LOS ANGELES (LA Times) - One can only wonder if kicking off the opening date of your North American tour with "Mr. Writer," a plea for journalists to get the story straight, is an exercise in intimidation on the part of the
Stereophonics.
The Welsh trio did just that at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, Calif., on Monday (Jan. 21), the first date of a rescheduled 14-day jaunt originally postponed due to the events of Sept. 11. Decked out in sunglasses, a pretty boy denim button-down, and ripped blue jeans, singer Kelly Jones looked more Liam Gallagher-esque rock cool than anything we writers should be worried about, however.
At any rate, Jones should just let the music do the talking, anyway. The bluesy undertones of "Mr. Writer" were a nice annexation to the version on the band's most recent effort, Just Enough Education to Perform - a more scaled-back, acoustic-based affair than the band's previous efforts.
Though most of the song's from J.E.E.P. were pepped up a bit here ("Vegas Two Times," "Have a Nice Day," "Nice to Be Out"), the Stereophonics serve their catalog better on songs that sit on the fence between those low-key tracks and the all-out rockers that prevail on the band's previous two efforts.
JJ72 |
The breezy "Hurry Up and Wait," harmonica-driven "Step on My Old Size Nines," and the band's cover of "Handbags and Gladrags" (made famous by Rod Stewart) won accolades on this night, while timing errors on the part of just-returned drummer
Stuart Cable (who missed the band's recent Japanese tour for undisclosed reasons) bogged down some of the more aggressive tracks. "A Thousand Trees," from the band's 1997
debut, was the exception.
With a second guitarist and hidden keyboardist this time out, however, the band's sound was filled out and, for the most part, was sonically pleasing. But too many of the band's new tracks were stuck in the same molasses-driven tempo, which kept this current show from ever truly taking off. One has to feel that the transition from filling Wembley Arena in London last November to the 1,000 or so capacity House of Blues is more humbling than anything "Mr. Writer" could say, however.
Irish trio JJ72 opened the show, but didn't fare much better. While the band's haunting mix of alternative influences (one part Smashing Pumpkins, one part Manic Street Preachers, and a dash of Placebo) is pleasing on its Columbia Records self-titled debut, Mark Greeney's vocals and Hilary Woods' bass were way too high in the mix on the opener "Snow."
The mix problems plagued the band's 10-song set, although standouts "October Swimmer" and "Oxygen" maintained the band's eerie appeal despite. The whole thing was just a bit too contrived, however, as a self-indulgent guitar fit courtesy of Greeney ended the show - a moment that seemed more befitting for Spinal Tap than any serious musical situation; it was simply too much Kurt Cobain - minus the heart - to back it up.
