On This Day 13/04/1976 Judas Priest

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On this day, 13 April 1976, Heavy Metal band Judas Priest played Cardiff’s Top Rank.

Formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million copies of their albums, and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time.

Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band had struggled with indifferent record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when they rose to commercial success with the album British Steel.

In March 1976, the band released their second studio album Sad Wings Of Destiny, recorded at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, S. Wales.

t is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it such as "Victim of Changes" and "The Ripper" have since become live standards. It was the band's only album to feature drummer Alan Moore.

Noted for its riff-driven sound and the wide range of Rob Halford's vocals, the album displays a wide variety of styles, moods and textures, inspired by an array of groups such as Queen, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath

On This Day 06/04/1985 Shy

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On this day, 6 April 1985, British metal Shy played Cardiff’s Bogey’s nightclub.

Shy made their major label debut on RCA Records with 1985's Brave the Storm. This release gained success despite the single "Hold On (To Your Love)" being disqualified from the charts, as early copies included a shrink-wrapped T-shirt.

Reviews from Kerrang! were more positive, comparing singer Tony Mill's soaring vocals with those of Geoff Tate, vocalist of Queensrÿche.

In the eighteen months that preceded the band's third album, Shy toured with Bon Jovi, Meat Loaf,[Twisted Sister, Gary Moore and UFO.

Formerly known as Trojan (not to be confused with NWOBHM band Tröjan who released the album Chasing the Storm), Shy featured vocalist Tony Mills, Steve Harris (guitars) (not to be confused with Iron Maiden's bass player, Steve Harris), Paddy McKenna (keyboards), Mark Badrick (bass) and drummer Alan Kelly.

Their first album, called Once Bitten...Twice..., was released in 1983. Initial reports from Kerrang! were positive. After the release, Mills dropped his David Bowie-esque make up, and Mark Badrick was replaced by former Trouble bassist Roy Davies.

On this day Budgie 24/6/1980

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On this day, 24 June 1980, Welsh rockers Budgie, played Cardiff’s Top Rank on their If Swallowed, Do Not Induce Vomiting Tour.

Budgie formed in 1967 in Cardiff, Wales under the name Hills Contemporary Grass. Their original line-up consisted of Burke Shelley on vocals and bass, Tony Bourge on guitar and vocals, and Ray Phillips on drums.

After performing several gigs in 1968, the band changed their name to Budgie the following year and recorded their first demo.

The band had initially considered going under the name "Six Ton Budgie", but decided the shorter single word variant was preferable.

Burke Shelley has said that the band's name came from the fact that he, "loved the idea of playing noisy, heavy rock, but calling ourselves after something diametrically opposed to that".

Budgie's music was described in the All-Music Guide as a cross between Rush and Black Sabbath.

Burke Shelley's vocals have been compared to Geddy Lee due to his similar approach of high-pitched banshee wails (coincidentally, Shelley and Lee are also the bass players in their respective power-trio bands).

Although Budgie remained fairly obscure during their early career, many future stars of hard rock/metal have cited them as an important influence and covered their songs, including Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Van Halen, Melvins,Queens of the Stone Age, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden.

Budgie were about to release their eighth studio album in October 1980 on Active Records, a sublabel of RCA Records (which was the distributor of A&M Records — Budgie's previous label — at the time).

This is the first album without original guitarist Tony Bourge, who left the band in 1978 after the album Impeckable.

On this day 20/6/1978 UFO

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On this day 20 June 1978 British rock band UFO played Cardiff’s Top Rank. The band were promoting their seventh studio album Obession, which peaked at No 26 in the UK album charts.

This was the final studio album to feature Michael Schenker on lead guitar until he returned to the band in 1993.

A single from the album, "Only You Can Rock Me" / "Cherry", was also released in 1978.

So too was the band's first 3-track EP "Only You Can Rock Me", "Cherry" / "Rock Bottom", reaching No. 50 in the UK.

The album was recorded at an abandoned post office in Los Angeles.

UFO was formed in London in 1968 and became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the new wave of British heavy metal that followed.

UFO

Phil Mogg - vocals

Michael Schenker - lead guitar, recorder

Paul Raymond - rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

Pete Way - bass

Andy Parker - drums, backing vocals