This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Finally, a U.K. band that can live up to the hype.
Welsh trio Stereophonics bagged a gaggle of British music awards for this followup to their 1997 debut Word Gets Around. Now that Performance And Cocktails has finally been released on this side of the pond, you can bet word’s going to get around about it. You can also best most of the talk includes the names Rod Stewart and Oasis, thanks to singer/guitarist Kelly Jones’ raunchy rasp and the band’s penchant for sweeping Britrock grandeur. Along with the two bands above, the lads’ sound echoes Nirvana, Cheap Trick and a host of others, along with incorporating some dub and trip-hop technology. One quibble: Too many ballads. Other than that, an excellent performance, lads. Treat yourselves to cocktails.
