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On this day, 2 March 1969, Welsh rock band Budgie played St Peter’s Scout Hall, Cardiff.
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".
They are described by author Garry Sharpe-Young as one of the earliest heavy metal bands and a seminal influence to many acts of that scene, with fast, heavy rock (an influence on the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) and acts such as Metallica being played as early as 1971.
The band has been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day."
