On This Day 23/03/2010 This Is Hell

On this day, 23 March 2010, American hardcore punk band This Is Hell played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach.

This Is Hell formed in June 2004 when Long Island musicians and members of The Backup Plan, Scraps and Heart Attacks, and Subterfuge got together after their previous bands broke up.

The name of the band was originally the title of an Elvis Costello song. The band quickly released a four-song self titled demo EP which was later pressed onto vinyl via Boston label Run for Cover Records and in Europe via Broken Glasses Records. Pressings of the EP sold out quickly and was very well received. The demo gained enough popularity to later be reissued. In support of this demo, the band played over 200 live shows in one year.

After the release of their demo and in between touring, the band started working on their next release, a self titled EP. It was released on May 16, 2005, on State of Mind Records. Later that year, the band caught the attention of hardcore punk record label Trustkill Records.

The band signed to Trustkill shortly after that, and began to work on their debut album Sundowning to be released on their new label. In May 2006 the album was released and received a very warm reception. Larger magazines including Alternative Press, Metal Hammer, and Rock Sound started featuring the small-time Long Island band, creating a rise in popularity. Their slow rise to fame was also due to their non-stop touring.

This Is Hell mutually split with their label, Trustkill Records, and signed with Rise Records. With new recruits Andrew Jones (bass) and Benny Mead (drums) they released an EP through Think Fast! Records in 2009 called Warbirds. The EP featured covers and new songs, some of which would later appear on their third studio album Weight of the World, which was released on June 8, 2010, through Rise Records.

October 11, 2011, saw the release of This Is Hell's fourth full-length studio album, Black Mass.

On This Day 19/03/2001 Ed Harcourt

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On this day, 19 March 2001, singer/songwriter Ed Harcourt played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach.

Before going solo, Harcourt played the bass and keyboards for Snug, a band formed at school in the mid-1990s by Harcourt, James Deane, Ed Groves and Johnny Lewsley. The band recorded two albums and a handful of singles together before dissolving.

In 2000, Harcourt recorded his debut mini-album Maplewood EP straight to a 4-track recorder at Wootton Manor. After signing with Heavenly Records and releasing Maplewood in November 2000, Harcourt recorded his debut studio album Here Be Monsters with producers Gil Norton and Tim Holmes.

The album was released in June 2001, and charted on the UK Albums Chart at No. 84. One month after its release, the album was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize.

He later described the period as "very strange for me, I was naive, I knew nothing. I was used to making music in my room, so it felt very odd being on stage". In the US he signed with Capitol Records.

On This Day 25/02/2008 Boy Kill Boy

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On this day, 25 February 2008, rock band Boy Kill Boy played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach. The band were about to release their second and final album Stars And The Sea.

Released on 31 March 2008. It was recorded in three recording studios in Cornwall, Brighton, and Los Angeles. The track, "Loud and Clear", was made available for a free download from the band's website.

Much deliberation was made over the name of the album. In the December 2007 edition of Uncut, the magazine claimed that it would be a self-titled album, also HMV had the title listed as Loud and Clear, although MTV2UK and Amazon had both named it Stars and the Sea. It was finally announced in early November 2007 that it would be called this.

It charted at number 98 on 6 April 2008.

However, the album failed to repeat the success of their debut, and rumours of a split began surfacing. On 12 October 2008, Boy Kill Boy confirmed this via an announcement on their MySpace site.

Singer Chris Peck subsequently started a new project and, on 11 January 2011, posted a video clip on YouTube for a new song called "Riversong". Peter Carr went on to play keyboards in singer-songwriter Marina and the Diamonds' backing band.

The band briefly reformed for two gigs at Oslo, Hackney, London, on 19 November 2016 and 25 November 2016.

On This Day 31/01/2002 Stereolab

On this day, 31 January 2002, Anglo-French avant-pop band Stereolab played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach.

Formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound features influences from krautrock and 1960s French pop music, often incorporating a repetitive motorik beat with the use of vintage electronic keyboards and female vocals sung in English and French.

Their lyrics have political and philosophical themes influenced by the Surrealist and Situationist art movements. While performing, they play in a more feedback-driven and guitar-oriented style. From the mid-1990s, the band began to draw from funk, jazz and Brazilian music.

Other longtime members included 1992 addition Mary Hansen (backing vocals, keyboards and guitar), who died in 2002, and 1993 addition Andy Ramsay (drums). The High Llamas' leader Sean O'Hagan (guitar and keyboards) was a member from 1993 to 1994 and continued appearing on later records for occasional guest appearances.

Throughout their career, Stereolab has achieved moderate commercial success. The band were released from their recording contract with Elektra Records, and their self-owned label Duophonic signed a distribution deal with Too Pure and later Warp Records.

In 2002, as they were planning their next album, Stereolab started building a studio north of Bordeaux, France. ABC Music: The Radio 1 Sessions; a compilation of BBC Radio 1 sessions was released in October. In the same year, Gane and Sadier's romantic relationship ended.

On 9 December 2002, Hansen was killed when hit by a truck while riding her bicycle in London. She was 36. Writer Pierre Perrone said that her "playful nature and mischievous sense of humour came through in the way she approached the backing vocals she contributed to Stereolab and the distinctive harmonies she created with Sadier."

On This Day 22/08/2016 Citizen

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On this day, 22 August 2016, American rock band Citizen played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach on their Everybody is going to Heaven tour.

Formed in 2009, the band currently consists of Mat Kerekes (vocals), brothers Nick (lead guitar) and Eric Hamm (bass), Mason Mercer (rhythm guitar), and Ben Russin (drums).

They are currently signed to Run for Cover Records, and have released five studio albums to date: Youth (2013), Everybody Is Going to Heaven (2015), As You Please (2017), Life in Your Glass World (2021), and Calling the Dogs (2023).

Considered a part of emo's fourth wave, Pitchfork have described Citizen as "a band their fans can grow up with rather than out of."

On April 26, 2015 Citizen announced plans to release their second full-length album, Everybody Is Going to Heaven, on June 23, 2015 via Run For Cover.

Before the release of the album, Citizen premiered a music video for their song Stain which appears on the album.

The album was made available for streaming via Run for Cover's Bandcamp page on June 9, 2015. The album charted at number 2 on the Billboard Vinyl Albums chart.

On This Day 30/07/2007 Newton Faulkner

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On this day, 30 July 2007, English singer-songwriter and musician Newton Faulkner played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach.

He supported James Morrison on his February UK tour, Paolo Nutini on his UK tour in April, and John Mayer on his September dates in the UK. He also supported The John Butler Trio on a number of European dates.

In 2007, Faulkner's debut studio album Hand Built by Robots was certified double platinum in the United Kingdom. Hand Built By Robots made No.1 in the UK Album Chart in August 2007.

He released three singles from the album, "Dream Catch Me", "I Need Something" and "Teardrop". "Dream Catch Me" was selected Jo Whiley's Pet Sound on her daily Radio 1 show and made No.7 on the UK Singles Charts. This gave the track exposure and was highly commented on by listeners to Jo's show by SMS and e-mail.

On 29 July, "Dream Catch Me" reached No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart. His fourth single from the album, a cover of Massive Attack's "Teardrop", was released in December 2007. A new video for "I Need Something" was released in March along with a United States version of the video for "Dream Catch Me".

On This Day 12/07/2002 Devolved

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On this day, 12 July 2002, Australian technical death metal band played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach.

Originally from the Gold Coast, Queensland, then based in Los Angeles where leader drummer and lyricist John Sankey resided for over 15 years. The band has released four full-length albums and has toured extensively throughout Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan.

In 2000 Devolved entered the studio to record their debut album 'Technologies', just prior to the recording sessions vocalist Nik Carpenter joined the band. The album was released in 2001 and immediately received widespread attention and acclaim, Devolved was voted Australian Metal Band of the Year by both listeners and staff at leading National radio network JJJ and the Roadrunner Records affiliated magazine 'Outsider' judged Technologies to be the Australian metal album of the year and Sankey was awarded as best metal drummer. Sankey was soon contacted by a number of drum Companies and he signed exclusive endorsement deals with Sabian Cymbals, Pro-Mark drum sticks, Axis Pedals, Aquarian drum heads and Premier drums.

At this time bass player Joel Graham was replaced for a short term by Leighton Kearns, who was then replaced by Wayde Dunn. Devolved toured extensively for 'Technologies' including appearances alongside Strapping Young Lad and Machine Head. Sankey also performed with Melbourne-based band Frankenbok filling in for their drummer who was injured on tours with Skinlab and Soilwork. Devolved soon returned to the studio to record an EP titled 'Automation 001' which featured 2 new tracks plus live songs and interactive bonus material.

After its release in 2002 the band took their chaotic live show overseas to the UK and Europe where they performed shows with Opeth, Arch Enemy, Candlemass and many more. Vocalist Nik Carpenter was unceremoniously let go during this time when he became 'too home sick to continue the tour' and left in the middle of the night to fly back to Australia without warning leaving the band without a singer for the last handful of shows. Fortunately guitarist Brett Noordin stood in as vocalist for the remaining dates, needless to say Sankey fired Carpenter from the band immediately.

On This Day 07/07/2007 The Victorian English Gentlemans Club

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On this day, 7 July 2007, four-piece experimental art rock band The Victorian English Gentlemans Club played Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach.

Based in Cardiff, the name of the band is correctly spelt without an apostrophe. On their website, the band acknowledges they are "aware that there should be" an apostrophe. The name originated from style of the artwork of singer Adam.

The band was formed when Taylor and Mason met at Art College in Cardiff in 2004. Joined by drummer Daman they made their recording debut in early 2006; with the limited-edition "The Tales of Hermit Mark" / "My Son Spell Backwards" released in the spring and double A-side "Amateur Man" / "Ban the Gin" following that summer, both on Fantastic Plastic Records.

Their self-titled debut album was released in Autumn 2006; first single "Impossible Sightings Over Shelton" debuted at number ten on the UK Indie Chart. While writing the next album, the band performed at SXSW festival in Austin, Texas in both 2007 and 2008, released a French language version of the previous single "La Mer" (as a split 7-inch with the Paris-based band, This is Pop), and did several support and headline tours in UK and Europe.