On This Day 25/01/2006 Thunder

On this day, 25 January 2006, hard rock band Thunder played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on their Magnificent Seventh Tour.

Founded by former Terraplane members Danny Bowes (lead vocals), Luke Morley (guitar, backing vocals) and Gary "Harry" James (drums), along with second guitarist and keyboardist Ben Matthews and bassist Mark "Snake" Luckhurst.

Originally signed to EMI Records in the UK, the band released their debut album Backstreet Symphony in 1990, which reached number 21 on the UK Albums Chart and number 114 on the US Billboard 200. The 1992 follow-up Laughing on Judgement Day reached number 2, while both albums were certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). All nine singles released from the two albums reached the UK Singles Chart top 40.

The Magnificent Seventh! is the seventh studio album by English hard rock band Thunder. Recorded from June to August 2004, it was produced the band's lead guitarist Luke Morley and engineered and mixed by Rupert Coulson. The album was released in the UK by the band's own label STC Recordings on 21 February 2005, in Europe by Frontiers Records the following day, in Japan by Victor Entertainment on 28 March and worldwide on iTunes on 13 April.

Setlist

Loser

Amy's on the Run

Higher Ground

I'm Dreaming Again

You Can't Keep a Good Man Down

Like a Satellite

Ball and Chain

Empty City

Just Another Suicide (You Wanna Know)

Love Walked In

Fade Into the Sun

I Love You More Than Rock 'n' Roll

Encore:

An Englishman on Holiday

A Better Man

Dirty Love

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 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 22/01/2015 Within The Ruins

On this day, 22 January 2015, American metalcore band Within The Ruins played Cardiff’s Clwb IforBach on their European Winter tour.

The previous Summer the band had released their fourth studio album Phenomena. This is the first album where guitarist Joe Cocchi uses a 7-string guitar, using bass guitar strings to adopt an unconventionally low tuning and vastly increase the low range of the instrument.

Within the Ruins founding members Joe Cocchi and Kevin McGuill started the band during 2003.

The band went through some line-up changes and finally began working on their first self-released EP entitled Driven by Fear which was completed in 2005.

Followed by the release, the band began touring in late 2006 in an effort to gain exposure and label recognition. With the release of their second EP Empires through Innerstrength Records the band received an offer from Victory Records.

The band's debut studio album Creature was released in February 2009, followed by their second studio album entitled Invade in September 2010. Invade sold over 3,000 copies in its first week.

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)