On This Day 09/06/1988 David Sylvian

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On this day, 9 June 1988, Japan frontman David Sylvian played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on his In Praise Of Shamans tour. His band Featured Robby Aceto, Richard Barbieri, Mark Isham, Steve Jansen, Ian Maidman, and David Torn.

Sylvian came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly electronic sound made them an important influence on the UK's early-1980s New Romantic scene.

Following their break-up, Sylvian embarked on a solo career with his debut album Brilliant Trees (1984). His solo work has been described by AllMusic as "far-ranging and esoteric", and has included collaborations with artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Robert Fripp, Holger Czukay, Jon Hassell, Bill Nelson and Fennesz.

Composition of new material in early 1987 was followed by recording sessions at Chateau Miraval in the south of France, and by May 1987 Secrets of the Beehive was completed, finally being released in October 1987.

Secrets of the Beehive made greater use of acoustic instruments and was musically oriented towards sombre, emotive ballads laced with string arrangements by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Brian Gascoigne. It reached number 37 in the UK charts and remained for two weeks.

The album was followed by his first live outing as a solo artist, in an 80-day world tour called "In Praise of Shamans", from March to June 1988. Alongside Sylvian were Jansen, Barbieri, guitars and keyboards from Robbie Aceto, brass and sax from Mark Isham, bass from Ian Maidman and lead guitar from David Torn. There were no songs from Sylvian's former band Japan in the setlist.

"Beehive was the summation of all the solo material that went before it", Sylvian said. "I knew when I had finished I wouldn't be returning to quite the same waters again. The period following on from...Beehive was the hardest of my life. A descent into hell."

On this day 15/09/1980 The Specials

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On this day, 15 September 1980, two tone Ska pioneers The Specials played Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens with support from The Swinging Cats.

The band were about to release More Specials, the band’s second album and released by 2 Tone Records in October 1980. The album peaked at No 5 in the UK album charts.

After the success of the band's self-titled debut, band member Jerry Dammers assumed the role as the band's leader and stirred them into expanding their 2 Tone sound into other genres of music, most prominently a lounge music and easy listening style inspired by Muzak.

At the end of 1980, it was named the year's 32nd best album by the NME, and 31st best by OOR. In 1995, Melody Maker included it in a list of "great lost albums," having been chosen for inclusion by Simon Price, who wrote an accompanying essay for the album's entry.

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 1987, Rockdelux named it the 91st best album released between 1980 and 1986. In 2003, Mojo included in their list of the "Top 50 Eccentric Albums," while in 2007 they included in their list of "The 80 Greatest Albums of the 80s."

Several band members disagreed with Dammers' vision and brought their own influences to the album, including from northern soul and rockabilly, contributing to an eclectic sound palette.

The relations between band members continued to sour into the album's accompanying tour and most of the band departed in 1981.

On this day 11/07/1981 Misty and the Roots

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On this day, 11 July 1981, British roots reggae band Misty and the Roots played Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens.

Formed in Southall, London, in the mid 1970s. Their first album was 1979's Live at the Counter Eurovision, a record full of Rastafarian songs. It was championed by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, helping to bring roots reggae to a white audience.

Following their debut, Misty In Roots released four studio albums through the 1980s. The band had two BBC Radio 1 "In Concert" appearances in 1983 and 1985. They were invited to play in Zimbabwe in 1982 in recognition of their support for the independence movement, and were the first reggae band to tour South Africa, Poland, and Russia.

In 1979 Clarence Baker, a member of the collective, was severely beaten and injured by the SPG during a protest in Southall against a National Front march.

The punk band The Ruts, who were partners of and had their debut single released by the People Unite co-operative, honoured him in their song "Jah War" which was released as a single and on their album The Crack the same year.

In 1981 the band released their third album Wise and Foolish

On this day Sad Cafe 6/7/1983

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On this day, 6 July 1983, Manchester rock band Sad Cafe played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

They are best known for the UK Top 40 singles "Every Day Hurts", "Strange Little Girl", "My Oh My" and "I'm in Love Again", the first of which was their biggest hit, reaching number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979.

The band initially dissolved in 1990, but briefly reformed in 1998, and again in 2000. The band played a 2000 concert as a tribute to former vocalist Paul Young, who had died on 15 July 2000.

Band

Paul Young – lead vocals

Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Vic Emerson – keyboards

Dave Irving – drums

Lenni – saxophone

Des Tong – bass, backing vocals

Michael Byron-Hehir – lead guitar

On this day 21/6/1984 Siouxsie and the Banshees

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On this day 21 June 1984 punk originals Siouxsie and the Banshees played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on their Hyæna Tour.

Hyæna was the band’s sixth studio album released earlier the same month. Hyæna is the only studio album that guitarist Robert Smith of the Cure composed and recorded with Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Hyæna was namechecked by Brett Anderson, the singer of Suede.James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers hired producer Hedges because he loved the sound on lead single "Swimming Horses".

Bradfield stated: "Swimming Horses' by the Banshees – what a fucking record that is! I remember thinking 'You really care about that record. I'm gonna have to chase that record down." He also mentioned the importance of the drums: "I loved Banshees records, where everything starts with the drums".

Setlist

Dazzle

Cascade

Running Town

Feathers

Desert Kisses

Pointing Bone

Red Over White

Melt!

Red Light

Christine

Bring Me the Head of the Preacher Man

Painted Bird

Arabian Knights

Spellbound

Monitor

Encore:

Helter Skelter

(The Beatles cover)

On this day Mike Oldfield 18/6/1980

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On this day, 18 June 1980, British multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Oldfield, played Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens.

The In Concert 1980 tour, which ran from April to December of that year, was in promotion of the album. Platinum that was released the previous November.

Platinum was Mike Oldfield’s fifth studio album and was Oldfield's first album to include shorter songs and music written by others. A modified version of the album was released in the United States and Canada and titled Airborn.

It peaked at No 24 in the UK album charts.

SETLIST

Platinum, Part 1

Platinum, Part 2

Platinum, Part 3

Platinum, Part 4

I Got Rhythm

(George Gershwin cover)

Punkadiddle

Incantations (Part 1)

Incantations (Part 2)

Incantations (Part 3)

Incantations (Part 4)

Tubular Bells, Part One

Tubular Bells, Part Two

Guilty

Ommadawn, Part One

Blue Peter

Portsmouth

([traditional] cover)

Polka

Radetzky March, Op.228

(Johann Strauss cover)

Blaydon Races

(Geordie Ridley cover)

Musicians - Pierre Moerlen (drums) Nico Ramsden (guitar) Benoit Moerlen (vibraphones) Hansford Rowe (bass) Tim Cross and Pete Lemer (keyboards) Pete Acock (sax and woodwind) Mike Frye (percussion) Wendy Roberts & Maggie Reilly (vocals).

On this day 17/6/81 The Undertones

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On this day, 17 June 1981, , The Undertones from Derry, Northern Ireland, played Cardiff’s Top Rank on their Positive Touch tour.

On 4 January 1981, the band began recording their third album, Positive Touch, again at Wisseloord Studios, with Roger Bechirian as producer.

The band recorded a total of eight songs in five days before returning to Derry. Later the same month, the band returned to Wisseloord Studios to complete the recording of the LP.

The songs on this album indicated a change in both musical and lyrical influences: although the songs remained largely guitar-oriented, the band had written songs which focused upon the Troubles in Northern Ireland such as "Crisis of Mine", "You're Welcome" and the single "It's Going To Happen!", which preceded the release of the LP and was inspired by the 1980–81 Hunger Strikes.

Positive Touch was released in May 1981. This third album peaked at number 17 in the UK charts—remaining in the Top 40 for a total of four weeks.

The album also received favourable reviews from several music critics and was listed by NME as one of the best albums to be released in 1981, although neither the album nor either of the singles released were as successful as any of the material released the previous year.