In March of 2001, my lovely bride and I were on a honeymoon in Dublin. While walking to find something to eat we passed The Olympia Theatre and noticed a poster for a show that night: Stereophonics. I almost passed out. Here was a chance to get to see a band whose music I stumbled on in a small used CD store in Norman, OK, and whose album, Performance and Cocktails spun constantly while I was studying for The Bar.

One problem: the posters had plastered over them the phrase "Sold Out."

I ducked into the ticket office next to the theatre and they said come back tonight and someone would probably be trying to sell their tickets. We came back and stood waiting around the ticket office for something to happen. For a long time nothing did.

I noticed a man who kept coming in and out of the office and talking to the assortment of people waiting with us. Some people disappeared and never came back, and I assumed they had somehow gotten in to see the concert. An idea occurred to me.

When the theatre manager came back in I got his attention and told him that my wife and I were on our honeymoon and I didn't want to have to do this, but I was an A&R Rep for Maverick Records, a division of Interscope Records owned by Madonna and it would be a personal favor if he could somehow get us into the show. I was willing to pay, but he took us into an alley and ushered us into the backdoor and that is how I got to see one of the top five shows I have ever seen. The energy from the crowd and the band were unbelievable. I don't think I understood how good Stereophonics were until that show.

Which leads me to the real topic. Stereophonics released a new album around the first of June and Sid at V2 Records was kind enough to send me a copy to a review for our little project here at Blog Critics. (She didn't send me a t-shirt though, how do I get one of those? Wait . . . I guess I could buy one.)

You Gotta Go There To Come Back is the fourth release from this band who grew up in the South Wales village Cwmaman. Stereophonics are Kelly Jones (vocalist and guitars), Richard Jones (bass), and Stuart Cable (drums).