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On the 19th June 1976, Bob Marley & the Wailers took centre stage at Ninian Park, former home of Cardiff City, in what would be a memorable occasion for attendees in the Welsh capital.
Despite his undeniable influence on the world of music, at the time of his gig in Cardiff he was up-and-coming; only just beginning to cross over into the mainstream. In fact, Marley was not a first-choice headliner for the concert, but when Stephen Stills pulled out, the promoters, who weren’t well known in the area, had to work against the clock to find a new headliner. Luckily, Bob Marley was touring the UK, and seemed the perfect choice to fill Ninian Park’s headline slot that night.
Although only around 4000 filled the 20,000 capacity, many who were in the crowd that night spoke of Marley’s brilliance. One attendee, Leigh Bailey, reported his enjoyment at Marley’s show. His experiences were life-changing, ultimately influencing his musical tastes, so much so that he is now the frontman of tribute band ‘Bob Marley And The Jailers’. That inspirational night marked Bob Marley’s first concert in Wales.
The rest of the bill was Eric Burdon Band, Sutherland Brothers and Quiver, Pretty Things, Gloria Jones and Gonzales and Dirty Tricks. Jones wasn't too impressed by the whole thing: "This came a week after The Who had sold out Swansea City football ground with The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Little Feat, so there was a huge difference between the shows. I'd say there were 4000 people at Ninian Park, which could have held 20,000 or so. Suffice to say the promoters must have suffered!
"Bob Marley hadn't crossed over by that point, he was still fairly underground. The crowd was a young one, lots of people under 30 and a real mixture. There were lots of hippies there, some people who would later become punks... Robert Plant was there too. He used to live near Newport at the time."
Using his music and live performances to spread the notions of Rastafarianism, Marley’s legacy across the world will live on, and that night in 1976 will be celebrated for years to come.
Setlist:
Trenchtown Rock (The Wailers cover)
Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)
I Shot the Sheriff (The Wailers cover)
Crazy Baldhead
Want More
No Woman, No Cry
Lively Up Yourself
Roots, Rock, Reggae
Encore: Get Up, Stand Up
