On This Day 14/03/1973 Black Sabbath

On this day, 14 March 1973, heavy rock band Black Sabbath played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre with support provided by Badger and Necramandus..

The band were promoting their fourth studio album Vol 4, released in September 1972. It was the first album by Black Sabbath not produced by Rodger Bain; guitarist Tony Iommi assumed production duties. Patrick Meehan, the band's then-manager, was listed as co-producer, though his actual involvement in the album's production was minimal.

In his autobiography I Am Ozzy, Osbourne speaks at length about the sessions: "In spite of all the arsing around, musically those few weeks in Bel Air were the strongest we'd ever been." But he admits, "Eventually we started to wonder where the fuck all the coke was coming from ... that coke was the whitest, purest, strongest stuff you could ever imagine. One sniff, and you were king of the universe." During a show in support of Vol. 4 at the Hollywood Bowl, the cocaine abuse caught up to Iommi. "Tony had been doing coke literally for days. We all had, but Tony had gone over the edge. He walked off the stage and collapsed," said Osbourne. During soundcheck earlier that same day, a crazed Christian man attempted to storm the stage and stab Iommi with a dagger, but he was tackled by members of the band's crew. According to Butler, "we wanted to take a break" at that point.

On This Day Bryan Ferry 12/02/1977

On this day, Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre on his In Your Mind tour, with support provided by illusion.

Ferry had just released his fourth studio album In Your Mind, It was his first solo album of all original songs. released after Ferry's band Roxy Music went on a four-year hiatus. It peaked at No 5 in the UK album charts.

Band Lineup: Bryan Ferry (vocals), Phil Manzanera (guitar), Chris Spedding (guitar), Paul Thompson (drums), John Wetton (bass), Ann O'Dell (keyboards), plus a brass section and backing vocalists.

On This Day Split Enz 10/02/1978

On this day, 10 February 1978, New Zealand rock band Split Enz played Cardiff’s Top Rank.

Formed in 1972 in Auckland they ar regarded as the first New Zealand band to gain significant recognition outside of Australasia, they were initially noted for their progressive/art rock sound, flamboyant visual style and theatrical performances. The band later moved toward a pop/new wave sound that yielded hit singles such as "I See Red"

By the summer of 1978, Split Enz had no agent, no manager, and no UK or US record contract, having been dropped by Chrysalis. The New Zealand Arts Council gave the band a grant of $5,000. The grant money was used to book studio time in Luton, England, where the band recorded demos that later became known as the "Rootin' Tootin' Luton Tapes". One of the songs from those sessions was "I See Red". Released as a single later that year, "I See Red" marked a significant move away from the band's early progressive/art rock style, towards high-energy, guitar-based power pop. While "I See Red" did not chart in the UK, where it was released on Illegal Records, it did bring the band critical attention.

On This Day 27/10/1976 David Essex

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On this day, 27 October 1976, pop star actor David Essex played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre. The tour was to promote his fourth studio album Out On The Street, which peaked at #31 in the UK album charts.

Essex made his first record, titled "And the Tears Came Tumbling Down", for the Fontana label in 1965. He then toured with a band called 'David Essex and the Mood Indigo' for two years, and released a further seven singles in the 1960s. He also recorded two songs, "A Rose" and "Leon and John and Billy and Me" which remain unreleased, but exist as acetates. His first notable acting role, aside from small appearances in the films Assault and All Coppers Are..., was the lead in the stage musical Godspell in 1971 at the age of 23.

Two years later, he starred in the film That'll Be the Day (1973) and recorded his international hit single, the self-penned "Rock On", in the same year. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in March 1974. It was nominated for a Grammy and reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. A second single, "Lamplight", also reached the Top 10 in the UK singles chart.

In the 1970s, Essex emerged as a performer of some note. Contrary to a claim made in his own biography, his first concert was at the Granada in East Ham on Saturday 2 November 1974, and not at the Odeon. His biggest hits during this decade included two UK number one singles: "Gonna Make You a Star" (1974) and "Hold Me Close" (1975). He also appeared in Stardust, a 1974 sequel to That'll Be the Day. The title song was another Top 10 hit. In 1976, Essex covered the Beatles song "Yesterday" for the musical documentary All This and World War II.

Essex's pop idol looks gave him a strong female fan base, and his British tours created scenes of hysteria reminiscent of Beatlemania. According to The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, he was voted the number one British male vocalist in 1974, and was a teen idol for more than a decade.

On This Day 26/10/1977 Wishbone Ash

On this day, 26 October 1977, rock band Wishbone Ash played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre. In support were the Motors.

The band had just released their eighth studio album Front Page News which peaked at #31 in the UK album charts.

Formed in Torquay, Devon in 1969 out of the ashes of the trio The Empty Vessels (originally known as The Torinoes, later briefly being renamed Tanglewood in 1969), which had been formed by Wishbone Ash's founding member and creative force Martin Turner (lead vocals and bass guitar) in 1963 and complemented by Steve Upton (drums and percussion) in 1966.

Wishbone Ash formed when Martin Turner and Steve Upton set up auditions for a guitarist and subsequently ended up with two guitarists because they could not decide between the two. So as a result, guitarists/vocalists Andy Powell and Ted Turner completed the original Wishbone Ash line-up. In 1974 Ted Turner left the band, and was replaced by Laurie Wisefield. The band continued on with strong critical and commercial success until 1980.

On This Day 25/10/1977 Fabulous Poodles

On This Day, 25 October 1977, pre-new wave rock band Fabulous Poodles played Cardiff’s Top Rank. The band had recently released their John Entwisle produced debut album Fabulous Poodles.

The Fabulous Poodles were a British pre-new wave band formed in 1975. Known for quirky stage antics, such as exploding ukuleles, as well as songs with funny lyrics, The Fabulous Poodles toured with Meat Loaf, Sha Na Na, Tom Petty, Bill Bruford and Chuck Berry (as backing band).

They appeared on the Old Grey Whistle Test and for a long time were music critic John Peel's favourite group. The band released three albums between 1977 and 1979 on Pye Records.One of more memorable acts to rise from the British new wave scene of the late '70s, the Fabulous Poodles combined a lean, rootsy sound (complete with fiddle) and bar band stomp with an insouciant energy and a very British sense of humor that won them a cult following in the U.K. and the U.S.

Originally a pub rock act known as the Poodles, they released their first album in 1977. While the debut and 1978's Unsuitable were only modestly successful at home, their American debut, Mirror Stars (featuring tracks from the first two albums) sold well thanks to heavy touring and radio play of the title track. While 1979's Think Pink was musically strong, it didn't match the success of Mirror Stars, and in 1980 the band folded, though occasional reissues of its catalog kept the group's legacy alive

The Fabulous Poodles began life simply as the Poodles, a band active on the U.K. pub rock circuit. Formed in London in 1974, the Poodles featured Tony de Meur on lead vocals and guitar; Jon Bentley on bass and vocals; Bob Suffolk on piano; Bobby Valentino on violin, mandolin, and vocals; and Gordon Coxon on drums. (John Parsons, while never a proper member of the Poodles, would contribute songwriting to the group throughout its career.)

The Poodles earned a reputation for their eccentric live shows, featuring a strong dose of comedy and the use of props on-stage, and they landed a one-off record deal with Private Stock Records, which issued "Chicago Boxcar (Boston Back)" b/w "Love and Sorrow" in early 1975. The single flopped, and Bentley, Suffolk, and Coxon left the group (Suffolk went on to a successful career designing recording studios).

Bringing aboard a new rhythm section -- bassist Richie Robertson and drummer Bryn Burrows -- the group soldiered on as the Fabulous Poodles, and as punk and new wave became the latest news in British rock, their offbeat style and quirky humor found a context where they fit in.

In 1977, they signed with Pye Records, and their debut album, simply titled The Fabulous Poodles and produced by John Entwistle of the Who, appeared later that year. While the album received a positive review from rock critic and DJ John Peel and earned the band a spot on the BBC music series The Old Grey Whistle Test (where the group's antics managed to outrage host Bob Harris), the album didn't fare well commercially, despite extensive touring in the U.K. and Europe.

On This Day 23/10/1974 Mud

On this day, 23 October 1974, rock/pop band Mud played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre Theatre. Support was provided by Feminine Touch and Light Fantastic.

formed in February 1966. Their earlier success came in a pop and then glam rock style, while later hits were influenced by 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, and they are best remembered for their hit singles "Dyna-mite", "Tiger Feet", which was the UK's best-selling single of 1974, and "Lonely This Christmas" which reached Christmas number 1 in December 1974.

After signing to Rak Records and teaming up with songwriters/producers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, the band had fourteen UK Top 20 hits between 1973 and 1976, including three number ones.

Tiger Feet" was a huge success, it was number No. 1 in the UK and Ireland charts for four consecutive weeks, from 26 January to 16 February, in 1974 and also topped the charts in the Netherlands. It sold over 700,000 copies in the UK alone and over a million copies globally. It was also the best selling single in Britain that year.

Sadistic Mika Band 20 October 1975

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On this day, 20 October 1975, Japanese band the Sadistic Mika Band played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre supporting Roxy Music.

Formed in November 1971 by husband and wife duo Kazuhiko Katō and Mika Katō, In a time when it was still rare for women to sing in rock bands in Japan, the fact that the Katōs were a married couple was even more unusual. This, combined with their glam rock-influenced fashion, has been cited as ground-breaking for defying gender norms in the country.

Throughout October 1975, the band played live in the United Kingdom supporting Roxy Music on the European leg of their Siren Tour, including a show at Wembley Arena. It was the first ever UK tour by a Japanese rock band.

They were well received by the local music press, including Melody Maker and New Musical Express, and performed on British TV in between concerts. When they group performed "Time to Noodle" and "Suki Suki Suki" on the Old Grey Whistle Test on October 7, 1975, the letters spelling the name of the programme (usually shown hung from the back wall) were spelt as The Old Gley Whistle Test. The band also made an appearance on BBC TV's Pebble Mill at One and were interviewed by Jan Leeming.

After releasing three studio albums and becoming the first Japanese rock band to tour the United Kingdom, the Sadistic Mika Band disbanded in November 1975 when the Katōs divorced.