On This Day 03/09/2011 Dolly Parton

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On this day, 3 September 2011, American Country Legend Dolly Parton played the first of two nights at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on her Better Day World Tour.

It was the tenth concert tour by Dolly Parton. Visiting North America, Europe and Australia, the tour supported her 41st studio album, Better Day. With nearly 275,000 tickets sold, and an overall gross of $34 million, it is Parton's most successful tour.

Cardiff Review - Guardian

As women in pink Stetsons and high heels take their seats, Dolly Parton totters on stage in a tight white dress that exaggerates every curve. There is polite pandemonium. Her face and frame may be triumphs of Botox and collagen, but her voice is as pure as mountain air as she launches into a version of Walking on Sunshine. She does a little hoedown, and her enthusiasm is infectious. She would make an excellent primary school teacher. "We need to feel good," she declares, and you think, "Yes, Miss Parton, we do."

The anecdotes are often longer than the songs. And they are all meticulously rehearsed to sound off-the-cuff, such as the one about the red-haired girl who tried to steal her husband that prefaces Jolene.

There is a bluegrass medley, complete with yee-haws and yodelay-heehoos, that includes Dueling Banjos and numerous references to her being a country girl. Parton reminisces about growing up as one of 12 children in poverty in the Tennessee mountains, and it sounds like an episode of The Waltons, so full is it of folksy charm and homespun homilies. She sits on a quilt to tell a story about a coat made for her from scraps by her "Mama" as images appear on the screen of a sepia shack. As her voice cracks, you don't know whether to laugh or cry. When she picks up a shiny saxophone and asks, "How did I get one of these from such humble beginnings?" you think, "Enough of the protestations of poverty!"

Behind the sentiment and shtick, there are dollops of ersatz country – but this is more of a generic US pop-rock sound than it is the real thing. Nevertheless, Parton is a respected songwriter, and pens most of her own material. When she plays tracks from her new album, Better Day, on an acoustic guitar it reminds you that she was a serious musician and ambassador for Americana before she became a figure of cartoon-country fun.

After a 20-minute interval, Parton reappears in a red sequinned jump-suit ("It costs a lot of money to look this cheap," she jokes), and after dispensing with 2001's Little Sparrow, which is as arrestingly solemn and sparse as a traditional folk tune, she cranks out the hits that people have paid to hear. Here You Come Again gets everyone on their feet, and Islands in the Stream keeps them there.

As the singer makes her final assault with I Will Always Love You, infused with country-gospel fervour, and 9 to 5, sung against a glitzy apocalypse of a Las Vegas backdrop, it occurs to you just how strange this self-styled Backwoods Barbie – equal parts Lady Gaga and Loretta Lynn – really is.

Setlist

"Walking on Sunshine" (contains excerpts from "Shine Like the Sun")

"Better Get to Livin'"

"Jolene"

"Rocky Top"

"Mule Skinner Blues"

"Help!"

"Shine"

"Stairway to Heaven"

"My Tennessee Mountain Home"

"Precious Memories"

"Coat of Many Colors"

"Smoky Mountain Memories"

"Son of a Preacher Man"

"Better Day"

"Together You and I"

"Holding Everything"

"Joyful Noise"

"He Will Take You Higher" (contains excerpts from "I Want to Take You Higher")

"He's Everything"

"White Limozeen"

"The Best of Both Worlds"

"The Sacrifice"

"In the Meantime"

"Little Sparrow"

"River Deep – Mountain High"

"Here You Come Again

"Islands in the Stream"

"9 to 5"

Encore

"I Will Always Love You"

"Light of a Clear Blue Morning"

On This Day 08/04/2011 One Direction

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On this day, 8 April 2011, UK boy band One Direction played Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on the X Factor Live tour. Also included on the bill were other X Factor performers, Rebecca Ferguson, Aidan Grimshaw and Cher Lloyd.

One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group is composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the group in March 2015. They became one of the best-selling boy groups of all time before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

The group signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Records after forming and placing third in the seventh series of the British televised singing competition The X Factor in 2010. Propelled to global success by social media, One Direction's five albums, Up All Night (2011), Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013), Four (2014), and Made in the A.M. (2015), topped charts in several countries, and generated hit singles including "What Makes You Beautiful", "Live While We're Young", "Best Song Ever", "Story of My Life" and "Drag Me Down".

After the release of Four, One Direction became the first band in the US Billboard 200 history to have their first four albums debut at number one. Their third album, Midnight Memories, was the best-selling album worldwide of 2013.

On This Day 28/03/2014 The Wanted

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On this day, 28 March 2014, boy band The Wanted played Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on their Word Of Mouth World Tour.

The group was formed in 2009 and signed a worldwide contract to Universal Music, Island Records and Mercury Records, and was managed by Scooter Braun.

The Wanted's released their debut album, The Wanted in 2010. It peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart and spawned three UK top 20 singles: their debut single, "All Time Low", which topped UK Singles Chart, "Heart Vacancy", which reached number two, and "Lose My Mind", which reached number nineteen.

Their follow-up album Battleground, was released in 2011 and reached number five in the UK and number four in Ireland. The album lead single, "Gold Forever", was released in aid of Comic Relief and peaked at number three in the UK. The third single, "Lightning", hit number two in the UK.

The band originally announced in January 2014 that they were taking a hiatus in order to pursue individual solo projects. In a 2014 interview with The Sun, George stated that part of the group's reasoning for taking a hiatus was due to the success of One Direction, saying "One Direction are a phenomenon that no one else can compete with. They've taken over the market. We have our own fans, who we love, but we couldn't stop things from happening". Parker later echoed George's statements in an interview with Digital Spy, stating "For The Wanted to try and compete against one of the biggest bands in the world ... it's almost impossible. I don't think any band out there can compete with them at the moment".

Setlist

Gold Forever

Glow in the Dark

In the Middle

Lightning

Running Out of Reasons

Demons

Could This Be Love

Warzone

Behind Bars / Say It on the Radio / Replace Your Heart / Lose My Mind

Everybody Knows

Heartbreak Story

Show Me Love (America)

Heart Vacancy

Walks Like Rihanna

Chasing the Sun

I Found You

We Own the Night

Encore:

All Time Low

Glad You Came

On This Day 25/01/2015 Slipknot

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On this day, 25 January 2015, American heavy metal band Slipknot played the Motorpoint Arena on their Prepare For Hell tour. Support was provided by Korn and KING 810.

Formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan, drummer Joey Jordison and bassist Paul Gray. After several lineup changes in its early years, the band settled on nine members for more than a decade: Crahan, Jordison, Gray, Craig Jones, Mick Thomson, Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn, and Jim Root. Slipknot is well known for its attention-grabbing image, aggressive style of music, and energetic and chaotic live shows.

Slipknot began touring North America in support of the album on October 25 at the second iteration of Knotfest. The tour dubbed the "Prepare for Hell" was co-headlined by Korn with King 810 as support.[103][104] The band also performed at 2015's Soundwave festival in Australia.

A bassist and drummer were brought in to replace Gray and Jordison respectively, Crahan designing a mask that would differentiate them from the band. The official video for "The Devil In I", featuring musicians wearing modified versions of the band's old masks—with the exception of Taylor, Wilson and Crahan who all wore new masks — was released on September 12. Fans speculated upon the identities of the drummer and bassist shown in the video but the band did not officially name them.

Taylor later said he was "upset" at the leak of the identity of the bassist, alleged to be Alessandro Venturella because of a unique tattoo on his hand, though he'd later clarify that he meant that in jest. Root told Guitar World the drummer's identity would not be released, and that the bassist and the drummer were not permanent members of the band.

On December 3, a former Slipknot road crew member posted a photograph of a touring band personnel list that confirmed bassist Alessandro Venturella and drummer Jay Weinberg were members of the tour.

Setlist

XIX

Sarcastrophe

The Heretic Anthem

My Plague

The Devil in I

Psychosocial

The Negative One

Eeyore

Liberate

Frail Limb Nursery

Purity

Before I Forget

Duality

Left Behind

Spit It Out

Custer

Encore:

742617000027

(sic)

People = Shit

Surfacing

-Funny-

'Til We Die

On This Day 18/09/2013 Joe Bonamassa

On this day, 18 September 2013, guitar legend Joe Bonamassa played the Motorpoint Arena on his European Fall Tour.

An American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Bonamassa started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which eleven have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart.

Bonamassa has played alongside many notable blues and rock artists, and has earned three Grammy Awards nominations. Among guitarists, he is known for his extensive collection of vintage guitars and amplifiers.

The live acoustic album, An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House, was released as a CD/DVD/Blu-ray set on March 26, 2013. This concert marked the first time Bonamassa played a wholly acoustic show.

The acoustic ensemble that performed the show was assembled with the help of Bonamassa's longtime producer, Kevin Shirley. The concluding, three-night stand of Bonamassa's spring 2013 tour, occurred at the famous Beacon Theatre in New York City.

Over the summer of 2013, Bonamassa performed four shows in London featuring three different bands (and a horn section at one show), covering four different sides of his music. Each show had a unique set list. The shows were recorded for a DVD release, and the set of DVDs was released in October 2013 as "Tour de Force".

Setlist

Acoustic

Palm Trees, Helicopters and Gasoline

Seagull

(Bad Company cover)

Jelly Roll

(Charles Mingus cover)

Athens to Athens

Woke Up Dreaming

Electric

Dust Bowl

Story of a Quarryman

Who's Been Talkin'

(Howlin’ Wolf cover)

You'll Be Sorry

(Big Joe Turner & Orchestra cover)

Dislocated Boy

Driving Towards the Daylight

Slow Train

Midnight Blues

(Gary Moore cover)

Spanish Boots

(Jeff Beck Group cover)

Song of Yesterday

(Black Country Communion song)

Won't Get Fooled Again

(The Who cover) (Snippet)

Django / Mountain Time

Encore:

Sloe Gin

(Tim Curry cover)

The Ballad of John Henry

On This Day 13/09/2005 Jamiroquai

On this day, 13 September 2005, English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai played Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena.

Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in their early releases and later drew from rock, disco, electronic and Latin music genres. Lyrically, the group has addressed social and environmental justice. Kay has remained as the only original member through several line-up changes.

Kay was influenced by Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock, Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Sly Stone, Gil Scott-Heron, and hip-hop and its culture. He was introduced to much of these influences in the mid-1980s by British club DJs. "I'd been into Stevie and all that… Then I got into the JBs, Maceo Parker and the Meters… I decided around that time to try to make music built around those loose, open grooves."

A 2003 compilation titled Late Night Tales: Jamiroquai under Azuli Records, also contains a selection of some of the band's late 1970s R&B, disco and quiet storm influences. Kay and the group have been compared to Stevie Wonder, with some critics accusing the band of copying black artists.

In response, Kay said "we never tried to hide our influences". The band references them as Kay maintained Jamiroquai's own sound: "it's about the style of music you aim for, not the exact sound. If you just sample Barry White or Sly Stone, that's one thing; to get their spirit is different."

On This Day 16/07/2008 Jay-Z

On this day. 16 July 2008, American rap legend Jay-Z played Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena. Support was provided by Mark Ronson.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he has been central to the creative and commercial success of artists including Kanye West, Rihanna, and J. Cole. He is the founder and chairman of entertainment company Roc Nation, and was the president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007.

Review - Independent - Simon Price

How much significance can you read into a pair of glasses? A couple of weeks ago, Jay-Z turned up on the Jonathan Ross show studiously bespectacled, with the dress sense and demeanour of an amiable college-boy slacker rather than Roc-A-Fella CEO, rap megastar and bling-bling billionaire.

It was also one hell of a turnaround: the king of shopping- mall rap who has done more than anyone this side of P Diddy to cement the public view of hip-hop as a world of rapacious capitalism suddenly presenting himself as a cuddly intellectual, one of us.

He carried it off, just as – by common consent – he carried off his Glastonbury headlining set, which had the likes of Noel Gallagher in such an apoplectic tizzy beforehand.

The Jay-Z who shows up in Cardiff sure looks like the familiar bling-merchant: the hinges on his ever-present shades have more carats than Bugs Bunny, and the chain around his neck is more than merely goldie-lookin'.

Tellingly, Jay-Z had admitted to Ross that many rap acts make their initial breakthrough with one studio-forged track and, unlike rock bands, have no schooling in the art of the live show.

Indeed, last time I saw Jay-Z himself, he filled Wembley Arena with deadening thuds and bovine bellows. Not any more. He's learned a few lessons in the intervening years, and he's ready to deliver something that's only just short of a masterclass.

You have no idea how much it hurts me to say this. After all, I came to bury Jay-Z, not to praise him. This is a man whose main contribution to 21st-century culture has been to pop up on singles by Rihanna or Beyoncé, mumble lazily for 30 seconds or so and take a million-dollar cheque. (We get abridged bursts of "Umbrella" and "Crazy in Love" tonight.)

His excellent ensemble slide seamlessly between Latin hustle and funk-rock, incorporating teasing snatches of Amy's "Rehab", The Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up", Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum" and AC/DC's "Back in Black".

The high-speed interplay between the main man and his sidekick Memphis Bleek is often dazzling and, in the flesh, a track like "99 Problems" just cannot be argued with.

Just when you're wondering what the point of showing Damien Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull – one piece of bling the Jigga doesn't own – on the big screen might be, and cursing his audacity for name-dropping Public Enemy's Nation of Millions, he ties them both together in a passage about Hurricane Katrina.

A montage of American presidents freezes on the image of GW Bush, and Jay solicits boos, before rapping unaccompanied: "You're up on the roof/A helicopter swooped down with a telescopic lens/Just to get a scoop/But they didn't scoop you..." This time, the screen freezes on Barack Obama, and Jay-Z whips up the cheers.

On This Day 03/07/2005 Snoop Dogg

On this day, 3 July 2005, American rapper Snoop Dogg played the Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff.

His fame dates back to 1992 when he was featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic. Snoop Dogg has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide. His accolades include an American Music Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and 17 nominations at the Grammy Awards.

In June 2004, Snoop signed to Geffen Records/Star Trak Entertainment, both distributed by Interscope Records; Star Trak is headed by producer duo the Neptunes, which produced several tracks for Snoop's 2004 release R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece. "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), the first single released from the album, was a hit and became Snoop Dogg's first single to reach number one.

His third release was "Signs", featuring Justin Timberlake and Charlie Wilson, which entered the UK chart at No. 2. This was his highest entry ever in the UK chart. The album sold 1,730,000 copies in the U.S. alone, and most of its singles were heavily played on radio and television. Snoop Dogg joined Warren G and Nate Dogg to form the group 213 and released The Hard Way in 2004. Debuting at No.4 on the Billboard 200 and No.1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, it included the single "Groupie Luv". Snoop Dogg appeared in the music video for Korn's "Twisted Transistor" along with fellow rappers Lil Jon, Xzibit, and David Banner.