On This Day 05/04/2009 The Prodigy

On this day, 5 April 2009, electronic/dance band The Prodigy played Cardiff International Arena on their Invaders Must Die tour. Support was provided by Dizzee Rascal.

On 5 November 2008, it was announced that the band's fifth studio album would be called Invaders Must Die and would be released on the band's new label, Take Me to the Hospital. It was released in the U.S. on 3 March 2009, and was the first Prodigy album since 1997's The Fat of the Land to feature all three members of the band.

The album featured Dave Grohl on drums for "Run with the Wolves". The top five hit "Omen" and "Invaders Must Die" were co-produced with Does It Offend You, Yeah? frontman James Rushent. The band said that the album would go back to their "old-school but cutting edge" roots.[citation needed] The album was released as a CD, CD-DVD set, double vinyl, digital download, and a luxury 7-inch vinyl box set including five 7-inches, CD-DVD, bonus CD, poster, stickers, and stencils.

Invaders Must Die was released on 21 February 2009 in Australia and in Europe on 23 February 2009, charting at number one in the U.K. with week one sales of over 97,000—a higher figure than for either Always Outnumbered or their singles collection. The album also reached the top five in Germany and Australia and top 10 in Norway and several other European countries.

To coincide with the release of the album, the band embarked on a nine-date UK arena tour, with support from Dizzee Rascal, Noisia, Herve, and DJ Kissy Sell Out. The tour included the first edition of the band's own annual dance gig, the Warriors Dance Festival. The single "Omen" debuted at number 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart the week of 25 February 2009 and won the Kerrang! Award for Best Single.

The initial critical response to Invaders Must Die was somewhat mixed. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60, based on 20 reviews.[66] However, the album was well received by the fans, who welcomed it in a positive light compared to Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned.

Setlist

Invaders Must Die

(Intro)

World's on Fire

Their Law

Breathe

Breathe

(Dubstep Mix)

Omen

No Good (Start the Dance)

Poison

Warrior's Dance

Firestarter

Action Radar

(Link)

Run With the Wolves

Voodoo People

Death of the Prodigy Dancers

Comanche

Encore:

Omen (Reprise)

Invaders Must Die

Diesel Power

(Beats)

Smack My Bitch Up

Take Me to the Hospital

Out of Space

On This Day 04/04/2004 Hi-5

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 4 April 2006,American singer Gene Pitney played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall. It was to be his last ever performance as he was found dead in his hotel room by his agent the following day.

A spokesman for South Wales Police said that the body had yet to be formally identified. He added: “(The death) is not believed to be suspicious.” The Cardiff coroner has been informed.

Pitney’s tour manager James Kelly said the singer was found dead in his room by long-term friend and agent Geoff Clennell.

“We don’t have a cause of death at the moment but it looks like it was a very peaceful passing,” said Mr Kelly. “He was found fully-clothed, on his back, as if he had gone for a lie-down. It looks as if there was no pain whatsoever, which is nice.”

Mr Kelly added: “It’s terrible news and I’m still shaking. I just can’t believe it. There was no indication anything was wrong. It’s terribly sad.

“It wasn’t like a business relationship (with Gene) - he was a friend and that is why it has hit hard with everybody. It was almost like he had a family going around with him. He was a really nice person.”

Wendy Horton, a journalist who reviewed Pitney’s performance last night for the South Wales Echo newspaper, said that the singer had given one of his best ever shows but had appeared to be in some pain. “He did show a little discomfort on stage, which was well covered by the showman that he is. You could see a slight limp as he walked across the stage.”

She described how after he performed his last song - Town Without Pity - the audience gave him a standing ovation, and scores of fans rushed to the front of the stage to shake his hand and ask him to sign autographs.

“I couldn’t believe (the news of his death),” she said. “Last night at Cardiff he was so alive. When we came out (of the concert) I said ‘My God, he’s really got it all... I’ve seen him six times and I don’t think he’s ever been that enthusiastic’. He just wanted to please - and he did.”

In an interview at Christmas, Pitney spoke of his excitement at taking his show around the UK on the 23-date tour. He denied it was a gruelling schedule, saying: “I take care of myself. I can finish up the tour no problem whatsoever. I love doing what I’m doing - to pick and choose where I want to go and what I want to do.”

The singer was regarded as one of the hardest-working stars in showbusiness. Royalties from his string of hits had made him rich but he continued to perform around the world.

On This Day 03/04/1967 Otis Redding

On this day, April 3rd, 1967, Otis Redding and the star-studded Stax Records revue played Top Rank Suite in the Welsh capital, and those who attended the event said that Redding was immense as part of the outstanding line-up.

Redding was joined by special guests Arthur Conley, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, The Mar-Keys and Booker T. & the M.G.’s; a bill that’ll live on as one of Cardiff’s greatest Soul/R&B showings.

Unlike the Motown Records tour of 1965, which (surprisingly) was a rather anticlimactic show, the Stax Records gig was a huge success. That night at Top Rank Suite helped popularise the genre in South Wales, and Redding will be regarded by listeners all across the world as one of the most charismatic and beloved soul singers of his generation. 

Before his death in a tragic airplane accident on 10th December 1967, Otis Redding had written and recorded an ambitious selection of new music. ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ was one of these, and when eventually released in January 1968, it became the first posthumous record in history to reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts. The song almost became Redding’s self-written obituary.

It was a stunning overture that preceded the USA’s catastrophic failure in Vietnam, as well as the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy in 1968. However, Redding’s death was not overshadowed by the events that followed, with ‘(Sittin on) The Dock of the Bay’ selling more than two million copies.

On This Day 02/04/2015 Ella Eyre

Images are subject to copyright

On this day, 2 April 2015, singer and songwriter, Ella Eyre played Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena as support act to Olly Murs.

She is known for her collaborations with Rudimental on their UK number-one single "Waiting All Night" (2013), which won the 2014 Brit Award for British Single of the Year, with DJ Fresh on his single "Gravity" (2015), and with Sigala on his singles "Came Here for Love" (2017) and "Just Got Paid" (2018). Her debut EP, Deeper, was released in 2013 and her debut album, Feline, was released in 2015. Eyre's musical influences include Lauryn Hill, Etta James, Basement Jaxx and Hans Zimmer.

Eyre's first EP, Deeper, was released in December 2013, and the title track reached number 72. She was the runner-up for the 2014 BRIT Critics' Choice Award and came second on the BBC Sound of 2014 shortlist. Her next three solo singles—"If I Go", "Comeback" (both 2014) and "Together" (2015)—reached the top twenty on the UK Singles Chart. She co-wrote the UK number one single "Changing" for drum and bass duo Sigma featuring British recording artist Paloma Faith, which was released in the United Kingdom in September 2014. The following month, Eyre won Best Newcomer at the MOBO Awards 2014.

Eyre featured on the DJ Fresh single "Gravity", released in February 2015. In May 2015, a song Eyre co-wrote, "Black Smoke", was used by Ann Sophie, the German participant of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. Also during mid 2015, Eyre supported Olly Murs on his 2015 arena tour and was announced as the "face" of the advertising campaign for an Emporio Armani Diamonds fragrance.

On this Day 01/04/1979 The Members

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 1 April 1979, punk band The Members played Cardiff’s Top Rank as support to rock band Eddie and the Hot Rods.

The Members were formed by lyricist Nicky Tesco (Nick Lightowlers) in 1976, through an invited audition at a recording studio at Tooley Street, London. The original personnel, with Tesco (vocals), was Gary Baker (guitar), and Steve Morley (bass guitar), initially with Steve Maycock then Clive Parker (drums). Morley and Parker were later replaced by Chris Payne and Adrian Lillywhite.

In 1978/79, the Members continued to play the London pub and club circuit, became a feature in the music press and were championed by John Peel.

They signed to Virgin Records in 1978, for which label they recorded "The Sound of the Suburbs", again produced by Steve Lillywhite. This became The Members' biggest chart success and their best-known song in the UK.

However, the follow-up single, "Offshore Banking Business", a reggae tune written by Carroll, based on his experiences working in offshore banking at the private bank Coutts, did not achieve the same popularity. A version of "Offshore Banking Business" was recorded for the early 1980s film Urgh! A Music War, produced by Michael White, and distributed by Filmways and Lorimar Productions.

Band

Nicky Tesco – lead vocals

Gary Baker – guitars

Adrian Lillywhite – drums, percussion

JC Carroll – guitars, backing vocals

Chris Payne – bass, backing vocals

On This Day 31/03/2006 The Organ

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 31 March 2006, Canadian post-punk band The Organ, played Cardiff’s Barfly.

The Organ were conceived in 2001 by frontwoman Katie Sketch in Vancouver, BC. Sketch's musical training started at the age of three, when she began classical training on the violin. Her childhood was spent largely in ignorance of the underground sounds of The Smiths, The Cure, and Joy Division, whom The Organ would later often be favorably compared to. "Tiffany and Bon Jovi – that was my take on '80s music."

On November 14, 2005, The Organ appeared live on BBC Radio 6 Music with their new bass player. They gave a brief interview and performed live renditions of the songs "Nothing I Can Do" and "Love, Love, Love." On the 27th, a little over a week later, The Organ announced via their website that they had just been signed to Too Pure Records, through which Grab That Gun would be available throughout the world in February 2006.

The album cover was designed by David Cuesta at 7th Avenue house, and is based on a grid constructed around the Fibonacci sequence, to match musical scales. He also designed the logo based on sketches by Katie and Jenny.

On August 23, 2006, the band released a statement on MySpace saying they were canceling the remaining portion of their UK tour which included dates at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. The reason given was illness to a band member and they assured fans the band were not splitting up.

On December 7, 2006, the band released a statement on their MySpace and official site stating that they were breaking up. The statement read:

"We are sad to announce that we're breaking up. We want to thank our friends, fans, and family for all the support you gave to us. Thank you.

Shelby, Jenny, Katie, Debora, and Shmoo."

In an interview on CBC Radio 3 the following day, Jenny declined to discuss the reasons for the breakup saying that there were issues they preferred to keep private but implied that it had little or nothing to do with either geography or Katie's modeling career. "There were," she said, "so many reasons," she "wouldn't know where to start."

On This Day 30/03/2002 Reuben

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 30 March 2002, alternative rock/metal band Reuben played Cardiff’s Barfly on their Scared of the Police tour.

The band performed in the UK underground music scene. Although they attracted a significant fanbase, Reuben never achieved mainstream success, but did chart four songs in the UK Singles Chart. Their highest charting single was 2004's "Freddy Kreuger", that reached UK No. 53.

The band formed in 1998 when singer/guitarist Jamie Lenman and bassist Jon Pearce originally played with producer Jason Wilson (formerly Wilcock) of Stakeout Studios on drums as Angel, sharing local stages with many bands, one of which would become Hundred Reasons. Between 1998 and 2000, Angel recorded and self-released a string of limited edition demos. The songs and artwork of one of these demos, Betrayed, was available to download via the band's website. Many Angel songs were used as b-sides to Reuben singles.

In March 2000, they parted ways with Wilson, and Mark Lawton joined as drummer, with whom they wrote and recorded the Pilot EP, which was released in January 2001 on the Badmusic label after they changed their name to Reuben. The group decided to go ahead with recording the EP after they had won a battle of the bands in Bookham, Surrey, in front of a panel of 12-year-olds. Following the release of Pilot EP, Lawton left and was replaced by their final drummer, Guy Davis. The new line-up toured around the UK, and were the subject of a two-hour special on Zane Lowe's XFM Radio Show, despite not yet releasing an album.

On This Day 26/03/2006 OK Go

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 27 March 2006, American indie rock band OK Go played Cardiff University with support provided by The Bright Space.

The band's second album, Oh No, was recorded in Malmö, Sweden, in the fall of 2004 and was produced by Tore Johansson (the Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand) and mixed by Dave Sardy (Nine Inch Nails, Jet, System of a Down). In February 2005, Andy Duncan left the band, citing creative differences, major label pressures, and the band's rigorous touring schedule.

Duncan was replaced by Andy Ross, who beat out 34 other guitarists who auditioned for the role, in a process that ended with each candidate being asked about their willingness to do a choreographed dance on stage.[28] Ross introduced himself to the band's fans by writing a blog post entitled "The Will To Rock," in which he detailed life on the road, beginning with his first show with the band on February 18, 2005.

Released in August 2005, Oh No gained popularity for its first single, "A Million Ways". Ross programmed a web application, hosted at a1000000ways.com, that allowed people to hear the single and to share it with their friends in exchange for free downloads from the iTunes music store.

The video for "A Million Ways" featured the band in a backyard performing a dance choreographed by lead singer Kulash's sister, Trish Sie. By August 2006, the video had become the most downloaded music video ever, with over 9 million downloads.The band performed the dance live on British TV show Soccer AM, as well as on the late-night American comedy show Mad TV.

Setlist

"Don't Ask Me"

"No Sign of Life"

"Here It Goes Again"

"Let It Rain"

"Bye Bye Baby"

"A Good Idea at the Time"

"Don't Bring Me Down"

"Get Over It"

"The Fix Is In"

"Oh Lately It's So Quiet"

Invincible

"Do What You Want"

"You're So Damn Hot"

"It's a Disaster"

"A Million Ways (dance sequence)"