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On this day, 25 May 1999, Welsh rock band Feeder played Cardiff’s Coal Exchange with support provided by Muse.
Muse had recently played Cardiff University on a Radio One Evening Session Tour.
Feeder were about to release their second studio album Yesterday Went To Soon in August whilst Muse’s debut album, Showbiz, was due to be released in October.
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On this day, 24 May 1977, punk legends The Clash played Cardiff’s Top Rank on their White Riot tour, their first as the headlining band. Support was provided by The Buzzcocks, The Slits and The Subway Sect.
The band had not long released their debut album The Clash in February and released Remote Control, the second single taken the album, a few weeks before the gig.
Written and recorded over three weeks in February 1977 for £4,000, it would go on to reach No. 12 on the UK charts, and has been included on many retrospective rankings as one of the greatest punk albums of all time.
The cover artwork was designed by Polish artist Rosław Szaybo. The album's front cover photo, shot by Kate Simon, was taken in the alleyway directly opposite the front door of the band's 'Rehearsal Rehearsals' building in Camden Market.
I'm So Bored With the U.S.A.
Hate & War
48 Hours
Deny
Police and Thieves
(Junior Murvin cover)
Cheat
Capital Radio
What's My Name
Protex Blue
Remote Control
Garageland
1977
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On this day, 23 May 1978, rock legend Ian Dury and the Blockheads played Cardiff’s Top Rank.
The Blockheads' sound drew from its members' diverse musical influences, which included jazz, rock and roll, funk, and reggae, and Dury's love of music hall. The band was formed after Dury began writing songs with pianist and guitarist Chaz Jankel.
Dury's first hit, "What a Waste / Wake Up and Make Love with Me" was released in April 1978 just before the start of his headlining tour, entering the Top 75 on 29 April and spent 12 weeks there. It peaked at number 9 in the UK Singles Chart,becoming Stiff Records' biggest selling single to date.
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On this day, 22 May 1975, Scottish rocker Alex Harvey played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre.
Although his career spanned almost three decades, he is best remembered as the frontman of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, with whom he built a reputation as an exciting live performer during the era of glam rock in the 1970s.
The singer/band had just released their fourth album Tomorrow Belongs To Me, whilst their soon to be released cover of the Tom Jones classic Delilah peaked at no7 in the UK singles chart.
Harvey finally left the band in 1981 and he released two more solo albums.
On 4 February 1982, returning from performances in Belgium, Harvey died from heart failure, a day before his 47th birthday.
Harvey’s brother Les, who was guitarist with Stone The Crows also died tragically young when he was electrocuted during the band’s performance at Swansea Top Rank in 1972.
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On this day, 21 May 1971, legendary American funk collective Parliament Funkadelic played Cardiff University on their first ever UK tour.
The collective's origins date back to the doo-wop group the Parliaments, formed by Clinton in the late 1950s in suburban Plainfield, New Jersey. Under the influence of late-1960s artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, and Frank Zappa, Clinton later relocated to Detroit and began the sister groups Parliament and Funkadelic, with the former playing an eclectic and more commercial form of funk, and the latter incorporating more influence from psychedelic rock.
Funkadelic we’re about to release their third album Maggot Brain whilst Parliament had released their debut album Osmium the previous July.
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On this day, 20 May 1957, English comedian and actor Max Wall, whose performing career covered music hall, theatre, films and television, played the first of six dates at Cardiff’s New Theatre.
He is best remembered for his ludicrously attired and hilariously strutting Professor Wallofski. John Cleese has acknowledged Wall's influence on his own "Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch for Monty Python's Flying Circus.
On 1 April 1977, Wall's version of Ian Dury's song "England's Glory" produced by Cardiff rocker Dave Edmunds (which featured in Dury's stage show Apples) was issued on Stiff Records, backed with "Dream Tobacco" and given away with the album Hits Greatest Stiffs.Wall also appeared onstage with Dury at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1978, but was poorly received, and said "They only want the walk".
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On this day, 19 May 2001, American shock rocker Alice Cooper played Cardiff International Arena with special guests Dio.
It was the second leg of the Live From The Brutal Planet tour taking in Australia and Europe.
Brutal Planet was the name of Cooper’s fourteenth album released the previous year.
Musically, it found Alice tackling a much darker and heavier approach than on previous albums, with many songs approaching a somewhat modern-sounding, industrial/metal sound.
Tour band: Ryan Roxie (Guitar), Eric Dover (Guitar), Greg Smith (Bass), Eric Singer (Drums) and Teddy Zig Zag (Keyboards)
Setlist
Controller Intro
Brutal Planet
Gimme
Go to Hell
Blow Me a Kiss
I'm Eighteen
Pick Up the Bones
Feed My Frankenstein
Wicked Young Man
Dead Babies
Ballad of Dwight Fry
Killer
I Love the Dead
Black Widow Jam
No More Mr. Nice Guy
It's Hot Tonight
Caught in a Dream
It's the Little Things
Poison
Take It Like a Woman
Only Women Bleed
You Drive Me Nervous
Under My Wheels
School's Out
Billion Dollar Babies
My Generation
Department of Youth
...Baby One More Time
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On this day, 18 May 1982, Scottish pop band Altered Images played Cardiff’s Top Rank.
The band had just released their second album Pinky Blue.
The album reached No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart, while the singles charted well, with "I Could Be Happy" peaking at No. 7, "See Those Eyes" at No. 11 and "Pinky Blue" at No. 35 on the official singles chart.
This was to be their highest placed album in the charts
Fronted by actress/singer Clare Grogan, the band branched into Fronted by singer Clare Grogan, the band branched into mainstream pop music, having six UK top 40 hit singles and three top 30 albums between 1981 and 1983.
Their hits included "Happy Birthday", "I Could Be Happy", "See Those Eyes", and "Don't Talk to Me About Love". mainstream pop music, having six UK top 40 hit singles and three top 30 albums between 1981 and 1983. Their hits included "Happy Birthday", "I Could Be Happy", "See Those Eyes", and "Don't Talk to Me About Love".
Prior to finding fame with Altered Images, she had appeared in the 1981 film Gregory's Girl.
Bassist Johnny McElhone went on to perform with Hipsway and eventually Texas.
