On This Day 11/06/1993 Brian May

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On this day, 11 June 1993, rock guitar legend Brian May played Cardiff Ice Rink on his Back To Light tour.

Brian May Band were an English rock band formed by Queen guitarist Brian May for touring in promotion of his studio albums.

The rhythm section for the band were Cozy Powell and Neil Murray, who had previously worked together in Black Sabbath and Whitesnake. Spike Edney, who was the tour keyboardist for Queen between 1984 and 1986 took the keyboard spot.

The band was originally formed in October 1991 for May's performance at Guitar Legends guitar festival in Seville, Spain. The band soon went on a tour of the United States, Europe and Japan. The tour ended in December 1993, when May returned to the studio with fellow Queen bandmates Roger Taylor and John Deacon for Queen's final studio album, Made In Heaven.

Meanwhile, Cozy Powell and Neil Murray returned to work with Black Sabbath, and both later joined Peter Green's Band.

Line-up

Brian May (lead vocals, lead guitar)

Cozy Powell (drums and percussion)

Jamie Moses (guitar, backing vocals)

Neil Murray (bass)

Spike Edney (keyboards, backing vocals)

Catherine Porter (backing vocals)

Shelley Preston (backing vocals)

Setlist

The Dark

(Brian May song)

Back to the Light

(Brian May song)

Driven by You

(Brian May song)

Tie Your Mother Down

(Queen cover)

Love Token

(Brian May song)

Headlong

(Queen cover)

Love of My Life

(Queen cover)

'39

(Queen cover) (intro)

Let Your Heart Rule Your Head

(Brian May song)

Too Much Love Will Kill You

(Brian May song)

Since You Been Gone

(Russ Ballard cover)

Now I'm Here

(Queen cover)

Guitar Extravagance

Resurrection

(Brian May song)

Last Horizon

(Brian May song)

We Will Rock You

(Queen cover)

God

(John Lennon cover)

Play Video

Hammer to Fall

(Queen cover)

On This Day 10/06/1980 Toyah

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On this day, 10 June 1980, singer and actress Toyah played Cardiff’s Top Rank. She had just released her second album The Blue Meaning.

The album was recorded at the Parkgate Studios in Battle, East Sussex and mixed at the Marquee Studios in London. The album's title comes from blue being one of Toyah's favourite colours, which the singer finds deeply spiritual, with multiple cultural associations.

The album cover features a photo taken by Gered Mankowitz at night in front of a Gothic mansion Wykehurst Place, located in Bolney near Brighton. It pictures Toyah Willcox dressed in a maid outfit and wearing ballet shoes, tied to one of the entrance pillars. Other band members are pictured on the mansion's balconies

Between 1977 and 1983, Willcox fronted the eponymous band Toyah, before embarking on a solo career in the mid-1980s. At the 1982 Brit Awards, Willcox was nominated for British Breakthrough Act, and Best Female Solo Artist. She was nominated a further two times in this category in 1983, and in 1984. Her hit singles include "It's a Mystery", "Thunder in the Mountains" and "I Want to Be Free".

Relocating to London, Willcox lived in a place called "Mayhem", a converted British Rail warehouse serving as a studio.[citation needed] It was here the band Toyah recorded their first demos. For the lack of proper bed she slept for a while in a "second-hand" coffin, reportedly used by the French Red Cross to transport victims of fatal accidents.

Citing her role in Quadrophenia as a boost to her musical career, with growing audiences Toyah signed to Safari Records,[citation needed] releasing a debut single "Victims of the Riddle", which topped the UK Indie Chart. This was followed by the Sheep Farming in Barnet EP, produced by Steve James and Keith Hale. Initially released in Germany, in 1979 it was re-released as an LP, comprising the original six tracks, "Victims of the Riddle" A and B sides and three tracks that were previously unavailable on vinyl.

Her second album, The Blue Meaning, went to no. 40 in the UK Albums Chart in June 1980. By this time, she is reported as announcing she had severed all ties with punk aesthetics.

On This Day 09/06/1988 David Sylvian

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On this day, 9 June 1988, Japan frontman David Sylvian played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on his In Praise Of Shamans tour. His band Featured Robby Aceto, Richard Barbieri, Mark Isham, Steve Jansen, Ian Maidman, and David Torn.

Sylvian came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly electronic sound made them an important influence on the UK's early-1980s New Romantic scene.

Following their break-up, Sylvian embarked on a solo career with his debut album Brilliant Trees (1984). His solo work has been described by AllMusic as "far-ranging and esoteric", and has included collaborations with artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Robert Fripp, Holger Czukay, Jon Hassell, Bill Nelson and Fennesz.

Composition of new material in early 1987 was followed by recording sessions at Chateau Miraval in the south of France, and by May 1987 Secrets of the Beehive was completed, finally being released in October 1987.

Secrets of the Beehive made greater use of acoustic instruments and was musically oriented towards sombre, emotive ballads laced with string arrangements by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Brian Gascoigne. It reached number 37 in the UK charts and remained for two weeks.

The album was followed by his first live outing as a solo artist, in an 80-day world tour called "In Praise of Shamans", from March to June 1988. Alongside Sylvian were Jansen, Barbieri, guitars and keyboards from Robbie Aceto, brass and sax from Mark Isham, bass from Ian Maidman and lead guitar from David Torn. There were no songs from Sylvian's former band Japan in the setlist.

"Beehive was the summation of all the solo material that went before it", Sylvian said. "I knew when I had finished I wouldn't be returning to quite the same waters again. The period following on from...Beehive was the hardest of my life. A descent into hell."

On This Day 08/06/1989 Elvis Costello/Nick Lowe

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On this day, 8 June 1989, Singer/Songwriter legend Elvis Costello played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall with support provided by Nick Lowe. Costello had earlier in the released his 12th studio album Spike.

As his first album for a new label, Warner Bros, in his own words Costello had the budget of "a small independent movie", and having in mind the blueprint for five different albums, decided to make all of them.

He brought back his foil from King of America, T-Bone Burnett, to facilitate the sessions and produce the album. Studio time was booked in four different locations: Ocean Way in Hollywood; Southlake Studios in New Orleans; Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin; and AIR Studios in London. Four different groups of musicians were assembled in each location. Writing credits on the album are given to both Elvis Costello and Declan MacManus, Costello's birth name.

Review - South Wales Echo

The single "Veronica" peaked at No. 31 on the UK singles chart and at No. 19 in America, his best showing ever on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 1 on the US Modern Rock chart. "This Town" was also released as a single but missed both of the main singles chart in both nations. An extended play single was also released for "Baby Plays Around", peaking at No. 65 in the UK.

The second track, "Let Him Dangle", is a protest song opposing capital punishment, recounting the 1953 conviction and execution of Derek Bentley.

Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe

The seventh track, "Tramp the Dirt Down", is a fiery lament, depicting Costello's anger at the Thatcher government and its effect on Britain's society. In the song, Costello expresses his desire to live long enough to see Margaret Thatcher die and vows, "I'll stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down."

"I wish I'd written 'Tramp the Dirt Down'," said singer Natalie Merchant.[14] The song reached No. 79 on the iTunes chart following Thatcher's death in April 2013. In addition, he played this song at Glastonbury 2013 having previously performed it there on the Pyramid Stage in 1987.

On This Day 07/06/1987 Ben E King

On this day, 7 June 1987, soul legend Ben E King played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

Benjamin Earl King (né Nelson; September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) rose to prominence as one of the principal lead singers of the R&B vocal group the Drifters, notably singing the lead vocals on three of their biggest hit singles "There Goes My Baby", "This Magic Moment", and "Save the Last Dance for Me" (their only U.S. No. 1 hit).

As a soloist, King is best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", which became a US Top 10 hit, both in 1961 and later in 1986 (when it was used as the theme to the film of the same name), and a number one hit in the United Kingdom in 1987. The single was also placed on the RIAA's list of Songs of the Century.

His 1975 single "Supernatural Thing" became a top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, King was the original recording artist of songs such as "Spanish Harlem", "I (Who Have Nothing)", "So Much Love", "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", "Groovin'", and "Till I Can't Take It Anymore" all of which have been covered by multiple artists to varying degrees of success.

King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, as a member of the Drifters, and has been nominated as a solo artist. Along with the Drifter's "There Goes My Baby", King's songs "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" also appeared on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Additionally, he was inducted alongside the Drifters into Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000, as well as the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012 with the Towering song award.

On This Day 06/06/2004 Blondie

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On this day, 6 June 2004, pop band Blondie played Cardiff International Arena. Support was provided by Rock DJ and Swiss Tony.

Formed in 1974 in New York City by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein.The band was a pioneer in the American new wave genre and scene of the mid-1970s.

The band's first two albums contained strong elements of punk and new wave, and although highly successful in the UK and Australia, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the US until the release of their critically acclaimed third album Parallel Lines in 1978. Over the next four years, the band released a string of hit singles, including "Dreaming", "One Way or Another", "Heart of Glass" (all 1979), "Call Me", "Atomic", "The Tide Is High", and "Rapture" (all 1980).

The band became noted for its eclectic mix of musical styles, incorporating elements of disco, pop, reggae, funk and early hip hop music.

Blondie disbanded after the release of their sixth studio album, The Hunter, in 1982. Harry continued to pursue a solo career with varied results after taking a few years off to care for partner Stein, who was diagnosed with pemphigus, a rare autoimmune disease of the skin.

The band re-formed in 1997, achieving renewed success and their sixth number one single in the UK with "Maria" in 1999, exactly 20 years after their first UK No. 1 single, "Heart of Glass".

The group toured and performed throughout the world during the following years, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Blondie has sold over 40 million records worldwide[8][9] and is still active. The band's eleventh studio album, Pollinator, was released on May 5, 2017.

Setlist

Atomic

Dreaming

Hanging on the Telephone

(The Nerves cover)

X Offender

Hello Joe

Good Boys

Maria

Rules for Living

End to End

Accidents Never Happen

(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear

The Tide Is High

(The Paragons cover)

Rifle Range

The Tingler

Angels on the Balcony

Picture This

Rapture

Undone

Rip Her to Shreds

One Way or Another

Encore:

Union City Blue

Call Me

Heart of Glass

On This Day 05/06/1987 Suzanne Vega

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On this day, 5 June 1987, American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall. Vega had just released her second studio album Solitude Standing.

The album proved to be most commercially successful and critically acclaimed album of Vega's, being certified Platinum in the US and reaching number 11 on the Billboard 200, number 2 in the UK albums chart.

"Tom's Diner" was included twice on the album; the acappella version was the first track, and the instrumental version was the last track. In 1990, a remixed version of the song featuring DNA reached number five in the US. The song was later used to test prototype MP3 compression software.

The album garnered critical and commercial success, selling over one million copies in the U.S. It includes the international hit single "Luka", which is written about, and from the point of view of, an abused child. (Not until many years later did Vega reveal the song dealt with the abuse she herself had suffered from her stepfather.

While continuing a focus on Vega's acoustic guitar, the music of her second album is more strongly pop-oriented and features fuller arrangements. Following the success of the album, in 1989 Vega almost became the first female artist to headline the Glastonbury Festival. Female fronted UK band "All About Eve" headlined on Friday night due to a short notice headline switch. Vega performed her set whilst wearing a bulletproof vest, her band having received death threats from an obsessed fan ahead of the festival.

Setlist

Tom's Diner

Straight Lines

Small Blue Thing

Cracking

Ironbound / Fancy Poultry

Luka

In the Eye

The Queen and the Soldier

Gypsy

Calypso

Undertow

Solitude Standing

Language

Left of Center

Neighborhood Girls

Wooden Horse (Caspar Hauser's Song)

Marlene on the Wall

Night Vision

On This Day 04/06/1980 Iron Maiden

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On this day. 4 June 1980, heavy metal giants Iron Maiden played Cardiff’s Top Rank

The Iron Maiden Tour was in support of their eponymous debut album. The band's first solo headlining tour, it followed the co-headlined Metal for Muthas Tour from earlier in the same year.

Although Iron Maiden have since criticised the quality of the album's production, the release was met with critical and commercial success, peaking at number four on the UK Albums Chart and helping the band achieve prominence in mainland Europe.

The tour commenced with a British leg from 1 April to 23 August, although this included one concert in Finland, before the band supported Kiss on their Unmasked Tour from 24 August to 16 October, immediately following which guitarist Dennis Stratton was sacked and replaced with Adrian Smith.After Smith was hired, the band decided to undertake another British tour, taking place from 21 November to 21 December.

Setlist

The Ides of March

Sanctuary

Wrathchild

Prowler

Remember Tomorrow

Killers

Running Free

Another Life

Drum Solo

(Clive Burr)

Transylvania

Strange World

Charlotte the Harlot

Phantom of the Opera

Iron Maiden

Encore:

Drifter