On This Day 30/06/2010 Ash

On this day, 30 June 2010 Northern Irish rock band Ash played Cardiff’s Barfly.

Formed in Downpatrick, County Down in 1992 by vocalist and guitarist Tim Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton and drummer Rick McMurray. As a three-piece, they released mini-album Trailer in 1994 and full-length album 1977 in 1996. This 1996 release was named by NME as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Wales Online Music Review: Ash, The Barfly, Cardiff

IMAGINE if you will Speed 3, the latest instalment of the Hollywood blockbuster franchise – this time starring a Northern Irish rock ’n’ roll band which has to keep playing at breakneck pace otherwise a bomb under the Cardiff Barfly stage will explode if the momentum slackens.

For all we know this gig was a trial outing for such a movie given that every ferociously delivered song in a pulsating 17 track set refused to rattle along at anything less than head-spinning, eye-popping, ear-bleeding ferocity.

There was no let up from the off, Ash straining at the leash with the crunch and thump of opener Lose Control – a pretty apt call to arms for the unhinged off-the-scale performance Ash delivered and their fans soaked up with joyful abandon.

The incendiary wallop of A Life Less Ordinary sees frontman Tim Wheeler bouncing around with the same perma-grinned giddiness as when they first started out in Belfast in 1992. Goldfinger rolls back the years as does 1994’s Petrol – a scuzzed-up dragster of a tune that roars like the devil's racetrack.

As the crowd swells and pogos furiously with heads in danger of butting the Barfly’s low slung ceiling, we’re all revelling in a rare chance to see one of the UK’s finest live bands - essentially playing in our living room.

There’s no taking the foot off the accelerator pedal of ridiculously huge songs and romp-along choruses. Shining Light crashes into Joy Kicks Darkness, while the energy surge of Orpheus leaves us gasping.

Then when you think the riotous assembly couldn’t be elevated to greater levels of mayhem Wheeler spits out the whiplash vocals as Kung Fu races along like a runaway express train.

The song, which first introduced us to these indie rock survivors all those years ago, still courses with the same manic energy and vitality as it always did.

Then when you think the riotous assembly couldn’t be elevated to greater levels of mayhem Wheeler spits out the whiplash vocals as Kung Fu races along like a runaway express train.

The song, which first introduced us to these indie rock survivors all those years ago, still courses with the same manic energy and vitality as it always did.

Deafening cheers go up as Ash return for a three song encore – Angel Interceptor, Twilight Of The Innocents and as Tim quips: “Thanks, this is one of the hottest gigs we’ve ever played” they throw themselves into the more than fitting set closer Burn Baby Burn.

After a volcanic show it's only fitting that Ash leave us all in a lava!

by David Owens

Setlist

Lose Control

A Life Less Ordinary

Dionysian Urge

Goldfinger

Petrol

Shining Light

Joy Kicks Darkness

Orpheus

The Dead Disciples

Oh Yeah

Kung Fu

Play Video

Arcadia

Girl From Mars

Return of White Rabbit

Encore:

Angel Interceptor

Encore 2:

Twilight of the Innocents

Encore 3:

Burn Baby Burn

On This Day 29/06/2010 Jack Johnson

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On this day, 29 June 2010, American singer-songwriter, filmmaker, and former professional surfer Jack Johnson played Cardiff international Arena.

Johnson is known primarily for his work in the soft rock and acoustic pop genres. In 2001, he achieved commercial success after the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. Johnson has reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart with his albums Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George in 2006, Sleep Through the Static in 2008.

On February 1, 2010, Johnson's official website announced that his fifth studio album, To the Sea, was in the recording process at the Mango Tree Studio, with a planned worldwide release during the first week of June 2010. The website also announced an accompanying European, Australian and New Zealand tour to coincide with the album's release on midnight May 31.

The first single from To the Sea was "You and Your Heart", released on April 6, 2010.[33]

While speaking with New Zealand radio station ZM, Johnson said he is constantly aiming to build relationships with local pro-environment, non-profit groups. "We try to raise money for a lot of these groups who are doing positive things in the community. We try to focus mostly on environmental education, just trying to get kids out into nature, supporting local farms and things like that."

Johnson embarked on a world tour in 2010 with Paula Fuga, a Hawaiian vocalist and ukulele player, performing at a range of venues across the world including Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, U.S., and Japan.

Music Review: Jack Johnson, Cardiff International Arena - Wales Online

IT IS almost a decade since Jack Johnson’s debut album Brushfire Fairytales was a hit with laid back dudes and gap year students the world over and five albums in, his middle-of-the-road fare is still going strong.

But gone are the surfers piling out of their VW vans – the crowd packing out the CIA came complete with mortgages, children and a trusty Ford Focus.

It was no surprise that the biggest cheer of the night came when Johnson dedicated Do You Remember to his wife with the announcement, “17 years and still going strong”.

One loved-up couple even brought along a banner emblazoned with, “It’s our fifth anniversary. Please play Angel”.

Some might find the singer-songwriter’s enduring popularity inexplicable – like a Michael McIntyre of the music world – but there’s no denying his green credentials. One hundred per cent of the profits he makes on this world tour will go to charity, while its energy consumption will be carbon offset.

Not that there was much energy to reduce – at one point the bass guitarist even pulled up a chair and sat down. But then the gentle swaying of 5,000 heads in the crowd was enough to send anyone into a trance.

The high point of the night was when pianist Zack Gill, a virtuoso with a bluesy voice 10 times better than Johnson’s, took to his melodica for a blinding solo on Bubble Toes, a song from Johnson’s debut album.

When the audience bayed for an encore at the end of a two-hour set Johnson kept them waiting.

Was there a crack in the Nice Guy persona?

“Sorry I took a few minutes,” he said as he strode back on stage for a four-song encore.

“I was trying to re-learn the lyrics to Angel. This is for you.”

No such luck.

By Clare Hutchinson

Setlist

You and Your Heart

If I Had Eyes

Taylor

Never Know

Flake

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

Go On

From the Clouds

Wasting Time

Bubble Toes

Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology

(w/ My Doorbell snippet)

Breakdown

My Little Girl

No Other Way

Banana Pancakes

(w/ Same Girl snippet)

Staple It Together

(with Merlo Podlewski rapping)

At or With Me

Good People

Encore:

Angel

Do You Remember

Constellations

Better Together

On This Day 28/06/2006 Steve Howe

On this day, 28 June 2006, Guitarist Steve Howe of prog rock giants Yes played The Point, Cardiff.

Born 8 April 1947, Steve Howe is best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, North London, Howe developed an interest in the guitar and began to learn the instrument himself at age 12. He embarked on a music career in 1964, first playing in several London-based blues, covers, and psychedelic rock bands for six years, including the Syndicats, Tomorrow, and Bodast.

Upon joining Yes in 1970, Howe helped to change the band's musical direction, leading to more commercial and critical success. His blend of acoustic and electric guitar helped shape the sound of the band. Many of their best-known songs were co-written by Howe, who remained with the band until they briefly disbanded in 1981. Howe returned to the group in 1990 for two years and has remained a full-time member since 1995. After Alan White's death in 2022, he is the longest-serving member of the band currently active.

Video clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M4qtu-_hVE

Setlist

  Steve Howe Solo

Mood for a Day

(Yes song)

The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)

(Yes song)

To Be Over

(Yes song)

Fragile & Steve Howe

Siberian Khatru

(Yes song) (with Fragile)

South Side of the Sky

(Yes song) (with Fragile)

Soon

(Yes song) (with Fragile)

Starship Trooper

(Yes song) (with Fragile)

Encore:

Roundabout

(Yes song) (with Fragile)

On This Day 27/06/2006 Bob Dylan

On this day, 27 June 2006, music legend Bob Dylan played Cardiff International Arena on what was titled Never Ending Tour.

Dylan had recently finished his 32nd studio album Modern Times which was released August 29, 2006.

The album was recorded with Dylan's touring band, including bassist Tony Garnier, drummer George G. Receli, guitarists Stu Kimball and Denny Freeman, plus multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron. This iteration of the Never Ending Tour band had played with Dylan for the entirety of 2005.

During a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Dylan spoke about his band at that time:

This is the best band I've ever been in, I've ever had, man for man. When you play with guys a hundred times a year, you know what you can and can't do, what they're good at, whether you want 'em there. It takes a long time to find a band of individual players. Most bands are gangs. Whether it's a metal group or pop rock, whatever, you get that gang mentality. But for those of us who went back further, gangs were the mob. The gang was not what anybody aspired to. On this record [Modern Times] I didn't have anybody to teach. I got guys now in my band, they can whip up anything, they surprise even me.

Setlist

Maggie's Farm

She Belongs to Me

Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum

Positively 4th Street

Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again

Love Sick

Watching the River Flow

Ballad of a Thin Man

Absolutely Sweet Marie

Girl From the North Country

Cold Irons Bound

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Summer Days

Encore:

Like a Rolling Stone

All Along the Watchtower

On This Day, 19/06/1976 Bob Marley and the Wailers

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On the 19th June 1976, Bob Marley & the Wailers took centre stage at Ninian Park, former home of Cardiff City, in what would be a memorable occasion for attendees in the Welsh capital. 

 Despite his undeniable influence on the world of music, at the time of his gig in Cardiff he was up-and-coming; only just beginning to cross over into the mainstream. In fact, Marley was not a first-choice headliner for the concert, but when Stephen Stills pulled out, the promoters, who weren’t well known in the area, had to work against the clock to find a new headliner. Luckily, Bob Marley was touring the UK, and seemed the perfect choice to fill Ninian Park’s headline slot that night.

 Although only around 4000 filled the 20,000 capacity, many who were in the crowd that night spoke of Marley’s brilliance. One attendee, Leigh Bailey, reported his enjoyment at Marley’s show. His experiences were life-changing, ultimately influencing his musical tastes, so much so that he is now the frontman of tribute band ‘Bob Marley And The Jailers’. That inspirational night marked Bob Marley’s first concert in Wales.

 The rest of the bill was Eric Burdon Band, Sutherland Brothers and Quiver, Pretty Things, Gloria Jones and Gonzales and Dirty Tricks. Jones wasn't too impressed by the whole thing: "This came a week after The Who had sold out Swansea City football ground with The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Little Feat, so there was a huge difference between the shows. I'd say there were 4000 people at Ninian Park, which could have held 20,000 or so. Suffice to say the promoters must have suffered!

"Bob Marley hadn't crossed over by that point, he was still fairly underground. The crowd was a young one, lots of people under 30 and a real mixture. There were lots of hippies there, some people who would later become punks... Robert Plant was there too. He used to live near Newport at the time."

 Using his music and live performances to spread the notions of Rastafarianism, Marley’s legacy across the world will live on, and that night in 1976 will be celebrated for years to come. 

Setlist: 

1. Trenchtown Rock (The Wailers cover)

2. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)

3. Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)

4. I Shot the Sheriff (The Wailers cover)

5. Crazy Baldhead

6. Want More

7. No Woman, No Cry

8. Lively Up Yourself

9. Roots, Rock, Reggae

10. Encore: Get Up, Stand Up

On This Day 18/06/2005 Motley Crue

On this day, 18 June 2005, American Heavy Metal band Motley Crue played Cardiff’s Cardiff international Arena on their Red, White & Crüe Tour 2005...Better Live Than Dead Tour. Support was provided by Killing Joke.

The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee and guitarist/lead vocalist Greg Leon.After some time, Leon was replaced by guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil respectively. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

A promoter in England, Mags Revell, began clamoring for a Mötley Crüe reunion, ostensibly presenting himself as the voice of anxious fans waiting for more from the band. After meeting with management several times, in September 2004, Sixx announced that he and Neil had returned to the studio and had begun recording new material.

In December 2004, the four original members announced a reunion tour, staging an announcement event in which they arrived at the Hollywood Palladium in a hearse. The tour began on February 14, 2005, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The resulting compilation album, Red, White & Crüe, was released in February 2005. It features the band members' favorite original songs plus three new tracks, "If I Die Tomorrow", "Sick Love Song" (co-written by Sixx and James Michael), and a cover of the Rolling Stones' classic "Street Fighting Man".

Setlist

Shout at the Devil

Too Fast for Love

Ten Seconds to Love

Red Hot

On With the Show

Too Young to Fall in Love

Looks That Kill

Play Video

Louder Than Hell

Live Wire

Girls, Girls, Girls

Wild Side

Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

Primal Scream

Bass Solo

Home Sweet Home

Dr. Feelgood

Drum Solo

Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)

Sick Love Song

Kickstart My Heart

Encore:

Anarchy in the U.K.

(Sex Pistols cover)

On This Day 17/06/2008 Duffy

On this day 17 June 2008, Welsh singer Duffy's single Mercy was named song of the year at the Mojo magazine awards held in London.

Released as the second single from her debut studio album, Rockferry (2008). Co-written by Duffy and Steve Booker and produced by Booker, it was released worldwide in 2008 to critical acclaim and unprecedented chart success.

As Duffy's first international release, the song is credited with firmly establishing her career and is now considered her signature song. "Mercy" received comparisons to Duffy's previous single, "Rockferry". Critical reviewers of "Mercy" noted similarities between the song to releases by Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield and the Supremes, as well as contemporaries such as fellow British singer Amy Winehouse.

"Mercy" was nominated for several awards in 2008, including the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards. Well received by the public, "Mercy" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart in February 2008, remaining atop the chart for five weeks, and went on to become the third-best-selling single of 2008 in the United Kingdom, with sales of over 500,000 copies in the UK that year.

It achieved worldwide chart success, topping the charts in Austria, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland and Turkey, and peaked within the top five of the charts in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Romania, Spain and Sweden. Duffy attributed the chart success to the fact that "everyone is searching for liberty ... from themselves or from the world they’ve created around them" and "everyone would like to be set free". It is Duffy's best-selling single to date.

On This Day 16/06/1999 Bill Wyman

On this day, 16 June 1999, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on his Anyway The Wind Blows Tour.

Billed as Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings the band included Georgie Fame. Gary Brooker. Albert Lee. Terry Taylor. Beverley Skeete. Graham Broad. Frank Mead. Nick Payn. Martin Taylor. Melanie Redmond and Keeley Smith.

Born 24 October 1936 he achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Rolling Stones. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. He has worked producing records and films, and has scored music for films and television.

Wyman has kept a journal since he was a child during World War II, and has published seven books. He is also a photographer, and his works have been displayed in galleries around the world.

Wyman is an amateur archaeologist and enjoys metal detecting. He designed and marketed a patented "Bill Wyman signature metal detector", which he has used to find relics in the English countryside dating back to the era of the Roman Empire.

In July 1981, Wyman's solo single "(Si Si) Je Suis un Rock Star" became a top-20 hit in many countries. Also in 1981, Wyman composed the soundtrack album Green Ice for the Ryan O'Neal/Omar Sharif film of the same name.[citation needed] In the mid-1980s, he composed music for two films by Italian director Dario Argento: Phenomena (1985) and Terror at the Opera (1987).