Never usually ones to tap into the zeitgeist, the Stereophonics have captured the January mood of fresh starts and attempts at slimming. The new year sees the band showcasing new material on a small club tour, the string-laden ballads that weighed down their previous two albums left far behind.

But, as with most New Year's resolutions, their good intentions quickly go to waste. Argentine-born Javier Weyler is a competent replacement for sacked drummer Stuart Cable, but the Stereophonics have simply returned to the lumbering, humourless pub rock that characterised their debut. Tonight, there was not so much as a Rod Stewart cover to break the monotony. The only change in pace came when opening-night gremlins caused them to attempt Looks Like Chaplin some seven times.

Kelly Jones's voice remains the band's saving grace, tearing through every song like a blunt knife through paper. It momentarily took flight during a welcome airing of early single Local Boy in the Photograph - a yearning postcard from the Valleys that highlighted how formulaic their new material is.

There can be few lazier, more woeful couplets in all musical history than: "Girl you got me going. Don't you wanna fly? High!" The fact that Jones had to read this from a lyric sheet hidden in his monitor made it all the more laughable.

The most worrying aspect for the Stereophonics is that they could barely hold the attention of a 500-strong crowd of super-fans and competition winners, who were more interested in trying to spot the Premiership players watching from the balcony. "Come on, it's free, innit?" Jones offered by way of an apology.

You expect to leave thrilled to have witnessed a platinum-selling band in such close proximity, but you are left wondering how they ever graduated from venues this size in the first place.

· At the Garage, London N5, tonight. Box office: 020-7607 1818. Then touring.