The Stereophonics, Kelly Jones, Richard Jones and Stuart Cable were signed to the V2 record label on August 1st 1996. This didn’t happen with ease, a very complicated tangled web of numerous bands and various members had to be unravelled first. The press make it out that the Stereophonics were a band for 10 years before getting signed, that’s not exactly true so I will tell you how it all happened. Lets go back to the beginning……
The three original members of the Stereophonics were born in Cwmaman, a tiny mining village in Wales. The village is a pretty desolate looking place, as it is the type of place you only go to if you’re intending to go there or you are very lost! It is a very small knit community and everyone knows each other.
Kelly and Richard were born in 1974 and Stuart in 1970. They have been friends from a very young age, growing up together. They all went to Blaengwawr School along with many others that played a part in the making of the Stereophonics. This is where Kelly and Richard along with Darren Evans created KRD. But this wasn’t a real band, it was just them pretending at school. Kelly didn’t actually play in a band with Richard until 1992.
When Kelly was 11 his dad bought him his first guitar, which was an acoustic. He has always been into rock which was probably influenced by his dad being in a band. Kelly was very into AC/DC which inspired him to play. His first electric guitar was a Gibson SG, which is what Angus Young played (lead guitarist from AC/DC)
One day when Kelly was trying to play ‘Problem Child’ in his bedroom, eight doors down he could hear Stuart learning to play ‘Highway to Hell’. Instead of listening to each other play from over the fence they decided to get together for a practice. Stuart also used to jam to ‘Gimme All Your Loving’ with Nick Geake. The 3 of them got together for a jam in Nick's garage, and this is where it all started…