On This Day 29/04/1997 Muse

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 29 April 1997, the then unsigned West Country rock band Muse played Cardiff University supporting Welsh band Feeder.

From Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Wolstenholme (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Dominic Howard (drums).

Muse released their debut album, Showbiz, in 1999, showcasing Bellamy's falsetto and a melancholic alternative rock style. Their second album, Origin of Symmetry (2001), incorporated wider instrumentation and romantic classical influences and earned them a reputation for energetic live performances.

Absolution (2003) saw further classical influence, with strings on tracks such as "Butterflies and Hurricanes", and was the first of six consecutive UK number-one albums.

The members of Muse played in separate school bands during their time at Teignmouth Community College in the early 1990s.

Guitarist Matt Bellamy successfully auditioned for drummer Dominic Howard's band, Carnage Mayhem, becoming its singer and songwriter.

They renamed the band Gothic Plague. They asked Chris Wolstenholme – at that time the drummer for Fixed Penalty – to join as bassist; he agreed and took up bass lessons.

The band was renamed Rocket Baby Dolls and adopted a goth-glam image. Around this time, they received a £150 grant from the Prince's Trust for equipment.

In 1994, Rocket Baby Dolls won a local battle of the bands, smashing their equipment in the process. Bellamy said, "It was supposed to be a protest, a statement, so, when we actually won, it was a real shock, a massive shock. After that, we started taking ourselves seriously."

The band quit their jobs, changed their name to Muse, and moved away from Teignmouth. The band liked that the new name was short and thought that it looked good on a poster.

According to journalist Mark Beaumont, the band wanted the name to reflect "the sense Matt had that he had somehow 'summoned up' this band, the way mediums could summon up inspirational spirits at times of emotional need".

On This Day 28/04/2004 Duran Duran

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 28 April 2004, legendary rock/pop band Duran Duran played Cardiff International Arena as part of the Reunion Tour with support provided by American band Scissor Sisters.

Duran Duran celebrated their homecoming to the UK with fourteen stadium dates in April 2004, including five sold-out nights at Wembley Arena. The British press, traditionally hostile to the band, accorded the shows some very warm reviews.

Duran Duran brought along band Goldfrapp and the Scissor Sisters as alternating opening acts for this tour.

The last two shows were filmed, resulting in the concert DVD Duran Duran: Live from London which was released in November.

Finally, with more than thirty-five songs completed, the band signed a two-album contract with Epic Records in June, and completed the new album, now entitled Astronaut.

The album was released in October 2004 and entered the UK charts at number 3 and the US charts at number 17. The first single was "(Reach Up for the) Sunrise", which reached number 1 on the Billboard US Dance chart in November and peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, Duran Duran's highest chart position since "A View to a Kill" in 1985.

Setlist:

"(Reach Up for The) Sunrise"

"Hungry Like the Wolf"

"Is There Something I Should Know?"

"Union of the Snake"

"Come Undone"

"A View to a Kill"

"What Happens Tomorrow"

"New Religion"

"Planet Earth"

"I Don't Want Your Love"

"Tiger Tiger"

"The Chauffeur"

"Beautiful Colours"

"Ordinary World"

"Save A Prayer"

"Notorious"

"The Reflex"

"Careless Memories"

"The Wild Boys"

Encore:

"White Lines"

"Girls on Film"

"Rio"

On This Day 27/04/1966 Small Faces

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 27 April 1966, mod rockers the Small Faces played Cardiff’s Top Rank Ballroom.

Founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966.

The band was one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s, recording hit songs such as "Itchycoo Park", "Lazy Sunday", "All or Nothing", and "Tin Soldier", as well as their concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake.

They evolved into one of the UK's most successful psychedelic bands until 1969.

Their first album, Small Faces, released on 6 May 1966, was also a considerable success.

They rapidly rose in popularity with each chart success, becoming regulars on British pop TV shows such as Ready Steady Go! and Top of the Pops, and toured incessantly in the UK and Europe.

Their popularity peaked in August 1966, when "All or Nothing", their fifth single, hit the top of the UK charts.

According to Marriott's mother Kay, he is said to have written the song about his breakup with his ex-fiancée Susan Oliver.

On the success of "All or Nothing" they were set to tour America with the Lovin' Spoonful and the Mamas & the Papas; however, these plans had to be shelved by Don Arden after details of Ian McLagan's recent drug conviction were leaked.

By 1966, despite being one of the highest-grossing live acts in the country and scoring many successful singles, including four UK Top 10 chart hits, the group still had little money. After a confrontation with Arden who tried to face down the boys' parents by claiming that the whole band were using drugs, they broke with both Arden and Decca.

Line Up

Steve Marriott - vocals, guitar

Ian McLagan - keyboards

Ronnie Lane - bass, vocals

Kenny Jones - drums

On This Day 26/04/1969 Fleetwood Mac

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 26 April 1969, legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac, played Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens supporting B.B. King, with Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee & Duster Bennett.

Formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their self-titled debut album. Danny Kirwan joined as a third guitarist in 1968. Keyboardist and vocalist Christine Perfect, who contributed as a session musician from the second album, married McVie and joined in 1970.

Primarily a British blues band at first, Fleetwood Mac scored a UK number one with "Albatross",and had other hits such as the singles "Oh Well" and "Man of the World".

LINE UP

Peter Green - vocals, guitar, harmonica

Jeremy Spencer - vocal, guitar

Danny Kirwan - vocal, guitar

John McVie - bass

Mick Fleetwood - drums

SETLIST

Before the Beginning 


Coming Your Way 


My Baby's Sweet 
(Homesick James cover)


Jumping at Shadows 
(Duster Bennett cover) 


Tallahassee Lassie 
(Freddy Cannon cover) 


Like Crying 


Something Inside of Me 


Talk to Me Baby 
(Elmore James cover) 


Long Tall Sally 
(Little Richard cover) 


Albatross

On This Day 17/04/1967 Bo Diddley

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 17 April 1967, American singer, guitarist, songwriter and music producer Bo Diddley played Cardiff Top Rank, supported by his backing band The Canadians.

Diddley played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Animals, George Thorogood, and the Clash.

His use of African rhythms and a signature beat, a simple five-accent hambone rhythm, is a cornerstone of hip hop, rock, and pop music.

In recognition of his achievements, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2003, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2017.

He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Diddley is also recognized for his technical innovations, including his use of tremolo and reverb effects to enhance the sound of his distinctive rectangular-shaped guitar.

On This Day 16/04/2006 Jeff Wayne

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 16 April 2006, American-born naturalized British composer, musician and lyricist Jeff Wayne performed his masterpiece War Of The Worlds at Cardiff International Arena.

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, released on 9 June 1978 by CBS Records. It is a musical adaptation of the science-fiction novel The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells in a rock opera style with a rock band, orchestra, narrator, and leitmotifs to carry the story and lyrics that express the feelings of the various characters.

The album features guest artists David Essex, Justin Hayward, Phil Lynott, and Julie Covington, with actor Richard Burton as the narrator.

The album became a commercial success in the UK, peaking at number 5 on the chart and selling over 2.7 million copies there since its release.

The 2006 tour finally began in UK and Ireland and featured Wayne conducting the 48-piece ULLAdubULLA Strings and 10-piece Black Smoke Band.

A "virtual" Richard Burton (a large bust of the Journalist onto which was projected an image of a young Burton with a super-imposed actor's mouth and jaw lip synched to the original Burton recordings) performed as The Journalist.

Hayward reprised his original role as The Sung Thoughts of the Journalist and Thompson returned as The Voice of Humanity. Also from the original recording were Spedding playing lead guitar and Flowers on bass guitar.

Other guest artists who appeared were the "People's Tenor" Russell Watson as Parson Nathaniel, Alexis James as The Artilleryman, and Tara Blaise as Beth.

Daniel Boys was understudy for all the roles sung by male artists.

A model Fighting Machine featured on stage. A short animated prequel to the story was also presented in the style of the upcoming feature-length film detailing the Martians' ecological destruction of their own world (which was originally made for the 1998 computer game) and their preparations to invade Earth, and including a short remix of "The Red Weed".

The show was produced by Wayne, Ray Jones, and Damian Collier.

On This Day 15/04/1966 Roy Orbison

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 15 April 1966, "The Big O." American rocker Roy Orbison played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre.

Also on the bill were, The Walker Brothers, Lulu, The Quotations, The Marionettes, Kim D and the Dels with the show compere Ray Cameron.

Born and raised in Texas, Orbison got his start in a rockabilly band in high school. According to The Authorized Roy Orbison, Orbison's first release was in March 1956 on the Je-Wel label.

He broke into professional music under Sam Phillips at Sun Records in the summer of 1956,[4] but found only marginal success there.

After a couple years writing for other musicians (including "Claudette" recorded by The Everly Brothers), Orbison recorded several songs at Monument Records under producer Fred Foster starting in 1959.

With Foster, Orbison and his frequent songwriting partners Joe Melson and Bill Dees tailored many of Orbison's songs for his unique voice; his most popular songs were dramatic ballads ending with emotional crescendos that showcased his powerful vocals.

After his biggest hit in 1964, "Oh, Pretty Woman", Orbison continued to record and chart intermittently in the UK, but it was not until 1987 that he again found the level of popular worldwide success he had known in the early 1960s, when his original recording of "In Dreams" was used in David Lynch's film Blue Velvet.

The following year, Orbison co-founded the supergroup Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. Lynne produced Orbison's final album Mystery Girl, which was released posthumously in February 1989.

On This Day 14/04/1961 Cliff Richard and the Shadows

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 14 April 1961, rock/pop music icons Cliff Richard and the Shadows played Cardiff’s Gaumont Theatre.

Also on the bill were, The Brook Brothers,The Nevitt Brothers,Patti Brooks,The Wiseguys,The Sonnnettes with compere being comedian Norman Vaughan.

The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) , who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre-Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard from 1958 to 1968, and have joined him for several reunion tours.

The core members from 1958 to present are guitarists Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch and drummer Brian Bennett (who has been with the group since 1961) with various bassists and occasionally keyboardists through the years. Along with the Fender guitar, another cornerstone of the Shadows sound was the Vox amplifier.

The band had just had a hit with F.B.I, which reached No 6 in the UK Singles Chart, quickly following it up with The Frightened City on 28 April 1961.