explosive Local Boy in the Photograph from their 1997 debut Word Gets Around, quickly followed by A Thousand Trees.

In a frenzied musical attack the band rocked the packed crowd at Liverpool’s Echo Arena with track after track of their guitar-led repertoire covering albums from the last 10 years of their existence.

Whisky voiced Jones treated the avid audience to the band’s classic cover of Handbags and Gladrags backed by a three piece orchestra and the more sedate Have a Nice Day before returning to the high tempo of the driven Madame Helga.

Playing a long set, encompassing their library of tracks, Stereophonics showed just how many toe tapping and foot stomping tracks they have made over the years.

And though to many they may have lost the rock and roll fuelled ferocity of their earlier albums, with this tour they are showing they can still put on show stopping performances.