There’s this relatively core life memory I have of watching, I don’t know, probably VH1 or MTV2 or something. It was 1999 and watching music video channels is what you did. I was probably discovering music for myself around this time and, asides from buying NME from the newsagents on a Wednesday, this was the only way.
A video came on. It was three young Welsh blokes in jumpsuits, loading gold bars into the back of Mini Coopers, driving recklessly through plazas and, well, essentially, rocking out aback of a bus that dangled off a cliff – solid gold drum kit and all. I was 11 or 12 years old so hadn’t seen The Italian Job at this point.
I thought it was probably the coolest thing I’d ever seen up until that point. It was, of course, Stereophonics‘ promotional video for “Pick a Part That’s New”. That year’s December, my dad’s friend from work came round with a big booklet of CDs. I was allowed to go through and choose any three that I wanted. The first one I chose, without hesitation, was Performance and Cocktails by the Stereophonics. I didn’t know they were pirated at the time – it was the only way we could really afford music in my family. Sorry Kelly.
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I like this video a lot still. I mean, I’ve since grown up, seen The Italian Job and realised it for what it is. But it represents a simpler time for not only for music but… everything? Before the TikTokification of our days, the bitesize consumption of life, the immediacy with which everything can be accessed.
There’s actually a second promotional video for “Pick a Part That’s New”, made up of life footage from a massive ‘Phonics homecoming gig at Swansea’s Morfa Stadium in July 1999. It’s black and white with people happy, smiling, jumping up and down. Drinking. Loved ones in embrace. Welsh flags and bucket hats. Big trainers. adidas t-shirts. It’s hard to spot the differences between this scene and the Stereophonics show at London’s Finsbury Park, just shy of 26 years later. Drummer Stuart Cable sadly passed on a number of years ago and the band has grown in number. But when that same droney, Smashing Pumpkins-like riff in the key of A opens up for “Pick a Part That’s New”, it’s like being back there. Smiles. That sweet kiss of nostalgia. The loved ones in embrace. Welsh flags and bucket hats. The beer is in cans and it’s expensive, as I’m sure it felt (proportionally) in Morfa Stadium way back. The difference is the phones in the air.