On This Day 23/01/2005 The Used

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On this day, 23 January 2005, American rock band The Used played Cardiff University on their In Love And Death tour.

The Used formed in the summer of 2000 with Branden Steineckert, Quinn Allman, Jeph Howard, and Bert McCracken.The band began composing songs without lyrics prior to McCracken joining.

They held auditions for vocalists at Howard's residence, but were not satisfied with any of the auditions, describing them as terrible. Allman then asked McCracken if he was interested in joining the band. McCracken was impressed with their material, and after being given some music, he wrote the lyrics to what would become "Maybe Memories". He returned the next day to record a demo version of the song and was then officially confirmed as the band's vocalist.

During the early days of the band, members suffered from poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse, panhandling for change in order to buy food. They decided upon the name "Used" after friends claimed they felt "used" when contact with the band members waned as they became more engrossed in the project.

In Love and Death is the second studio album by American rock band the Used. It was released on September 28, 2004, and was later certified platinum in the United States, indicating over 1,000,000 copies shipped. It is their most commercially successful album to date.

The title and music reference a number of tragic events that surrounded vocalist Bert McCracken during the album's production, notably the death of his pregnant girlfriend. In Love and Death is the final studio album to feature drummer Branden Steineckert.

On This Day 21/01/2010 Thrice

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On this day, 21 January 2010, American rock band Thrice played Cardiff University on their 2010 European Tour.

From Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school.

Early in their career, the band was known for melodic hardcore punk music based in heavily distorted guitars, prominent lead guitar lines, and frequent changes in complex time signatures.

In 2009, it was announced that the band would serve as openers for Brand New for their Fall North American tour. Multiple shows were sold out, and the band notably performed a cover of The Beatles's "Helter Skelter". After this leg of the tour, Thrice began a tour with The Dear Hunter, but they had to play without guitarist Teppei Teranishi who left due to a family emergency.[

In 2009, while on the Vans Warped Tour in Houston, Texas, the band autographed a Gibson Guitar for the non-profit Music Saves Lives and assisted in their goal of raising the nation's blood supply.

Thrice posted a poll for fans to vote for which song from Beggars to use for a music video. "All the World is Mad", "The Weight", "Circles" and "In Exile" were the choices for the poll, with "In Exile" narrowly beating "The Weight" even after some voters hacked into the system to try to choose the winner. The live-themed, black and white music video premiered on MySpace Music on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009, their first live video since 2002's "Deadbolt."

Thrice's spring (2010) tour with Manchester Orchestra was cut short on April 23 when Kensrue had to leave because of an illness in the family.

Setlist

Of Dust and Nations

Silhouette

All the World Is Mad

The Weight

Come All You Weary

Helter Skelter

(The Beatles cover)

Hold Fast Hope

The Artist in the Ambulance

All That's Left

In Exile

A Song for Milly Michaelson

At the Last

The Melting Point of Wax

Deadbolt

The Earth Will Shake

Encore:

Stare at the Sun

Beggars

On This Day 20/01/1960 The Platters

On this day, 20 January 1960, American vocal group The Platters played Cardiff’s Gaumont Theatre. The tour package included Cuddly Dudley and Carl Barriteau and his band.

Formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Originally, their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre. The act has gone through several personnel changes, with one of the most successful incarnations comprising lead tenor Tony Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, and Zola Taylor.

The group had 40 charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1955 and 1967, including four number-one hits. The Platters are one of the first African-American groups to be accepted as a major chart group and are one of the most successful vocal groups in the world.

As a group, The Platters began to have difficulties with the public after 1959, when the four male members were arrested in Cincinnati on drug and prostitution charges. Although no one was convicted, their professional reputation was seriously damaged and US radio stations started removing their records from playlists, forcing the group to rely more heavily on European bookings.

In 1960, lead vocalist Williams left to pursue a solo career and was replaced by tenor Sonny Turner. Mercury refused to issue further Platters releases without Williams on lead vocals, provoking a lawsuit between the label and manager Ram. As a result, the label spent two years releasing old Williams-era material until the group's contract lapsed.

On This Day 17/01/1991 Slaughter

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On this day, 17 January 1991, American hard rock band Slaughter played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall supporting the headlining band Cinderella.

Slaughter formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in late 1988. Previously, lead vocalist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum had been in Vinnie Vincent Invasion. Vinnie Vincent Invasion's record company, Chrysalis Records, took the $4 million contract away from Vinnie Vincent for exceeding his credit line with the label, and transferred the contract to former members Slaughter and Strum. By 1989, Slaughter and Strum completed the lineup by recruiting lead guitarist Tim Kelly and drummer Blas Elias.

Slaughter's debut album Stick It to Ya had three singles released that hit the Billboard Hot 100: the hit "Fly to the Angels" (US#19), and the moderate hits "Up All Night" (US#27) and "Spend My Life" (US#39). During this time, a song was released from the soundtrack to the film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. That song, titled "Shout It Out", was accompanied by a music video but failed to make the US Hot 100.

On This Day 16/01/1999 John Cale

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On this day, 16 January 1999, Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer and founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

The previous year, Cale spent on tour with singer Siouxsie Sioux. In February, he was the curator of one day festival called "With a Little Help from My Friends" that took place at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with the presence of the Metropole Orchestra.

The concert was shown on Dutch national television and featured a song specially composed for the event and still unreleased, "Murdering Mouth", sung in duet with Siouxsie and her second band the Creatures.

Cale and Siouxsie then did a double bill tour in the US for two months from late June until mid-August, both artists collaborating on stage on several songs including a version of "Venus in Furs".

Cale's autobiography, What's Welsh for Zen?, was written in collaboration with Victor Bockris and published in 1999 by Bloomsbury Publishing.

Review - SouthWales Echo

To promote the book he tours Europe with the John Cale trio (with Mark Deffenbaugh & Lance Doss, starting at St Davids Hall, Cardiff - January 16.

Setlist

Lament

On a Wedding Anniversary

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Buffalo Ballet

Chinese Envoy

Child's Christmas in Wales

Some Friends

Darling I Need You

You Know More Than I Know

Ship of Fools

Set Me Free

Leaving It Up to You

Cable Hogue

Cordoba

(Brian Eno & John Cale cover)

Dying on the Vine

Heartbreak Hotel

(Elvis Presley cover)

Fear Is a Man's Best Friend

Style It Takes

(Lou Reed / John Cale cover)

Thoughtless Kind

Hallelujah

(Leonard Cohen cover)

On This Day 15/01/1968 The Herd

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On this day, 15 January 1968, rock band The Herd played Cardiff’s Top Rank.

The Herd were founded in 1965 in south London, and recorded three unsuccessful singles with Parlophone. The original lineup was Terry Clark (vocals and guitar), Gary Taylor (guitar), Louis Cennamo (bass), and Tony Chapman (drums). In 1966, all but Taylor quit the group.

With new members Peter Frampton (vocals and guitar), Andy Bown (keyboards), and Andrew Steele (drums), the group got the line-up that made it famous. The singer, Peter Frampton, was 16 when he joined the group in 1966 and had just left school. The other members were a few years older. Parlophone did not want to go on with them, but Fontana were willing to give them a try.

They also sent their manager Billy Gaff away and brought in the songwriters/producers Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley instead. This pair had been largely responsible for a string of hits by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.

In October 1967 they supported the Jimi Hendrix Experience at The Saville Theatre, London. Their greatest success came with "I Don't Want Our Loving to Die", (March 1968) a number five UK hit single.

With his boyish photogenic looks, Frampton was dubbed "The Face of ’68" by teen magazine Rave.

The last months of 1968 were tempestuous times for the group. Steele left the group, to be replaced by Henry Spinetti. The group dumped their managers Howard and Blaikley, and briefly found a new mentor in Harvey Lisberg who after three months found himself so bogged down with their personnel problems that he politely withdrew his services. Most songs on their first and only album Paradise Lost were written by Peter Frampton and Andy Bown, just like their next single, "Sunshine Cottage".

Dissatisfied with mere teen idol status, and disappointed with the failure of "Sunshine Cottage", Frampton left by the end of 1968 to form Humble Pie with Steve Marriott.

On This Day 14/01/2010 Warbringer

On this day, 14 January 2010, American thrash metal band Warbringer played Cardiff’s Barfly on their Infected Nations Tour.

Formed in 2004, Century Media Records signed Warbringer after seeing them at a local show in LA. Originally, a Century Media rep was at the show to see another LA thrash metal band but decided to sign Warbringer instead.

Early in 2009 the band went to Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California to record with Gary Holt (Exodus) as producer and Zack Ohren for mixing and mastering. The record was completed in 12 days and the band went on two more North American tours with Soilwork back to back with Kreator and Exodus. The tour lasted over 3½ months. During the last half of the tour, Nic Ritter broke his arm and John Gensmer of Epicurean filled in for the band.

In July Warbringer embarked on a headlining tour of Europe and as support for Onslaught and Testament in the UK. This was Ben Bennett's last tour and in August he was replaced by the band's original bass player, Andy Laux.[10] The band continued touring heavily in the US, opening for Obituary, Vader, and a show with Slipknot before the end of the year.

In 2010 Warbringer returned to a Europe/UK tour, co-heading with the U.K.'s Evile and the Israeli The Fading. Later, Warbringer and Evile returned to the States to support Overkill's Killfest 2010 tour.

On This Day 13/01/1986 Marillion

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On this day, 13 January 1986, prog rockers Marillion played the second of two nights at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on their Misplaced Childhood tour. Support was provided by Beltane Fire. The shows were rescheduled from the previous September.

Formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979, they emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock,becoming the most commercially successful neo-prog band of the 1980s.

Review - South Wales Echo

Marillion released their debut single "Market Square Heroes" in 1982, followed by their first album Script for a Jester's Tear in 1983. They have released 20 studio albums in total. The band achieved eight Top 10 UK albums between 1983 and 1994, including a No. 1 album in 1985 with Misplaced Childhood. The album also produced two UK Top 10 singles in "Kayleigh" (No. 2) and "Lavender" (No. 5)

Setlist

01 The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra)

02 Emerald Lies (Intro)

03 Script For A Jester’s Tear

04 Incubus

05 Jigsaw

06 The Web

07 Misplaced Childhood

08 Fugazi

09 Garden Party

10 Market Square Heroes

The band

Fish (vocals), Steve Rothery (guitar), Mark Kelly (keyboards), Pete Trewavas (bass), Ian Mosley (drums)