Any fan who attended any of Stereophonics UK gigs during their 2005 Language Sex Violence Other Tour would have witnessed a small Birmingham support act by the name of Casino. Frontman Adam Zindani, a friend of both Kelly & Richard for several years took his band around the country with the Welsh Rockers. But what would happen just 2 years later would seem umimaginable.

In April 2007, the band played their first gig together since December 2005 and were joined onstage as always by live keyboard player Tony Kirkham and also a somewhat unfamiliar face. That face was that of Adam Zindani the newest addition to the band. At the time it seemed he was just filling the void left by Scott in 2004, but he has long surprassed Scott and made the position his own. We talked with Adam during the bands Australian Tour in May 2008. This is what was said.

So we'll start at the beginning, talk to us about how Casino began, you were in a band called Northstar right?
"Yeah me and Sam, the drummer were in that band and then we left to start another band together, but I started singing and writing songs on my own and thought well I might as well get something together, it took about 4 years to get to the line up we are now, a lot of people got fired! Haha."

The Rock My World film features several Casino & North Star tracks. How did that come about?
"Well I was approached by a big film company because they had heard my early demos and wanted to use them for this film about a band, I got to go to Canada for 3 weeks and hang out with Alicia Silverstone and Peter O' Toole and all that crowd, and when it was over they flew me back first class and got me a limo to Birmingham, got the limo to take me to sign on to the job center. How ironic is that?"

You were publically supported by Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters? How did that happen?
"Well kind of. We recorded some of our record at his studio and I used to play table tennis everyday with him for a couple of hours and he digged the band so that’s were the connection came from, he’s a great bloke."

He invited ye to record in his studios right?
"No were making the record with the Foos producer Nick Rasculeniz and he works out of the Foos studio."

Towards the end of 2006, you do the tour. Things are looking good. Polydor signed ye right? Why the decision then to become part of Stereophonics.
"Well the record industry is changing massively and our A.R. man got fired which means we had no one fighting our cause in Poloydor and it was a loosing battle so we split with the record company and then me and Kelly had a chat and he asked if I would jump on for a bit to do some gigs with them, that was a year ago and weve done a lot of shows!"

Did you talk with the SpiderSimpson lads first? What were their views then?
"Me and them boys are like family, they were totally cool with it, someone’s got to keep the lights on."

Who asked you to be in the band? They'd tried before am I right? And you rejected? What was different about now?
"Me and Kel have been good friends for 11 years now, he'd asked before and I said no on numerous occasions but I felt that the time was right and it would be good to take a break from the SpiderSimpson thing, and he promised me millions of pounds! - joking."

What did he want? You to be in the band, or to play live?
"That’s a strange one to answer I'm in the band just not in the photos. Who knows what happens, we will see."

So your first gig, was Llandudno I think, then Blackpool, then the Big Weekend in Preston on TV, and a lot of us where like? That’s not Scott!
"Haha yeah I bet you were, he’s about ten inches bigger and probably better too! Scotts a nice guy."

People have adapted to you a lot more than they did to Scott when he was playing live with the lads. The majority would be sad to see you leave stop what you’re doing with the band, however at the same time a lot of them have in the last year, become Spider Simpson fans and would love to have them as, well, an active band.
"Aww that’s really cool to know I've made an impression, yeah when the Phonics ain't touring then SpiderSimpson will be I hope. You know SpiderSimpson is my baby so I ain't ever going to give her up. I really enjoy my work."

Polydor, when they signed and it was being said that an album followed? Have they or you put a date to it?
"Well we are going to put the record out ourselves but my life is really hectic at the moment so it’s hard to put a date on it, but it will be out this year and I hope you crazy kids will buy it. Its gonna be bad ass!"

On a site called Night Brigade there's an 11 track album, all available to stream live. Is this, the debut SS album? Cos there's tracks missing, Do me Again, WOMC Its You.
"No its not I haven’t made the track listing yet to the record and all the recordings on that site are old, as for the songs you will have to wait n see!"

You recently went into the studio to record new tracks with SS? Anything we'll hear soon?
"Yeah one of them will be on the record."

Fallen Out Of Love has now be renamed Fallen and I'll Get Over Lovin' You has been changed to Way Home, will these be on the album as Fallen was on an old EP and Way Home was the B-Side to some versions of the HMM single.
"Fallen, will go back to its original title and Way Home might not make the record, I haven decided yet. We will see!"

So back to the 'Phonics? The tour starts, playing some great gigs. What’s been your favorite memory of the last 12 months? Sold out tour? Playing on a boat in Bangkok? Acoustic gig with Ronnie Wood?
"Doing the arena shows was special all them people! Fucking crazy"

The lads, in the European tour earlier this year debuted a new song "My Own Worst Enemy" now Kelly writes on the road, he always has. Did he go off and come up with this song with Rich & Jav and they say, "Hey Ad, we've a new song to learn tonight" or were you involved in the making of the song, after he'd jotted the lyrics?
"Yeah I was involved in 'Enemy, it’s going to be a monster! We all played our parts in that song."

Can you tell us any secrets about the other phonics lads? Or at least, a funny/embarrassing moment from the last 12 months, or prior you've known the lads for quite some time!
"I'm not at liberty to say, we have had some pretty crazy, drunken nights and im sure well have some more, I can't remember my memory is terrible!"

Will we ever see SpiderSimpson supporting Phonics again?
"I doubt it id be to knackerd, but you never know!"

How long you going to be with Phonics? Will there be USA dates? I know there’s a festival booked in Toronto, can you tell us anymore?
"How longs a piece of string? Don’t know how long I will be there could be another 10 days or another 10 years difficult to say. Theres talk of American shows and I'm sure there will be, but nothings set in stone at the moment"

Here’s a few Q's sent in from the fans.
James wants to know if you remember the moment he shared with Lucy in Hamburg?
"Err? Nooo? Surely he can remember, tell me what did he do?"

Will you just be doing "backing" stuff for Stereophonics or is there a chance we will see you possibly take lead on a song? from Annie
"I'm not the singer in the Stereophonics, I wouldn’t want to take center stage in the I got my own band for that. I'm quite happy with my guitar."

Simon wants to know what's the whole Babylon Zoo Spaceman thing about?
"When I was young I joined Babylon zoo, that’s it really it was fun or a bit"

Rachel asks what's your favorite type of biscuit is?
"That’s tough, err? Chocolate Hob Knobs"

Elke wants you to describe Kel; Rich; Javy and yourself in 1 word each
"Fire, earth, water and wind"