On This Day 19/05/2000 Paul Weller

On this day, 19 May 2000, The Modfather, Paul Weller played Cardiff International Arena.

The tour coincided with the April release of Weller’s fifth solo album ‘Heliocentric’ – his first since 1997’s ‘Heavy Soul’ which peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums chart.

There were rumours at the time that Heliocentric would be Weller's final studio effort, but these proved unfounded when he released the No. 1 hit album Illumination in September 2002.

Weller was born on 25 May 1958 in Woking, Surrey, England, to John and Ann Weller (née Craddock). Although born John William Weller, he became known as Paul by his parents.

Weller's musical vocation was confirmed after seeing Status Quo in concert in 1972. He formed the first incarnation of the Jam in the same year, playing bass guitar with his best friends Steve Brookes (lead guitar) and Dave Waller (rhythm guitar).

Weller's father, acting as their manager, began booking the band into local working men's clubs. Joined by Rick Buckler on drums, and with Bruce Foxton soon replacing Waller on rhythm guitar, the four-piece band began to forge a local reputation, playing a mixture of Beatles covers and a number of compositions written by Weller and Brookes.

Brookes left the band in 1976, and Weller and Foxton decided they would swap guitar roles, with Weller now the guitarist.

Weller became interested in 1960s mod culture in late 1974, particularly after hearing 'My Generation' by the Who.

As a result, he began riding a Lambretta scooter, styling his hair like Steve Marriott and immersing himself in 1960s soul and R&B music.

At his instigation, the Jam began wearing mohair suits onstage and he and Foxton began playing Rickenbacker guitars (as favoured by the Who and the Beatles in the mid-1960s).

He has been a committed mod ever since, declaring in a 1991 interview that, "I'll always be a mod. You can bury me a mod".

Setlist

Friday Street

Out of the Sinking

Into Tomorrow

Back in the Fire

Dust and Rocks

Peacock Suit

Heavy Soul

(Parts 1 & 2)

With Time & Temperance

Frightened

You Do Something to Me

The Changingman

Porcelain Gods

There's No Drinking After You're Dead

As You Lean Into the Light

Broken Stones

Picking Up Sticks

Love-Less

Encore:

Wild Wood

Sunflower

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On this day 10/11/1980 The Jam

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On this day, 10 November 1980, mod/punk band The Jam played Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on the group’s Sound Affects tour, with support provided by the ska- influenced Brighton band The Piranhas. It was to be the band’s last ever visit to Cardiff. The band did visit South Wales twice more with two visits to the Afan Lido, Port Talbot in March and November 1982.

Their fifth studio album Sound Affects was released in November 1980. Paul Weller said that he was influenced by The Beatles' Revolver and Michael Jackson's Off the Wall also.

Indeed, several of the songs recall Revolver-era swirling psychedelia, such as "Monday", "Man in the Corner Shop", and the acoustic "That's Entertainment". According to Weller he wrote "That's Entertainment", a bitter slice-of-life commentary on the drudgery of modern working-class life, in around 15 minutes upon returning inebriated from the pub.

To universal surprise, on 30 October 1982 Weller announced his intention to disband The Jam after a short concert tour of the UK had been completed. They also made their final appearances on Top of the Pops and The Tube to promote "Beat Surrender".

The tour included five consecutive nights at the Wembley Arena, all of which sold out within twenty minutes of tickets becoming available. The last date on the original itinerary had been scheduled for 9 December 1982 at Guildford Civic Hall, close to the band's hometown of Woking. However, due to ticket demand, an additional date was added at the Brighton Conference Centre on 11 December 1982 for their last performance.

On This Day 20/4/1977 The Jam

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On this day, 20 April 1977, mod-inspired punk band The Jam played the Roundabout Club in Newport, the band’s first ever concert in Wales.

Their appearance was just 9 days before the release of their first single In The City and 6 days before recording their first John Peel session where they played In The City, Art School, I’ve Changed My Address, and The Modern World.

The band had signed to Polydor Records that February and Chris Parry from the company recalled that after handing over the cheque for the band’s advance, the band’s manager, Paul’s father John Weller, Weller revealed they didn’t have a bank account.

“John exclaimed I can’t take a cheque, so we went across Oxford Street to the bank where Polydor banked.
“The money came across the counter in ten pound notes. John stuffed them in his pockets and went home a happy man”.