On This Day 12/04/2010 Chapel Club

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On this day, 12 April 2010, indie-synth band Chapel Club played Cardiff’s Barfly.

Initially named Palace, the newly formed five-piece began rehearsing and gigging around London. As another band was already using the name Palace, the band changed their name to Golden Age before they stopped gigging to focus on writing and recording.

In August 2009, the band recorded 'Surfacing' with US producer Chris Zane at Strongrooms Studio in Shoreditch, London. With their debut single finally recorded, the band, having struggled to choose a new name for the band, settled on Chapel Club, inspired by Bowman's interest in religion and religious imagery and by the proximity of the band's rehearsal space to St. Luke's Church on London's Old Street. The single was scheduled for release in October through their management's label East City Records, however despite being named BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record in the World' and gaining radio play on stations including BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC 6Music, XFM and NME Radio, the single was cancelled due to a copyright issue regarding the chorus lyrics from the song "Dream a Little Dream of Me". The copyright wrangle was later resolved with the original song's publisher, allowing the band to release the song in the future.

Autumn 2009 saw Chapel Club's first gigs under their new name, as they hosted their own residency at the Shacklewell Arms pub in Dalston, London. The gigs attracted significant media attention that led to interest from several independent and major record labels. In November 2009 and after just 3 gigs under their new name, the band signed with Universal Records imprint Polydor.

The band denied press reports that they had signed for large amounts of cash, claiming that their deal favoured creative control and long-term commitment over financial reward. In the same month, the band recorded 'O Maybe I' with Claudius Mittendorfer, at Atomic Heart Studios in New York. The song was recorded and produced in a day and a half. The single, now serving as the band's debut single, was released in February 2010 on Polydor on 7" and digitally via the band's own website. The single was named Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record in the World' as well as 'Record of the Week' on Steve Harris' XFM show.

In April 2010, having tried out several producers, the band began work on their debut album with Paul Epworth at The Pool in South London. The album sessions produced a further eight tracks, including follow up single, 'Five Trees' which was released in May 2010 entered the NME chart at number six. The album was mixed and mastered in June, but release was delayed due to Polydor wanting the band to go out on tour to build up a fanbase first.

On This Day 02/04/2015 Ella Eyre

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On this day, 2 April 2015, singer and songwriter, Ella Eyre played Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena as support act to Olly Murs.

She is known for her collaborations with Rudimental on their UK number-one single "Waiting All Night" (2013), which won the 2014 Brit Award for British Single of the Year, with DJ Fresh on his single "Gravity" (2015), and with Sigala on his singles "Came Here for Love" (2017) and "Just Got Paid" (2018). Her debut EP, Deeper, was released in 2013 and her debut album, Feline, was released in 2015. Eyre's musical influences include Lauryn Hill, Etta James, Basement Jaxx and Hans Zimmer.

Eyre's first EP, Deeper, was released in December 2013, and the title track reached number 72. She was the runner-up for the 2014 BRIT Critics' Choice Award and came second on the BBC Sound of 2014 shortlist. Her next three solo singles—"If I Go", "Comeback" (both 2014) and "Together" (2015)—reached the top twenty on the UK Singles Chart. She co-wrote the UK number one single "Changing" for drum and bass duo Sigma featuring British recording artist Paloma Faith, which was released in the United Kingdom in September 2014. The following month, Eyre won Best Newcomer at the MOBO Awards 2014.

Eyre featured on the DJ Fresh single "Gravity", released in February 2015. In May 2015, a song Eyre co-wrote, "Black Smoke", was used by Ann Sophie, the German participant of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. Also during mid 2015, Eyre supported Olly Murs on his 2015 arena tour and was announced as the "face" of the advertising campaign for an Emporio Armani Diamonds fragrance.

On This Day 23/03/2010 This Is Hell

On this day, 23 March 2010, American hardcore punk band This Is Hell played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach.

This Is Hell formed in June 2004 when Long Island musicians and members of The Backup Plan, Scraps and Heart Attacks, and Subterfuge got together after their previous bands broke up.

The name of the band was originally the title of an Elvis Costello song. The band quickly released a four-song self titled demo EP which was later pressed onto vinyl via Boston label Run for Cover Records and in Europe via Broken Glasses Records. Pressings of the EP sold out quickly and was very well received. The demo gained enough popularity to later be reissued. In support of this demo, the band played over 200 live shows in one year.

After the release of their demo and in between touring, the band started working on their next release, a self titled EP. It was released on May 16, 2005, on State of Mind Records. Later that year, the band caught the attention of hardcore punk record label Trustkill Records.

The band signed to Trustkill shortly after that, and began to work on their debut album Sundowning to be released on their new label. In May 2006 the album was released and received a very warm reception. Larger magazines including Alternative Press, Metal Hammer, and Rock Sound started featuring the small-time Long Island band, creating a rise in popularity. Their slow rise to fame was also due to their non-stop touring.

This Is Hell mutually split with their label, Trustkill Records, and signed with Rise Records. With new recruits Andrew Jones (bass) and Benny Mead (drums) they released an EP through Think Fast! Records in 2009 called Warbirds. The EP featured covers and new songs, some of which would later appear on their third studio album Weight of the World, which was released on June 8, 2010, through Rise Records.

October 11, 2011, saw the release of This Is Hell's fourth full-length studio album, Black Mass.

On This Day 13/03/2010 Katatonia

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On this day, 13 March 2010, Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia played Cardiff’s Barfly on their NewNight Over Europe Tour.

Formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström, the band started as a studio-only project for the duo, as an outlet for the band's love of death metal. Increasing popularity led them to add more band members for live performances, though outside of the band's founders, the lineup was a constantly changing, revolving door of musicians throughout the 1990s, notably including Mikael Åkerfeldt of the band Opeth for a period.

After two death/doom albums, Dance of December Souls (1993) and Brave Murder Day (1996), problems with Renkse's vocal cords coupled with new musical influences led the band away from the screamed vocals of death metal to a more traditional, melodic form of heavy metal music.

The band released two more albums, Discouraged Ones (1998) and Tonight's Decision (1999), before settling into a stable quintet lineup for all of the 2000s. The band released four more albums with said lineup: Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2001), Viva Emptiness (2003), The Great Cold Distance (2006) and Night Is the New Day (2009), with the band slowly moving away from their metal sound while adding more progressive rock sounds to their work over time.

While lineup changes started up again into the 2010s, Renkse and Nyström persisted, and the band continued on to release their ninth and tenth studio albums, Dead End Kings (2012) and The Fall of Hearts (2016).

Setlist

Forsaker

Consternation

Liberation

Day and Then the Shade

Onward Into Battle

Soil's Song

Wealth

Teargas

Saw You Drown

Idle Blood

My Twin

The Longest Year

Criminals

July

Evidence

Encore:

Dispossession

Ghost of the Sun

On This Day 08/03/2007 Joan Baez

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On this day, 8 March 2007, folk legend Joan Baez played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

In February 2007, Proper Records reissued her 1995 live album Ring Them Bells, which featured duets with artists ranging from Dar Williams and Mimi Fariña to the Indigo Girls and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

The reissue features a 16-page booklet and six unreleased live tracks from the original recording sessions. In addition, Baez recorded a duet of "Jim Crow" with John Mellencamp which appears on his album Freedom's Road (2007). Also in February 2007, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The day after receiving the honor, she appeared at the Grammy Awards ceremony and introduced a performance by the Dixie Chicks.

Joan Baez, St David's Hall, Cardiff. Review - South Wales Argus

By Alan Molloy

MENTION Joan Baez to people of a certain age and they think, folk singer, activist, civil rights marcher and they may even remember in 1967 her views saw her prevented from performing at America's Constitution Hall by the ultra-right Daughters of the American Revolution.

This legendary singer who toured with Bob Dylan in the 70s has lost none of her magic and still speaks and sings for solutions to violence in the Middle East and Latin America.

Was St David's Hall, Cardiff, ready for this rebel and would her haunting songs travel well across the years?

The answer is Yes' they were ready for her as the encores and applause testified and Yes' the songs are just as powerful.

"I can't believe I'm still doing this and I can't believe that you are still there,'' said Joan and the audience certainly were as they cheered their way through this thoughtful repertoire.

Her effortless performance included Wildwood Flower from her first album, Joe Hill, With God on our Side, Diamonds and Rust, Lily and There but for Fortune.

Accompanied by guitarists Graham Maybe and Eric de la Pena, her songs were interspersed with anecdotes and comments on politics in Washington.

The audience went home having been transported back to a time when talent was recognised and one-hit wonders and tribute bands were in the distant future.

On This Day 10/02/2011 Good Charlotte

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On this day, 10 February 2011, American rock band Good Charlotte played Cardiff University on the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour.

Formed in 1995. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of Joel Madden (lead vocals), Benji Madden (guitar, vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin (guitar, keyboards), and Dean Butterworth (drums, percussion).

The band released their self-titled debut album in 2000. In 2002, they released their second album, The Young and the Hopeless. Featuring the singles "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", "The Anthem" and "Girls & Boys", The Young and the Hopeless sold 3.5 million copies in the US and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA, for a total of almost 5 million copies sold worldwide.

The band followed up with The Chronicles of Life and Death in 2004; a darker album, both musically and lyrically. Backed by the singles "Predictable" and "I Just Wanna Live", The Chronicles of Life and Death continued the band's success, and the album was certified platinum by the RIAA, selling over one million copies in the US alone. In 2007, they released the dance-punk inspired album Good Morning Revival before going back to their pop-punk-roots with the album Cardiology in 2010.

After a four-year-long hiatus, the band announced its comeback on November 3, 2015. The band released Youth Authority 2016, and in 2018 they released their latest album, Generation Rx. In addition, they released two compilations: Greatest Remixes in 2008 and Greatest Hits in 2010.

Setlist

Introduction to Cardiology

The Anthem

Girls & Boys

My Bloody Valentine

Silver Screen Romance

Riot Girl

Like It's Her Birthday

Keep Your Hands Off My Girl

Predictable

Little Things

The Chronicles of Life and Death

The Young and the Hopeless

The River

Dance Floor Anthem

I Just Wanna Live

Sex on the Radio

Play Video

Counting the Days

Play Video

Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous

On This Day 24/01/2016 Jason Derulo

On this day, 24 January 2016, American singer Jason Derulo played Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on his Everything is 4 tour.

Since the start of his solo recording career in 2009, he has sold over 250 million singles worldwide and has achieved fourteen platinum singles in the US.

After contributing and writing songs for various artists, Derulo signed to recording label Beluga Heights, owned by record producer and industry veteran J. R. Rotem. After Beluga Heights became part of the Warner Music Group, Derulo became a recording artist and released his debut single "Whatcha Say" in May 2009. It sold over five million digital downloads, earned an RIAA certification of quintuple platinum, and reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

He followed with the US top-ten singles "In My Head" and "Ridin' Solo", the former of which topped the UK Singles Chart, and his self-titled debut studio album Jason Derulo (2010). His second album, Future History (2011), yielded the UK number-one single "Don't Wanna Go Home" and top-ten hit "It Girl". His third international album, Tattoos (2013), was repackaged in the US as Talk Dirty (2014) and spawned the worldwide hit singles "Talk Dirty", "Trumpets", and "Wiggle".

Setlist

Trumpets

Wiggle

Get Ugly

Secret Love Song

(Little Mix cover)

Talk Dirty

Ridin' Solo

Whatcha Say

Bubblegum

Marry Me

Cheyenne

Don't Wanna Go Home

In My Head

Want to Want Me

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