On This Day 23/12/2000 Andy Fairweather Low, Man, Racing Cars

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 23 December 2000, Welsh rockers Andy Fairweather Low, Man and Racing Cars played Cardiff’s Coal Exchange venue.

Andrew Fairweather Low was a founding member and lead singer of 1960s pop band Amen Corner, and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.

Man were formed in November 1968 by Micky Jones (guitar and vocals), Deke Leonard (guitar and vocals), Clive John (keyboards and vocals), Ray Williams (bass guitar) and Jeff Jones (drums), in Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, out of previous local band The Bystanders. They were active through to 1976 with an ever-changing personnel, the last line-up consisting of Jones and Leonard with John McKenzie (bass), Terry Williams (drums) and Phil Ryan (keyboards). Amongst others, Martin Ace (guitar and bass) had a significant spell with group. They released 9 studio albums including the UK charting albums Back into the Future Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics and the live album Maximum Darkness. Their musical style is rock encompassing elements of psychedelia and progressive, and they are noted for their extended live improvisations.

Racing Cars was a Welsh pop band, formed in the Rhondda Valley, Wales in 1973. The only hit single was "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", which peaked at number fourteen in the UK Singles Chart in 1977, and was inspired by the film, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Touring included dates supporting Bad Company in 1976.

On This Day 22/12/2013 Straight Lines

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 22 December 2013, Pontypridd rock band Straight Lines played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach alongside The Guns and The Portraits.

Straight Lines, is made up of guitarist Tom Jenkins, drummer Dane Campbell, his guitarist brother Todd Campbell and fellow guitarist James Pugh, and were touted for big things following the release of their debut album Persistence In This Game.

Straight Lines had supported bands such as Kids In Glass Houses, The Automatic and InME as well as providing lead support for Motorhead at Hammersmith Apollo. The band even found time to fit in a BBC Radio 1 Introducing live session at the seminal Maida Vale Studios.

Dane and Todd are currently playing in former Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell’s band, Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons.

On This Day 20/12/1998 Manic Street Preachers/Catatonia

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 20 December 1998, Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers played Cardiff International Arena supported by fellow Welsh band Catatonia.

Manic Street Preachers had recently released their fifth studio album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours.

Like its 1996 predecessor Everything Must Go, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours was a commercial and critical success. The album debuted at number 1 in the UK Albums Chart, selling 136,000 copies, going Gold in the first week.

It sold well in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, and represented a change in the sound from the furious alternative rock sound to a more melodic and tender approach. By March 1999 the album was Triple Platinum in the UK alone and since its release it has sold more than five million copies worldwide.

It earned the band further nominations and accolades at the BRIT Awards in 1999. This is their first album whose lyrics were solely written by bassist Nicky Wire; their previous album still had songs that featured lyrics contributed by the late rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards.

Manic Street Preachers Setlist

"Everything Must Go"

"You Stole the Sun From My Heart"

"Kevin Carter"

"La tristesse durera (Scream to a Sigh)"

"This Is Yesterday"

"The Everlasting"

Australia

"She Is Suffering"

Tsunami

"Ready for Drowning"

"My Little Empire"

"No Surface All Feeling"

"Motown Junk"

"Motorcycle Emptiness"

"Black Dog on My Shoulder"

"Last Christmas"

"Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky"

"Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier"

"If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next"

"You Love Us"

"A Design for Life"

Catatonia Setlist

"Storm the Palace"

"I Am the Mob"

"You've Got a Lot to Answer For"

"Game On"

"Do You Believe in Me?"

"Don't Need the Sunshine"

"She's a Millionaire"

"Road Rage"

"International Velvet"

On This Day 20/12/1999 Super Furry Animals

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 20 December 1999, Welsh rockers Super Furry Animals played Cardiff International Arena on their Guerrilla tour. Support was provided by Big Leaves, Daddy G & 3D (Massive Attack DJs) and Howard Marks.

In 1999, NME readers named them 'best new band' in January (this despite the fact it was now three years since they released their debut album). In May, the single "Northern Lites" was released and made No. 11 in the charts. A dense production, with steel drums clattering out a calypso rhythm whilst Rhys sang an irreverent lyric about the El Niño-Southern Oscillation weather phenomenon, it was an apt taster for the new album, Guerrilla.

Recorded at the Real World Studios, the album retained SFA's pop melodies but took a less guitar-centric approach to their execution and was their most experimental work to date. Layers of samples over brass, percussion and Gruff's melodic singing produced an album which took the freewheeling approach of 1960s groups such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Velvet Underground and updated it to the late 1990s. The album swung from glam and garage rock numbers ("Night Vision", "The Teacher") to novelty techno ("Wherever I Lay My Phone (That's My Home)"), ambient indietronica ("Some Things Come From Nothing") and upbeat drum and bass ("The Door To This House Remains Open"). For the cover art, Pete Fowler created the band's first three-dimensional models, rather than the paintings he had supplied for the Radiator album and singles.

After playing several of the summer festivals, SFA released "Fire in My Heart", the most soulful track from Guerrilla, in August and saw it chart at No. 25. They then embarked on a US and UK tour. SFA finished their UK tour at the Cardiff International Arena in Cardiff, where they showcased the first ever concert in surround sound and broadcast it on the World Wide Web.

Setlist

Wherever I Lay My Phone (That's My Home)

Bad Behaviour

The Teacher

Do or Die

Something 4 the Weekend

She's Got Spies

The Door to This House Remains Open

The Turning Tide

Northern Lites

Play It Cool

The International Language of Screaming

God! Show Me Magic

Some Things Come From Nothing

Fire in My Heart

Hometown Unicorn

Calimero

Demons

Mountain People

Night Vision

Ice Hockey Hair

Encore:

The Man Don't Give a Fuck

On This Day 19/12/1985 The Alarm

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 12 December 1985, Welsh rockers The Alarm played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on the band’s Strength Tour.

Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977, under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the band soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh language and culture. By opening for acts such as U2 and Bob Dylan, they became a popular new wave pop band of the 1980s.

The Alarm's highest charting single in Britain is 1983's "Sixty Eight Guns", which reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. Their 1984 album Declaration, which contained "Sixty Eight Guns", peaked at number six on the UK Albums Chart.

Tour Setlist

• Deeside

• Declaration

• Marching On

• Howling Wind

• Knife Edge

• Dawn Chorus

• The Deceiver

• The Day the Ravens Left the Tower

• Third Light

• Absolute Reality

• Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke

• One Step Closer to Home

• Walk Forever by My Side

• Spirit of ’76

• Blaze of Glory

• Strength

• Encore: Sixty Eight Guns, The Stand (Prophecy)

• Encore 2: This Train Is Bound for Glory, We Are the Light

On This Day 18/12/1998 The Corrs

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 18 December 1998, Irish band The Corrs played Cardiff International Arena on their Talk On Corners World Tour. Opening act was Dakota Moon.

Beginning in November 1997, the tour supported the band's second studio album, Talk on Corners. To date, it is their longest tour, with over 150 dates across Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. The tour began with the band performing in theatres and nightclubs and, as the record’s success grew, progressed to arenas and amphitheatres, along with the group’s usual appearances at a variety of international music festivals.

After breaking the UK music scene, the band set out to build upon this success in the US and Canada, where that leg of the tour commenced in October 1998. During their stop in Chicago, the band shot the music video for "So Young".

In December, the band set off on a more ambitious UK/European tour, selling out a five-night run at Wembley Arena, as well as selling out a majority of the other dates on the tour. In March 1999, the band toured North America as supporting act for The Rolling Stones as part of their No Security Tour. In July 1999, the band set off on a summer festival tour as they did the previous July (1998).

Setlist

"Instrumental Sequence"

"When He's Not Around"

"No Good for Me"

"Love to Love You"

"Instrumental Sequence" (contains elements of "(Lough) Erin Shore")

"Forgiven, Not Forgotten"

"Joy of Life"

"Intimacy"

"What Can I Do?"

"The Right Time"

"Queen of Hollywood"

"Dreams"

"Instrumental Sequence" (contains elements of "Haste to the Wedding")

"Runaway"

"Only When I Sleep"

"Hopelessly Addicted"

"I Never Loved You Anyway"

Encore

"So Young"

"Toss the Feathers"

On This Day 17/12/1974 Rory Gallagher

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 17 December 1974, Irish rocker Rory Gallagher played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre. Support was provided by Jackie Lyntons’ Grande.

Gallagher had earlier in the year had released his sixth album Irish Tour ‘74 live album compiled from performances during Gallagher's Irish Tour in January 1974.

The source concerts were recorded at Belfast Ulster Hall, Dublin Carlton Cinema and Cork City Hall using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio. "Back on My Stompin' Ground (After Hours)" was recorded from a jam session during the tour. Irish Tour '74 has sold in excess of two million copies worldwide.

An article in a Belfast daily newspaper stated: "Rory Gallagher never forgot Northern Ireland, he returned throughout the '70s when few other artists of his calibre dared come near the place.

During the heightened periods of political unrest in Northern Ireland, as other artists were warned not to tour, Gallagher was resolute about playing there at least once a year during his career. In 1974, they stayed in the Europa Hotel in Belfast, which was known as "the most bombed hotel in Europe". This approach won him the dedication of thousands of fans, and in the process, he became a role model for other aspiring young Irish musicians.

A number of guitarists, including Alex Lifeson of Rush, Brian May of Queen, and Eric Clapton, have cited Gallagher as an influence. He was voted as guitarist of the year by Melody Maker magazine in 1972, and listed as the 57th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2015.

On This Day 16/12/1979 The Ruts

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 16 December 1979, punk band The Ruts played Cardiff’s Top Rank.

The Ruts were formed on 18 August 1977. The band consisted of singer Malcolm Owen (vocals), Paul Fox (guitar), John "Segs" Jennings (bass) and Dave Ruffy (drums). On 16 September 1977, the band made their live debut, playing three songs during a break in a set by Mr Softy (another Fox band) at The Target, a pub in Northolt, Middlesex.

Ruffy moved from bass to drums after original drummer Paul Mattocks left, and the band was active in anti-racist causes as part of the Misty in Roots People Unite collective based in Southall, West London playing several benefits for Rock Against Racism.

Although the band were often described as coming from Southall, Owen was from Hayes, Fox moved from Kilburn to Hayes in the 1960s, whilst Ruffy and Segs were based in South London. Ruffy had been born in York, but spent his formative years in the East End of London, whilst Segs grew up in Southend-on-Sea, having been born in the East End.

Their debut album The Crack was produced by Mick Glossop and released in September 1979, reaching number 16 in the UK Albums Chart. The two singles "Babylon's Burning" and "Something That I Said" were re-recorded for the album. Edited from the album, the band's third single for Virgin at the end of October 1979 was the roots reggae track "Jah War", about the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group's violence in Southall disturbances in April 1979. However, the BBC refused to play it, labelling the song as "too political".

Setlist

Savage Circle

I Ain't Sofisticated

S.U.S.

H Eyes

Criminal Mind

Something That I Said

Dope for Guns

Jah War

Babylon's Burning