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On this day, 17 August 1968, the rock magazine Melody Maker reported that Welsh rocker Spencer Davis and band had been robbed.
Vandals had wrecked the Spencer Davis Management Offices at Wardour Street, Soho, twice in a week, with petty cash taken and furniture damaged.
The Spencer Davis Group van was also stolen in Cardiff but was later recovered by Police.
The band were still unable to fufill an engagement in Scarborough as it broke down on the way.
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On this day, 16 August 2002, American rock band Death Cab For Cutie played Cardiff’s Barfly.
Formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyboards, guitar), and Jason McGerr (drums).
The band was originally a solo project by Gibbard, who expanded the project into a complete group upon getting a record deal.
They released their debut album, Something About Airplanes, in 1998. The band's fourth album, 2003's Transatlanticism, broke into the mainstream both critically and commercially; its songs were featured in various TV series and films.
The band's major label debut for Atlantic Records, 2005's Plans, went platinum.
Setlist
Bend to Squares
Photobooth
For What Reason
Why You'd Want to Live Here
We Laugh Indoors
A Movie Script Ending
Company Calls
Technicolor Girls
Pictures in an Exhibition
Information Travels Faster
Blacking Out the Friction
Atmosphere
(Joy Division cover)
Styrofoam Plates
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On this day, 15 August 1966, English rock band The Troggs (originally called the Troglodytes), played Cardiff’s Top Rank.
Formed in Andover, Hampshire in May 1964. They had a number of hits in the United Kingdom and the United States. Their most famous songs include the US chart-topper "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You" and "Love Is All Around", all of which sold over 1 million copies and were awarded gold discs.
"Wild Thing" is ranked No. 257 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was an influence on garage rock and punk rock.
The Troggs are widely seen as a highly influential band whose sound was an inspiration for garage rock and punk rock. Influential American critic Lester Bangs "called the band the progenitors of punk", according to NPR.For example, the Troggs influenced artists such as Iggy Pop, and the early version of British pop-punk pioneers Buzzcocks featured "I Can't Control Myself" in their live repertoire.
The Ramones are also among the punk bands who cited the Troggs as an influence. "I Can't Control Myself" is perhaps the most enduring favourite of critics; it continues to be championed for its originality and lasting influence by radio hosts such as "Little" Steven Van Zandt.
An in-studio tape of band leader Reg Presley's running commentary on a recording session, filled with in-fighting and swearing (known as The Troggs Tapes), was widely circulated in the music underground, and was included in the Archaeology box set, as well as the compilation album, The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records.
The group infighting is believed to be the inspiration for a scene in the comedy film This Is Spinal Tap, where the band members are arguing. Some of this dialogue was sampled by the California punk band the Dwarves on their recording of a cover version of the Troggs song "Strange Movies".
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On this day, 12 August 1995, British girl group the Spice Girls played Cardiff’s Big Weekend part of the Galaxy 101 Showcase which also featured Danii Minogue
Also playing that day were, former Strangler Hugh Cornwall, The Dharmas, The Underdogs and Fat Barry's Soul Band.
Formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). With their "girl power" mantra, they redefined the girl-group concept by targeting a young female fanbase.
They led the teen pop resurgence of the 1990s, were a major part of the Cool Britannia era, and became pop culture icons of the decade.
The group formed through auditions held by managers Bob and Chris Herbert, who wanted to create a girl group to compete with the British boy bands popular at the time.
After a bidding war, they signed a five-album deal with Virgin Records in July 1995. and released their debut single "Wannabe" in 1996, which reached number one on the charts of 37 countries.
Their debut album, Spice (1996), sold more than 23 million copies worldwide,[8] becoming the best-selling album by a female group in history.
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On this day 8 August 2004, English singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt played Cardiff’s Glee Club.
To date, he has released six studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize.
Harcourt's third album, Strangers, was released in September 2004. The album peaked at No. 57 in the UK and at No. 7 in Sweden, and produced the singles "This One's for You", "Born in the '70s", and "Loneliness."
Since 2007 he has been writing for other artists, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Paloma Faith, and has performed with Marianne Faithfull and the Libertines. His music is influenced by Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Jeff Buckley, among others.gles "This One's for You", "Born in the '70s"
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On this day, 06/08/2011, American rhythm and blues band Vintage Trouble played Cardiff’s Big Weekend
Also on the bill were Gabrielle, Horace Andy & Dub Asante, Hayley Scarlett, Jazz Jamaica with Special Guest Myrna Hague, Dom Duff and Zong Zing All Stars.
The band formed in Hollywood, California, in 2010.They have released three albums: The Bomb Shelter Sessions (2011), The Swing House Acoustic Sessions (2014) and 1 Hopeful Rd. (2015).
Their sound has been described as "retro", reminiscent of a number of late 1950s and 1960s blues and rock artists, such as The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry and The Animals. One of their more well known songs called "Today is Pretty Great" was featured in a Honda Civic commercial with the artists seen at the very beginning for a few seconds.
The band then began creating material in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles. After two weeks of rehearsals in early 2010, the group began playing local area shows and late-night speakeasies. Aiming to emulate mid-century soul music and to use the recording techniques of that era, the band spent a three-day session recording complete takes, turning out 12 new songs for the album The Bomb Shelter Sessions.
Such singles as '"Gracefully", "Nancy Lee", "Still & Always Will" and "Blues Hand Me Down" aimed to produce a sound reminiscent of the days of vinyl records and juke joints, and the essence of the original soul movement.The album was produced by Peter McCabe and co-produced by Vintage Trouble themselves. The album was mixed by Rogers Masson.
They initially took their music outside the USA, as part of a strategy conceived by manager Doc McGhee. "If you look at the history of people like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, or James Blunt, they came [to America] first and didn't make it. Then, they went back over to England, and blew up. We just decided to go to Europe first, and when they were accepted there, we would have a story to share here. That's basically what happened."
McGhee wanted to get them in front of as many people as possible, and the strategy worked. "It was pretty simple. The concept was to get all the Troublemakers together, and those people spread the word. We got Brian May to give us some dates, and also some stadium shows with Bon Jovi. It's just hard work by these guys. They just get up in the morning, and go conquer," he said.
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On this day, 5 August 1989, Scottish rockers Simple Minds played Cardiff Arms Park on their Street Fighting Years tour. Support was provided by Texas, Welsh band The Darling Buds and The Silencers.
Street Fighting Years Tour
"After we'd finished the record we knew what would work on stage: by the time we did the Street Fighting Years tour all those songs fitted beautifully in to that set. We were definitely down the Celtic road – it was "this is who we are and we’re not ashamed of it." We'd avoided that before."
The rehearsals took place at The Point, Dublin, Ireland for three weeks before the tour. This included all the prep work for the equipment and culminated with full dress rehearsals. (The second day of the full rehearsals was on the 9th May 1989). The songs worked on were: Street Fighting Years, Wall Of Love, Mandela Day, This Is Your Land, Soul Crying Out, Waterfront, Ghostdancing, Book Of Brilliant Things, Don't You (Forget About Me), Gaelic Melody, Take A Step Back, Oh Jungleland, Big Sleep, Kick It In, Let It All Come Down, Belfast Child, Sanctify Yourself, Alive And Kicking, East At Easter, Sun City and Biko.
The rehearsals were recorded and can be recognised by the lack of audience reaction before and after the songs. (Lone roadies and support staff can be heard clapping and cheering after several tracks).
The "live" version of Big Sleep, which appeared on the Kick It In single, was taken from these rehearsal sessions.
"We played things like Celtic songs with a fiddle break in the middle and we were giving everything a shot. We opened our Wembley show with the title track of Street Fighting Years, which doesn't even really have any drums in it! It was a bit mad, but we had to play stadiums on our terms. If we were going into that environment, we had to do what we wanted." - Charlie, Classic Pop Magazine, March 2020
Review - South Wales Echo
Simple Minds are a long way from becoming an endangered species - 50,000 adoring fans at the National Ground on Saturday night proved that.
Having said that, they have other similarities to the blue whales they showed on the video screens during an ecologically-conscious interlude halfway into the set. Impressive and powerful, even magnificent but, it has to be said, a little bit dull really.
On the night Kerr and Co just couldn't be faulted, managing to communicate a genuine warmth and enjoyment.
They open opened up in a relatively low-key manner but things improved with a stunning Great Wall Of Love, Charlie Burchill's beautifully pure lead guitar and Mel Graynor's awesome drums powering the song along. The celebratory Mandela Day followed, and already Jim Kerr had the crowd where he wanted them - nestling comfortably in his waistcoat pocket.
Kick It In, Ghostdancing, The Book Of Brilliant Things - they were all tight, sharp, and powerful, but were songs all dressed up with no place to go. The band encored with a ferocious version of Steve Van Zandt's rousting Sun City (I Ain't Gonna Play), and Peter Gabriel's worthy but rather dull Biko. A triumphant Alive and Kicking closed the show with what looked like the entire crowd waving and singing. Simple Minds left the stage very much alive and kicking.
Concert Preview and Review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qd4LQMPzV8
Setlist
Theme for Great Cities
(intro)
When Spirits Rise
(intro)
Street Fighting Years
Wall of Love
Mandela Day
This Is Your Land
Soul Crying Out
Waterfront
Ghost Dancing
Book of Brilliant Things / Five to One
(The Doors cover)
Don't You (Forget About Me)
Gaelic Melody
Once Upon a Time
Oh Jungleland
Big Sleep
Kick it In
Let It All Come Down
Belfast Child
Sun City
(Artists United Against Apartheid cover)
Biko
(Peter Gabriel cover)
Sanctify Yourself
East at Easter
Alive and Kicking
Theme for Great Cities
(outro)
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On this day 4 August 2002, rock legend Ray Davies of the Kinks played Cardiff’s Big Weekend.
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s.
The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965.
Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned "You Really Got Me", became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States.
The Kinks' music drew from a wide range of influences, including American R&B and rock and roll initially, and later adopting British music hall, folk, and country.
The band gained a reputation for reflecting English culture and lifestyle, fuelled by Ray Davies' wittily observational writing style, and made apparent in albums such as Face to Face (1966), Something Else (1967), The Village Green Preservation Society (1968), Arthur (1969), Lola Versus Powerman (1970), and Muswell Hillbillies (1971), along with their accompanying singles including the transatlantic hit "Lola" (1970).
