For most the Stereophonics probably need no introduction, they’ve been around since the early 90s and many households probably owned their second and/or third albums, with nearly two million copies sold of both. Several tracks from those albums were in heavy rotation on radio stations and still are today. Making it hard to believe they didn’t hit a number one until 2005’s Dakota, still their only chart topping single.
2025’s tour was heading to big stadiums, parks and festivals, with a stop at The Royal Sandringham Estate as part of the Heritage Live concert series. The other headliners across the four nights would be Pet Shop Boys, Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé each playing to around 30,000 people each night.
With the Stereophonics selling out their night early on, the roads around the estate would be pushed possibly beyond their limits, with many stuck in traffic for at least an hour to get on the site. Perhaps more emphasis on public transport and shuttle buses or better parking control for next year is needed.
Once people finally got into the large, fairground ride flanked, arena they would be treated to a short set by Jake Bugg including smashing out hits Zombieland and Lightning Bolt. Followed by Stockport’s 70s styled Blossoms with their beige velvet clad stage setup, an almost a two hour long set spanning their four albums and even an appearance from the titular Gary the fibreglass gorilla on the stage for the last song.
At 8.15pm Wales’ Stereophonics took the stage, early for a headliner, however when it’s a band with such a long list of hits, it makes perfect sense. After a wave and a quick hello, the snare hits and bluesy guitar riff of Vegas Two Times, would thunder around the arena. Flanked by flames shooting up either side of the stage, it served as a perfect opener as it did on Just Enough Education To Perform.
They would then jump forward to I Wanna Get Lost With You from 2015’s Keep The Village Alive, with the crowd singing merrily along to the chorus. Kelly Jones would then swap to an acoustic guitar, to jump back to JEEP for bouncy melodic Have A Nice Day.
The set for the rest of the night would continue to jump back and forth in time, through a back catalogue that many bands would be envious of. Including a couple from their latest album, which Jones said on the radio when asked about its short running length, “well there’s not much space in the setlist for new songs”.
The 23 song setlist would be accompanied at times by flame effects, giant balloons released into the crowd and of course a crowd singing along to almost every word. Before ending with an encore featuring a couple performed solo by Jones, finishing on their number one Dakota and branded confetti fired into the sky, leaving the crowd to happily sing their way home.