The Stereophonics supported U2 15 times last year - and loved every minute of it.

'We did ten shows with them in Europe and another five in the States,' explains singer Kelly Jones to Hot Press magazine. 'It was great 'cause up till then no one had heard of us there. 'The people from MTV, VH1 and radio tend to pay attention when you're supporting the biggest band in the world. Those doors having been opened, we were able to go back and play our own gigs in front of our own fans. One minute you're 'the Stereowhats?', and the next you've got 1,500 pissed up Americans singing along to your songs.'

The Elevation shows, he recalls, were less gigs, and more event. 'You just got this sense every day of the circus rolling into town. Elevation wasn't a gig, it was an event. So much so that you'd have Kathleen Turner, Demi Moore and Sandra Bullock wandering round backstage with a beer in their hand. That's U2's world.

'A lot of bands operating at that level get blasé, but they send 40,000 people home every night thinking that they've got every cent's worth of value from their ticket.'

More from Kelly and The Stereophonics in Hot Press herewww.hotpress.com

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