³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

The gig will take place on 5 June and the band will be joined by "three or four special guests".

That the Stereophonics are playing a venue that may house upwards of 30,000 gig-goers says two things: firstly, perhaps lone among Welsh bands of the last 15 years, they're the ones who can accomplish such a feat and secondly, Wales now has a venue that fits between the enormodome of the Millennium Stadium and slightly smaller arenas such as the CIA.

Just over 10 years ago, Manic Street Preachers played at the (a gig sometimes better remembered for the length of the beer queues than for musical celebration). It was followed immediately by their number one single Masses Against The Classes. And that was pretty much the high point of their career. No more could they pull in 70,000 fans.

So why is it that Stereophonics can pull this off once more, adding to gigs at the Millennium Stadium and, last year, Cardiff Castle? They're always written off by music journalists as lowest-common-denominator dadrock, and yes, their music can err towards the plodding. But a clue might be found in the recent .

Ostensibly an edgy indie radio station, Xfm have nevertheless included more Stereophonics songs in the list than any band except Oasis. Somehow their songs inveigle their way into the collective consciousness and onto radio playlists. Could it be that the less challenging the lyrics or music are, the better the songs lend themselves to multi-lunged bellowing along?

You'd think so, but it doesn't have to be so: Depeche Mode sell out stadia all over the world and Dave Gahan's heroin-inflected schtick is a world away from Kelly Jones' Springsteen-esque rock heroics.

Stereophonics are a band that exemplifies Wales; distils it even. That might be unappetising to many, but for sheer flag-waving patriotism they can't be beaten. Jones himself says that as a Welsh band they always want to do something bigger and better in Wales. And people love them for it.

This gig at Cardiff City Stadium won't be a critics' dream, and neither will it change the face of music, but thousands of people will have a jolly fun evening. Is there anything wrong with that? Nah. "Have a nice day" indeed.

Stereophonics on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music