Teenage Cancer Trust, Stereophonics, Royal Albert Hall - music review

Kelly Jones's band packed their set generously full of hits - and guest stars too, with Tom Jones and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood joining in the fun
Andre Paine24 March 2015

As he kicked off a week of fund-raising shows by bands for Teenage Cancer Trust, Kelly Jones was soon reminiscing about the inaugural event when he was collected in Noel Gallagher’s Mercedes, met Mick Jagger and sang with The Who.

Fifteen years on and the Stereophonics singer has not quite shaken off his image as the apprentice in the shadow of superior songwriters, despite the success of the group from south Wales.

Stereophonics were solid and reliable at this comeback with growling guitars, pounding drums and Jones’s rasping vocals. A female string section added gravitas to that gravelly voice on Graffiti on the Train.

It was business as usual on warmly melodic new tune Song for the Summer, which Jones admitted took only 45 minutes to record.

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For ‘Phonics fans, it was a generous hits set, though the biggest roar of excitement was for special guest Tom Jones, who casually blew his fellow Welshman off the stage during Mama Told Me (Not to Come).

For the encore, Ronnie Wood’s contribution on guitar was less emphatic. Stereophonics went out on a high with Dakota, their only No 1 single and proof that Jones can sometimes match his musical heroes.

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