Stereophonics are heading back Down Under for their long-awaited Australia tour, and frontman Kelly Jones has given Rolling Stone AU/NZ a glimpse into what fans can expect.
The band, who last toured Australia in 2019, are gearing up to play to over 600,000 fans globally this year, including headline stadium and festival shows. The newly added date at Fremantle Prison on October 24th promises a unique setting for what Jones describes as “two hours of escape.”
“We want to give people a good time,” Jones told Rolling Stone AU/NZ. “It’s going to be a good night out and people are going to go away singing and feeling better than they did coming in there. And that’s the whole point, really.”
Jones is excited to reconnect with Australian audiences, bringing a set packed with hits from across their 13 albums. Expect fan favourites like “Dakota”, “Have A Nice Day”, “Maybe Tomorrow”, and “C’est La Vie” to feature prominently in the set.
Elsewhere in the interview, Jones reflected on the role digital media has played in refreshing and expanding their fanbase. “There’s always new people finding the band and discovering us,” he explained. “Our audience has always varying from 15-year-old kids to people who have followed the band since 1996.”
Later in the conversation, he looked back on the band’s roots and rise, from their beginnings in the South Wales mining town of Cwmaman in the early ’90s to their current chart-topping form. Earlier this year, Stereophonics secured their ninth UK No. 1 album with Make ’em Laugh, Make ’em Cry, Make ’em Wait, putting them in rarefied company alongside The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen, and Coldplay.
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“Blockbuster records are ‘not the incentive by such a long way,’” he said. “It’s a privilege to be in that company for sure. But what is important to me is the music stands the test of time and the audience being in front of the band.”
In another moment of reflection, Jones touched on the band’s evolution over the decades, a journey marked by highs such as the 1998 BRIT Award for Best British Breakthrough Act and 2005’s No. 1 single “Dakota.” But there have been lows too, including the devastating loss of founding drummer Stuart Cable 15 years ago.
“He’s remembered every night on stage,” Kelly shared. “You know, we play those songs and he’s in those songs.”
Stereophonics 2025 Australian Tour
Tickets on sale now via livenation.com.au
Friday, October 17th
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Saturday, October 18th
Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Monday, October 20th
Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Friday, October 24th
Fremantle Prison, Fremantle
Saturday, October 25th
Fremantle Prison, Fremantle
