STEREOPHONICS‘ bassist Richard Jones (left in photo) thought life really sucked last week.
Not only had he been the victim of unprovoked violence in his Welsh home town, part of his treatment was entrusted to a boxing injuries specialist and his box of blood-sucking leeches.
According to sources close to the band, the leeches were applied to literally suck excess blood from around his face, which had swollen up after the beating. The bassist needed 18 stitches in his face and suffered a broken nose and three broken fingers after he was attacked following a night out at his local pub in Aberdare on July 4 (See earlier story) .
After their Main Stage appearance at Scotland’s T In The Park Festival (July 12), lead singer Kelly Jones told [I]NME that Richard had been determined to play the gig despite his injuries. “He wanted to see the Beastie Boys, he’ll never back out of anything,” Jones said. “He’s just got a bit of bruising about his eyes now. His rib is hurting the most, but he’s fine. He looked a bit of a mess last week but he’s cleaned up a lot.”
Kelly also said the band have almost finished recording their new album, due in March, the follow-up to 1997’s ‘Word Gets Around’. “It’s being mixed at the moment. We’ll probably do one more mix because Stuart (Cable, Stereophonics’ drummer) broke his foot halfway through.”
Songs from the new album premiered at T In The Park included ‘The Bartender And The Thief’, ‘T-Shirt Suntan’ and ‘Is Yesterday Tomorrow Today?’. Kelly has also been busy writing with French band Dolly and has also recorded a track with new UK dance band Manchild. In addition, a video of the band’s recent gig at Cardiff Castle will be released this autumn.
The band are scheduled to play festivals in France and Japan before they start a UK tour in October. The tour dates are: Aberdeen Music Hall (October 22), Motherwell Civic Centre (23), Edinburgh Assembly Rooms (25), Warrington Parr Hall (26), Middlesbrough Town Hall (27), Bradford University (28), Norwich UEA (30), Hereford Leisure Centre (31), Hanley Theatre Royal (November 2), Derby Assembly Rooms (3), Portsmouth Pyramids (4), Folkestone Leas Cliffe Hall (7) and London Kentish Town Forum (10).
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