Stereophonics put the heat on at Les Docks

Unpublished article - Jonas Follonier

On Sunday, February 9, the Welsh rock band Stereophonics took the stage at Les Docks in Lausanne. They may never have known it, but we certainly did. That winter evening left us with a memory of intense warmth, thanks to a unique architectural feature. Here’s the story.

7:40 p.m., I arrive at Les Docks. It’s drizzling and cold outside. It’ll be hot inside, I tell myself. But I don’t yet know just how hot. After getting my hand properly inked, the staff tells me the coat check is full. «So we can’t take your jacket.» Right, because unlike Christophe, I put on a jacket. It’s winter. So I’m going to have to lug it around all evening in a packed venue. That’s just another reason to end up drinking more beer than I planned, especially on a Sunday night. This is a pain. Because with one hand holding my California mug and the other arm holding my coat, how on earth am I supposed to jot down nonsense on my overloaded iPhone? Luckily, my significant other was there; the two of us suddenly turned into an octopus.

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This coat check business kept me preoccupied for much of the time I was waiting for the band to come on. I wondered if I was the victim of a conspiracy. But a conspiracy against what? Against American beer? Unlikely, given the English-speaking crowd that filled the place that night. Besides, I hadn’t even ordered anything yet when I went over to talk to the bearded guy. Against Le Regard Libre? Mmm, no, nobody knows. Are you against me? Well, I’ll drop that idea. It’s probably because it’s early February, when people have ten thousand fur coats to check into the coat check. You know, the same people who, when they’re at a restaurant, order celery root juice with a dash of Tabasco, when they could just have a Coke, like everyone else. No, actually, it’s simpler than that: the narrow walls of Les Docks leave limited space in the coat check. It says so on their website.

But when the band arrives, right on time, and starts playing, my journalistic fantasies vanish into thin air! It’s the warmth of the music that makes me forget the heat of my own body. The sound is impressive. While the odd lighting setup might not immediately win over the audience, the sound of the instruments—clear and commanding—gets everyone into the groove. The first song is carefully chosen and sounds nothing like it does on the album. Here in Lausanne, we’re treated to a voice that’s more interesting than the studio version, set against a very rock-oriented sound—at least at the beginning. Kelly Jones has an interesting timbre—certainly similar to many other pop-rock singers, but touching nonetheless. And it’s obviously effective, as are the live arrangements.

By the second song, you start to appreciate the staging as well. Creative little strings of lights run across the stage and even part of the venue. While it’s not dazzling, it’s at least charming and original. Drummer Jamie Morrison’s elevated position—a staple of rock bands for years—is still a good idea. Even during his solo—another must-have element of the genre—he doesn’t go overboard. That’s just as well—we wouldn’t have been able to handle it. Because, let’s face it, while the start of the concert was excellent, the rest didn’t quite live up to the excitement of the Stereophonics’ visit to French-speaking Switzerland. Even so, it was still a good time.

The issue is that the band doesn't seem to place much importance on where they're playing. «Hello, Lausanne, how's it going?»: if Greta You guys are capable of it, too. It’s a shame you don’t even bother to try. I’m telling you this with the best of intentions. And also—sorry—but I didn’t understand the order of the songs starting about a third of the way through the concert. Unlike the contrasts at the beginning, you’re now playing a string of «in-between» songs, which add nothing to the recordings and don’t take full advantage of the baritone saxophone. Why start with almost progressive rock only to then shift into romantic 2000s pop? To each his own; it’s not bad at all, but a little disappointing.

Still, it’s a lively night. Songs with the same rhythm follow one after another, but we keep up. It’s so much the music—and not the lyrics—that carries their songs that we could just as easily sing «jacket, jacket, jacket» or «hot, hot, hot.» You can also tell the band’s frontman is in his element. As a guy next to me would have said, «You can tell the guy’s possessed.» And then, of course, you have to go to the bathroom at some point during the show, which gives you a chance to pick a lull in the set and come back with renewed hope. Finally, it has to be said that the band is indeed trying something different again in the last few songs, even if it’s a little late. In any case, by the end, you leave with the impression of having witnessed a performance by one of the best British rock bands around today. My only criticism, really, isn’t directed at them; it’s the fault of the 2000s.

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Cover photo: © Julie Rheme