On this day 3rd/July/2005 Amy Winehouse

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On this day, 3 July 2005, English singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

Winehouse's debut album, Frank, was released on 20 October 2003. Produced mainly by Salaam Remi, many songs were influenced by jazz and, apart from two covers, Winehouse co-wrote every song.

The album received critical acclaim with compliments given to the "cool, critical gaze" in its lyrics.

Winehouse's voice was compared with those of Sarah Vaughan and Macy Gray, among others.

Adele has credited Winehouse's success in making her and fellow British singer Duffy's journey to the United States "a bit smoother."

Lady Gaga credited Winehouse with paving the way for her rise to the top of the charts, explaining that Winehouse made it easier for unconventional women to have mainstream pop success.

Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton and John Legend said "Amy Winehouse was produced by people who wanted to create a marketing coup. The positive side is that it reacquainted an audience with this music and played an introductory role for others. This reinvigorated the genre by overcoming the vintage aspect."

Other artists that have credited Winehouse as an influence and/or for paving the way for them include Bruno Mars, Tove Lo, Jessie J, Emeli Sandé, Paloma Faith, Lana Del Rey, Sam Smith, Florence Welch and Billie Eilish.

On this day Kings Of Leon 2/7/05

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On this day, 2 July 2005, American rockers Kings of Leon played Cardiff’s International Arena.

Formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill with their cousin Matthew Followill.

The band's early music was a blend of Southern rock and garage rock with blues influences, but it has gradually evolved throughout the years to include a variety of genres and a more alternative, arena rock sound.

Kings of Leon achieved initial success in the United Kingdom with nine Top 40 singles, two BRIT Awards in 2008, and all three of the band's albums at the time peaked in the top five of the UK Albums Chart. Their third album, Because of the Times, also reached the number one spot.

Setlist

Taper Jean Girl

Pistol of Fire

Molly's Chambers

Wasted Time

Razz

The Bucket

Soft

Milk

Rememo

Four Kicks

Velvet Snow

King of the Rodeo

Joe's Head

California Waiting

Spiral Staircase

Happy Alone

Trani

Encore:

Holy Roller Novocaine

Head to Toe

Slow Night, So Long

On this day Zodiac Mindwarp 1/7/1987

On this day, 1 July 1987, British Hard Rockers Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction played Cardiff’s Ritzy. Support was provided by Beki Bondage and the Bombshells.

The band is the brainchild of Mark Manning, a former graphic artist and art editor of the now defunct Flexipop! magazine.

The magazine folded back in 1982 but the hedonistic lifestyle of the frequenting rock and pop stars to the magazine' offices fueled his desire to experience the debauchery of life as a decadent rock star.

He joined another music publication called Metal Fury as a graphic designer but assumed the alter ego 'Zodiac Mindwarp' at night.

'Zodiac Mindwarp' was the namesake of a series of underground comics written and illustrated by Spain Rodriquez.

Zodiac soon left Metal Fury and formed the Love Reaction in 1985 with Jimmy Cauty (who later formed The Orb, The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu and The KLF) on guitar; Kid Chaos (real name Stephen Harris) on bass; and Boom Boom Kaboomski on drums.

At various times, the band has also featured Evil Bastard (real name Robert Munro who co-penned and sang on two B-sides: "Hangover from Hell" and "Lager Woman from Hell"), Heavy Metal Bear (real name Alex Bradly), Trash D Garbage (real name Paul Bailey), Flash Bastard (real name Jan Cyrka), Suzi X (real name Richard Levy), Tex Diablo (real name Christopher Renshaw), and Robbie Vom (real name Rob Morris).

On this day 30th June 1969 Pink Floyd

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On this day, 30 June 1969, legendary rock band Pink Floyd played the Presidents Ball at Cardiff’s Top Rank.

The President’s Ball was part of the celebrations to honour the Investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales.

Presented by Llandaff Technical College, the support band were Stop Watch and Pink Floyd played for 1-hour and were paid £100.

The band had released Saucerful of Secrets the previous year which reached number nine in the UK charts whilst the band had recorded some of their recent gigs for the release of Ummagumma.

The double album had one half of live recordings contain songs from their current set whilst the the other contained solo compositions by each member of the band recorded at Abbey Road Studios.

The album's title supposedly comes from Cambridge slang for sex, commonly used by Pink Floyd friend and occasional roadie, Iain "Emo" Moore, who would say, "I'm going back to the house for some ummagumma". According to Moore, he made up the term himself.

Pink Floyd setlist

1. Astronomy Domine

2. Green Is the Colour

3. Careful With That Axe, Eugene

4. Interstellar Overdrive

5. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

6. A Saucerful of Secrets

On this day 29/06/05

U2

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On this day, 29 June 2005, Irish supergroup U2 played Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on their Vertigo Tour in support of the group's 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Support was provided by Starsailor and The Killers.

The tour grossed US$260 million in 110 sold-out concerts in 2005, making it the top-grossing tour of the year.

Review - South Wales Echo

U2 are simply AWESOME!

Awesome for the soul, hard on the voice.

Awesome for the soul, hard on the voice.

That was the U2 effect Bono and the boys had on the 60,000 passionate fans at the Millennium Stadium last night, who left with croaky throats.

It was an emotional and full-blooded performance - from both the biggest band in the world and the throngs gathered to see them, many of whom matched Bono word-for-word with their singing, as the band played a mixture of their old classics and new material from their latest album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.

Backed by an enormous bank of lights with speakers and screens to each side and a stage which snaked out into the crowd at both ends, the overall effect was simple but very evocative as the band stoked their fans into a frenzy of flailing arms and picture mobiles with exuberant renditions of Vertigo, Elevation, Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Pride (In The Name Of Love) and Where The Streets Have No Name in a two-and-a-quarter-hour set.

As the music world's most vocal lobbyist, it was inevitable that Bono would get political, but his heartfelt messages were pitched just the right side of preachy.

He also had praise for Cardiff's 'beautiful, beautiful' stadium which, he said, 'should make you excited about the future'.

Bono also gave thanks to Wales for giving the world guitarist The Edge (aka Dave Evans), whose Welsh relations were out in force.

Overall, watching U2 made for an inspirational and moving experience. I just need barrels of Lockets now!

Setlist

Vertigo

I Will Follow

The Electric Co. / I Can See For Miles (snippet)

Elevation

New Year's Day

Beautiful Day / Here Comes The Sun (snippet)

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

All I Want Is You

City of Blinding Lights

Miracle Drug

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own / The Black Hills of Dakota (snippet)

Love and Peace or Else

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Bullet the Blue Sky / The Hands That Built America (snippet) / Please (snippet) / When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet)

Running To Stand Still / Happy Birthday (snippet) / Walk On (snippet)

Pride (In the Name of Love)

Where the Streets Have No Name / Dancing With Tears In My Eyes (snippet)

One / Unchained Melody (snippet)

encore(s):

Zoo Station

The Fly

With or Without You

All Because Of You

Yahweh Full band acoustic

Vertigo / See Me, Feel Me (snippet) / If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (snippet)

On this day 28/06/2008 Franz Ferdinand

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On this day 28 June 2008 Scottish band Franz Ferdinand played The Point in Cardiff.

Formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band's original lineup was composed of Alex Kapranos (lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Bob Hardy (bass guitar), and Paul Thomson (drums, percussion, backing vocals).

Julian Corrie (keyboards, lead guitar, backing vocals) and Dino Bardot (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) joined the band in 2017 after McCarthy left during the previous year.

The band is one of the more popular post-punk revival bands, garnering multiple UK top 20 hits. They have been nominated for several Grammy Awards and have received two Brit Awards – winning one for Best British Group – as well as one NME Award.

Review - David McGonigle - music OMH

It’s gotten to be a bit of a rock band cliche, but it’s nevertheless refreshing to see Franz Ferdinand playing a tour of ‘small, intimate venues’ as a warm-up to their full-on assault on various international festivals later this summer.

Refreshing because no matter how big the four boys from Glasgow get in the future, there’s something about their punky intensity that will always be best heard in the confines of a small, dark club.And while the Point – a stately converted church located in Cardiff’s gentrified Bay Area – couldn’t be further away from the art shows and mates’ houses that the band began their career in, its modest size and superior acoustics ensure that everyone in the venue is no more than a thrown drumstick away from the fab four themselves.

If chief Franz Alex Kapranos’ banter can’t be understood, well, it’s got a lot more to do with his accent than the The Point’s soundsystem.

The last venue that Franz Ferdinand played in Cardiff was the International Arena, and the ease with which Kapranos gets the crowd to clap along to the evening’s opener, a driving, powerful take on Michael suggests that they hasn’t left all of their arena rock moves at home, a point ably made again later as Kapranos and guitarist Nick McCarthy interrupt Tell Her Tonight with some major scissor-kick action.

The band seem to be having a ball, and for the first few songs we get highlights from their two albums, 2004’s Franz Ferdinand and 2005’s You Could Have It So Much Better, including a great Dark of The Matinee, and a tender, more pensive Walking Away.

But this is 2008, and the band haven’t released a new album for three years. And while there’s been a slow trickle of new tunes which have primarily ended up on fan club 7-inches and film soundtracks, Kapranos’ recent suggestions that the new album may be held back to 2009 means that anyone jonesing for a new Franz fix will need to catch them live.

And, despite what you might have heard about the new ‘African’ direction from the group, we’re offered up pretty much more of the same; effortlessly tuneful and sharp, sure, but no real left turns, no obvious changes in musical direction, just tuneful, catchy, bounce-up-and-down guitar pop.

It’s not easy to identify any of the new tunes by name, but going on the lyrics and the band’s own website it’s possible to discern the tracks Ulysses, Kathryn Kiss Me, What She Came For, and perhaps even Lucid Dreams…but don’t quote me on that one.

The band play flawlessly, enthusiastically, even; it’s often hard to know if the musicians are having as good a time as the audience, but the shit-eating smiles on the foursomes’ faces makes it all pretty clear. Yet even as the band finish their encore with a pounding This Fire – sounding more and more like Trevor Jackson’s Playgroup remix every time it’s played – how long will their fans be happy with more of the same, as excellent as it all is? For Franz Ferdinand are not McFly; their lead singer writes books, their guitarist paints – this is a band who wear their art school past clearly and obviously on their sleeves. But, except for a polyrhythmic interlude where the percussionists from Panico join them to provide Miami Vice-esque rim shots to a pretty standard pop punk tune, there is little evidence of their threatened forward direction that the band have riffed on in recent interviews.

Franz Ferdinand came to Cardiff, and saw, and rocked, for sure, but if they want their audience of mainly 20 and 30somethings to keep up with them, they’d better pull something other than scissor kicks out of the leftfield for their next album.

On this day Rufus Wainwright 27/6/2005

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On this day, 27 June 2005, American-Canadian singer, songwriter, and composer Rufus Wainwright played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

He has recorded nine albums of original music and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set Shakespeare's sonnets to music for a theatre piece by Robert Wilson.

Wainwright was born in Rhinebeck, New York, to folk singers Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III.

His parents divorced when he was three, and he lived with his mother in Montreal for most of his youth.

His father is a descendant of Peter Stuyvesant, the 17th century Dutch governor of New Amsterdam, later New York. Wainwright has dual US and Canadian citizenship.

Setlist

Crumb by Crumb

Hometown Waltz

Vibrate

Grey Gardens

This Love Affair

The One You Love

Beautiful Child

Memphis Skyline

Beauty Mark

Little Sister

Dinner at Eight

I Don't Know What It Is

Pretty Things

California

On this day Paul McCartney 26/06/2010

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On this day, 26 June 2010, rock legend Paul McCartney played Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on his Up and Coming tour. Support was provided by the Manic Street Preachers.

McCartney had announced shows for Europe, including his first appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival, and his first show in Cardiff, Wales in over three decades.

The tour required 31 trucks to transport all its equipment and employed a full-time crew of over 150 people to make it all work.

The total weight of all the tour's equipment was 125,000 pounds (57,000 kg).

The indoor concerts on the tour used 90 speakers, and the outdoor stadium shows used 130.

Backstage at each show there were 14 touring offices and dressing rooms.

The catering department served approximately 480 vegetarian meals a day to the crew.

The tour ended on 10 June 2011 with a show in Las Vegas.

“I’ve had my eye on it for a long time – since it was built. I’ve often said to my promoter, ‘What about Cardiff and the Millennium Stadium?’ but it’s always been booked. So it’s been a long-term ambition of mine.”

Paul McCartney

McCartney began the Millennium Stadium concert with Venus And Mars/Rock Show, before performing a mixture of Beatles, Wings and solo songs. He appeared in good spirits, thanking the crowd in Welsh (“Shw mae Cymru! Croeso Stadiwm y Mileniwm!”), spoke of how he and George Harrison had hitchhiked to Harlech as teenagers, and jokingly referred to Liverpool as the capital of Wales.

After performing Foxy Lady he spoke of his admiration for Jimi Hendrix, and how The Beatles had been flattered when Hendrix performed Sgt Pepper’s title track in concert. He paid tribute to Linda McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon, and performed ‘Paperback Writer’ using the Epiphone Casino which he had used to record it in 1966.

The setlist contained one extra surprise: an unscheduled performance of Ram On, in response to a placard request held up by an audience member. McCartney performed the song on George Harrison’s old ukulele prior to playing ‘Something’.