Straight outta Cwmaman

>> The Stereophonics are the Biggest Band in Britain. But will anyone care around here?

By MIREILLE SILCOTT

 Remember Dodgy? Remember Travis? How about Mansun? Hurricane #1? Gene? Placebo? Reef? Kula Shaker? You probably don't, because these are all bands from Britain who haven't made it in North America. I, on the other hand, am afraid to admit that I remember the whole lot. Firstly, because I wrote uncannily-forgettable-to-anyone-but-me articles about them all (comparing every single one of them to Oasis in some way or another. Here's to consistency!), and secondly, because I couldn't unload their CDs on anyone, and still have them cluttering my disc tower. I would like you all to know that I got rid of WWF: The Music with no problem. Twice. Therefore: sad.

 So! The next Britband with little chance in hell: the Stereophonics. They've got a half raspy ballad, half not-too-heavy jangly guit-rock album called Performance and Cocktails, and a lead singer-songwriter named Kelly Jones who sounds like Axl Rose to me, but sounds more like Gavin Rossdale to most everyone else. The British music press have called them "The Next Oasis" (Oasis!), and "The Biggest Band in Britain," which, seemingly by default, they are.

 The aforementioned press have written about the band so extensively that articles now cover the most trifling minutiae of the Stereophonics' everyday life (Kelly has to stand on a phone book for a photo shoot! He likes pork pies!). And now that the band have left the Isles, you can be sure the mags are running features on how the lads are about to conquer America, too.

 So will they? "We hope so," says drummer Stuart Cable. "We love America! We are great fans of American culture!"

 Wow! A match made in heaven then. Although the Stereo boys will have to wait a little before stocking up on Marlboros and doing the prereq Conan slot, because the powers that be have decided to take the Backstreet backdoor and launch them in Canada before the U.S.

 "We have a little connection to Canada," says Cable. "We really respect the Tragically Hip. We used to be a Tragically Hip cover band, although no one back home knew who the Hip were, so we just faked that we had written the songs ourselves. They remain our favourite band. In our hometown Cwmaman people still love their songs."

 The Hip thing has already won the Stereophonics brownie points with the Ontario media. As has the fact that the 'Phonics are villager Welshmen, which is quaint, at the very least. "I think Canadians can relate to Welsh people," says Cable. "Both countries have this underdog mentality because they neighbour a great power. I think our being Welsh could help us in Canada."

 It didn't do much for the Manic Street Preachers, presently the other biggest band in Britain and big zeros on this frozen side of the world. "That just shows good taste," laughs Cable. "But really, you never know," he continues, "you really never know what will stick where. I mean, if the Tragically Hip are big in Cwmaman..." :

 

With Our Lady Peace on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at the Molson Centre, 7pm, $27.50-32.50, all ages