On This Day 08/05/1981 Larry Norman

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On this day, 8 May 1981, American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and released more than 100 albums.

In 2008, Christian rock historian John J. Thompson wrote, "It is certainly no overstatement to say that Larry Norman is to Christian music what John Lennon is to rock & roll or Bob Dylan is to folk music." Thompson credited Norman for his impact on the genre as a musician, a producer, and a businessman.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Norman also influenced a number of emerging punk and alternative rock artists. According to documentarian Larry Di Sabatino, Larry Norman was "an early influence" on the post-punk band U2. When Bono met with a summit of Nashville Christian music artists in 2002 to garner support for an African aid campaign, he specifically asked to see Norman. Upon Larry Norman's death, Bono sent flowers to his funeral with the note "Eternal singer, still eternal, Bono."

According to Charles Normal, Larry Norman attended his "first of many" punk rock shows while touring London in 1977, seeing Richard Hell and the Voidoids, the Damned, and Dead Boys. Regarding the punk movement, Norman stated that while he initially disliked some of the lyrical content, he was generally supportive of it and its youthful energy, which he viewed as preferable to disco.

In late 1980, Norman moved to England and, with his father, founded Phydeaux Records, a company designed to compete with the bootleg market by selling rarities from Norman's own archives. He signed a distribution deal with British label Chapel Lane and released several albums before returning to the United States in 1985.

Norman then began work on an anthology project celebrating his career in Christian music, beginning with the album White Blossoms from Black Roots: The History and the Chronology: Volume One; however, the project collapsed when the head of the distribution company was arrested for check forgery and the company's merchandise was seized by the FBI.

Setlist

I Hope I'll See You in Heaven

If I Were a Singer

I Am Near

When You Sent Your Son

No More LSD for Me

A Note From Mr. God

One Way

U.F.O.

666 (The Anti-Christ)

The Outlaw

The Troubles

On This Day 10 December 1996 Reef

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On this day, 10 December 1996, rock band Reef played Cardiff University on their Glow tour, the band were about to release their second album Glow ( January 1997).

Formed in Glastonbury. The band members include Gary Stringer on vocals, Amy Newton on guitar, Jack Bessant on bass, and Luke Bullen on drums.

In 1993, Bessant and Stringer were looking for band members while Kenwyn House met Dominic Greensmith (from Barnstaple, Devon), and discussed forming a band. The foursome got together, producing the extremely rare "Purple Tape" demo.

After recording several tracks, the band spent much of 1994 touring and building up a fan base. They signed to S2, an offshoot of Sony. Their first single "Good Feeling" was released on an independent label, but financed by Sony, then as an official Sony S2 release in early 1995. This paved the way for "Naked", which was used in a TV advert for the Sony MiniDisc in which a record company executive hears the track on MiniDisc and throws it out of the window disapprovingly. It is picked up by a young man outside, who listens to it and likes it (demonstrating the format's durability).

During 1994 and 1995, Reef supported Paul Weller, the Rolling Stones and Soundgarden, amongst others.

oth the "Good Feeling" and "Naked" singles came from Reef's 1995 release, their now gold debut album Replenish. The album was recorded in the remote Cornish Sawmills recording studio and in a studio in Bath.

In mid-1995 they released a four-track single release: "Weird". It was non-commercial and the band had said it was aimed at fans. "Sunrise Shakers", one of the B-sides to "Weird", was later included in snowboarding film Day Tripper, by independent film maker Christian Stevenson who later directed a promotional video for the band's 1999 single, "Sweety".

The follow-up to Replenish was 1997's Glow, with the band using more varied instruments and was produced by the Black Crowes' record producer, George Drakoulious and engineered by Jim Scott, in Los Angeles. It spawned the singles "Place Your Hands", "Come Back Brighter", "Consideration" and "Yer Old".On the week of its release, Glow went straight to number 1 in the UK Albums Chart.

On This Day 23/10/1974 Horslips

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On this day, 23 October 1974, Irish Celtic rock band Horslips, played Cardiff University on their Dancehall Sweethearts tour.

Horslips composed, arranged and performed songs frequently inspired by traditional Irish airs, jigs and reels. The group are regarded as 'founding fathers of Celtic rock' for their fusion of traditional Irish music with rock music and went on to inspire many local and international acts.

They formed in 1970 and 'retired' in 1980 for an extended period. The name originated from a spoonerism on The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse which became "The Four Poxmen of The Horslypse"

Dancehall Sweethearts is the name of their third studio album Recorded during the 1974 World Cup Finals, the songs were loosely based on the travels of the famed 18th century blind harper, Turlough O' Carolan. The title and cover were chosen by the band in reaction to the record company's worry that an album about a deceased blind Irish harper would not sell in great quantities.

For this album, the addition of brass sections added a new element to Horslips' sound, as songs like Nighttown Boy and Sunburst displayed elements of blues which were new to Horslips' Celtic Rock sound. Once again, traditional jigs and reels were incorporated into Horslips' songs. A video was recorded for Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ, of Horslips performing King of the Fairies, a set dance, Beatles-style on the roof of Bank of Ireland's headquarters in 1975.

On This Day 22/10/1976 Mott

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On this day, 22 October 1976, Mott (formerly Mott The Hoople) played Cardiff University with support provided by Welsh rockers Lone Star.

Mott came into being following the departure of both Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson, who had left to become a duo leaving former bandmates to continue as Mott.

The new line-up consisted of Watts, Griffin, and Fisher along with lead guitarist Ray Majors (formerly of Opal Butterfly, Hackensack, and a brief stint with Andy Fraser and Frankie Miller) and front man Nigel Benjamin. This line-up released two more albums, Drive On (1975) and Shouting and Pointing (1976), both of which sold poorly.

After Benjamin quit in 1976, Mott briefly replaced him with Steve Hyams,[10] before joining forces with John Fiddler (formerly of Medicine Head), and became British Lions, recording two albums, British Lions (1977) and Trouble With Women (posthumously released on Cherry Red Records 1980) before finally splitting up without any chart success.

On This Day 20/10/1978 Wishbone Ash

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On this day, 20 October 1978, British rock band Wishbone Ash played Cardiff University on their No Smoke Without Fire Tour.

Formed in Torquay, Devon, in 1969, out of the ashes of the trio The Empty Vessels (originally known as The Torinoes, later briefly being renamed Tanglewood in 1969), which had been formed by Wishbone Ash's founding member and creative force Martin Turner (lead vocalist, and bass guitar) in 1963 and complemented by Steve Upton (drums and percussion) in 1966.

Wishbone Ash formed when Martin Turner and Steve Upton set up auditions for a guitarist and subsequently ended up with two guitarists because they couldn't decide between the two. So as a result, guitarists/vocalists Andy Powell and Ted Turner completed the original Wishbone Ash line-up. In 1974, Ted Turner left the band, and was replaced by Laurie Wisefield. The band continued on with strong critical and commercial success until 1980.

In 1978, after years of experimental albums, the band decided to return to its roots with No Smoke Without Fire, the first to be produced by Derek Lawrence since Argus in 1972. The album contained mainly songs written by Laurie Wisefield and Martin Turner. The album peaked at #43 in the UK album charts.

On This Day 18/10/1986 The Larks

On this day, 18 October 1986, English band The Larks, played Cardiff University.

The Larks were an English ska/punk group formed at Christchurch College, Canterbury in 1981. Despite the fact that neither Tommy Barlow (sax) nor Mark Bannister (guitar) could play their chosen instrument and despite their differing tastes in music, they decided to form a band. They performed Clash songs as a duo at a couple of college ‘folk’ nights before recruiting Dave Eastgate on drums. The trio bought a cheap bass guitar and gave it to Pete Walmsley to learn. The Larks’ first gig was at the Art College on June 16th 1981 where they performed fifteen cover versions. The band released their first single in 1986 and in total released three singles before splitting in 1988.

In an interview with the Fear & Loathing fanzine, guitarist Mark Bannister claimed that John Peel played their controversial track 'Maggie Maggie Maggie Out Out Out' on his roadshows and not on his radio programmes, due due to it's anti-Margaret Thatcher message:

"We were told that he used to play ‘Maggie Maggie Maggie Out Out Out’ at the end of his roadshows, and he played it once as part of a documentary about protest music or something. But I’m pretty sure he never played it on his evening show, and we never got offered a session or anything…"

However, Peel did play their track 'Billy Graham' in 1986 and in an interview with Jockles from the Turtle Breeder fanzine in 1988, he confirmed playing The Larks' 'Maggie Maggie Out Out Out' on some of his roadshows and thought it was a great record which he could not play on his regular radio programmes.

On This Day 17/10/1989 Joe Strummer

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On this day, 17 October 1989, former Clash frontman and punk legend Joe Strummer played Cardiff University with his band The Latino Rockabilly War on his Earthquake Weather Tour.

Earthquake Weather is the only album by former frontman of The Clash, Joe Strummer, released on 20 September 1989. The album was well received by critics, but was not a commercial success. The majority of the album was recorded in Los Angeles, California in 1988 and 1989, as evident from the cover photography and design by Josh Cheuse.

It was the first time Strummer had worked on his own musical project. In previous years he had worked with Alex Cox on the soundtracks of his films Sid and Nancy and Walker in 1986 and 1987. He also worked on the production of his former Clash partner Mick Jones' second album with the band Big Audio Dynamite in 1986.

Joe Strummer and the Latino Rockabilly War
Joe Strummer: Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Zander Schloss: Lead Guitar and Vocals
Lonnie Marshall: Bass Guitar and Vocals
Willie MacNeil: Drums
Jack Irons: Drums

Setlist

Sleepwalk

Jewellers & Bums

Gangsterville

Sikorsky Parts

Armigedeon Time

(Willi Williams cover)

Highway One Zero Street

Trash City

(Joe Strummer song)

City of the Dead

(The Clash cover)

Tropic of No Return

(Joe Strummer song)

Slant Six

Nothin' About Nothin'

Junco Partner (Worthless Man)

(James Waynes cover)

What's My Name

(The Clash cover)

Police and Thieves

(Junior Murvin cover)

Shouting Street

Pressure Drop

(The Maytals cover)

King of the Bayou

London Calling

(The Clash cover)

Island Hopping

Brand New Cadillac

(Vince Taylor & The Playboys cover)

The Magnificent Seven

(The Clash cover)

I Fought the Law

(The Crickets cover)

On This Day 16/10/1989 Runrig

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On this day, 16 October 1989, Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig played Cardiff University.

Earlier in the month the band released their sixth studio album Searchlight which peaked at #11 in the UK album charts.

Formed on the Isle of Skye in 1973. From its inception, the band's line-up included brothers and songwriters Rory MacDonald (bass, vocals) and Calum MacDonald (percussion). The line-up during most of the 1980s and 1990s (the band's most successful period) also included Donnie Munro (vocals), Malcolm Jones (guitar), Iain Bayne (drums), and Pete Wishart (keyboards). Munro left the band in 1997 to pursue a career in politics and was replaced by Bruce Guthro. Wishart left in 2001 and was replaced by Brian Hurren. The band released fourteen studio albums, with a number of their songs sung in Scottish Gaelic.

Initially formed as a three-piece dance band known as 'The Run Rig Dance Band', the band played several low key events, and has previously cited a ceilidh at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow as their first concert.

Runrig's music is often described as a blend of folk and rock music, with the band's lyrics often focusing upon locations, history, politics, and people that are unique to Scotland. Songs also make references to agriculture, land conservation and religion.