On this day 11/07/1981 Misty and the Roots

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On this day, 11 July 1981, British roots reggae band Misty and the Roots played Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens.

Formed in Southall, London, in the mid 1970s. Their first album was 1979's Live at the Counter Eurovision, a record full of Rastafarian songs. It was championed by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, helping to bring roots reggae to a white audience.

Following their debut, Misty In Roots released four studio albums through the 1980s. The band had two BBC Radio 1 "In Concert" appearances in 1983 and 1985. They were invited to play in Zimbabwe in 1982 in recognition of their support for the independence movement, and were the first reggae band to tour South Africa, Poland, and Russia.

In 1979 Clarence Baker, a member of the collective, was severely beaten and injured by the SPG during a protest in Southall against a National Front march.

The punk band The Ruts, who were partners of and had their debut single released by the People Unite co-operative, honoured him in their song "Jah War" which was released as a single and on their album The Crack the same year.

In 1981 the band released their third album Wise and Foolish

On this day 10/07/2005 REM

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On this day, 10 July 2005, American rockers from Athens, Georgia, REM played Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, on their Around The Sun Tour, with support from Johnathan Rice, Idlewild and The Zutons.

Around The Sun was the band’s 13th studio album, released the previous October.

During production of the album in 2002, Stipe said, "[The album] sounds like it's taking off from the last couple of records into unchartered R.E.M. territory. Kind of primitive and howling".

After the album's release, Mills said, "I think, honestly, it turned out a little slower than we intended for it to, just in terms of the overall speed of songs."

Around the Sun received a mixed critical reception, the first single from the album, "Leaving New York", was a Top 5 hit in the UK.

For the record and subsequent tour, the band hired a new full-time touring drummer, Bill Rieflin, who had previously been a member of several industrial music acts such as Ministry and Pigface, and remained in that role for the duration of the band's active years.

The video album Perfect Square was released that same year.

R.E.M.

Peter Buck – guitar

Mike Mills – bass guitar, background vocals, keyboards, lead vocals on "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville"

Michael Stipe – vocals, harmonica on "Bad Day"

Additional musicians

Scott McCaughey – guitar, keyboards, background vocals

Bill Rieflin – drums

Ken Stringfellow – keyboards, guitar, melodica, background vocals

Setlist

Bad Day

What's The Frequency, Kenneth?

The One I Love

Drive

The Outsiders

Animal

Strange Currencies

Wanderlust

So Fast, So Numb

Leaving New York

Everybody Hurts

Electron Blue

Electrolite

These Days

Final Straw

Orange Crush

Walk Unafraid

Losing My Religion

encore:

Imitation Of Life

The Great Beyond

Exhuming McCarthy

Nightswimming

I'm Gonna DJ

Man On The Moon

Tina Turner 9/7/2000

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On this day, 9 July 2000, American singing icon Tina Turner played Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on her Twenty Four Seven Millennium Tour. Support was provided by TaxiRide and former Creedance Clearwater Revival leader, John Fogerty.

The tour initially was set to promote her latest studio album. During promotion, Turner acknowledge the tour as her final one as she enters pseudo-retirement.

“I've been performing for 44 years; I really should hang up my dancing shoes. I can't keep up with Janet Jackson. I'm not a diva like Diana Ross. I'm rock 'n' roll, but I'm happy I can do it one more time, so people can remember me at my best."

Setlist

I Want to Take You Higher

(Sly & the Family Stone cover)

Absolutely Nothing's Changed

A Fool in Love

(Ike & Tina Turner song)

The Acid Queen

(The Who cover)

River Deep, Mountain High

(Ellie Greenwich cover)

We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)

Better Be Good to Me

(Spider cover)

Private Dancer

Let's Stay Together

(Al Green cover)

What's Love Got to Do With It

When the Heartache Is Over

Hot Legs

(Rod Stewart cover)

Help!

(The Beatles cover)

Whatever You Need

(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

(Otis Redding cover)

Try a Little Tenderness

(Ray Noble and His Orchestra cover)

Steamy Windows

(Tony Joe White cover)

Addicted to Love

(Robert Palmer cover)

The Best

(Bonnie Tyler cover)

Proud Mary

(Creedence Clearwater Revival cover) (with John Fogerty)

Encore:

Nutbush City Limits

(Ike & Tina Turner song)

Twenty Four Seven

THE BAND:-

JOEL CAMPBELL - Piano / Keyboard / Vocals

JACK BRUNO - Drums

JAMES RALSTON - Guitar / Vocals

JOHN MILES - Guitar / Vocals / Harmonica

WARREN J McRAE - Bass

EUGE GROOVE - Saxophone / Percussion / Keyboards

OLLIE MARLAND - Keyboards / Vocals

STACY CAMPBELL - Singer / Dancer

GLORIA REUBEN - Singer / Dancer

SOLANGE GUENIER - Dancer / Singer

IVONA BRNELIC - Dancer / Singer

CLARE LOUISE TURTON - Dancer / Singer

On This Day 8th july 66 The Who

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On this day, 8 July 1966, legendary rock band The Who played Cardiff’s Top Rank.

The band had released the single ‘Substitute’ a few months earlier that reached number five in the UK.

"Substitute" was primarily inspired by the 1965 soul single "The Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Pete Townshend became obsessed, particularly, with the line, "Although she may be cute/She's just a substitute." This had then led Townshend "to celebrate the word with a song all its own."

The guitar solo is played by bassist John Entwistle who later said: 'I played a Gibson SG medium scale bass with wire-wound strings. When it got to the solo, because we were recording and mixing it virtually live, I thought, yeah, this should be a bass solo, so I turned my volume up and they couldn’t mix me out, so it ended up as a bass solo.'

The Who get to take a few days off as Keith becomes a father. Amanda Moon is born to the secretly-married drummer and his wife Kim on the 12 July. Keith, however, fails to bring his wife home from the hospital because he is on a three-day LSD trip.

Sir Rod Stewart On This Day 7/7/2007

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On this day, 7 July 2007, rock legend Rod Stewart played Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on his Rockin' In The Round Tour with support provided by The Pretenders.

Rod Stewart, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

Review - South Wales Argus

A leggy blonde playing the saxophone wearing a skirt smaller than my hankerchief could only mean one thing - Rod Stewart was in town.

Although far from capacity, the audience filled the stadium with song as they gave the legendary rocker a warm, sunny Welsh welcome.

Rod appeared on stage in front of a video montage, entitled The Rodfather, which contained pictures and footage from what seems to be a lifetime existence in showbusiness.

Wearing a sparkling orange jacket, he opened with You Wear it Well and pretty much rocked the tartan-clad stage with energetic performances for the next two hours - not bad for an old man.

Rod, joined by the vocal crowd, belted out his classics Maggie May, It's a Heartache, Hot Legs and You're in My Heart.

No-one was left seated as he sang Sailing, joined by a Welsh choir, and, of course, Do Ya Think I'm Sexy.

His trademark gruffled voice was perfectly showcased in I Don't Want To Talk About It and First Cut is the Deepest.

Plus he did a rousing rendition of his New Faces classic Dirty Old Town, dedicated to one of his Celtic footballing heroes.

And, as well his trademark footballs kicked into the audience, Rod had a bash at kicking rugby balls - efforts which Stephen Jones would have been proud of.

The newlywed star strutted his stuff, shining brighter than his gold shoes and glitter jacket and the show ended literally with a bang with fireworks.

The Rodfather showed no sign of slowing down for the encore, proving he can still rock with the best of them even at the age of 62.

By Chris Tinsley

Setlist

You Wear It Well

Some Guys Have All the Luck

(Robert Palmer cover)

Sweet Little Rock & Roller

(Chuck Berry cover)

It's a Heartache

(Bonnie Tyler cover)

Rhythm of My Heart

(Marc Jordan cover)

Reason to Believe

(Tim Hardin cover)

Handbags and Gladrags

(Mike d’Abo cover)

Father and Son

(Cat Stevens cover)

Every Beat of My Heart

Having a Party

(Sam Cooke cover) (with Alistair)

Stay With Me

(Faces song)

Hot Legs

I Don't Want to Talk About It

(Crazy Horse cover)

Dirty Old Town

(Ewan MacColl cover)

2:

Every Picture Tells a Story

The First Cut Is the Deepest

(Cat Stevens cover)

Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)

This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)

(The Isley Brothers cover)

Young Turks

Sailing

(The Sutherland Brothers Band cover) (with choir)

Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?

You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)

Baby Jane

Maggie May

Encore:

Twistin' the Night Away

(Sam Cooke cover)

I Was Only Joking

On this day Sad Cafe 6/7/1983

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On this day, 6 July 1983, Manchester rock band Sad Cafe played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

They are best known for the UK Top 40 singles "Every Day Hurts", "Strange Little Girl", "My Oh My" and "I'm in Love Again", the first of which was their biggest hit, reaching number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979.

The band initially dissolved in 1990, but briefly reformed in 1998, and again in 2000. The band played a 2000 concert as a tribute to former vocalist Paul Young, who had died on 15 July 2000.

Band

Paul Young – lead vocals

Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Vic Emerson – keyboards

Dave Irving – drums

Lenni – saxophone

Des Tong – bass, backing vocals

Michael Byron-Hehir – lead guitar

On this day Xmal Deutschland 5/7/1984

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On this day, 5 July 1984, German band Xmal Deutschland played Cardiff’s New Ocean Club. Support was provided by Red Lorry-Yellow Lorry.

The band were promoting their second studio album Tocsin, described as a teutonic marriage of Siouxsie and the Banshees' inviting goth-pop and the majestic sonic spaces of the Cocteau Twins.

Founded in 1980 with a completely female line-up, they became chart hit makers both within, and outside, their native country.

The lead singer of the band was vocalist Anja Huwe. Xmal Deutschland's last album was released in 1989.

Setlist

Intro

Vito

Mondlicht

Orient

Eiland

Reigen

Augen-blick

Tag für Tag

Boomerang

Nachtschatten

Qual

Encore:

Incubus Succubus

Encore 2:

Geheimnis

On this day Dolly Parton 4/7/2008

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On this day, 4 July 2008, American Country music legend Dolly Parton played Cardiff’s International Arena on her Backwoods Barbie Tour.

Visiting the United States, Northern Europe and Canada, the tour supported her 40th studio album, Backwoods Barbie.

The tour was well received by critics and spectators alike, the European leg of the tour was the most successful outing of Parton's touring history, performing for 170,000 spectators in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands.

To introduce the tour, Parton remarked:

"I had this product that I wanted to sell. It was my performing. I try to think of it as the music business, and you can't just throw it out to anyone and then move on to a new product. So I got involved. God created me, but he gave me the go-ahead to do what I could with it."

Madeleine Brindley (Western Mail) believes Parton's concert at the Cardiff International Arena proved her to be the first lady of country and western the world over.

Brindley explains, As last night amply demonstrated Dolly has lost none of her songwriting, or story-telling talents, as almost every number was prefaced by a short story, which gave us the tiniest of glimpses into the thought process which drives this diminutive star.

Setlist

Two Doors Down

Jolene

Backwoods Barbie

Coat of Many Colors

Only Dreamin'

Better Get to Livin'

Shinola

Little Sparrow

The Grass Is Blue

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind

Here You Come Again

(Barry Mann cover)

Islands in the Stream

(Bee Gees cover)

9 to 5

Encore:

I Will Always Love You

Jesus and Gravity