On This Day 14/04/1998 Yes

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On this day, 14 April 1998, prog rock giants Yes played Cardiff International Arena on their Open Your Eyes and 30th Anniversary Tour.

Open Your Eyes is the seventeenth studio album by the English rock band Yes, released in November 1997 by Eagle Records in the UK and by Beyond Music in the US. Following the 1996 revival of the 1970s "classic" line-up of Yes, the band's relationship with management had broken down and keyboardist Rick Wakeman had once again left the band.

While various other members dispersed, guitarist, keyboardist, and producer Billy Sherwood (a long-time Yes associate and contributor) began developing new songs with band bassist and de facto leader Chris Squire to prevent the band from losing momentum and fully splitting.

Yes' new management company suggested adding a couple of songs originally written for Squire and Sherwood's other band Conspiracy to help build up material for a new Yes studio album. With the writing and production sessions dominated by Squire and Sherwood, and with singer Jon Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Alan White only involved later in the process, the writing and creative input of the latter three members was limited.

Open Your Eyes received mixed reviews from music critics and became one of the band's lowest selling albums, reaching number 151 on the US Billboard 200 and failing to enter the UK Albums Chart. Its lead single, "Open Your Eyes", reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart which was followed by a second, "New State of Mind".

A limited edition with a surround sound mix was also released. Yes supported the album with a 12-month world tour from October 1997 that coincided with their thirtieth anniversary. The band were joined by Russian keyboardist Igor Khoroshev, who had played on the album as a guest musician and who became a full-time member at the tour's conclusion.

Lineup:

Jon Anderson – vocals

Steve Howe – guitars, vocals

Billy Sherwood – guitars, vocals

Chris Squire – bass, vocals

Alan White – drums, percussion

plus: Igor Khoroshev – keyboards, vocals

On This Day 12/03/1971 Yes

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On this day 12 March 1971, prog rock band Yes played Cardiff University, promoting their Yes Album, the band’s third studio album. A gig the previous month at Cardiff Technical College was cancelled after their van was involved in a road collision.

The tour began at the Lyceum in London—Guitarist Steve Howe's first performance with the band—and ended at the Crystal Palace Bowl, also in London— Keyboard player Tony Kaye's last performance with the band before his 13-year absence.

The tour saw the band play concerts in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, France, Italy, Canada, and the United States over three legs—a European leg, a North American leg and a single-show return to the United Kingdom.

The line-up for the tour unchanged throughout its duration, and was the fifth incarnation of Yes.[8] Steve Howe joined the band two months previously—all concerts during May and June were cancelled while the band found a replacement—and Tony Kaye was replaced by Rick Wakeman shortly after the tour ended in time for rehearsal sessions for Fragile.

Jon Anderson — vocals, harmonium, Dewtron Mister Bassman Bass Pedals

Steve Howe — Gibson ES-175, Martin 00-18 acoustic guitar, vachalia, vocals

Chris Squire — Rickenbacker 4001S, Fender Telecaster bass, vocals

Tony Kaye — Hammond organ

Bill Bruford — Ludwig drums, Paiste and Zildjian cymbals

Setlist

Also Sprach Zarathustra

(Richard Strauss song)

Yours Is No Disgrace

I've Seen All Good People

Clap

Classical Gas

(Mason Williams cover)

Perpetual Change

Everydays

(Buffalo Springfield cover)

America

(Simon & Garfunkel cover)