And I have filled my IPod with only Stereophonics songs, all the way from their 1st album Words Get Around to their latest album which I find it brilliant, Pull The Pin.
Singapore welcomes Stereophonics...........
Surround Sound
Kelly Jones, the Stereophonics frontman, talks about life, longevity and how not to get bored
FOR most employees, working more than 10 years with the same company usually means getting a gift of some sort — like a pen or a commemorative mug.
However, if your company happens to be the Welsh band Stereophonics, your "gift" might be a little different. For instance, you could find yourself in the studio recording new songs while in the middle of your world tour.
"We've got a 'greatest hits' coming out at the end of the year, so, we're in the studio recording new songs for that," Stereophonics' lead singer Kelly Jones told Today over the phone from London.
"Yes, we're pretty much in the middle of a world tour, but in between venues we go into the studio to do some new song ideas and stuff, just to keep the writing thing going — and it's going really well."
The rock trio are also gearing up for the Australasian leg of their Pull The Pin tour, which will cover New Zealand, Australia, Thailand and Singapore. They will play at Fort Canning Park on April 28.
"We've been going around the world for about 10 or 11 years now, so, it's always good to go round to places you've never played before," said the 33-year-old father of one.
"The gigs have been great because we've been showing off our catalogue of the last 10 years, so, if you've been a follower of the band from the very beginning, you get a bit of everything."
And fans here can expect the same thing. "The show is a high-energy, rock 'n' roll show with lots of big songs, so it's going to be good," enthused Jones.
Stereophonics — Jones, bassist Richard Jones (no relation) and drummer Javier Weyler (original drummer Stuart Cable was replaced in 2003 due to commitment issues) — have come a long way since 1997, when they released their first album, Word Gets Around. Before that, they were known as Tragic Love Company, a name amalgam of Tragically Hip, Mother Love Bone and Bad Company — bands the trio liked.
The band celebrated their 10th "official" anniversary last year with the release of Pull The Pin, and their retrospective DVD Rewind. In between, the band lost a drummer, found a new one, scored five consecutive No 1 albums, recorded and performed with some of the biggest names in pop music, played to their biggest audience at Live 8 and wrote the theme music for Ewan McGregor's TV series Long Way Round.
"Many things have happened, but I think the band's biggest achievement is to still be as relevant as when we first came out," Jones said, explaining Stereophonic's longevity. "There's no special formula. We do what we do, we work hard, we play hard, we try to do our best … and that's it really.
"We've had a lot of ups and downs, but we've all stuck together as friends. We get along really well and socialise with each other. We're not a one-trick pony and I think we've always enjoyed showing a different side of our abilities. That's what excites us the most," added the former youth boxer.
And no, he's not tired of playing rock star. "It's what I've always done, since I was 12 and played my first gig," said Jones. "I don't see it as a job — it's what I love to do. I love creating, I love writing. It's a challenge, really. I love the process and all that problem solving — that's what I get off on. I like challenges, otherwise, I get bored. It's not the trophies and the accolades. It's knowing that we've still got so much to offer that we haven't even touched on half of them yet."
But doesn't playing the same songs over and over get a little tedious? "You don't get bored!" said Jones. "Because when you've got six albums, you can vary the songs in your set list every day if you want to! It's quite surprising how all the songs almost blend into one another really well. We really enjoy playing them live and that shows. As soon as we get bored with a song, we stop playing it."
As for critics in the crowd at the Fort Canning gig, Jones isn't bothered: "I don't really analyse myself too hard, really. I used to do that when I was younger, but now I just get on with it and accept where I am. I know I'm a good person and I do what I can. The band does what the band does and people will react or they won't — there's nothing more we can do about it."
"Generally, I've found that if people have bought a ticket, they're halfway on our side."
ROCK BAND ADVENTURES
1992
.Kelly Jones, Richard Jones and Stuart Cable form Tragic Love Company.
1996
.Tragic Love Company changes its name to Stereophonics and becomes the first band signed by V2, a record label started by Richard Branson.
1997
.Debut album Word Gets Around is released, and hits No 6 on the UK charts.
1998
.Sophomore album Performance and Cocktails gives them their first No 1.
2001
.The band face media backlash because their song Mr Writer, from Just Enough Education To Perform, attacks the media.
2003 to 2004
.Original drummer Cable is sacked because of "commitment issues", after missing several rehearsals and live concerts. Steve Gorman, drummer for The Black Crowes (with whom Stereophonics were touring with) stands in for remaining dates.
2004 to 2005
.Jones writes the theme song for Ewan McGregor's road trip TV series, Long Way Round. "Ewan was a fan of the band and he asked me to do the song, and that was that, really. I just did it for him. It's a good show," he said. Jones altered the lyrics for the sequel Long Way Down. The fifth studio album, Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, features new drummer, Javier Weyler. The band gets its first No 1 single with the punky, upbeat Dakota.
2007
.Pull The Pin is their fifth consecutive No 1 album. Jones releases his solo album, Only The Names Have Been Changed. Said Jones: "I had a few songs leftover from Pull The Pin. They had a theme with the girl song titles and it just became its own project. It had no singles, no marketing — it was quite refreshing, actually."
2008
.During a performance at the monthly Q The Music Club event, Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones joins the band onstage. "I've no clue what's going on," said Jones at the time.
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