to monitor the eraeks spreading along the eeiling helow.

‘It was only when the houneer said. "You‘re on the same floor as them and il~ they go through then so will you" that we thought we’d hetter ealtn it.‘ laughs

Riehard.

Barrowland, Glasgow, April 1999

ll there is one thing that del‘ines SlCI'L‘UIllltllllL‘S. L‘ill'L‘L‘l'. ii is IllL‘ altnost texthook war} in whieh the} hax e grown. 'l‘heir seeond alhutn is ealled I’e/j/m'mum'e .lm/ ('nr‘klui/s and is named alter a hi/arre nude trape/e nighteluh whieh the hand l‘ound lllL‘ltlsL‘lVL‘s in during a jaunt to New York. It‘s expeeted to go in at nuinher one when released in .\lareh. \Vhen lllL‘} l'll'sl t‘L‘lL‘Lt\CLl ‘l.t)eill Boy in .\lareh 1007. it harely trouhled the ehat‘ts. l'litting in at nuinher 53 and then disappearing into the ether again. Re—released a year later. it went in at \uniher l’ourteen. Sitnilarl}. to grow li'oni harel} pulling a erowd ol‘ .‘~() to selling out two nights in the liarrowland in little o\'er two _\'eat‘s is no mean l'eat.

'\\'hen we first signed the record deal. we told them that we wanted to do it the old lashioned w'a_\ and huild up a lanhase through touring.‘ explains Riehard. "l'he_\ told us that eaeh titne we pla_\ed in exery town. we had to try to heat it the next time we played there.‘

SIL‘I'L‘UPlltHllL'N. image is siniilarl} uneontri\ed. The less than letehing tattoo ol‘ his name that Riehard has etehed onto his neek has disappeared l‘i'oni

STEREOPHONICS

Beating the ta’ttoo: Stuart, Richard and ‘7" Kelly of Stereophonics 'v

puhlieity shois as the hand has grown. lligh—neeked jaekets and earel‘ul earnera shots ean hide a multitude ol‘ sins. 'l‘hat apart. what you see is what you get: three small-town lads who are hitting the high times while keeping their l'eet on the ground.

There is nothing lane)‘ or eoinplieated ahout Stereophonies or their musie. Wearing one ol‘ their 'l'-shirts at a Soho part} would guarantee instant ostraeisni. loo Welsh and too honest. the} ne\'er were and ne\ er will he a trend} hand. 'l’hankl‘ully. neither the hand nor their growing legions ol fans eottld gi\'e a 11th arse.

‘\\'e'\'e heeonie eool h} heing UliL‘UUl.‘ ehuekles Riehard. ‘You ean’t eut or eolour _\'our hair e\'er_\’ time some new lad eoines ai‘ottnd.‘

'\\'e just eoneentrated on the song-writing.‘ eonl‘irins Kell}. '\\'hen we started. we looked at the London seene and there seemed to he so many people heing signed for haxing the right l'ringe or whateVer. httt it's the songs that eonnt.’

It‘s the songs that eount. In an age ol‘ eontrm'ersial Videos and eheap soundhites. when eelehrities flirt with religions to appear spiritual. when l'anie tallies with the nutnher ol' eom'ietions l'ot' possessions ol' L‘UL‘ulllL‘. lllL‘ll lllL‘ idea that llis lllL‘ songs that eount seetns quaintli old-lashioned. And right.

Glasgow, Garage, 23rd March

Edinburgh, Liquid Rooms 24th March

7th Annual St Patricks Day :{Z‘oncer‘r

Stereophonics play Glasgow Barrowland, Thu 15 & Fri 16 Apr. Performance And Cocktails is released on V2 on Mon 8 Mar. The single, Just Looking, precedes it on Mon 22 Feb.

G LAS (G 0%? its arzrww 9 a m iii as filed rile-3d Vila iiJiarizi'i #3919 Credit Cards; 014'! 287 551']. Tickets: Virgin and Ripping

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