Invited| Review by Michael Dunwell
We started our evening just up the road at Akbar’s, which has always been a family favourite pre-arena spot of ours. The food is absolutely unreal, and the towering naan stands are iconic and delicious. The staff were lovely, the service spot on, and it was the perfect warm-up before heading into what would become another incredible Newcastle Saturday night.
Walking down to the Utilita Arena is always the same, crowds of people walking towards the looming arena, all eagerly anticipating the night to come, there’s not many feelings like it. Once we found our seats, we were treated to a brilliant set from a local upcoming artist.
Finn Forster opened the night, and he ended up being one of the highlights of the night, can’t believe I hadn’t heard of him before! His songwriting already has that stadium quality to it, big choruses, heartfelt lyrics, and melodies that feel built to echo around a venue as big as the Utilita. Tracks like Pablo and Can’t Back Down were instant standouts, proper arena-ready songs from an artist who clearly knows the craft.
He also had great crowd work, especially for an opener. He got everyone to turn their phone torches on, filling the whole arena with lights, and even got pockets of the crowd dancing. For an artist at this point in his career, that level of control and confidence was impressive.
His band were equally solid, tight rhythm section, great backing vocals, and just a group of young musicians who are passionate about what they are doing. By the end, you could feel the arena warming up not just out of politeness, but because he genuinely won us over. A name to watch.
When Stereophonics came on, the roar that went up through the arena was unbelievable. They launched straight into Vegas Two Times, which I embarrassingly hadn’t heard before, but it took me massively by surprise as you go to a stereophonics gig knowing what to expect (Maybe Tomorrow, Dakota etc), so hearing this monster track was an amazing start to the show. That riff is absolutely killer!
And Kelly Jones, his voice genuinely hasn’t changed at all. Raspy, powerful, unmistakable, the same voice we all grew up hearing on the radio. They followed up with I Wanna Get Lost With You, and that soaring chorus completely filled the room.
One of the absolute highlights for me was, unsurprisingly, Maybe Tomorrow. It’s not an original choice, but there’s a reason it’s iconic. Hearing that many people sing along in harmony, 10,000 voices echoing off every wall, was goosebump material. Kelly stripped the intro back, singing the chorus slowly and delicately before the full band came crashing in with that melancholic groove that’s been loved for decades. Pure magic.
Have A Nice Day was another moment that lifted the entire building. Even though it’s a summer anthem, it warmed-up the arena from the inside out, sending this ripple of pure joy across the crowd. And Fly Like An Eagle had this almost out-of-body vibe, simple lyrics, massive chorus, and a genuinely uplifting speech beforehand where Kelly reminded everyone that no matter what’s going on in our lives, “tonight, let’s leave it at the door and enjoy ourselves.”
Being near the front made it all even better. The bassist was constantly interacting with our half of the room, waving, pulling faces, proper showmanship. Kelly kept the banter going throughout too, and Jamie Morrison’s drum solos were unreal. Proper full-throttle, chest-thumping moments that reminded you just how talented this band still is after all these years.
All in all, it was an incredible gig. Finn Forster set the tone perfectly, and Stereophonics delivered a powerhouse set that felt both nostalgic and fresh. The crowd were loud, the bands were tight, and being so close to the stage made it feel like we were right in the heart of it all.
It’s nights like this that remind you why the Utilita Arena is such a special venue, and why Stereophonics remain one of the greatest British bands to do it. If you ever get the chance to see them, don’t even hesitate.