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On this day, 06/08/2011, American rhythm and blues band Vintage Trouble played Cardiff’s Big Weekend
Also on the bill were Gabrielle, Horace Andy & Dub Asante, Hayley Scarlett, Jazz Jamaica with Special Guest Myrna Hague, Dom Duff and Zong Zing All Stars.
The band formed in Hollywood, California, in 2010.They have released three albums: The Bomb Shelter Sessions (2011), The Swing House Acoustic Sessions (2014) and 1 Hopeful Rd. (2015).
Their sound has been described as "retro", reminiscent of a number of late 1950s and 1960s blues and rock artists, such as The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry and The Animals. One of their more well known songs called "Today is Pretty Great" was featured in a Honda Civic commercial with the artists seen at the very beginning for a few seconds.
The band then began creating material in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles. After two weeks of rehearsals in early 2010, the group began playing local area shows and late-night speakeasies. Aiming to emulate mid-century soul music and to use the recording techniques of that era, the band spent a three-day session recording complete takes, turning out 12 new songs for the album The Bomb Shelter Sessions.
Such singles as '"Gracefully", "Nancy Lee", "Still & Always Will" and "Blues Hand Me Down" aimed to produce a sound reminiscent of the days of vinyl records and juke joints, and the essence of the original soul movement.The album was produced by Peter McCabe and co-produced by Vintage Trouble themselves. The album was mixed by Rogers Masson.
They initially took their music outside the USA, as part of a strategy conceived by manager Doc McGhee. "If you look at the history of people like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, or James Blunt, they came [to America] first and didn't make it. Then, they went back over to England, and blew up. We just decided to go to Europe first, and when they were accepted there, we would have a story to share here. That's basically what happened."
McGhee wanted to get them in front of as many people as possible, and the strategy worked. "It was pretty simple. The concept was to get all the Troublemakers together, and those people spread the word. We got Brian May to give us some dates, and also some stadium shows with Bon Jovi. It's just hard work by these guys. They just get up in the morning, and go conquer," he said.
