Hearing that Kelly Jones, singer of the Stereophonics was performing a solo gig at a sit down venue rang slight alarm bells in my head.
It didn’t sound like it should work and I was concerned I would be bored as I entered the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
How wrong was I.
Just two songs in and the whole audience was captivated by the Welshmans dry wit and charm.
Despite being a big venue, it felt very intimate. The stage setup almost felt like a living room- covered in lava lamps, lightbulbs, a big tapestry in the background and a nod to his home country, a Welsh dragon stood right in the centre.
Kelly sang and told stories for two hours straight, with no breaks at all. Arguably proof that people from Wales can’t be real, but an undeniable testament to the vocal talent of Kelly.
Not one note was missed, not one song felt strained, not one song fell short.
The stories Kelly treated the audience to ranged from emotional insights into his younger life, to more joyous stories about touring with The Rolling Stones and David Bowie.
A notable anecdote was one about Keith Richards. He invited Kelly to his dressing room while they were on tour and told him that he only has one rule, don’t bust the crust on a shepherds pie- that’s his job.
Kelly then called Stuart Cable, ex Stereophonics drummer who tragically passed away in 2010, backstage to join them. He jokingly said that he had to invite Stuart as Keith’s dressing room had his three favourite things- pool, booze and shepherds pie.
To his horror Stuart ‘bust the crust’ before he could stop him and a new pie had to be ferried in before Keith realised.
I left the venue with all the exhilaration of a standing gig but all the comfort of being sat around with your friends.
Every musician or band should take the chance and put on a show like this at least once in their lifetime.