On This Day 04/12/1994 Eternal

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 4 December 1994, British R’n’b group Eternal played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

Formed in 1992, with the line-up consisting of sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, with Kéllé Bryan and the latter's friend and classmate Louise Nurding (later and better known as Louise Redknapp), who were also recruited into the group by the label.

The group became an international success, selling around 10 million records worldwide. Nurding left the group before the release of their second album to focus on her solo career with the same label.

Bryan left the group under undisclosed circumstances in 1998. The Bennett sisters were the only members left when the group disbanded in 2000. Eternal made a brief comeback in 2013, with Bryan returning to the group, only for the group to disband once again in 2014. They were considered the UK's answer to the American girl group En Vogue.

Eternal released their debut album, Always & Forever in November 1993, and it reached number two in the UK Albums Chart. The album sold over one million copies in the United Kingdom, and confirmed as four times platinum, making it one of 1994's biggest selling albums and the year's biggest-selling debut album.

They were named Best Group at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party and were nominated for four Brit Awards. Nurding decided to leave the group before the recording of Eternal's second album, and went on to pursue a successful solo career. In a 2014 interview, Vernie Bennett stated that the group were "gutted" when Nurding announced she was leaving and it was suggested that Bryan also leave to form a duo with Nurding, which Bryan stated she did not wish to do.

On This Day 03/12/1972 Suzi Quatro

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 3 December 1972, American rocker Suzi Quatro played Cardiff’s Top Rank alongside Slade and Thin Lizzy.

Quatro had moved to England in 1971, after being spotted by the record producer Mickie Most, who had by that time founded his own label, Rak Records. Most had been persuaded to see Quatro’s band Cradle by her brother Michael, who was managing the band.

Like other music producers at the time, Most was looking for a female rock singer who could fill the void created by the death of Janis Joplin. According to the Encyclopedia of Popular Music, his attention to Quatro was drawn by "her comeliness and skills as bass guitarist, singer and chief show-off in Cradle."

Quatro's first single, "Rolling Stone", was successful only in Portugal, where it reached No. 1 on the charts. This was a solo effort, although aided by people such as Duncan Browne, Peter Frampton and Alan White. Subsequently, with the approval of Most, she auditioned for a band to accompany her. It was also after this record that Most introduced her to the songwriting and production team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who wrote songs specifically to accord with her image.

In 1972, Quatro embarked as a support act on a UK tour with Thin Lizzy and headliners Slade. Rak Records arranged for her to use Thin Lizzy's newly acquired PA system during this, incurring a charge of £300 per week that enabled the Irish band to effectively purchase it at no cost to themselves.

In May 1973, her second single "Can the Can" (1973) was a No. 1 hit in parts of Europe and in Australia.

On This Day 02/12/2002 Badly Drawn Boy

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 2 December 2002, Badly Drawn Boy played Cardiff University. He had recently released his second album About A Boy.

Damon Michael Gough (born 2 October 1969), known by the stage name Badly Drawn Boy, is an English indie chose his stage name from a character in the show Sam and his Magic Ball, which he saw on TV at a party in Trafford, Greater Manchester, in 1995. Before he thought of using this name he made some business cards, each one unique, with a printed picture of a drawing by his nephew and a small collage by Gough.

A chance meeting with Andy Votel at the Generation X bar in Manchester, where Gough's friends Scott Abraham and Damon Hayhurst were contributing to an exhibition by the Space Monkey Clothing Company and Votel was DJing, led to the foundation of Twisted Nerve Records.

In 2002, Q magazine named Badly Drawn Boy in their list of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die", although this was as part of a sub-list of "5 Bands That Could Go Either Way" on account of Gough's tendency to talk and tell stories for extended periods in concert rather than play songs.

On This Day 01/12/1973 Yes

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 1 December 1973, prog rock giants Yes played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre on the band’s Tales from Topographic Oceans Tour.

Tales from Topographic Oceans was the band's sixth studio album, released on 7 December 1973. It marked a change in their fortunes and polarised fans and critics alike. The double vinyl set was based on Anderson's interpretation of the Shastric scriptures from a footnote within Paramahansa Yogananda's book Autobiography of a Yogi.

The album became the first LP in the UK to ship gold before the record arrived at retailers. It went on to top the UK charts for two weeks while reaching number 6 in the U.S.,and became the band's fourth consecutive gold album.

Keyboardist Rick Wakeman was not pleased with the record and is critical of much of its material. He felt sections were "bled to death" and contained too much musical padding. Wakeman left the band after the 1973–1974 tour; his solo album Journey to the Centre of the Earth topped the UK charts in May 1974.

The tour included five consecutive sold-out shows at the Rainbow Theatre, the first time a rock band achieved this.

It is a fragmented masterpiece, assembled with loving care and long hours in the studio. Brilliant in patches, but often taking far too long to make its various points, and curiously lacking in warmth or personal expression ..."Ritual" is a dance of celebration and brings the first enjoyable moments, where Alan's driving drums have something to grip on to and the lyrics of la la la speak volumes. But even this cannot last long and cohesion is lost once more to the gods of drab self indulgence. —Melody Maker review of Tales from Topographic Oceans, 1973

Setlist

Introduction

The Firebird Suite

(Igor Stravinsky song)

Close to the Edge

Siberian Khatru

And You and I

Close to the Edge

Tales from Topographic Oceans

The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)

The Remembering (High the Memory)

The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)

Ritual (Nous sommes du soleil)

Encore:

Roundabout

Yours Is No Disgrace

On This Day 30/11/1980 Adam and the Ants

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 30 November 1980, rock band Adam and the Ants played Cardiff Top Rank.

In July 1980, the band signed a deal with CBS Records and released the single "Kings of the Wild Frontier", which reached No. 48 in the UK Singles Chart.

Drummer-and-producer Chris Hughes, noted for his use of Burundi drums produced the band's work and they completed recording at Rockfield by the end of August. A second single "Dog Eat Dog" was released in October; it reached the top 10 and resulted in the band's first appearance on BBC Television's weekly music show Top of the Pops.

In November 1980, the album Kings of the Wild Frontier was released and became a hit in the United Kingdom, putting Adam and the Ants at the forefront of the New Romantic movement, and the band completed a 32-day UK tour. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart on 24 January 1981.

A third single "Antmusic" was released later in November; it peaked at number two in January 1981 and at number one in Australia, where it stayed for five weeks. Both Decca and Do It Records re-released the band's previous output;

"Young Parisians" reached number nine in the UK in December 1980 and Dirk Wears White Sox peaked at number 16 in the UK Albums Chart in February 1981. "Cartrouble" and "Zerox" also charted that month, peaking at numbers 33 and 45, respectively, in the UK Singles Chart.

Tour Setlist

The Human Beings

Kick!

The Magnificent Five

Antmusic

The Idea

Ants Invasion

Los Rancheros

Killer in the Home

Jolly Roger

Dog Eat Dog

Press Darlings

Beat My Guest

Zerox

Cartrouble

Encore:

Kings of the Wild Frontier

Fall-In

Physical (You're So)

On This Day 29/11/1982 Budgie

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 29 November 1982, Welsh rockers Budgie played Cardiff University on their Deliver Us From Evil tour.

Deliver Us from Evil was Budgie's tenth album, released in October 1982 on RCA Records, and according to Burke Shelley its theme "attacks the power structures of East and West and the balance of terror"; it also "refers to all kinds of evil, not just The Bomb and war, but the main theme calls for world peace". One reviewer suggested that the album's lyrics were influenced by Shelley becoming a born-again Christian.

According to Steve Williams, "the concept of the album came about as an accident. We didn't write 'Bored With Russia'. Don (Smith) brought that over from America and that started the ball rolling. We played it a few times and it started the whole concept". The song was written by producer Beau Hill, erroneously credited as Bo Hill, and demoed up with his late-1970s outfit Airborne. It was finally issued on the band's 2003 archives release The Dig.

Reception of the album was mixed, due to a more commercially oriented sound than previous releases. It has been described as either "a complete musical shipwreck" or "a collection which not only sounds fantastic but bristles with great songs and exquisite often Who-like arrangements". Their commercial appeal has been justified as a "conscious effort to broaden their horizons" in order to attend "a market more attuned to melody than mere muscle". The album release was followed with a UK tour from late October to December 1982

On This Day 28/11/1989 Lyle Lovett

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 28 November 1989, American country singer, songwriter, and record producer Lyle Lovett played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

Lovett had earlier in the year released his third album, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band. Lovett won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for the album.

Lovett's cover of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" was later included in the soundtrack of the 1992 movie The Crying Game.

He signed with MCA Records in 1986 and released his eponymous debut album. He sang harmony vocals on Nanci Griffith's The Last of the True Believers album (1986). While typically associated with the country genre, Lovett's compositions often incorporate folk, swing, blues, jazz and gospel music as well as more traditional country & western styling.

He has won four Grammy Awards, including Best Country Album (1996 for The Road to Ensenada), Best Country Duo/Group with Vocal (1994 for "Blues For Dixie" with the Texas swing group Asleep at the Wheel), Best Pop Vocal Collaboration (1994 for "Funny How Time Slips Away" with Al Green) and Best Country Male Vocal (1989 for Lyle Lovett and His Large Band).

In 1995, Lovett performed a duet of "You've Got a Friend in Me" with Randy Newman for Toy Story. He plays Collings acoustic guitars.

On This Day 27/11/1984 Alien Sex Fiend

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 27 November 1984, gothic rock band Alien Sex Fiend played Cardiff’s New Ocean Club.

Alien Sex Fiend were formed by Nicholas Wade (Nik Fiend), Christine Wade (Mrs Fiend), David James (Yaxi Highrizer) and Johnny Freshwater (Johnny Ha-Ha) in late 1982 at the Batcave club in London (where Nik worked).

The band became known in the gothic scene for its dark, electronic industrial-leaning sound, heavy samples, loops, dub remixes and manic vocals. Nik Wade had previously been a member of the Alice Cooper-influenced bands the Earwigs and Mr & Mrs Demeanour, and later the punk band Demon Preacher (later known as the Demons).

The band had recently released their second album Acid Bath on Anagram Records and was produced by Kevin Armstrong. Trouser Press described the album as "an inspired dose of mesmerizing, brain-frying insanity"

They released the world's first 11" single, "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)", that October.

The band also recorded two BBC Peel Sessions in 1984. At the May session, they recorded "Attack!!!", "Dead and Buried", "Ignore the Machine" and "Hee Haw"; at the August session, "In God We Trust", "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)" and "Boneshaker Baby".