There’s something about Stereophonics that feels genetically engineered for festival headliner slots — dependable, tuneful, built for communal pints-in-the-air moments.
Saturday night’s top billing at Isle of Wight 2025 saw Kelly Jones and co. do exactly what they do best: roll through a tight, no-frills set of rock radio gold, delivered with grit, polish, and just enough soul to stop it feeling autopilot.
Opening with “Vegas Two Times” and “I Wanna Get Lost With You”, the Welsh veterans got straight down to business. There were no grand statements, no political asides, no bells or whistles — just riff, chorus, repeat. To their credit, they sounded rock solid. “Have A Nice Day” landed early and predictably got thousands bellowing along, while “Maybe Tomorrow” and “Mr. Writer” slowed the pace without killing the vibe. They even included a track off their new album, ‘There Always Will Be Something’. A song which the crowd lapped up from the first beat.
But here’s the thing: no “Handbags and Gladrags”. And for a decent chunk of the crowd around me, that felt like a glaring omission. You could hear the murmurs from the moment “Mr. Writer” started — people clocking the ballad slot had come and gone without one of the band’s most beloved tracks. A few even shouted for it between songs, but it never came. It’s not like the band owe anyone a specific tune, but when you’ve got that many casuals and lifelong fans in the same field, dropping a cover that’s practically part of your DNA wouldn’t go amiss.
Still, the back end of the set brought the fireworks. “Local Boy in the Photograph” gave the old heads a lump in the throat. “C’est la vie” and “The Bartender and the Thief” delivered the snarl, and “Dakota” — complete with ticker tape — closed things on a high.
Ultimately, this was a well-oiled, well-received Stereophonics show. But next time, maybe dust off the gladrags. I mean, people clearly still want ‘em.
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