On This Day 1/6/1984 OMD

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On this day, 1 June 1984, Liverpool band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark played Cardiff’s Top Rank, a tour to promote their Junk Culture album release with support provided by Fiction Factory.

Junk Culture was the fifth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 30 April 1984 by Virgin Records. After the commercial disappointment of the experimental 1983 album Dazzle Ships, OMD and Virgin intended for the group to shift toward a more accessible sound on its follow-up release.

The band retained elements of their early experimental approach but embraced a wider range of influences than previously, drawing inspiration from pop, dance, Latin and black music.

The record spawned four singles, including the UK Top 20 entries "Locomotion" and "Talking Loud and Clear", and the club hit "Tesla Girls". It met with a mixed response from the UK press, but went on to be named as one of the best albums of 1984 in multiple US publications.

Junk Culture was remastered and re-released in 2015, with a bonus disc of B-sides and extended mixes.
The album peaked at No9 in the UK album charts.

On This Day 31/5/1960 Conway Twitty

On this day, 31 May 1960, American country music legend Conway Twitty played the Gaumont Theatre in a show that featured other American stars, Freddie Cannon (Way Down Yonder In New Orleans), Johnny Preston (Running Bear) plus Brits, Wee Willie Harris, known as "Britain's wild man of rock 'n' roll", Chris Wayne and the Echoes and Tony Crombie. The compère was Don Arden, father of Sharon Osbourne.

On This Day 30/5/2004 Bruce Cockburn

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On this day, 30 May 2004, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Bruce Cockburn played the Coal Exchange in Cardiff.

Cockburn has written more than 350 songs on 34 albums over a career spanning 40 years.

Cockburn's songwriting is often political, expressing concern for the environment and the welfare of indigenous peoples. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians writes, "Cockburn always risked an outspoken stand in his work, taking on issues and morality to the detriment of his popular appeal.

No artist since Phil Ochs has taken such strong political stands."

On This Day 29/5/2010 Pendulum

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On this day, 29 May 2010, Australian drum and bass band Pendulum played Cardiff International Arena.
The band had just released their third studio album Immersion making no 1 on the UK album charts in its first week of release. The album features collaborations with Liam Howlett, Steven Wilson and the Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames.

Review Wales Online May 2010

I DON’T profess to know much about Pendulum and would in no way consider myself a fan, so their gig on Saturday night was like stepping into the unknown.

Someone had told me, before the show had even started, that the band is one of the best live acts around this year – a lot for the Australians, who blend rock and drum’n’bass beats, to live up to.

I’ve seen Pendulum once before, as the opening support act for a Prodigy gig a few years ago, at the same venue.

My memory is a little hazy of that concert, but Pendulum this time around, as headliners, exploded on to the stage in a blaze of light and sound, setting the tone for the rest of their 90-minute set.

With a nod to the Prodigy just a few tunes in, Pendulum fused elements of rock with dance and drumbeats creating a sweaty and eclectic mix that had most of the not-quite sell-out crowd hopping from foot to foot.

Where once they may have been a little heavier on the rock influences, with their latest album Immersion out, it all sounded a little more dance-y and, dare I say it, rave-y.

There were some great moments in Pendulum’s set and, at times, I again felt like a teenager who had just discovered serious dance music – the beats transported me back to my youth and sweaty late-night rave clubs on a Friday night.

But there were also some tedious moments as the bass lines seemed just a little too similar from one song to the next, and at times it was all a little clichéd and same-old, same-old.

On This Day 28/5/1986 The Cramps

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On this day, 28 May 1986, American punk band The Cramps, played Cardiff’s Ritzy.
Support was provided by Guana Bats and The Stingrays.

Their sound was heavily influenced by early rockabilly of the likes of Link Wray and Hasil Adkins plus the 1960s surf music of the Ventures and Dick Dale.

Their music helped inspire and create the psychobilly genre.

The band had recently released their album A Date With Elvis which peaked at No 34 in the UK album charts.
Their single What’s Inside A Girl, released earlier this month reached 78 in the singles chart.

The band’s first UK tour was in 1977 supporting The Police. They had signed to the IRS record label run by Police drummer Stewart Copeland’s brother Miles.

Bonus On This Day 27/5/2008 Cute Is What We Aim For/Boys Like Girls

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On this day, 27 May 2008, American rock bands Cute Is What We Aim For and Boys Like Girls played Cardiff University.

Cute Is What We Ask For were promoting their soon to be released second album Rotation.

The band’s lead singer Shaant Hacikyan was unable to appear due to passport issues and bassist Dave Melillo stepped up to provide the vocals, fronting the band for three shows until the issue was resolved.

Melillo said about the shows, “It was the first time I had fronted a band in a year, so it was a bit nerve-racking at first.

“They we’re just cool with us without him…the first night we actually sold the most merchandise.
“Over there it’s a different animal; they just appreciate us being there, whereas kids in the US, you feel you have to prove something.”

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On This Day 27/5/1963 The Beatles & Roy Orbison

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On this day, 27 May 1963, legendary group The Beatles paid their very first visit to Cardiff play the Capitol Theatre.

The 1963 concert tour of the United Kingdom by Roy Orbison and the Beatles. Other acts on the tour included Gerry and the Pacemakers, David Macbeth, Louise Cordet, Tony Marsh, Terry Young Six, Erkey Grant, and Ian Crawford.

Orbison had a great influence on contemporary artists as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The Beatles were fans of Roy, and as early as the very first radio program they participated in, Teenagers Turn, recorded on March 8 1962 with Pete Best on drums, the group performed the song "Dream Baby" with Paul on vocals.

The song was a brand new single with Roy, released only a month before The Beatles did their version of it.
Although Orbison was originally intended to be the headlining act, the reaction to the Beatles on the tour caused them to be promoted to co-headliners, with the Beatles closing the set in the traditional headlining spot.

Concert Review - South Wales Echo

On This Day 26/5/1974 Deep Purple

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On this day, 26 May 1974, Hard rock band Deep Purple played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre, with support provided by the American band ELF which featured Ronnie Dio.

Deep Purple was on tour in England and Wales (having played Scotland the previous month), for the first (and last) time with the new Mk 3 line-up, singer David Coverdale and bassist Glenn Hughes having replaced Gillan and Glover.

The shows were tremendous, with Blackmore, having gained more control over the musical direction, in particularly awesome form - effortlessly ranging from quiet blues to hard riffing. Although following Mk 2 wasn't an easy task, the band pulled it off and while some people missed the older material, few could deny the new set - already honed by a big American tour - was extremely powerful.

The band played the larger theatres and town halls right across the country, with a set list firmly based around the new Burn album issued just three months before. Only "Smoke" and a lengthy much revamped "Space Truckin'" remained from Mk 2 days, with "Highway Star" as part of the encore.