It’s bucketing rain outside but it has failed to dampen the mood inside Sydney’s Enmore Theatre – the place is buzzing. It has been seven years since Welsh trio Stereophonics last hit our shores and there is a lingering feeling of excitement and anticipation in the air.
On stage the boys from Melbourne outfit 67 Special are brewing up a storm of their own. Clad in super tight jeans, they look very comfortable on stage under the strobe light. Their set is very diverse, touching on retro sounds, blues and even some cock rock. They have just released their debut album The World Can’t Wait and judging from this performance, I think it would be worth a listen.
Chatting to some fans out in the foyer gets me pumped for the main attraction. English, Irish, Scottish and of course Welsh accents are flying around all over the place. If it wasn’t for the cans of VB, I would swear I was in the UK.
The Stereophonics blast onto the stage amongst a decor of smoke & bright red lights. Kelly Jones looks every bit the rock star in black sunnies and a leather jacket Their instruments come to life with a loud roar – it’s time to rock’n’roll.
Language. Sex. Violence. Other? the bands fifth album definitely has taken them back to their rock roots and this is evident in their opening numbers tonight. They power through rocky tracks Superman and Girl. New drummer, Argentinean Javier Weyler appears to be fitting in well – the band is tight and like all good rock bands, very loud!
The crowd cheers as Kelly announces they will be playing some tracks from their debut album Word Gets Around. They launch into their first ever single, the anthem like 1000 Trees which unites the audience in a boozy sing-a-long.
Weyler and bassist Richard Jones exit the stage to leave Kelly accompanied by only his guitar. We are thrilled to hear the first few chords of Maybe Tomorrow. Kelly’s hoarse voice is surprisingly strong live and this is most evident during this song. He oozes confidence and sex appeal. He is one cool cat.
There is a bit of a lull half way through the set as the band switch from their rock songs to their more experimental sounds of their albums Enough Education to Perform and You Gotta Go There to Come Back.
There is a strange atmosphere in the room. This can best be described by the two people I am sitting next to, one a guy who is so excited he sneaks under the barrier between the seated and dance floor sections and disappears into the sea of jumping bodies. On the other side is guy sitting down with his eyes shut. I am literally stuck in the middle. I am not entranced by the music but I’m not ready to shut my eyes just yet.
The pace picks up when they play Mr Writer, no one could sleep through that track – the place goes off and continues to do so for the rest of the set. And their latest single, the catchy Dakota ends the night on a high note.
Ears ringing and umbrella in hand I head home satisfied. Overall, it really was great gig. Hopefully, it won’t be another seven years before they are back. Trying to fit five albums (very different albums) worth of material into an hour and a half was a bit confusing for the crowd. But I guess if you’ve sold millions of albums and get to wear black sunnies on stage you can do what you want.
