On This Day 26/09/2007 Gwen Stefani

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On this day, 26 September 2007, American singer Gwen Stefani played Cardiff International Arena on her Sweet Escape Tour.

The tour began in April 2007 in support of her second solo album The Sweet Escape (2006). Performing for nearly a hundred concerts, the tour traveled to the Americas, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

The shows in North America ranked 23rd on Billboard "Top 25 Tours". The 55 reported shows grossed $30.6 million with 648,529 tickets sold.

Gwen Renée Stefani was born on October 3, 1969, in Fullerton, California, and raised Catholic in nearby Anaheim.[19] She was named after a stewardess in the 1968 novel Airport, and her middle name, Renée, comes from the Four Tops' 1968 version of the Left Banke's 1966 song "Walk Away Renée".

Her father Dennis Stefani is Italian American and worked as a Yamaha marketing executive. Her mother Patti (née Flynn) is Irish American and worked as an accountant before becoming a homemaker.

Stefani's parents were fans of folk music and exposed her to music by artists like Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris. Stefani has two younger siblings, Jill and Todd, and an older brother, Eric. Eric was the keyboardist for No Doubt before leaving the band to pursue a career in animation on The Simpsons.

She attended Loara High School, where she graduated in 1987. After high school, she attended Fullerton College and Cypress College. She then transferred to California State University, Fullerton, but dropped out to pursue her music career.

Setlist

The Sweet Escape

Rich Girl

Yummy

4 in the Morning

Luxurious

Early Winter

Wind It Up

Danger Zone

Hollaback Girl

Now That You Got It

Don't Get It Twisted / Breakin' Up

Cool

Wonderful Life

Orange County Girl

Encore:

The Real Thing

What You Waiting For?

On This Day 21/08/2007 Pink

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On this day, 21 August 2007, American singer songwriter Pink played Cardiff. International Arena on her I’m Not Dead Tour.

The tour was in support of her fourth studio albums m I’m Not Dead, released the previous year. Commercially, I'm Not Dead peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States, and reached number one in several territories including Australia, Austria, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

I'm Not Dead has since been certified double platinum in the United States and certified gold in Finland, Denmark, and Sweden. The album received positive reviews from music critics, many of whom complimented the risks Pink took on the record as well as her experimentation with rock music.

"Stupid Girls" was released as the lead single from I'm Not Dead ahead of the album's release, which generated controversy for its lyrical content and music video, for which Pink received the MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video and a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Five additional singles were released from the album, with "Who Knew" and "U + Ur Hand" reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

Pink promoted the album through radio and television interviews, media appearances, and the I'm Not Dead Tour.

Setlist

Cuz I Can

Trouble

Just Like a Pill

Who Knew

Stupid Girls

I'm Not Dead

Family Portrait

My Vietnam

Last to Know

Try Too Hard

Summertime

(George Gershwin cover)

Me and Bobby McGee

(Kris Kristofferson cover)

Piece of My Heart

(Erma Franklin cover)

Lonely Girl

Don't Let Me Get Me

18 Wheeler

Dear Mr. President

What's Up?

(4 Non Blondes cover)

Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)

Encore:

U + Ur Hand

Get the Party Started

On This Day 21/07/2010 Pet Shop Boys

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On this day, 21 July 2010, synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys played Cardiff International Arena on their Pandemonium tour.

The Pandemonium Tour was a worldwide concert tour by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys in support of their tenth studio album Yes. The tour visited Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Yes debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 27,639 copies, the duo's highest-placing album since Bilingual (1996). Early sales figures predicted that the album would enter at number one, but its release was beset by distribution problems and Yes proved unable to hold onto its midweek position.

The download version erroneously went on sale through the iTunes Store three days before its official release date, rendering 2,500 sales ineligible for the chart, while, the following week, a number of suppliers of the physical album reported stock level problems.

The closing track "Legacy" was subject to censorship in China for political sensitivity reasons, as it contains the lyric "governments fall". The song was changed to an instrumental.

Setlist

More Than a Dream

Heart

Did You See Me Coming?

Pandemonium

Can You Forgive Her?

Love etc.

Integral

Building a Wall

Paninaro

Go West

(Village People cover)

Two Divided by Zero

Why Don't We Live Together?

New York City Boy

You Were Always on My Mind

(Gwen McCrae cover)

Closer to Heaven

Left to My Own Devices

Do I Have To?

King's Cross

The Way It Used to Be

Jealousy

Suburbia

What Have I Done to Deserve This?

All Over the World

Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)

Discoteca

Domino Dancing

Viva la Vida

(Coldplay cover)

It's a Sin

Encore:

Being Boring

West End Girls

On This Day 05/07/2010 Gabriella Cilmi

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On this day, 5 July 2010, Australian pop singer and songwriter Gabriella Cilmi played Cardiff International Arena. Also on the bill was Leona Lewis.

Her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned, was released in March 2008, becoming a moderate international success. Cilmi won six ARIA Music Awards, including Single of the Year and Best Female Artist, in 2008. Her second studio album, Ten, was released in March 2010.

The lead single, "On a Mission", appeared two weeks ahead of the album and marked Cilmi's foray into more 1980s inspired music. Ten is Cilmi's second and final album released under Island Records.

The album peaked in the top 40 in Australia and the UK. PopJustice placed Ten at number 4 on their "Top 33 albums of 2010" list. The album was not released in the United States.

According to Cilmi, Ten features "lots of uptempo funk and disco-inspired numbers designed to make people groove" as well as "some more sexy tracks". One song incorporates a type of yodel into it.[1] While producing the album, Cilmi worked with Greg Kurstin, The Invisible Men and Dallas Austin, as well as Xenomania on the song "Hearts Don't Lie" which she likens to a Bee Gees song. Cilmi has said "Love Me 'Cause You Want To" is the song she's most proud of due to the fact it was produced with her band.

On This Day 23/06/2008 Journey

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On this day, 23 June 2008, American rock band Journey played Cardiff International Arena. Support was provided by John Parr. The band had just released their thirteenth studio album Revelation. On December 18, 2008, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA, making it Journey's first such certification since their 1996 album Trial by Fire. According to Nielsen Soundscan, Revelation has sold more than 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. as of November 2009.

Formed in San Francisco in 1973 by former members of Santana, the Steve Miller Band, and Frumious Bandersnatch, The band as of 2024 consists of guitarist/vocalist Neal Schon (the last remaining original member), keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Cain, keyboardist/vocalist Jason Derlatka, drummer/vocalist Deen Castronovo, bassist Todd Jensen, and lead vocalist Arnel Pineda.

Journey had their biggest commercial success between 1978 and 1987, when Steve Perry was lead vocalist; they released a series of hit songs, including "Don't Stop Believin'" (1981), which in 2009 became the top-selling track in iTunes history among songs not released in the 21st century. Escape,

Journey's seventh and most successful album, reached number one on the Billboard 200 and yielded another of their most popular singles, "Open Arms". The 1983 follow-up album, Frontiers, was almost as successful in the United States, reaching number two and spawning several successful singles; it broadened the band's appeal in the United Kingdom, where it reached number six on the UK Albums Chart.

Journey enjoyed a successful reunion in the mid-1990s and have since regrouped twice; first with Steve Augeri from 1998 to 2006, then with Arnel Pineda from 2007 onward.

Setlist

"Never Walk Away"

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"

"Only the Young"

"Stone in Love"

"Keep On Runnin'"

"Ask the Lonely"

"Who's Crying Now"

"Change for the Better"

Lights

"After All These Years"

"Mother

Father"

"Open Arms"

"Wheel in the Sky"

"Where Did I Lose Your Love"

"Chain Reaction"

"Wildest Dream"

"Edge of the Blade"

Faithfully

"Don't Stop Believin'"

Escape

"Any Way You Want It"

On This Day 06/06/2004 Blondie

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On this day, 6 June 2004, pop band Blondie played Cardiff International Arena. Support was provided by Rock DJ and Swiss Tony.

Formed in 1974 in New York City by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein.The band was a pioneer in the American new wave genre and scene of the mid-1970s.

The band's first two albums contained strong elements of punk and new wave, and although highly successful in the UK and Australia, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the US until the release of their critically acclaimed third album Parallel Lines in 1978. Over the next four years, the band released a string of hit singles, including "Dreaming", "One Way or Another", "Heart of Glass" (all 1979), "Call Me", "Atomic", "The Tide Is High", and "Rapture" (all 1980).

The band became noted for its eclectic mix of musical styles, incorporating elements of disco, pop, reggae, funk and early hip hop music.

Blondie disbanded after the release of their sixth studio album, The Hunter, in 1982. Harry continued to pursue a solo career with varied results after taking a few years off to care for partner Stein, who was diagnosed with pemphigus, a rare autoimmune disease of the skin.

The band re-formed in 1997, achieving renewed success and their sixth number one single in the UK with "Maria" in 1999, exactly 20 years after their first UK No. 1 single, "Heart of Glass".

The group toured and performed throughout the world during the following years, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Blondie has sold over 40 million records worldwide[8][9] and is still active. The band's eleventh studio album, Pollinator, was released on May 5, 2017.

Setlist

Atomic

Dreaming

Hanging on the Telephone

(The Nerves cover)

X Offender

Hello Joe

Good Boys

Maria

Rules for Living

End to End

Accidents Never Happen

(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear

The Tide Is High

(The Paragons cover)

Rifle Range

The Tingler

Angels on the Balcony

Picture This

Rapture

Undone

Rip Her to Shreds

One Way or Another

Encore:

Union City Blue

Call Me

Heart of Glass

On This Day 28/04/2004 Duran Duran

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On this day, 28 April 2004, 80’s pop band Duran Duran played Cardiff International Arena on their Reunion tour.

Duran Duran celebrated their homecoming to the UK on their Reunion tour with fourteen stadium dates in April 2004, including five sold-out nights at Wembley Arena. The British press, traditionally hostile to the band, accorded the shows some very warm reviews. Duran Duran brought along band Goldfrapp and the Scissor Sisters as alternating opening acts for this tour. The last two shows were filmed, resulting in the concert DVD Duran Duran: Live from London which was released in November.

Formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. With the addition of bassist Simon Colley and drummer Roger Taylor the following year, the band went through numerous personnel changes before May 1980, when they settled on their most famous line-up by adding guitarist Andy Taylor and lead vocalist Simon Le Bon.

According to Billboard, Duran Duran have sold over 100 million records. They achieved 30 top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart (14 of them top 10) and 21 top 40 singles in the US Billboard Hot 100. The band have won numerous awards throughout their career: two Brit Awards including the 2004 award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, two Grammy Awards, an MTV Video Music Award for Lifetime Achievement and a Video Visionary Award from the MTV Europe Music Awards. They were also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Setlist

(Reach Up for the) Sunrise

Hungry Like the Wolf

Is There Something I Should Know?

Union of the Snake

Come Undone

A View to a Kill

What Happens Tomorrow

The Chauffeur

Planet Earth

I Don't Want Your Love

Tiger Tiger

Night Boat

Beautiful Colours

Ordinary World

Save a Prayer

Notorious

The Reflex

Careless Memories

The Wild Boys

Encore:

White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)

(Grandmaster Melle Mel cover)

Girls on Film

Rio

On This Day 18/04/2002 Here And Now Tour ABC

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On this day, 18 April 2002, 80’s popsters ABC played Cardiff International Arena as part of an eighties package including Adam Ant, Belinda Carlisle, China Crisis, Howard Jones, Toyah and ex Spandau Ballet bandmates, Tony Hadley, Steve Norman and John Keeble.

ABC has its roots in Vice Versa, a Sheffield band formed in 1977 by synthesizer players Stephen Singleton and Mark White. Their debut gig was as the support to Wire at the Outlook club in Sheffield. They founded their own label, Neutron Records, releasing the EP Music 4. Martin Fry, who wrote the fanzine Modern Drugs, interviewed Vice Versa and shortly afterwards they asked him to join as synthesizer player. Fry accepted and by late 1980 the band had evolved into ABC, with Fry becoming lead singer.

The band's last day as Vice Versa was at the Futurama 2 Festival in Leeds in September 1980; from then on it performed as ABC, with Singleton playing saxophone and White on guitar and keyboards. In the new year, Singleton and White were joined by Mark Lickley on bass and David Robinson on drums.

The band's first single, "Tears Are Not Enough", made the UK top 20 in 1981. Soon afterwards, Robinson left the band and was replaced by David Palmer; Lickley departed shortly thereafter and was not replaced. In 1982, the band released their debut studio album The Lexicon of Love, which reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Produced by Trevor Horn, it often featured in UK critics' lists of favourite albums: it ranked 42nd in The Observer Music Monthly's "Top 100 British Albums" (June 2004) and 40th in Q magazine's "100 Greatest British Albums" (June 2000).

The band had three top 10 hits during 1982: the singles "Poison Arrow", "The Look of Love" (both of which were recorded whilst Mark Lickley was still a member of the band), and "All of My Heart".[5] Several high-concept music videos were made, including the long-form spy pastiche "Mantrap" by Julien Temple.