Cardiff music scene
Encyclopedia
The music of Cardiff has been dominated mainly by rock music since the early 1990s with later trends developing towards more extreme styles of the genre such as heavy metal
, post-hardcore
and emo
music.
A number of rock music performers have begun their careers in Cardiff
, from bands like Manic Street Preachers
, the Super Furry Animals
, Stereophonics
and Feeder
to bands like Lostprophets
, Kids in Glass Houses
and Funeral for a Friend
, as well as McLusky
, The Loves
and Brave Captain who dominate Cardiff's music scene today. In 2006 The Independent
described the Cardiff music scene as "more vibrant and alive than ever", with more promoters, venues and bands than ever known, often based on the styles of the scene's more famous products such as the Stereophonics.
Cardiff is home to the world's oldest record shop, Spillers Records
, which was established in 1894, and was situated in The Hayes
area of the city centre, now to be found in the nearby Morgan Arcade.
A study by the Performing Rights Society revealed that Cardiff is the second most musical city in the UK based upon the number of bands having their origins in each UK city.
group Amen Corner
, one of the top pop acts of the era and the first Welsh group to have a number one hit. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Cardiff music scene was dominated by hard rock and blues bands. Post-punk
influences spawned the three-piece Cardiff band Young Marble Giants
, who influenced a number of musicians. Young Marble Giants contributed two tracks to Is The War Over?, a compilation featuring unsigned bands from the Cardiff scene.
, Super Furry Animals
and Catatonia
.
The scene was populated by a series of smaller often short-lived outfits which made a small but notable local impact. These bands included Ectogram
, Craic, Monk Dave, The Pier and The Awkward Moments.
. Most prominent are Bullet For My Valentine
, Funeral For A Friend
and Lostprophets
, who had a number one hit in 2006 with their 3rd album Liberation Transmission
on indie rock imprint Visible Noise
. Pop rockers, The Automatic
, grew out of this scene, playing underage gigs in Cardiff and associating themselves with screamo
group Jarcrew
. Ragga metallers Skindred
are also a prominent band on the Cardiff rock scene, known for mixing reggae
and alternative rock
influences with a more contemporary punk rock
and metalcore
sound.
Following the success of punk and post-punk
music in Cardiff in from the late 1970s until the 1990s, its decline was noticeable in the 2000s with the demise of bands Mclusky
and Jarcrew
. However, former members of the two bands united to form new Cardiff alternative rock
band Future of the Left
.
has produced music acts in the form of students Los Campesinos!
, a pop-rock group, and Drone, alter ego of Cassidy Phillips, who is part of the area's electronica scene, tapped into by promoting venues and supporting club promoters around Cardiff such as Plug Two, which is set to put out the downbeat selection of Drone. Plug Two has benefited from the support of the Welsh Music Foundation (WMF), an organisation set up to support the country's creative industry. Its prime mover is Huw Williams, once a member of 1980s band The Pooh Sticks and former manager of Newport
's 60 Ft. Dolls
. Local talent is also supported by the likes of Ankst Records
, which specialises in Welsh language recordings.
and Planet Mu
to Cardiff. Machine Records won 'Best Label' at the Welsh Music Awards in March 2005, and its 2008 compilation 'Machine Music! The New Dance Sound of Cardiff' was selectd by DJ Adam Walton
as one of the ten best Welsh albums of the decade.
More recently a number of Cardiff acts have found favor on the Dubstep and Electronic Beat scene. Mary Anne Hobbs whilst on BBC Radio 1 included artists such as Stagga, Zwolf and Darkhouse Family within her show, whilst other Radio 1 DJs such as Rob Da Bank and Huw Stephens have also included Monky, Curtamos and Ital Lion. Many of these have also been played on influential stations such as Rinse FM and in 2010 BBC 1Xtra invited Chrome Kids to record a mix of Welsh Electronic Music for their 'In New 1Xtra DJs We Trust' show.
is often their language of choice. These include Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
, who have now disbanded, though their former members continue to work in and around Cardiff. In 2006 Euros Childs
released solo album Chops, while former sidekick Richard James embarked on a more folk 'n' country-influenced direction with The Seven Sleepers Den. They now live in the Pontcanna
area of the city along with most of the Super Furries. The album was put out on Cardiff's Boobytrap Records, originally set up as a monthly singles club by Booby Baz and Huw Stephens
. The latter now promotes Welsh music as a Radio One presenter joined by Dean Proctor.
Other acts from the area
Festival is an annual music festival curated by BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens in Cardiff. The first Sŵn Festival took place on the 9–11 November 2007. Bands playing included The Cribs, Beirut, David Holmes, Edwyn Collins, Cherryghost. Art and Film are also incorporated into the festival schedule. Welsh language bands are well represented on the line-up.
The Cardiff Big Weekend
has taken place annually since 1995 as part of the Cardiff Festival organised by Cardiff Council
. Billed as the UK’s biggest free outdoor music festival, it offers three days of quality live music and entertainment. Alongside the live music stage runs the UK’s largest travelling funfair around Cardiff's Civic Centre. Each night comes to a close with a firework finale. There is always a line of up and coming artists, world music and established artists, and traditionally the Friday night has always had a strong presence of Welsh bands.
The Welsh Hip Hop Festival, also known as Roxe Jam, aims to brings together all elements of hip hop culture as a two day free event in one of Cardiff's largest city parks, in Grangetown
, with support from The Arts Council of Wales
, Cardiff Council
and Communities First Trust Fund and with the help of Welsh hip hop artists.
The Cardiff Multicultural Mela also known as the Cardiff Mela
is an annual large-scale outdoor multicultural festival, held in the city's Roald Dahl Plass
, in Cardiff Bay
. It celebrates many cultural aspects of Asian life, particularly music and dance. The 2009 festival featured bhangra, Bollywood and rnb singers including H Dhami, Mumzy Stranger
and Navin Kundra
amongst others. The 2010 event attracted over 30,000 visitors and featured a performance from Bombay Rockers.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Party in the Park
was held annually in the city organised by the city's Red Dragon FM
.
Cardiff has also hosted the National Eisteddfod several times that features Welsh language music acts.
Cardiff hosts the Welsh Singers Competition
every two years at St. David's Hall.
The Under Construction Youth Music Festival started in 2007 and is the result of work from a group of teenagers from the Cathays Youth and Community Centre. The festival hopes to fill a gap in music provision for teens while promoting local talent. The 2010 one-day festival will take place at the Maindy Centre on 14 August, and the main stage will host bands playing music from metal to punk while a newly added acoustic stage will showcase emerging talent from young singer/songwriters. There will also be workshops and activities including a skate ramp, bmx biking, free running and an inflatable football pitch.
2011 sees the launch of the Cardiff Music Festival, with concerts and recitals including an opera gala with Dennis O'Neill, Wynne Evans and Tim Rhys-Evans.
(CIA) is one of the largest concert venues in Cardiff and Wales and, has recently played host to Travis
, Busted, Duran Duran
, Paramore
and Blondie
. The venue has a capacity 7,500 and is more than often one of the venues visited by the most popular touring acts. The arena is also used for exhibitions, sport and other live events.
has over 450 performances a year, including classical music, rock, pop, jazz, children's events, dance and comedy. Past performers include Lemar
, Chris Rea
and Suzanne Vega
. It is situated in The Hayes
. St David's Hall is the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales, and hosts the annual Welsh Proms, an Orchestral Series attracting renowned conductors and performers, and the biennial Cardiff Singer of the World competition.
is a performing arts centre in Cardiff Bay
. Opened in 2004, the centre has already established its reputation as one of the world's iconic arts and cultural destinations. The centre usually hosts West End musicals, opera ballet and contemporary dance.
, national stadium of Wales, hosts only the largest of concerts by the most famous of performers, such as U2
, Oasis
, Take That
, Kasabian, Madonna
and Paul McCartney
. The stadium has also hosted international music concerts such as Tsunami Relief Cardiff
in 2005.
RFC. The Stereophonics
will be the first group to play at the stadium in June 2010.
has hosted The Coral
, The Polyphonic Spree
, Turin Brakes
, The Doves, The Darkness, The Thrills
, Athlete
, Star Sailor and Electric Six
in the past. The venue is in Cathays
, north of the city centre.
’s favourite venue and previous concerts include the Eels, Jools Holland
and PJ Harvey
. It is located in Cardiff Bay
.
is a principally Welsh-language venue on three levels and caters for anything from hip hop to skate-punk to folk. Past guests include The Strokes
, Coldplay
, Roni Size
and Elbow
. The club often hosts new bands on the Cardiff music scene, and gigs of the Sŵn
festival. The two venues are located near Cardiff Castle
. Metro's is an underground club, popular with students. Goth, metal, grunge and rock are the main genres played here. It is situated near St. Mary's Street. The Engine Rooms in Cardiff Bay
equally focuses on rock and metal music.
The city's principal mainstream clubs include Evolution (in the Red Dragon Centre
), Oceana
, Liquid, The Philharmonic, Exit Club, Bar X, and Walkabout (in the city centre
). Moloko's music styles vary throughout the week, from drum n’ bass, to funk and r’n’b. It is situated in The Hayes
. Journey's is an independent establishment in the Roath
area of Cardiff and frequented by local bands and DJs performing live, from electronica to country music.
The Gate Arts Centre
is a live venue which often hosts parts of the Sŵn
festival, and has hosted bands such as Los Campesinos!
The Cardiff Arts Institute is a new venue, hosting arts events most nights, but is described by WalesOnline as "pretentious". The Norwegian Church
hosts live music, mainly focusing on world, folk and acoustic artists.
Buffalo Bar is an independent venue with live music every night from unsigned and local showcases to larger touring bands. In the past the venue has hosted Shonen Knife, James Blake, Times New Viking, Jets to Zurich, Marnie Stern, Kissy Sell Out, Ugly Duckling, Simone Felice and Jeffrey Lewis. Sister venue 10 Feet Tall holds intimate folk, acoustic, Americana shows as well as funk, jazz and hip hop, fashion shows, film & literary events. Its recently relaunched basement venue Undertone stages small live events from local bills to touring bands, reggae, ska, rock, indie and drum'n'bass clubnights.
s based in Cardiff are:
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
and emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
music.
A number of rock music performers have begun their careers in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, from bands like Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, the Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
, Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
and Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
to bands like Lostprophets
Lostprophets
Lostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
, Kids in Glass Houses
Kids in Glass Houses
Kids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff, and are considered a significant part of the Cardiff music scene. The band's name is inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles...
and Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
, as well as McLusky
Mclusky
Mclusky , originally known as Best, were a three-piece post-hardcore group formed in Cardiff, Wales. The group consisted of Englishman Andy "Falco" Falkous from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Jonathan Chapple and Jack Egglestone , who replaced previous drummer Matthew Harding in late...
, The Loves
The Loves
The Loves were a heavily 1960s influenced pop band, formed in 2000 in Cardiff, Wales-Career:Their debut album Love was released on Track and Field Records in 2004, but attracted generally hostile press coverage, and was commercially unsuccessful...
and Brave Captain who dominate Cardiff's music scene today. In 2006 The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
described the Cardiff music scene as "more vibrant and alive than ever", with more promoters, venues and bands than ever known, often based on the styles of the scene's more famous products such as the Stereophonics.
Cardiff is home to the world's oldest record shop, Spillers Records
Spillers Records
Spillers Records, established in 1894, is the oldest record shop in the world. It is located in Cardiff, Wales. In addition to selling music, it is the city's main location for buying tickets for alternative music concerts....
, which was established in 1894, and was situated in The Hayes
The Hayes
The Hayes is a commercial area in the southern city centre of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Based around the road of that name leading south towards the east end of the city centre, the area is mostly pedestrianised....
area of the city centre, now to be found in the nearby Morgan Arcade.
A study by the Performing Rights Society revealed that Cardiff is the second most musical city in the UK based upon the number of bands having their origins in each UK city.
History
1960s-1980s
1960s Cardiff produced BritpopBritpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
group Amen Corner
Amen Corner (band)
Amen Corner were a successful Welsh rock group, formed in late 1966 in Cardiff, Wales.-Career:The band was named after The Amen Corner, a weekly disc spin at the Victoria Ballroom in Cardiff, Wales, where every Sunday night Dr...
, one of the top pop acts of the era and the first Welsh group to have a number one hit. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Cardiff music scene was dominated by hard rock and blues bands. Post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
influences spawned the three-piece Cardiff band Young Marble Giants
Young Marble Giants
Young Marble Giants were a post-punk band formed in Cardiff, Wales in 1978. A trio, their music was constructed around the powerful and minimal instrumentation of brothers Philip and Stuart Moxham along with the vocals of Alison Statton.-History:...
, who influenced a number of musicians. Young Marble Giants contributed two tracks to Is The War Over?, a compilation featuring unsigned bands from the Cardiff scene.
1990s
In the 1990s, the Welsh capital was the centre of a vibrant music scene led by Spirit of Ecstasy, Manic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
and Catatonia
Catatonia
Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility, and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor. It was first described in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein ....
.
The scene was populated by a series of smaller often short-lived outfits which made a small but notable local impact. These bands included Ectogram
Ectogram
Ectogram are a Welsh band from Bangor, United Kingdom.Ann Matthews and Alan Holmes were previously members of Welsh language post-punk band Fflaps between 1987–1993, touring Europe, releasing three LPs and recording two John Peel Sessions during that time...
, Craic, Monk Dave, The Pier and The Awkward Moments.
Rock music
Since the 1990s there has been a more steely edge to the sound of the valleys, dominated by metalcoreMetalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
. Most prominent are Bullet For My Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck , Michael Paget , Jason James , and Michael Thomas . They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana...
, Funeral For A Friend
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
and Lostprophets
Lostprophets
Lostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
, who had a number one hit in 2006 with their 3rd album Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission
Liberation Transmission is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets. The album was released in June 2006 and became the first Lostprophets album to enter the UK album chart at number one . The album peaked at number thirty three on the Billboard 200 album chart with 27,000...
on indie rock imprint Visible Noise
Visible Noise
Visible Noise is a British independent record label that focuses solely on British bands.-History:Founded in 1998 by ex-Cacophonous Records manager Julie Weir, the label was created with the goal of fostering and breaking new UK rock music...
. Pop rockers, The Automatic
The Automatic
The Automatic , are a Welsh rock band. The band is composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesizers, James Frost on guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals and occasional bass, Iwan Griffiths on drums and Paul Mullen on vocals, guitar and synthesizer - since 2007...
, grew out of this scene, playing underage gigs in Cardiff and associating themselves with screamo
Screamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
group Jarcrew
Jarcrew
Jarcrew was a five-piece progressive rock band from Ammanford, Wales. They were a relatively well known underground band for approximately five years between 2000 and their early 2005 split...
. Ragga metallers Skindred
Skindred
Skindred is a Welsh rock band from Newport. The band was formed in 1998 following the disbandment of vocalist Benji Webbe's previous band, Dub War. Skindred's musical style mixes alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and reggae...
are also a prominent band on the Cardiff rock scene, known for mixing reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
influences with a more contemporary punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
sound.
Following the success of punk and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
music in Cardiff in from the late 1970s until the 1990s, its decline was noticeable in the 2000s with the demise of bands Mclusky
Mclusky
Mclusky , originally known as Best, were a three-piece post-hardcore group formed in Cardiff, Wales. The group consisted of Englishman Andy "Falco" Falkous from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Jonathan Chapple and Jack Egglestone , who replaced previous drummer Matthew Harding in late...
and Jarcrew
Jarcrew
Jarcrew was a five-piece progressive rock band from Ammanford, Wales. They were a relatively well known underground band for approximately five years between 2000 and their early 2005 split...
. However, former members of the two bands united to form new Cardiff alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Future of the Left
Future of the Left
Future of the Left are an alternative rock group based in Cardiff, Wales.- Beginnings :Future of the Left were formed by singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Cardiff band mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias, formerly of the...
.
Pop-rock music
Cardiff UniversityCardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
has produced music acts in the form of students Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! are a seven piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. Although the band formed in Wales, none of its members are Welsh. They released their debut album, Hold on Now, Youngster..., in February 2008 and followed this up by releasing a record...
, a pop-rock group, and Drone, alter ego of Cassidy Phillips, who is part of the area's electronica scene, tapped into by promoting venues and supporting club promoters around Cardiff such as Plug Two, which is set to put out the downbeat selection of Drone. Plug Two has benefited from the support of the Welsh Music Foundation (WMF), an organisation set up to support the country's creative industry. Its prime mover is Huw Williams, once a member of 1980s band The Pooh Sticks and former manager of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
's 60 Ft. Dolls
60 Ft. Dolls
-Career:They were formed in Newport in 1992 by Richard J. Parfitt and Michael Cole, who met through Donna Matthews , who was at the time, dating Cole and working part-time in the same pizza restaurant as Parfitt. After problems finding the right drummer, they eventually took on pastor's son Carl...
. Local talent is also supported by the likes of Ankst Records
Ankst
Ankst was a Welsh independent record label formed in 1988 at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth by Alun Llwyd, Gruffudd Jones and Emyr Glyn Williams...
, which specialises in Welsh language recordings.
Electronic music
Another local label is Machine Records that has an electronic preference. When the label started in 2001, there was no scene to connect with, though gradually it has built up a roster of around 25 artists that have come out of the studio and performed live at regular Cardiff showcases and in Newport, Swansea, and London. Between 2003-2006 the label also used its monthly Terminal club night to bring UK acts on Warp RecordsWarp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
and Planet Mu
Planet Mu
Planet Mu is an electronic music record label run by Mike Paradinas . It was based in Worcester until March 2007, then moved to London and has recently relocated to Broadstairs, Kent...
to Cardiff. Machine Records won 'Best Label' at the Welsh Music Awards in March 2005, and its 2008 compilation 'Machine Music! The New Dance Sound of Cardiff' was selectd by DJ Adam Walton
Adam Walton
Adam Walton is an alternative DJ for BBC Radio Wales. He was brought up in Nannerch, near Mold, North Wales....
as one of the ten best Welsh albums of the decade.
More recently a number of Cardiff acts have found favor on the Dubstep and Electronic Beat scene. Mary Anne Hobbs whilst on BBC Radio 1 included artists such as Stagga, Zwolf and Darkhouse Family within her show, whilst other Radio 1 DJs such as Rob Da Bank and Huw Stephens have also included Monky, Curtamos and Ital Lion. Many of these have also been played on influential stations such as Rinse FM and in 2010 BBC 1Xtra invited Chrome Kids to record a mix of Welsh Electronic Music for their 'In New 1Xtra DJs We Trust' show.
Rap music
Much of the Welsh hip hop activity centres on Cardiff. It has spawned names who have broken out from Wales, touring and gaining steady press attention. Such acts are Barry-producer Metabeats, Beatbox Fozzy, Chrome Kids, Mudmowth, Ruffstylz, and Ralph Rip Shit. Also from the city, in 2009 trio Dead Residents produced Triple Crown, described as one of the most enjoyable Welsh hip-hop albums in recent memory by Cardiff-based hip hop journalist Adam Anonymous.Welsh language music
Cardiff is home to a number of bands and musicians for whom WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
is often their language of choice. These include Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991. They sang songs in both Welsh and English. They split up in May 2006.-Biography:...
, who have now disbanded, though their former members continue to work in and around Cardiff. In 2006 Euros Childs
Euros Childs
Euros Childs is a Welsh musician and songwriter, best known as the frontman for the band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. His sister is the violinist Megan Childs...
released solo album Chops, while former sidekick Richard James embarked on a more folk 'n' country-influenced direction with The Seven Sleepers Den. They now live in the Pontcanna
Pontcanna
Pontcanna is a western district of the city of Cardiff, Wales. Its area is bounded approximately by Llandaff Fields to the north, the Riverside district and Cowbridge Road to the south, the River Taff to the west and the district of Canton to the east.Pontcanna is a very well to do area of wide...
area of the city along with most of the Super Furries. The album was put out on Cardiff's Boobytrap Records, originally set up as a monthly singles club by Booby Baz and Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
. The latter now promotes Welsh music as a Radio One presenter joined by Dean Proctor.
Music acts
Acts associated with the contemporary Cardiff music scene- Manic Street PreachersManic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
- Super Furry AnimalsSuper Furry AnimalsSuper Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
- CatatoniaCatatonia (band)Catatonia were an alternative rock band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 1990s. The band consisted of Cerys Matthews on vocals, Mark Roberts on guitar, Paul Jones on bass , Owen Powell on...
- Bullet For My ValentineBullet for My ValentineBullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck , Michael Paget , Jason James , and Michael Thomas . They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana...
- Funeral For A FriendFuneral for a FriendFuneral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
- LostprophetsLostprophetsLostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
- The AutomaticThe AutomaticThe Automatic , are a Welsh rock band. The band is composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesizers, James Frost on guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals and occasional bass, Iwan Griffiths on drums and Paul Mullen on vocals, guitar and synthesizer - since 2007...
- SkindredSkindredSkindred is a Welsh rock band from Newport. The band was formed in 1998 following the disbandment of vocalist Benji Webbe's previous band, Dub War. Skindred's musical style mixes alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and reggae...
- Gorky's Zygotic MynciGorky's Zygotic MynciGorky's Zygotic Mynci were a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991. They sang songs in both Welsh and English. They split up in May 2006.-Biography:...
- Los Campesinos!Los Campesinos!Los Campesinos! are a seven piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. Although the band formed in Wales, none of its members are Welsh. They released their debut album, Hold on Now, Youngster..., in February 2008 and followed this up by releasing a record...
- Kids in Glass HousesKids in Glass HousesKids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff, and are considered a significant part of the Cardiff music scene. The band's name is inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles...
- The BlackoutThe Blackout (band)The Blackout is a post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, formed in 2003. After some time backing Lostprophets on their Liberation Transmission Tour, along with Dopamine, Covergirl, Kids In Glass Houses, The Guns and Men, Women and Children, they released their first mini-album The Blackout!...
- The Hot Puppies
- Pagan Wanderer LuPagan Wanderer LuPagan Wanderer Lu is a one-man indie/electronica or 'Indietronica' band originally formed in Aberystwyth but now based in Cardiff. The act consists of Andy Regan .-Discography:...
- FeederFeeder-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
- McLuskyMcluskyMclusky , originally known as Best, were a three-piece post-hardcore group formed in Cardiff, Wales. The group consisted of Englishman Andy "Falco" Falkous from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Jonathan Chapple and Jack Egglestone , who replaced previous drummer Matthew Harding in late...
- The LovesThe LovesThe Loves were a heavily 1960s influenced pop band, formed in 2000 in Cardiff, Wales-Career:Their debut album Love was released on Track and Field Records in 2004, but attracted generally hostile press coverage, and was commercially unsuccessful...
- Brave Captain
- The Darling BudsThe Darling BudsThe Darling Buds were an indie band from Newport, South Wales. The band formed in 1986 and were named after the H. E. Bates novel The Darling Buds of May – a title taken in turn, from the third line of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May".-Career:Influenced...
- VandalVandal (Electronica/Breakbeat producer)Vandal is a Techno, Breakbeat and Electronica producer from Sheffield, England. He is currently recording for Meat Katie's LOT49 record label.- Background :...
- JarcrewJarcrewJarcrew was a five-piece progressive rock band from Ammanford, Wales. They were a relatively well known underground band for approximately five years between 2000 and their early 2005 split...
- Future of the LeftFuture of the LeftFuture of the Left are an alternative rock group based in Cardiff, Wales.- Beginnings :Future of the Left were formed by singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Cardiff band mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias, formerly of the...
- We're No HeroesWe're No HeroesWe're No Heroes are a three-piece indie band from Cardiff, United Kingdom, composed of Tom Collins, Michael 'Dewey' Owen, and Luke Llewellyn. They first formed in the summer of 2009 in a downtown South Side recording studio in Chicago, USA....
- Spencer McGarry SeasonSpencer McGarry SeasonSpencer McGarry Season is a project by songwriter Spencer McGarry to record and perform 6 albums in 6 different styles. The project was borne from both a wealth of material and indecision over what musical direction to take...
- The Broken Vinyl ClubThe Broken Vinyl ClubThe Broken Vinyl Club are a 60s-influenced indie rock band based in Aberdare in South Wales. They are signed to Acid Jazz Records.The band are known for their close harmonies and jangly guitar sound and have been compared to bands such as The Beatles, The Byrds, The La's and The Kinks...
- The KeysMurry the HumpMurry the Hump were a Welsh indie rock and "urban folk" band. They were active from 1999 until 2001; Since then they have continued to write music under the name The Keys.- History :...
- Houdini Dax
- Jean Jacques Smoothie
- Phantom Beats
- Mike Fantastic
- Man Without Country
- The School
- Samoans
- Hail! The Planes
- Islet
- The Guns
- The Missive
Other acts from the area
- Charlotte ChurchCharlotte ChurchCharlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
- Shirley BasseyShirley BasseyDame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
- Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
- Shakin' StevensShakin' StevensShakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
- Noel SullivanNoel SullivanNoel Sullivan , is a Welsh singer and actor. He was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the talent show Popstars.-Early life and career:...
- The OppressedThe OppressedThe Oppressed is a Welsh anti-fascist Oi! band that formed in 1981 in Cardiff. Most of the musicians in the band's various lineups were skinheads. Throughout the band's career, the members openly expressed opposition to racism and fascism — in their lyrics, interviews, on-stage comments and other...
- BudgieBudgie (band)Budgie is a Welsh Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band from Cardiff. They are widely considered as one of the first heavy metal bands and a seminal influence to many acts of that scene, with fast, heavy rock being played as early as 1971. The band has been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day"...
- Cerys MatthewsCerys MatthewsCerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
- The AlarmThe AlarmThe Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
Festivals
The SŵnSwn
The Sŵn Festival is a music festival curated by BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens and Cardiff-based promoter John Rostron, which takes place annually in Stephens' hometown of Cardiff, Wales. The first Sŵn Festival took place on the 9–11 November 2007...
Festival is an annual music festival curated by BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens in Cardiff. The first Sŵn Festival took place on the 9–11 November 2007. Bands playing included The Cribs, Beirut, David Holmes, Edwyn Collins, Cherryghost. Art and Film are also incorporated into the festival schedule. Welsh language bands are well represented on the line-up.
The Cardiff Big Weekend
Cardiff Big Weekend
The Cardiff Big Weekend has taken place annually since 1995 as part of the Cardiff Festival organised by Cardiff Council. Billed as the UK’s biggest free outdoor music festival, it offers three days of quality live music and entertainment. Alongside the live music stage runs the UK’s largest...
has taken place annually since 1995 as part of the Cardiff Festival organised by Cardiff Council
Cardiff Council
The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council consists of 75 councillors, representing 29 electoral wards. The authority is properly styled as The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff or in...
. Billed as the UK’s biggest free outdoor music festival, it offers three days of quality live music and entertainment. Alongside the live music stage runs the UK’s largest travelling funfair around Cardiff's Civic Centre. Each night comes to a close with a firework finale. There is always a line of up and coming artists, world music and established artists, and traditionally the Friday night has always had a strong presence of Welsh bands.
The Welsh Hip Hop Festival, also known as Roxe Jam, aims to brings together all elements of hip hop culture as a two day free event in one of Cardiff's largest city parks, in Grangetown
Grangetown, Cardiff
Grangetown is a community in the south of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is one of the largest districts in the south of the city and is bordered by Riverside, Canton and Butetown. The River Taff winds its way through the area...
, with support from The Arts Council of Wales
Arts Council of Wales
The Arts Council of Wales is a Welsh Government sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales.Established by Royal Charter in 1946, as the Welsh Arts Council , when it merged with the three Welsh regional arts associations...
, Cardiff Council
Cardiff Council
The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council consists of 75 councillors, representing 29 electoral wards. The authority is properly styled as The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff or in...
and Communities First Trust Fund and with the help of Welsh hip hop artists.
The Cardiff Multicultural Mela also known as the Cardiff Mela
Cardiff Mela
The Cardiff Mela is an annual large-scale outdoor multicultural festival, held in the city's Roald Dahl Plass, in Cardiff Bay. It is a free event and run by a not for profit organisation based in Cardiff. It celebrates many cultural aspects of Asian life, particularly music, dance, fashion and food...
is an annual large-scale outdoor multicultural festival, held in the city's Roald Dahl Plass
Roald Dahl Plass
Roald Dahl Plass is a public plaza in Cardiff Bay, part of Cardiff, Wales. It is named after Cardiff-born author Roald Dahl, and is located on the coast along the south of the city centre. The square is home to the Senedd and the Wales Millennium Centre, a performing arts centre...
, in Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
. It celebrates many cultural aspects of Asian life, particularly music and dance. The 2009 festival featured bhangra, Bollywood and rnb singers including H Dhami, Mumzy Stranger
Mumzy Stranger
Muhammad Mumith Ahmed , better known by his stage name Mumzy Stranger, is a British MC, singer-songwriter and record producer. He made his mainstream recording debut in the summer of 2009 with his debut single "One More Dance," which topped the UK Asian Charts, as did the follow-up singles,...
and Navin Kundra
Navin Kundra
Navin Kundra is a British Indian singer-songwriter, who writes, composes and performs songs in Hindi, Punjabi and English.-Career:His first break came on his 19th Birthday when he represented the UK in an exclusive World Series of Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa filmed in Dubai...
amongst others. The 2010 event attracted over 30,000 visitors and featured a performance from Bombay Rockers.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Party in the Park
Party in the Park
Party in the Park is the generic name given to music concerts organised by various radio stations and local authorities in England and Wales, typically in large parks during the summer.-Leeds' Party in the Park:...
was held annually in the city organised by the city's Red Dragon FM
Red Dragon FM
Capital South Wales is a British independent local radio station broadcasting from Cardiff Bay . The station serves Cardiff, Newport and the surrounding areas, broadcasting to a potential audience of around 1 million people...
.
Cardiff has also hosted the National Eisteddfod several times that features Welsh language music acts.
Cardiff hosts the Welsh Singers Competition
Welsh Singers Competition
The Welsh Singers Competition is a singing competition that is held in Cardiff, Wales. The winner of the competition represents Wales in the biennial BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. The Competition is open to Welsh singers at the early stages of their career...
every two years at St. David's Hall.
The Under Construction Youth Music Festival started in 2007 and is the result of work from a group of teenagers from the Cathays Youth and Community Centre. The festival hopes to fill a gap in music provision for teens while promoting local talent. The 2010 one-day festival will take place at the Maindy Centre on 14 August, and the main stage will host bands playing music from metal to punk while a newly added acoustic stage will showcase emerging talent from young singer/songwriters. There will also be workshops and activities including a skate ramp, bmx biking, free running and an inflatable football pitch.
2011 sees the launch of the Cardiff Music Festival, with concerts and recitals including an opera gala with Dennis O'Neill, Wynne Evans and Tim Rhys-Evans.
Cardiff International Arena
The Cardiff International ArenaCardiff International Arena
The Cardiff International Arena was opened on 10 September 1993, by Shirley Bassey, in front of 5,500 fans. On 1 March 2011, the Cardiff International Arena was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, after the car sales company with a branch in Newport bought the naming rights to the Cardiff...
(CIA) is one of the largest concert venues in Cardiff and Wales and, has recently played host to Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
, Busted, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
and Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
. The venue has a capacity 7,500 and is more than often one of the venues visited by the most popular touring acts. The arena is also used for exhibitions, sport and other live events.
St David’s Hall
St David's HallSt David's Hall
St David's Hall is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff city centre, the capital of Wales...
has over 450 performances a year, including classical music, rock, pop, jazz, children's events, dance and comedy. Past performers include Lemar
Lemar
Lemar Obika , professionally known simply as Lemar, is an English recording artist. Obika has had a run of chart success in the UK, Europe and Australia...
, Chris Rea
Chris Rea
Chris Rea is an English singer-songwriter, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice and slide guitar playing. The British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s. He was already a major European star by the time he finally...
and Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
. It is situated in The Hayes
The Hayes
The Hayes is a commercial area in the southern city centre of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Based around the road of that name leading south towards the east end of the city centre, the area is mostly pedestrianised....
. St David's Hall is the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales, and hosts the annual Welsh Proms, an Orchestral Series attracting renowned conductors and performers, and the biennial Cardiff Singer of the World competition.
Wales Millennium Centre
The Wales Millennium CentreWales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
is a performing arts centre in Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
. Opened in 2004, the centre has already established its reputation as one of the world's iconic arts and cultural destinations. The centre usually hosts West End musicals, opera ballet and contemporary dance.
Millennium Stadium
With a capacity of 74,500, the Millennium StadiumMillennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
, national stadium of Wales, hosts only the largest of concerts by the most famous of performers, such as U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
, Kasabian, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
. The stadium has also hosted international music concerts such as Tsunami Relief Cardiff
Tsunami Relief Cardiff
Tsunami Relief Cardiff was a charity music concert held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 22 January 2005, in aid of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which had occurred the month before...
in 2005.
Cardiff City Stadium
Opened in 2009, the Cardiff City Stadium is a 30,000 capacity stadium owned by and home of Cardiff City Football Club and is rented out to Cardiff BluesCardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
RFC. The Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
will be the first group to play at the stadium in June 2010.
Cardiff University
The Cardiff University Students' UnionCardiff University Students' Union
Cardiff University Students' Union is the students' union for Cardiff University and the largest in Wales, and, like most other students' unions, aims to promote the interests of its students...
has hosted The Coral
The Coral
The Coral are an English band formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula in England. The band first emerged during the early 2000s and found success with their debut album The Coral and follow up Magic and Medicine...
, The Polyphonic Spree
The Polyphonic Spree
The Polyphonic Spree is a choral symphonic pop rock band from Dallas, Texas that was formed in 2000 by Tim DeLaughter. The band's sound relies on a variety of vocal and instrumental color by featuring a choir, flute, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, percussion, piano, guitars, bass, drums,...
, Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes are a modern folk duo, comprising Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, hailing from Balham, London. They had a UK top 5 hit with their song "Painkiller ".-1999–2003:...
, The Doves, The Darkness, The Thrills
The Thrills
The Thrills are an Irish rock band, formed in 2001 in Dublin, Ireland. The band was founded by lead vocalist Conor Deasy and guitarist Daniel Ryan, guitarist and bass player Padraic McMahon, pianist Kevin Horan and drummer Ben Carrigan. Their big break came with their debut album, So Much for the...
, Athlete
Athlete (band)
Athlete are a British rock band formed in Deptford, London, comprising Joel Pott , Carey Willetts , Stephen Roberts and Tim Wanstall...
, Star Sailor and Electric Six
Electric Six
Electric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of "garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal." The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", and subsequently recorded...
in the past. The venue is in Cathays
Cathays
Cathays is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is an old suburb of Cardiff established in 1875. It is very densely populated and contains many older terraced houses giving it a Victorian era atmosphere...
, north of the city centre.
The Coal Exchange
Formerly the stock exchange for coal in Wales during the 19th century, the Coal Exchange is Van MorrisonVan Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
’s favourite venue and previous concerts include the Eels, Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
and PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
. It is located in Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
.
Smaller venues
Clwb Ifor BachClwb Ifor Bach
Clwb Ifor Bach is a Cardiff nightclub, music venue, Welsh-language club and community centre. It is known to the Cardiff Welsh-speaking community as Clwb and is often known by others on the Cardiff music scene as The Welsh Club....
is a principally Welsh-language venue on three levels and caters for anything from hip hop to skate-punk to folk. Past guests include The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
, Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, Roni Size
Roni Size
Roni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
and Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
. The club often hosts new bands on the Cardiff music scene, and gigs of the Sŵn
Swn
The Sŵn Festival is a music festival curated by BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens and Cardiff-based promoter John Rostron, which takes place annually in Stephens' hometown of Cardiff, Wales. The first Sŵn Festival took place on the 9–11 November 2007...
festival. The two venues are located near Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
. Metro's is an underground club, popular with students. Goth, metal, grunge and rock are the main genres played here. It is situated near St. Mary's Street. The Engine Rooms in Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
equally focuses on rock and metal music.
The city's principal mainstream clubs include Evolution (in the Red Dragon Centre
Red Dragon Centre
The Red Dragon Centre is an indoor entertainment complex in southern Cardiff, the capital of Wales.The complex features restaurants, cafés, an Old Orleans restaurant, a Hollywood Bowl with arcade amusements, an Odeon multiplex cinema, a Doctor Who visitor centre , a casino and an on-site car park...
), Oceana
Oceana (Nightclub)
Oceana is a chain of nightclubs in the United Kingdom owned and managed by Luminar Leisure. There are Oceana venues in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Kingston, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Plymouth, Southampton, Swansea, Watford and Wolverhampton....
, Liquid, The Philharmonic, Exit Club, Bar X, and Walkabout (in the city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
). Moloko's music styles vary throughout the week, from drum n’ bass, to funk and r’n’b. It is situated in The Hayes
The Hayes
The Hayes is a commercial area in the southern city centre of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Based around the road of that name leading south towards the east end of the city centre, the area is mostly pedestrianised....
. Journey's is an independent establishment in the Roath
Roath
Roath is a district in the east/north-east of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales.It lies just east/north east of the city centre, stretching from Adamsdown in the south to Roath Park in the north. Roath contains the Plasnewydd electoral ward. The name is believed to originate from Irish ráth,...
area of Cardiff and frequented by local bands and DJs performing live, from electronica to country music.
The Gate Arts Centre
The Gate Arts Centre
The Gate Arts Centre is a vibrant community building which is located in Keppoch Street, just off City Road, in the Roath suburb of Cardiff...
is a live venue which often hosts parts of the Sŵn
Swn
The Sŵn Festival is a music festival curated by BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens and Cardiff-based promoter John Rostron, which takes place annually in Stephens' hometown of Cardiff, Wales. The first Sŵn Festival took place on the 9–11 November 2007...
festival, and has hosted bands such as Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! are a seven piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. Although the band formed in Wales, none of its members are Welsh. They released their debut album, Hold on Now, Youngster..., in February 2008 and followed this up by releasing a record...
The Cardiff Arts Institute is a new venue, hosting arts events most nights, but is described by WalesOnline as "pretentious". The Norwegian Church
Norwegian Church, Cardiff
The Norwegian Church in the Cardiff Bay area of the city of Cardiff, Wales, is a historic church building and formerly a place of worship for the Norwegian community in Cardiff....
hosts live music, mainly focusing on world, folk and acoustic artists.
Buffalo Bar is an independent venue with live music every night from unsigned and local showcases to larger touring bands. In the past the venue has hosted Shonen Knife, James Blake, Times New Viking, Jets to Zurich, Marnie Stern, Kissy Sell Out, Ugly Duckling, Simone Felice and Jeffrey Lewis. Sister venue 10 Feet Tall holds intimate folk, acoustic, Americana shows as well as funk, jazz and hip hop, fashion shows, film & literary events. Its recently relaunched basement venue Undertone stages small live events from local bills to touring bands, reggae, ska, rock, indie and drum'n'bass clubnights.
Record labels
Amongst the record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s based in Cardiff are:
- Peski RecordsPeski recordsPeski Records is an independent record label based in Cardiff, Wales.- Current Artists :* Jakokoyak* Radio Luxembourg* David Mysterious* Evils* Stitches* Cate Le Bon* Texas Radio Band- External links :*...
- Placid CasualPlacid CasualPlacid Casual is the Cardiff based record label set up in 1998 by Super Furry Animals.According to the label's website "Placid Casual retains an amateur status and an a&r policy of blatant nepotism...
- Plastic RaygunPlastic RaygunPlastic Raygun was a record label based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, that specialised in breakbeat artists. The company was formed in the mid-1990s by Maf Lewis, Steven Robson and Neil Cocker organising and hosting concerts, featuring artists such as the Propellerheads and Bentley Rhythm Ace...
- See Monkey Do MonkeySee Monkey Do MonkeySee Monkey Do Monkey is a record label based in Cardiff, Wales.See Monkey Do Monkey was set up in 2009 by Aimee Jade Hayes from Bangor, North Wales to release music by her Irish husband Richard Hayes’ band, The Method...
- Barely Regal Records
- Shape Records
- Bubblewrap Records
- Businessman Records
- Sabreskin Records
- Associated Minds
See also
- Music of WalesMusic of WalesWales has a strong and distinctive link with music. The country is traditionally referred to as "the land of song". This is a modern stereotype based on 19th century conceptions of Nonconformist choral music and 20th century male voice choirs, Eisteddfodau and arena singing, such as sporting...
- List of music concerts at the National Stadium, Cardiff Arms Park