On This Day 06/09/2007 Future Of The Left

On this day, 6 September 2007, alternative rock band Future of the Left played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach. The band were about to release their debut album Curses !

Future of the Left formed in mid-2005 after the bands Mclusky and Jarcrew both split up within two months of each other at the beginning of the year. The new group was formed by singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias and bassist Hywel Evans, both formerly of Jarcrew. Evans quickly moved on to start a math rock band, Truckers of Husk.

Future of the Left's first performances were secret gigs using aliases such as "Guerilla Press" and "Dead Redneck" to avoid the concert being attended by large numbers of expectant Mclusky and Jarcrew fans. Their very first show was at Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff on 2 July 2006, under the alias "the Mooks of Passim". The first official headline show (and the first show the band played under the name Future of the Left) was played in Camden Barfly to a capacity crowd on 1 September 2006.

In late 2006 the trio were signed to Too Pure, who had also signed Mclusky and when Too Pure disbanded the band transferred to 4AD.

Their debut album, Curses, was released on 24 September 2007 in the UK and 1 October in Japan. A surprise to some fans of Jarcrew and Mclusky was the band's occasional move towards songs with a synthesizer (a Roland Juno-60) in favour of Falco's guitar. On the whole, fans and critics responded to the change positively.

On This Day 22/08/2002 Strike Anywhere

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On this day, 22 August 2002, American punk band Strike Anywhere played Cardiff’s Barfly.

Formed in 1999 after the demise of frontman Thomas Barnett's previous band, Inquisition, they took their name from the Inquisition song "Strike Anywhere". Their music is characterized by fast tempos, catchy melodies, and emotionally charged vocals delivered via shouting and singing.

The band received an increased amount of attention after their music appeared in three Tony Hawk video games: Tony Hawk's Underground in 2003 ("Refusal"), Tony Hawk's American Wasteland in 2005 ("Question the Answer"), and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam in 2006 ("The Promise"). They were also featured in the documentary, Wake Up Screaming, about the 2005 Vans Warped Tour.

Strike Anywhere lyrics touch on such issues as police brutality, anti-capitalism, women's rights, animal rights, and globalization. They have also contributed tracks to political benefit albums, such as a live version of "Sunset on 32nd" for 1157 Wheeler Avenue: A Memorial for Amadou Diallo and "To the World" for the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 album. According to the liner notes for their album Change is a Sound, they support "the vegetarian lifestyle, the living wage movement and the fight against corporate globalization". With its 2006 release Dead FM, the band expanded their political slogans to address "more sociological ideas about why these (events) happen".

Their logo is similar to the Three Arrows symbol and the Antifascist Circle, and includes the logo of the former social democracy/antifascist German Iron Front, a paramilitary organization which existed in the last years of the Weimar Republic.

Strike Anywhere generally allows audience members to record their live performances for personal, non-commercial use, and has gone so far as to authorize the Internet Archive to create a section where fans can upload and share their recordings.

On This Day 21/08/2007 Cold as Life

On this day, 21 August 2007, Cold as Life played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach.

Cold as Life is an American hardcore band based out of Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1988. Lyrical themes consisted of brutal depictions of the horrors of growing up and living in a city plagued with corruption, murder, drugs, depression and poverty, along with the tragedy of losing friends, family and bandmates to murder and drug abuse.

Their shows were frequently violent, involving vicious fights that often included stabbings and beatings with various weapons. However, Cold as Life has a large "family" based following. Stories of these shows would spread throughout the Midwest punk and hardcore communities, contributing to the band's notoriety. Cold as Life drew musical influence from such bands as Negative Approach, Sheer Terror, Discharge, 4 Skins, Cro-Mags, Black Sabbath, and Slayer.

In early 2007, a reunion tour was organized by former members but featured Enzo D and Jake Bulldog (of fellow Detroit band Dogz of War) on vocals and Guitar instead of co-founder Jeff Gunnells.

On June 4, 2013, Jeff Gunnells was sentenced to between 10 and 20 years in prison for armed robbery.

Cold as Life reformed once again in 2015 and have played sporadically since.

On This Day 20/08/2007 Battles

On this day, 20 August 2007, American experimental rock group Battles played Cardiff’s The Point. Their third band had just released their first studio album Mirrored.

It was released on May 14, 2007 in the United Kingdom, and on May 22, 2007 in the United States. Mirrored marked the first album in which the band incorporated prominent vocals and lyrics into their songs, as previous extended plays by the band had been completely instrumental, with the exception of occasional beatboxing and wordless vocals on certain tracks.

The first single from the album, "Atlas", was released in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2007.

Mirrored was released to wide critical acclaim and appeared on year-end best album lists from several publications, including Time, NME, The Guardian, and Pitchfork Media.

The band is regarded as one of the most innovative math rock bands of both the 2000s and the 2010s, with critics praising the band's unique sound. In 2007, Pitchfork wrote that "Battles have done more to extend the idea of a flesh-and-blood band enhanced by computer technology than anyone since the late, lamented Disco Inferno."

On This Day 18/08/2007 The Black Dahlia Murder

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On this day, 18 August 2007, American melodic death metal band The Black Dahlia Murder played Cardiff’s Barfly on their 2007 European Tour.

From Waterford, Michigan, they were formed in 2001. Their name is derived from the 1947 unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, often referred to as Black Dahlia.

Their third album, entitled Nocturnal, was released on September 18, 2007. The album debuted at No. 72 on the Billboard 200.

Setlist

Unhallowed

Funeral Thirst

I'm Charming

Flies

Elder Misanthropy

When the Last Grave Has Emptied

Everything Went Black

Statutory Ape

Contagion

The Blackest Incarnation

Miscarriage

A Vulgar Picture

Miasma

Closed Casket Requiem

On This Day 17/08/2002 The Darkness

On this day, 17 August 2002, progressive rock band The Darkness played Cardiff’s Barfly.

The band had just released their debut recording in the EP “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” but had not yet issued their debut album '“Permission To Land” released the following year.

"I Believe in a Thing Called Love" was originally issued as a 3-track EP in August 2002; however, as only a small number of copies were printed, it was ineligible to chart. The EP also included early versions of "Love on the Rocks With No Ice" and "Love Is Only a Feeling". When released as a single in September 2003, it was beaten to number one by The Black Eyed Peas' "Where Is the Love?".

The Darkness came to prominence with the release of their debut album, Permission to Land, in 2003. Backed by the singles "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", "Growing on Me", "Get Your Hands off My Woman", and "Love Is Only a Feeling", the album was certified quadruple platinum in the United Kingdom, with sales of over 1.3 million.

In 2004 the band won three Brit Awards: Best British Group, Best British Rock Act, and Best British Album.

The success of this album led to heavy touring for the band, including European portions of Metallica's Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003.

They then went on to headline the Carling Festival in 2004. The band won three BRIT Awards in 2004 in response to the album, Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best Album.

They also won two Kerrang! awards in 2004 for Best Live Act and Best British Band. The third single from the album, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", was a substantial hit in the UK as was their tilt at the Christmas 2003 number 1, "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)", which only just fell short, both singles reaching number 2 in 2003.

On This Day 16/08/2002 Death Cab For Cutie

On this day, 16 August 2002, American rock band Death Cab For Cutie played Cardiff’s Barfly.

Formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyboards, guitar), and Jason McGerr (drums).

The band was originally a solo project by Gibbard, who expanded the project into a complete group upon getting a record deal.

They released their debut album, Something About Airplanes, in 1998. The band's fourth album, 2003's Transatlanticism, broke into the mainstream both critically and commercially; its songs were featured in various TV series and films.

The band's major label debut for Atlantic Records, 2005's Plans, went platinum.

Setlist

Bend to Squares

Photobooth

For What Reason

Why You'd Want to Live Here

We Laugh Indoors

A Movie Script Ending

Company Calls

Technicolor Girls

Pictures in an Exhibition

Information Travels Faster

Blacking Out the Friction

Atmosphere

(Joy Division cover)

Styrofoam Plates

On This Day 30/07/2006 Madonna

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On this day, 30 July 2006, American superstar Madonna played Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on her Confessions Tour with support provided by Paul Oakenfold. It was the opening concert of the European leg of the tour.

The concert was divided into four parts: Equestrian had horse-themed and bondage elements, Bedouin featured Middle Eastern and religious aspects and was accompanied by messages, Glam—Punk consisted of both rock and stripped-down performances, and the final Disco segment was based on the genre of the same name.

Review - South Wales Argus

Madonna kicks off tour in Cardiff

Around 59,000 fans have been in Cardiff to see Madonna kick off the European leg of her world tour at the Millennium Stadium.

The show was Madonna's first ever performance in Wales.

The Millennium Stadium is the biggest venue to date in the star's Confessions world tour, which began in Los Angeles in May.

The show in Cardiff was the first of 21 dates across Europe. Eight are being staged in London.

The singer included an equestrian theme during the opening in Cardiff.

Chris Lamb, from California, said 150 workers from the USA, along with 200 local people worked on the set since Monday.

"People are not coming to see a rock concert - this is a show, closer to theatre than a rock concert," he said.

DJ Paul Oakenfold opened the singer's concert at 1900 BST, performing for around an hour and a half before Madonna's two-hour show.

Traffic Wales said it had put in place plans to cope with the extra traffic.

Project manager Simon Jones said: "We work with the council, the stadium and the emergency services to ensure that the event runs smoothly."

Madonna's European tour continues to Wembley Arena and finishes in Prague before it moves to Japan in September.

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Setlist

Equestrian

Future Lovers

(with samples of "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer)

Get Together

Like a Virgin

Jump

Bedouin

Confessions

(Video interlude)

Live to Tell

Forbidden Love

Isaac

Sorry

Like It or Not

Glam-Punk

Sorry

(Video interlude, remix)

I Love New York

Ray of Light

Let It Will Be

Drowned World/Substitute for Love

Paradise (Not for Me)

Disco

The Duke Mixes the Hits

Music

Erotica

La Isla Bonita

Lucky Star

Hung Up