On This Day 01/04/1981 The Spizzles, a.k.a. Athletico Spizz ‘80

On this day, 1 April 1981, punk/new wave band The Spizzles played Cardiff’s Top Rank. Support was provided by Department S.

They were a specific incarnation of the ever-changing group led by vocalist and guitarist Spizz (Kenneth Spiers), who famously changed the band's name every year to reflect new musical directions.

The band adopted the name The Spizzles in 1981 when Lu Edmonds (formerly of The Damned and later Public Image Ltd) joined the lineup. Under this name, they shifted toward a "science-fiction weirdo" sonic image, blending punk energy with post-punk experimentation.

Before and after their stint as The Spizzles (1981) the band operated under various other names:

Spizzoil (1978–1979): Early punk phase.

Spizzenergi (1979–1980): Famous for the hit "Where's Captain Kirk?", which topped the first-ever UK Indie Chart.

Athletico Spizz 80 (1980): Released the album Do a Runner.

Spizzenergi 2 (1982): The final iteration of the original 1980s run.

On This Day 29/03/1983 Tears For Fears

On this day, 29 March 1983 rock band Tears for Fears played Cardiff’s Top Rank. Support was provided by Verba Verba.

The tour was to promote their debut album The Hurting which had just been released which reached #1 on the UK album chart.

On This Day 20/03/1987 Howard Jones

On this day, 20 March 1987, synth pop singer/songwriter Howard Jones played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on his One-to-One tour promoting his album of the same name.

South Wales Echo

One to One was his third studio album, released on 13 October 1986 by Elektra Records. The album contains the singles "You Know I Love You... Don't You?" (US top twenty), "All I Want" (top 40 in many European countries) and "Little Bit of Snow" (top 75 in the UK).

The CD release also contains the single version of "No One Is to Blame", a song included in its original form on Jones's previous studio album, Dream into Action (1985), which had been re-recorded and released as a single earlier in 1986. This version features Genesis' Phil Collins on drums and backing vocals. One to One reached number 10 on the UK Albums Chart.

Band Members: The 1987 tour lineup featured Trevor Morais (drums), Roy Jones (keyboards), Jingles Jhingoree (bass/guitar), Afrodiziak (backing singers), and Jed Hoile (mime/movement).

On This Day 19/03/1987 Simply Red

On this day, 19 March 1987, Pop/soul band Simply Red played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall. Support was provided by Terence Trent D'Arby.

The band had just released their 2nd album Men and Women which peaked at #2 in the UK album charts
Five singles were released from the album. "The Right Thing" was the first to be released, peaking at number 11 in the UK Singles Chart. "Infidelity" was the second single, which reached number 31, followed by "Maybe Someday..." which became Simply Red's first single to fail to reach the UK top 75, peaking at number 88.

The next single, "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye", a cover of the Cole Porter song, returned the band to the top 20 where it peaked at number 11. "I Won’t Feel Bad" was the fifth and final single from the album, peaking at number 68 (although the song was originally released as the B-side of "Holding Back the Years" in 1985 and was credited to Stewart Levine as producer, and despite "I Won't Feel Bad" not having been rerecorded for Men and Women, Alex Sadkin receives production credit on the album and the single).

On This Day 07/10/1980 UFO

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On this day, 7 October 1980, hard rock band UFO played Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on their The Wild, the willing and the innocent tour. Support was provided by Fist.

The Wild, the willing and the innocent was the title of the band’s ninth studio album released the following January.

The album was their first album to be entirely self-produced. Its song "Lonely Heart" was a minor UK hit.

Former Wild Horses' keyboard player Neil Carter replaced Paul Raymond, who had left to join the Michael Schenker Group after a disagreement with singer Phil Mogg. However, according to guitarist Paul Chapman, Carter – though credited on the sleeve – did not play keyboards on the album (see below).

"We produced it ourselves with nobody breathing over our shoulders. The only problem was it cost twice as much because we kept changing studios and re-recording stuff…. [After Paul Raymond's departure] I tried to get John Sloman involved because he could sing, play keyboards and guitar, and was just out of Lone Star like me. He did play on the Wild album, but most of the keyboards are by the brother of the engineer Gary Edwards – until Phil sacked him. We finished that album without a keyboard player, then got Neil Carter in later." – Paul Chapman

Setlist

Alpha Centauri

Lettin' Go

Long Gone

Cherry

Only You Can Rock Me

No Place to Run

Makin' Moves

Love to Love

Hot 'n' Ready

Mystery Train

(Little Junior’s Blue Flames cover)

Too Hot to Handle

Lights Out

Rock Bottom

Doctor Doctor

On This Day 08/06/1989 Elvis Costello

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On this day, 8 June 1989, singer/songwriting legend Elvis Costello played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall. Support was provided by Nick Lowe.

Costello had just released his 12th studio album Spike, his first since My Aim Is True without the Attractions. The album peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. It also reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200 thanks to the single and his most notable American hit, "Veronica", which reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the US Modern Rock chart.

Costello had just released his 12th studio album Spike, his first since My Aim Is True without the Attractions. The album peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. It also reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200 thanks to the single and his most notable American hit, "Veronica", which reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the US Modern Rock chart.

Review - Glamorgan Gazette

In 1987, Costello began writing with Paul McCartney for the latter's Flowers in the Dirt album. They composed a dozen songs together, which showed up on multiple albums by McCartney and Costello. Two of those songs appear on this album, "Pads, Paws and Claws" and the hit single "Veronica".

Review South Wales Argus

As his first album for a new label Warner Bros, in his own words Costello had the budget of "a small independent movie", and having in mind the blueprint for five different albums, decided to make all of them. He brought back his foil from King of America, T Bone Burnett, to facilitate the sessions and produce the album. Studio time was booked in four different locations: Ocean Way in Hollywood; Southlake Studios in New Orleans; Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin; and AIR Studios in London. Four different groups of musicians were assembled in each location. Writing credits on the album are given to both Elvis Costello and Declan MacManus, Costello's birth name.

Setlist

01. Accidents Will Happen

02. Brilliant Mistake

03. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror

04. Watching The Detectives

05. So Like Candy

06. Veronica

07. God's Comic - including Last Train To Clarksville and Love And Marriage

08. New Amsterdam / You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

09. American Without Tears

10. That Day Is Done - on piano

11. Pads, Paws And Claws

12. Leave My Kitten Alone

13. Radio Sweetheart / Jackie Wilson Said

14. Indoor Fireworks - with Nick Lowe

15. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? - with Nick Lowe

Encore 1

16. Alison

17. Days

Encore 2

18. Let Him Dangle

19. Pump It Up - with beatbox - including I Feel Pretty instrumental

Encore 3

20. Shipbuilding - on piano

21. Pills And Soap - on piano

22. Tramp The Dirt Down

On This Day 25/04/1989 Salif Keita

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On this day, 25 April 1989, Salif Keita, the Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa" played Cardiff University. He had just released the album Ko-Yan which was recorded in Paris.

The album contains more influence from Western music, while still maintaining a traditional style. All the songs were written by Keita, including "Nou Pas Bouger", one of his first hits.

Album review - South Wales Echo

The New York Times wrote: "Synthesizers and Western horns perk along (sometimes sounding like Weather Report on Ko-Yan), but the underlying rhythms percolate in triple time, and it's hard for a Western ear to predict where Mr. Keita's vocal lines, and the responses of his female backup singers, will begin or end." The Edmonton Journal noted that Keita's music "injects the stirring traditional rhythms of Mali with nourishing contemporary textures—funk, soca, and soul."

On This Day 06/04/1986 Shy

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On this day, 6 April 1985, British hard rock band Shy played Cardiff’s Bogiez.

ormerly known as Trojan (not to be confused with NWOBHM band Tröjan who released the album Chasing the Storm), Shy featured vocalist Tony Mills, Steve Harris (guitars; not to be confused with Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris), Paddy McKenna (keyboards), Mark Badrick (bass) and drummer Alan Kelly. Their first album, called Once Bitten...Twice..., was released in 1983.

Initial reports from Kerrang! were positive. After the release, Mills dropped his David Bowie-esque make-up, and Mark Badrick was replaced by former Trouble bassist Roy Davies.

Shy made their major label debut on RCA Records with 1985's Brave the Storm. This release gained success despite the single "Hold On (To Your Love)" being disqualified from the charts, as early copies included a shrink-wrapped T-shirt. Reviews from Kerrang! were more positive, comparing Mill's soaring vocals with those of Geoff Tate, vocalist of Queensrÿche. In the eighteen months that preceded the band's third album, Shy toured with Bon Jovi, Meat Loaf, Twisted Sister, Gary Moore and UFO.