Stereophonics

• http://www.myspace.com/stereophonics
• http://www.stereophonics.com
• 2005 was a spectacular year for the Stereophonics. Their fifth album, "Language. Sex.Violence. Other?", heralded a fantastic return to form, sending them out on tour in front of sell-out crowds all over the world, including over 200, 000 fans in the UK alone. It was the result of both hard work and a re-examination of who they were as a band. First Javier Weyler stepped in behind the kit and then, more importantly perhaps, the band re-discovered what they wanted from their music. "We had been a little lost," says singer Kelly Jones. "Last year, we really found ourselves again. We went through a lot of difficult times and we were searching for what we wanted to be and I think we've hit on it now."
  
  What it's meant is that they've become a live force to be reckoned with. A newfound confidence, coupled with an excitement in the band that bassist Richard Jones compares to the very early days, has led to some truly extraordinary live shows in the last year. "I don't think I've ever felt as comfortable onstage as I have done recently," says Kelly. "We've got a lot more confidence than we've ever had before too. Getting back to playing as a three piece onstage - as opposed to having extra musicians there - has really worked, it's what we were originally and we feel stronger for going back to it. We've been really fucking energized too." "We've got that raw feel back too," adds Richard. "Even just when we were rehearsing it felt really energetic, gritty and in your face. As soon as we started playing with Javier it felt so natural. We felt like a unit onstage - it was like the old gang mentality. It was just the three of us and we knew we all had to pull together. The shows last year were among the best we've ever played. The energy and excitement was similar to when we first started playing big shows. We have the same fire burning in our chests now as we did then."