Venues 4 - Sophia Gardens

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One of the larger venues in Cardiff was the Sophia Gardens Pavilion, with a seated capacity of 2,500.

Built in 1951 for the Festival of Britain, due to government restrictions on building materials during the post-war period, the framework of the building was adapted from a surplus aircraft hangar from RAF Stormy Down near Bridgend.

The building was host to many concerts, but during January 1982 the roof collapsed due to an estimated 4 ft (1.2 m) of snow,and the building was subsequently demolished. Just one month before the collapse, Cardiff Council had approved an extensive improvement programme, which would have cost approximately £100,000.

The pavilion was used for the boxing and wrestling competitions of the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Many notable performers played at the pavilion, including Danny Kaye, Cliff Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Slade.

Foxxglove

Continuing our Artists from Made At The Atrium today we feature Foxxglove.

Phoebe Ann

Our series of Artists who performed at Made At The Atrium continues today with Phoebe Ann

Basic State

Day Two of our Artists from Made At The Atrium features Basic State.

PLease click on the link for the Video.

Emma Mae

Day One of Five Performances from Made At The Atrium. The Fab Emma Mae

Made At The Atrium

To celebrate our association with the Fantastic Made At The Atrium Production Yesterday, Keep Cardiff Live will be showing content starting this Monday of Five of the Artists Involved playing original Music.

Tonight From 6pm Live Stream

Keep Cardiff Live are proud to Support Made at The Atrium.

The live event kicks off at 6 pm this evening.

Please click on the button to get your link and support great Music from The USW Atrium.

Please also like their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Pages.

KCL will announce Tomorrow more about Made At THe Atrium!

All Images and Designs Copyright Made At The Atrium.

Venues 3 - Top Rank Cardiff Suite

Our Regular feature on music Venues continues with The Top Rank Cardiff Suite

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A regular venue for up and coming signed bands in the 60s and 70s would have been the Top Rank Suite in Queen Street.

Created under what was the old Gaumont Theatre, Top Rank's opening on November 22, 1963, was overshadowed by the assassination of US president John F Kennedy, but over the next four decades it thrived. With a capacity of 1,500, it was to feature some rock’s greatest bands with The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Clash, The Jam, The Police, to name just a handful.

The Top Rank was also one the Capital’s premier ballrooms and held regular evenings as a discotheque whilst also featuring its own in-house band.

It closed as the The Top Rank in 1982 but continued as a night club and live venue under various names like Ritzy Astoria and Panama Joes.

Planning permission for its demolition was granted in late 2004 and by 2005 the old Top Rank was gone for good.