Keep Calm and Carry On? Yeah, right!

Saturday, 17 April 2010

Stereophonics concert

Enmore Theatre, 9.30pm

Wave your arms and carry on – done and done

“You’re going to see Stereophonics? It’s not 1998 anymore, you do realise.”

No! It’s 2010 and the Phonics are promoting their seventh studio album – Keep Calm and Carry On. I immediately stopped trying to loudly justify to my friend, Donovan, who made that shocking comment, that Stereophonics really have had Decades in the Sun and will continue to do so, and skipped right to judging him morally. Don was forced to admit I certainly was correct crazy, and, just to further emphasise his point, I let loose an extra emotionally-charged diatribe on real music and real musicians and real fans and the cuteness that is Javier. I’m deluded sure Donovan would offer his consent but was so overwhelmingly fed up convinced he could only shrug it off.

But I digress…

As you were…

Kelly Jones, Richard Jones, recent(-ish) addition Javier Weyler and newly initiated Adam Zindani opened to the excited Enmore crowd with Live n Love. Front man, Kelly [who actually does look that short on stage but I heart him and his non-threatening 5'6" stature], belted out the opening lines: “Change what you can, but the rest you just gotta let go” – which says so much about Stereophonics overall.

The Phonics certainly pull no punches, and after 20 years they certainly don’t pull off any Madonna-esque self-reinventions. The Welsh band from Cwmaman has evolved just enough to keep fans drawn in and new ones lining up, but not enough to alienate the former and mislead the latter. Playing old favourites and soon to be’s was a seamless effort.

And now…

Their entire set was clean, understated and strong from start to finish. They were definitely going for a heavier set, as KCACO features more riff and less of Kelly’s raff, rocking in and out of the gig. They mellowed out in the middle, always a treat to watch Kelly holding the fort with nothing but an acoustic weapon and killer lyrics from Billy Davey’s Daughter – it’s like poetry in motion.

My husband, next to me, Kelly, you'll be tall!

Don’t expect predictability

Kelly was dressed in a simple black collared shirt, though I missed his vintage leather jackets and aviator sunnies, adorned only by his whiskey vocals. My imagination just packed its bags and took a holiday. Far, far away to a place where I am only known as Mrs Kelly Jones.

Much like my expectation for leather jackets in a Sydney autumn, I highly anticipated an acoustic version of Maybe Tomorrow. Neither came to me but as my friend pointed out, if they did it every time it wouldn’t be special. Well, why couldn’t the next shows’ patrons feel empty and dead inside with this trite reassurance? I suppose it was meant to make me feel better and show my maturity at being able to accept when things don’t go my way. But it didn’t, and it doesn’t.

Understated undertones is an overstatement

Rocking out 8 of the 12 heavy tracks on KCACO, this showed the tone for the gig. But this far from tedious gig certainly did not reflect the disdainful reviews of “plateauing” KCACO, to which I was initially surprised and then reluctantly came around to a mutual understanding [it's impressive on first listen, encumbering on the next for lyrics and sound]. [NB "Every little thing you do is magic lately, every single thing that you do is cool, every little thing you do is tragically hip" –Could you be the one for me? No, thanks, I don't want to be the one if that is how you describe me in trite lyrics and melody, even if you are Kelly Jones!]

Stereophonics stayed true to their album’s vision, and certainly kept calm and carried on, letting their music and lights pump up the crowd with the occasional nod from Kelly to clap along. No need to introduce tracks like Vegas Two Times and A Thousand Trees, but also no need for more than a short intro for Innocent ["A song about having a good time and the consequences"] and Uppercut ["A song for the underdogs"].

Mr Writer got the amp treatment to make it more upbeat, and Have a Nice Day [btw was the best song for me!] was that more jovial. The ambience was to definitely pump up the crowd simply by Kelly’s amazingly live vocals, understated stage presence [even with a topless Javier!], and basic light show, which made the three hour set fly by and stop time itself.

Love the live!

The crowd were hyped up from familiarity and the rockier new songs [and were surprisingly rudely chatting through Kelly's slower solos but I'll let sleeping dogs lie since I've already had my hourly rant]. The Enmore is a great venue but the layout of the second dance floor behind the mosh and under the stalls possibly contributed to making the murmur of the crowd appear louder. Possibly. A low whisper of asking where is the bathroom under an echoey eave does not maketh a Fran Drescher-esque screech about your shoes. Sunday night’s extra show at the more intimate Metro would have been interesting to attend. The Saturday night crowd varied in age and enthusiasm [there was into it and into it - complete with finger punching], preferring the jumping to the swaying.

Guarantee the live versions of KCACO will have you lining up to buy this album if you were too lazy/technologically inept to take advantage of the free download that came with tickets. [Love this new trend, btw!] My friend and I agreed that the KCACO tracks were much better live than on the album, so don’t come looking to me for refunds after you listen to it. See them live, it’s well worth it.

Three encores gave the crowd what they wanted [which was, of course, Dakota] and Stereophonics proved exactly why they can sell out a Saturday show and treat those lucky fanatics who just missed out or scored another chance to an extra show.

Set list:

Gearing up the crowd with a heavy set of:

More life than in a tramp’s vest

Local boy in the photograph

Superman

Vegas Two Times

Trouble

Uppercut

Toning it down a notch with:

Innocent

Caravan Holiday

Have a nice day

Just looking

Pick a part that’s new

Stuck in a rut

Maybe Tomorrow

And making me cry knowing it was over:

She’s alright encore

Bartender and the Thief second encore

DAKOTA finale!