Welsh rock band Stereophonics will be playing in Qatar for the first time on Nov. 10 as part of a two-month tour of Europe and the Gulf, local event organizers have said.
The band will open their GCC tour by playing at the Sheraton Hotel on the Corniche, then will head to Muscat on Nov. 12 and Dubai the following day.
Stereophonics formed more than 20 years ago, in 1992, but it was the early 2000s where they enjoyed real popular success, with hits such as “Have a nice day,” “Maybe Tomorrow” and “Handbags and glad rags.”
Event organizers Iconic Qatar and Alive Entertainment announced the Doha date on Facebook earlier this week, and the event is also listed on the band’s online tour schedule.
Tickets will cost from QR250 to QR500 and expected to go on sale from 10am on Sept. 24 online via I Love Qatar here.
They can also be bought at Saqr stores, which has seven branches through Doha, including at Landmark Mall, The Mall on D-Ring road and Hyatt Plaza, The Sheraton Hotel and Crepaway.
Doors are expected to open for the show at 7pm, with Stereophonics set to be on stage from 9pm, Iconic said in a statement.
Who are they?
Stereophonics has had 10 top-ten singles as well as one number one, with the 2005 hit “Dakota,” and have sold nine million copies worldwide.
Despite their longevity, the band is still popular at summer festivals in the UK, playing at T in the Park in Scotland and V Festival earlier this year while they performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall for a charity fundraiser in Spring alongside former Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and Sir Tom Jones.
Stereophonics released its ninth album “Keep the Village Alive” last week.
The album has already got positive reviews from DJ Christian O’Connell and Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney, who voiced their support on Twitter:
new @stereophonics album is great. Check out tracks Song for The Summer, mr and mrs smith, Sunny, Flight or Flight and My hero.
— Christian O'Connell (@OC) September 16, 2015
Loving the @stereophonics new album #keepthevillagealive. Getting me through this training session session 👍
— Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) September 16, 2015
In early October, the band will embark on a tour that takes them to Germany, Denmark, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and various towns and cities around the UK, as well as the Gulf.
Stereophonics comprises of Kelly Jones (lead vocals and guitar), Richard Jones (bass guitar and backing vocals), Adam Zindani (guitar and backing vocals), Jamie Morrison (drums) and touring member Tony Kirkham (keyboards).
A spokesperson for Iconic said their Doha concert would include old favorites as well as some of their newer tracks.
In recent years, Qatar has started to attract more performers to play live in Doha, although Dubai and Abu Dhabi remain the favored venues for most big-name acts.
In March, Grammy-nominated British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran performed his first show in Qatar at the QNCC, to the delight of thousands of fans.
Jared McCulloch, managing director of Iconic, said of the upcoming Stereophonics concert:
“It’s been a good year for music fans in Qatar with some great performances by Ed Sheeran, The Wailers, Example, Mark Ronson & Paul Van Dyk so far. We are extremely excited to be bringing an amazing band like the Stereophonics to Qatar, it will be an incredible night for rock fans.”
Do you plan to go? Thoughts?