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On this day, 8 August 1998, rock band Gene, fronted by Welshman Martin Rossiter, played Cardiff’s Big Weekend. Also on the bill that Saturday was Welsh band Melys, Carrie and Audioweb.
Formed in 1993, they were popularly labelled as a Britpop band and often drew comparisons to the Smiths because of their Morrissey-esque lead singer, Martin Rossiter. Gene's music was influenced by the Jam, the Smiths, the Style Council and the Clash.
Though Gene were labelled as a Britpop band, Rossiter was never happy being included in the genre saying "It was played out under the dirty shadow of the union flag which I always found quite distasteful. I never had any desire to represent Great Britain.
At the time I said that I regarded myself as European rather than British. I’m a Socialist and I’ve always felt very uncomfortable with the idea of nationalism because it can be a very dangerous thing." He recorded four albums with the band over the period 1995 to 2001, and performed live until 2004.
