THE Oasis isn’t a concert venue – it’s a sports hall. Yet it’s unlikely that any workout will have produced as much sweat as clogged the air for The Stereophonics there this week.

The heat was stifling: With all but one door closed, the first fainting victims were carried out before the band took to the stage.

And 20 years after their debut album, the Stereophonics still have an ardent following, who greeted track after track with growing enthusiasm.

From the accents in the crowd, it was evident that 3,000-capacity crowd were boosted by a large contingent from the band’s native Wales. It was clear that they weren’t going to fall foul of the signs by the basketball court demanding “activity bookings are for 40 minimum”.

The Stereophonics launched into things with C’est La Vie, a fast-paced number from their most recent album, but it was with their more enduring, sing-a-long numbers that the hall really started to buzz.

There were renditions of Have A Nice Day, I Wouldn’t Believe Your Radio and an extended Maybe Tomorrow. preceded frontman Kelly Jones turning to the crowd and asking what was on everyone’s mind: “it’s f***ing hot in here, isn’t it?”

There were still a host of instantly recognisable tunes to come: The harmonica came out for Step On My Old Size Nines, and Mr Writer must be their best live track. – yet as one of those groups who always have more songs than you can remember, They ended on a raucous rendition of what must be their other best live track, The Bartender And The Thief.

What followed was less an encore, more of an eclectic second half. Kelly returned alone for a medley of his favourites: ACDC’s Highway To Hell / Black Sabbath’s Paranoid / ZZ Top’s Gimme All Your Loving / Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing In The Dark.

Once the band rest of the band joined him, there was time to squeeze in a bluesy Been Caught Cheating On Me, before finishing on the anthemic pairing of Superman and Dakota – building up the heat in the crowd one more time, before they spilled out, gasping for breath.

Joseph Hook