On This Day 28/09/1978 Wilko Johnson

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 28 September 1978, former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson played Cardiff University with his group Wilko Johnson’s Solid Senders.

As member of the pub rock/rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s. Johnson was known for his distinctive guitar playing style which he achieved by not using a guitar pick but playing fingerstyle. This enabled him to play rhythm guitar and riffs or solos at the same time creating a highly percussive guitar sound.

Johnson and Dr. Feelgood were an influence on the English punkmovement. Paul Weller said of Johnson: "Wilko may not be as famous as some other guitarists, but he's right up there. And there are a lot of people who'll say the same. I can hear Wilko in lots of places. It's some legacy."

In 1977, Johnson was a founding member of Solid Senders, with keyboardist John Potter, bassist Steve Lewins, and drummer Alan Platt. They signed to Virgin in 1978 and released the album, Solid Senders that year.

The Wilko Johnson Band played at the 'Front Row Festival', a three-week event at the Hope and Anchor, Islington in late November and early December 1977, featuring many early punk rock acts. This resulted in the inclusion of two tracks by The Wilko Johnson Band ("Dr. Feelgood" and "Twenty Yards Behind"), on a hit double album of recordings from the festival. The Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival compilation album (March 1978).

On This Day 27/09/2001 Echobelly

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 27 September 2001, rock band Echobelly played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach. The band had just released their Greatest Hits album I Can't Imagine the World Without Me. The album is heavily biased on the bands' first album Everyone's Got One, with 9 of the 18 songs coming from that album.

They were often compared to Blondie and The Smiths; Morrissey becoming a fan of the group.

The most prominent part of Echobelly's success formula was vocalist Sonya Madan, who was also the group's lyricist. Born in Delhi, India, before moving to England at the age of two, Madan had an atypical background for a pop star. Her upbringing made rock music an unusual choice for her as a youngster and she did not attend her first rock concert until she was in college.

In 1990 she met Glenn Johansson, a guitarist from Sweden. In a radio interview with Janice Long, on BBC Radio Wales, in December 2017, she admitted that her parents had initially found it hard to accept her choice of career.

On This Day 26/09/2006 McFly

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 26 September 2006, pop/rock band McFly played Cardiff International Arena on their Motion In The Ocean Tour.

Formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the Back to the Future character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Danny Jones (lead vocals, harmonica, and guitar), Dougie Poynter (bass guitar, vocals) and Harry Judd (drums). They were signed to Island Records from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records.

McFly rose to fame after fellow band Busted, with whom they later formed McBusted, helped launch them by inviting them to tour in 2004. In 2005, they won the Brit Award for Best British Pop Act.

McFly's debut album Room on the 3rd Floor debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and is certified as double platinum; this led to them taking the record, in the Guinness Book of records, as being the youngest band ever to have an album debut at number one—a title taken from the Beatles.

A month after the album was released, the band had their first UK headlining tour.

Review - Wales Online

Tom Fletcher, at 21 the oldest member of McFly, reckons on the official website their current tour is 'gonna kick ass'. And, judging by last night's performance, he could be right.

On their second night in Cardiff, the boys came up with a good musical mix, including covers, their early music and their new single Star Girl, which is out next month.

They added a pyrotechnic blast to the fantastic atmosphere at Cardiff International Arena.

McFly covered Ghostbusters, Queen's Don't Stop Me Now and Fight For Your Right from the Beastie Boys.

Playing on a stage set out on a '50s beach theme, McFly played their own songs, from the first single Five Colours in Her Hair, at number one more than two years ago, Obviously, Unsaid Things and more.

Fletcher could easily have been a member of Busted, but was rejected after an audition as the new band was formed.

Instead, Fletcher and Co - Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd - founded McFly, taking the name from his love of the science fiction film Back to the Future and leading character Marty McFly.

They leave Cardiff heading north to play Newcastle, Glasgow and more.

Setlist

Please, Please

I Wanna Hold You

I'll Be OK

We Are the Young

Surf Medley

Surfer Babe

Down by the Lake

That Girl

She Left Me

Star Girl

All About You

Sorry's Not Good Enough

Fight for Your Right

(Beastie Boys cover)

Not Alone

Room on the 3rd Floor

Ghostbusters

(Ray Parker Jr. cover)

Encore:

I've Got You

Obviously

Don't Stop Me Now

(Queen cover)

5 Colours in Her Hair

On This Day 25/09/1984 The Smiths

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 25 September 1984, legendary band The Smiths played Cardiff University, with support provided by The Woodentops.

Formed in Manchester in 1982 and composed of singer Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke, and drummer Mike Joyce. Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwriting partnership. The Smiths are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from 1980s British independent music.

The Smiths signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records in 1983 and released their first album, The Smiths, in 1984.

Review - Passions Just Like Mine website

This was a very good show. The band was well received, fed off and returned the crowd's energy. There was no change in the setlist.

The Smiths entered stage following the new dramatic intro from Romeo And Juliet and Morrissey greeted the audience by saying "It's so nice of you to come, we're the Smiths..." Set opener "William, It Was Really Nothing" was in the charts at the time and everyone in the audience seemed to be familiar with it because they sang along with Morrissey. Next up was the rockabilly-fied "Handsome Devil" and on this one Morrissey was also backed by the whole audience. After that number Morrissey scolded troublemakers in the crowd by saying that spitting was "...a little rude... it's boring and out of fashion... anyone that spits is an old, fat hippy!".

"Nowhere Fast" was the first of a few songs the audience wasn't familiar with because they had yet to be released. It was followed with the current b-side but future classic "How Soon Is Now?", which was introduced by Morrissey with undecipherable words. "Barbarism Begins At Home" was introduced as "Sexuality Begins At Home". Just as the band was about to launch into the song Morrissey replied to hecklers in the crowd with a very loud "WHAT!". "Rusholme Ruffians" was also unreleased and unfamiliar to everyone in the room, so Morrissey introduced it before performing it. It had been debuted the night before and just like then, at the end of the song Mike kept on playing the drum track for a few bars, with Morrissey wailing "devout...", then Andy kicked in with the bass line from "This Charming Man". For a few bars the rhythm track they were playing together sounded like the intro to the New York mix of "This Charming Man". Fans who still hadn't recognised the song finally did when Johnny added the guitar line and Morrissey started singing "Punctured bicycle, on a hillside desolate..."

It took some time for one band member to be ready to go into "Reel Around The Fountain" and an impatient Morrissey had to encourage him with a faint "now!" The latter crowd favourite stirred the fans into another big singalong followed with very loud cheers. The performance of that song sounded like a mass, with Morrissey as the preacher. After "Jeane" Morrissey acknowledged the fact that the song was one of their oldest and most obscure by saying "Thank you... it's nice to see that some people still remember..." The crowd showed its appreciation for "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" by trying to drown Morrissey's singing in their own. "Still Ill" was simply introduced as "Ill Still". Main set closer "These Things Take Time" ended with an extended guitar wall of sound while Morrissey wailed in a high pitched voice.

The Smiths returned to the stage after a short break amid deafening cheers and started the first of two encores with a dry acoustic version of "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want". This was the second ever live outing of the song and it wasn't yet well adapted to live performance. Later renditions would show a significant improvement. At this point in time it was extended with a repeat of the second verse and ended abruptly after Morrissey's last word, without the recorded version's beautiful outro. However, as if to make up for that, the outro to "Hand In Glove" was extended by Morrissey repeating the traditional "Ah-ah-ah-ah" that he always ended live performances of the song with.

Tickets were £4.

SETLIST

William, It Was Really Nothing

Handsome Devil

Nowhere Fast

How Soon Is Now?

Barbarism Begins At Home

Rusholme Ruffians

This Charming Man

Reel Around The Fountain

Jeane

You've Got Everything Now

Girl Afraid

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

Still Ill

These Things Take Time

/Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want

/Hand In Glove

//Miserable Lie

On This Day 23/09/1984 Difford & Tilbrook

On this day, 23 September 1984, Squeeze bandmates Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook played Cardiff’s New Ocean Club. The duo had recently released their Difford and Tilbrook album.

Because Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook have always been the songwriters and only constant members of Squeeze, Difford & Tilbrook is often considered to be a Squeeze album in all but name.

Several remastered tracks from this album have been included on Squeeze compilations such as Piccadilly Collection and Excess Moderation (both released in 1996), and tracks "Hope Fell Down" and "Love's Crashing Waves" have regularly been included in Squeeze setlists since 2010. Tony Visconti produced the album, but A&M rejected his mix, and brought in Eric Thorngren to do a new mix.

On This Day 22/09/1958 Terry Dene

On this day, 22 September 1958, rock music singer Terry Dene played Cardiff’s New Theatre. Providing support for Terry Dene and his Dene-Aces was provided by, Edna Savage, Margo & June, Chas. McDevitt with Shirley Douglas, Dave Gray, Barry Anthony, Earl & Elgar and Eva May Wong.

In 1957, his first single, "A White Sport Coat", sold in excess of 350,000 copies in the first seven weeks and together with his own version of "Start Movin'" at number 14, put his records in the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart twice in the same year, securing his name in the Guinness Book of Records.

His recording of "Stairway of Love" in 1958 remained in the chart for eight weeks. He toured Britain, was one of the first to appear in the BBC Television's first pop show, Six-Five Special in April 1957, and appeared in a film, The Golden Disc (1958).

After being arrested for public drunkenness and breaking a shop window in 1958, and ripping out a telephone box from the wall whilst claiming his passionate love for Edna Savage, Dene was branded as a 'bad apple' and the exemplifier of the 'evil of rock and roll' by the press, and was then conscripted into the Army for national service.

He was originally expected to report to Winchester Barracks, where he was due to join the King's Royal Rifle Corps on 7 July 1958, but his call-up was initially deferred until contractual commitments had been completed. When he finally did go in, it was so badly handled by the press (who filmed and publicised his arrival at the barracks) that after two months Dene had to be discharged on psychological grounds as his mental health had deteriorated considerably. By that time the press had almost ruined his career, and the Army offered him a pension as a form of compensation which Dene refused.

Dene later joined the Larry Parnes' stable of stars and toured with them around Britain.

On This Day 21/09/1964 Brian Poole & the Tremeloes

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 21 September 1964, beat group Brian Poole & the Tremeloes played Cardiff’s New Theatre headlining a Variety Package that featured, Tom, Dick & Harry (Your kind of folk), The Buckmaster Puppets (Modern puppetry), Anna-Lou & Maria (Sophisticated sorcery), Linda Lee (Television's "Think Of A Word"), Bobby Dennis (Who's crazy), June & Johnny (Novelty dancing entertainers) and Ray Bishop & His Orchestra.

Brian Poole and The Tremeloes) are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, England. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with "Do You Love Me".

After Poole's departure in 1966, the band achieved further success as a four-piece with 13 top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart between 1967 and 1971 including "Here Comes My Baby", "Even the Bad Times Are Good", "(Call Me) Number One", "Me and My Life" and their most successful single, "Silence Is Golden" (1967).

On This Day 20/09/1973 Savoy Brown

On this day 20 September 1973, Blues/Rock band Savoy Brown played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre as support to Status Quo.

Formed in Battersea, south west London, in 1965. Part of the late 1960s blues rock movement, Savoy Brown primarily achieved success in the United States, where they promoted their albums with non-stop touring. Founder, guitarist and primary songwriter Kim Simmonds was the sole constant member of the band from its formation in 1965 until his death in 2022.

In June 1973 the band released their 10th album Jack The Toad.

The band was formed by guitarist Kim Simmonds and harmonica player John O'Leary, following a chance meeting at Transat Imports record shop in Lisle Street, Soho, in 1965. In naming themselves, the group put together two words that conveyed an interesting balance of opposite sentiments and approaches.

The word "Savoy" came from an American blues label, Savoy Records, as the members of the band thought the word "Savoy" sounded elegant. They added “Brown” because they thought it was an extremely plain word. Overall, the group called itself the Savoy Brown Blues Band to tell listeners that they played Chicago Blues-sounding music.