On This Day 12/05/1971 Colosseum

On this day, 12 May 1971, jazz rock band Colosseum played Cardiff’s Top Rank. Colosseum, one of the first bands to fuse jazz, rock and blues, were formed in early 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman with tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith, who had previously worked together in the New Jazz Orchestra and in The Graham Bond Organisation, where Hiseman had replaced Ginger Baker in 1966.

During a British tour in 1971, Colosseum, with doubtful enthusiasm from their management and label, set about recording shows with the Granada mobile, with the intention of capturing their onstage magic, and a clutch of hitherto unrecorded numbers, on a live album (Jon Hiseman, feeling their three studio albums to that point had lacked something of this). In Jon’s 2010 autobiography ‘Playing the Band’, it is explained that while nobody could by then recall how many shows had been recorded, the first was at Canterbury, the third was at Manchester University on 13 March, there was another at Manchester University on 18 March and the final recording was made at the Big Apple in Brighton on 27 March. Somewhere in between, there had also been a recording made at Bristol. The second show in Manchester – a free gig – was put on because the band had felt the first one was below par, with a ‘huge row’ in the dressing room after, and they were desperate to try and get something good on tape.

After the Brighton show, their manager, Gerry Bron, pulled the plug on more live recordings and Jon became despondent. However, they all listened again to the first Manchester show at Lansdowne Studios and realised it was much better than they’d reckoned at the time. Thus, five tracks from Manchester on March 13, and one from Bristol (date not given, track not identified) – according to Jon in his book, the only one from a show other than Manchester that they thought was any good – became the June 1971 double LP ‘Colosseum Live’. It would be their last album, bar a compilation of oddities, until reforming in 1994.

On This Day 11/05/1982 Nick Lowe

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On this day, 11 May 1982, English singer-songwriter, musician and producer Nick Lowe and his band Noise to Go played Cardiff’s Top Rank. The band featured Paul Carrick on vocals/keyboards, Martin Belmont/Guitar, James Eller/Bass and Bobby Irwin/Drums.

Lowe had recently released his third solo album Nick the Knife, his first since the breakup of his band Rockpile. The record still has several ties to Rockpile with Lowe's former bandmates Billy Bremner and Terry Williams both playing on the album. The album includes Lowe's slower remake of the Rockpile song "Heart"; the original version can be found on the band's album Seconds of Pleasure, sung by Bremner.

Nick the Knife reached #50 on the Billboard 200, and #99 on the UK album charts. No singles from the album made the US or UK charts, although in Canada "Stick It Where The Sun Don't Shine" hit the top 40.

Nick the Knife is notable for being one of only two Lowe solo albums with no cover versions, including only songs written or co-written by Lowe, the other album being his 1990 Party of One.

On This Day 10/05/1995 Tanita Tickaram

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On this day, 10 May 1995, British pop/folk singer-songwriter Tanita Tickaram played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall.

She had recently released her fifth studio album Lovers in the City. Jennifer Warnes provided backing vocals on four tracks on the album. One of these songs, "I Might Be Crying", was released as lead single.

A video for this single was filmed in Vietnam. The album reached No. 75 in the UK charts. "I Might Be Crying" was the first single to be released from the album, and peaked at number 64 in the UK.

"Wonderful Shadow" was the second single to be released and peaked at number 198 in the UK. "Yodelling Song" was the third and last single to be released and then only in some countries in continental Europe.

Review - South Wales Echo

Upon its release, John Harris of NME praised Lovers in the City as "shockingly decent", with Tikaram "coming out of it looking like someone who's worthy of sharing lunch with Tori, Bjork or Kate Bush". He commented on how Tikaram had "binned most of the forced intellectualism that made her sound like an eternal undergraduate" and "turned her straining, fractured baritone into something of an asset".

Setlist

You Make the Whole World Cry

Men & Women

Hot Stones

Out on the Town

Feeding the Witches

Happy Taxi

Heal You

Elephant

World Outside Your Window

Twist in My Sobriety

Good Tradition

Yodelling Song

Preyed Upon

On This Day 09/05/1979 Iggy Pop

On this day, 9 May 1979, American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster Iggy Pop, played Cardiff University. Support was provided by The Zones.

He had just released his third studio album New Values. New Values was Pop's first record for Arista and the first collaboration by Pop and James Williamson since Kill City. The album also reunited Pop and Williamson with multi-instrumentalist Scott Thurston, who had played live piano for the Stooges on Metallic K.O. and Kill City.

Although guitar was played by Williamson on "Don't Look Down", Scott Thurston played guitar on all other tracks, with Williamson concentrating on production. Likewise, although one of the songs was written by Pop and Williamson, five tracks were collaborations between Pop and Thurston.

Although well-received critically, the album was not a commercial success, only reaching number 180 in the US Billboard 200 chart.

Iggy Pop at Cardiff University

Writing in NME at the time of the album's release, Paul Morley wrote that New Values "conclusively endorses Osterberg as thinker and Iggy as performer, and the relationship is positive and proud." The New York Times considered New Values to be "bland" compared to the earlier David Bowie-produced albums.

Charlotte Robinson of PopMatters wrote that the album's "delicate balancing act of tough with tender, rebellion with contentment, sincerity with humor, cocksure wailing with nuanced balladeering ... makes the album a winner".

On This Day 08/05/1981 Larry Norman

On this day, 8 May 1981, American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer Larry Norman played Cardiff University on his 1981 UK Tour. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock and released more than 100 albums.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Norman also influenced a number of emerging punk and alternative rock artists. According to documentarian Larry Di Sabatino, Larry Norman was "an early influence" on the post-punk. When Bono met with a summit of Nashville Christian music artists in 2002 to garner support for an African aid campaign, he specifically asked to see Norman.

Upon Larry Norman's death, Bono sent flowers to his funeral with the note "Eternal singer, still eternal, Bono." According to Charles Normal , Larry Norman attended his "first of many" punk rock shows while touring London in 1977, seeing Richard Hell and the Voidoids, the Damned and Dead Boys.

Regarding the punk movement, Norman stated that while he initially disliked some of the lyrical content, he was generally supportive of it and its youthful energy, which he viewed as preferable to disco

Norman subsequently introduced his younger brother, Charles, to the genre, including the music of the Sex Pistols. Within several years, Charles was the lead guitarist for the Bay Area hardcore punk band, Executioner. Larry paid for the recording of Executioner's first EP in 1982.

Setlist

I Hope I'll See You in Heaven

If I Were a Singer

I Am Near

When You Sent Your Son

No More LSD for Me

A Note From Mr. God

One Way

U.F.O.

666 (The Anti-Christ)

The Outlaw

The Troubles

On This Day 07/05/1968 Johnny Cash

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On this day, 7 May 1968, American country singing legend Johnny Cash played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre. Also on the bill was Carl Perkins, June Carter, James Royal and The Tennessee Three.

Cash had recently married June Carter in March and had received a Grammy for their hit together “Jackson” and had just released his 26th album From Sea to Shining Sea.

Each track on the concept album was written by Cash; none of them were released as singles.

"The Walls of a Prison" reuses the melody of "Streets of Laredo” from Cash's 1965 album Sings the Ballads of the True West.

But most notable during this period. was his recording At Folsom Prison released 6 May and Cash’s first live album

It comprises recordings of performances by Cash and his band at Folsom State Prison, California, on January 13, 1968.

After his 1955 song "Folsom Prison Blues, Cash had been interested in recording a performance at a prison. His idea was put on hold until 1967, when personnel changes at Columbia Records put Bob Johnston in charge of producing Cash's material. Cash had controlled his drug abuse problems, and was looking to turn his career around after several years of limited success. Backed by June Carter, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison.

On This Day 06/05/1989 Frank Sidebottom

On this day, 6 May 1989, English musician, comedian and artist Frank Sidebottom ( Chris Sievey), played Cardiff’s Venue.

The Frank Sidebottom character first appeared on an untitled 1984 EP by Chris Sievey & the Freshies, in a spoken-word track wherein Frank talks to Sievey.

The character was instantly recognisable by his large spheroidal head, styled like an early Max Fleischer cartoon. This was initially made from papier-mâché, but later of fibreglass. In the documentary Being Frank, Martin Sievey (Chris's brother) states this was made using plaster of Paris.

Frank, usually dressed in a 1950s-style sharp suit, was portrayed as an aspiring pop star from the small village of Timperley, near Altrincham. His character was cheerfully optimistic, enthusiastic, and seemingly oblivious to his own failings. Although supposedly 35 years old (the age always attributed to Frank irrespective of the passage of time), he still lived at home with his mother, to whom he made frequent references. His mother was apparently unaware of her son's popularity. Frank sometimes had a sidekick in the form of "Little Frank", a hand puppet who was otherwise a perfect copy of Frank.

His backing band, dubbed 'The Oh Blimey Band' consisted of Mike Doherty on drums, Rick Sarko on guitar (both formerly of the Freshies), Patrick Gallagher on bass, and later, Jon Ronson on keyboards.

In 1989, Sievey re-arranged the Oh Blimey Band, introducing Richard Jones from the recently broken up local band the Desert Wolves on bass guitar, along with a new guitarist and saxophonist. Chris wanted to give the band a more professional sound, and booked a 30 date tour, the longest the band had ever undertook. This new lineup was a source of tension between the members, with Richard Jones and Jon Ronson taking a near instant disliking for each other.

The tour and its new sound were panned by audience members and critics alike, leading to Sievey abandoning the new line-up in 1990, instead choosing to perform solo from then on.

On This Day 05/05/1986 Echo and the Bunnymen

On this day, 5 May 1986, rock band Echo And The Bunnymen played Cardiff’s Top Rank with support provided by the Blue Orchids.

Formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freitas joined as the band's drummer.

Their 1980 debut album Crocodiles went into the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart.

After releasing their second album Heaven Up Here in 1981, the band's cult status was followed by mainstream success in the UK in 1983 when they scored a UK Top 10 hit with "The Cutter", and the album which the song came from, Porcupine, hit number 2 in the UK.

Ocean Rain (1984), continued the band's UK chart success with its lead single "The Killing Moon" entering into the top 10.

After releasing a self-titled album in 1987, McCulloch left the band and was replaced by singer Noel Burke. In 1989, de Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident.