WE LOVE LIVE MUSIC ...

we love it when a plan comes together ...

Xplosure was established on 6 May 1996 as a regular Monday Night Club Night for live new music in Cardiff. None less than Tragic Love Company had complained of not being able to get a decent gig in Cardiff and with the imminent closure of the highest profile new music venue Gassy Jack's they were right – there would be no promoters or venues seeking Welsh and in particular Cardiff musicians who wanted to play their original music and perfect it in front of an audience. What happened next? Well, Tragic Love Company became The Stereophonics and we became Xplosure.

In the pic below it's July 1996 and Xplosure Co-Founder Adzie, aka Simon Adams, aka Jim Ely is warming up an expectant audience as Kelly, Stuart and Richard prepare to play at Xplosure ... for a £2.50 admission ... on a Friday too!

Since then all the following and around fifteen hundred more fine acts have passed through our doors, leaving us with some great memories. Whatever happened to this bunch of no-hopers anyway? Click on their name to find out .....

GIGS TO REMEMBER
1 Coldplay - June 2000, Clwb Ifor Bachc
pictured - the backstage view

The Strokes - Jun 2001, Clwb Ifor Bach
Electric Six - Jan 2003, 2 Barfly Shows in one day
BBC Radio One Lamacq Live - October 2000, Clwb Ifor Bach
Lost Prophets - May 2001, Barfly
Mogwai - May 2003, Cardiff University
Feeder - July 1996, Clwb Ifor Bach
John Otway - August 1996, Dempseys
Bowling For Soup - Nov 2002, 2 Barfly Shows in one day
10 Stereophonics - July 1996, Clwb Ifor Bach

11. Funeral For A Friend & Zane Low - October 2003, Barfly

and far too many to mention, but for starters .....

A, Alabama 3, Animal House, ARE Weapons, Barker, BBC Radio One, BBC Radio Two, Bellatrix, Bez, Bethan Elfyn, Big Leaves, The Black Keys, Brassy, Brave Captain, Bridge Records, British Sea Power, Buzz Magazine, Christopher Rees, Clint Boon, Coldplay, Cooper Temple Clause, The Coral, Cosmic Rough Riders, Cousteau, Crashland, Crispian Mills, The Crocketts, Curveside, Damien Rice, The Darkness, David Kitt, Dealer, Disco, Derrero, Douglas, Easyworld, Electric Six, Electric Soft Parade, Ethyr, Fannypack, Feeder, Flipside, Flower Killers, Flyscreen, Fford Allan, FF Vinyl, Funeral For A Friend, Gallon Drunk, Gary Numan, Glenn Tilbrook, Glitterbug, Gomez, Groop Dogdrill, Har Mar Superstar, Hefner, Helen Love, The Herb, Hipstar, The Hives, Hot Hot Heat, Huw Stephens, Infinity Chimps, Jaguar, Jean Jaques Smoothie, Jesse Malin, John Lawrence, John Otway, Johnny Acid, John Peel, Junior Senior, Kennedy Soundtrack, Kaiser Chiefs, Kerrang, The Kills, Kings Of Leon, LA Doors, Laura Cantrell, Leighton Jones, The Libertines, Liberty 37, Lost Prophets, Lupine Howl, Manchild, Mani, Mark Morriss, McLusky, Martin Grech, Melys, Metal Hammer, Michelle Branch, Mogwai, Mo-Ho-Bish-Opi, Murray The Hump, The Music, My Red Cell, My Vitriol, NME, Neil Hinchley, Northern Uproar, Parc Troli, Patrick Jones, Pavement, Pecadiloes, Pink Assasin, Pink Pussy, Pink Torpedoes, Plastic Raygun Records, Pocket Devils, Powder, Psycho Elliot, Ptangyangkipperbang, Rachel Stamp, The Raveonettes, Regular Fries, Reviver Gene, Revolva, Rising Damp, Rocket Goldstar, Scooters, Seafood, Shifty Disco, Simon Adams, Six By Seven, Skin Dred, The Stands, Starsky, Stella Maris, Stereophonics, Sleeping Dogs, Steve Lamacq, Strawberry Blonde, The Strokes, Supergrass, Super Furry Animals, Surreal Madrid, Terris, Thea Gilmore, The Toe, Tom Hingley, Tomsk, Tommy & The Chauffeur, Vegastones, The Vines, The Von Bondies, The Wannadies, Wilt, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Zane Lowe

Here's some more pics

Rachel Stamp at Xplosure, Jonny Wing with Glenn Tilbrook on Bonfire Night 2000, a 'lovely' review of our club night, Jonny booked the Live Music for Caerphilly's Big Cheese 2001, Adzie with The Beatles, Johnny enjoying a quiet moment at the Coldplay gig and last but not least the Xplosure logo Johnny 'Acid' Rostrom came up with for Wingy's monthly column in Buzz magazine! .

Many thanks from Jon, Mike and all who've worked on Xplosure to you if you've visited any of our nights at Cardiff University, The Toucan Club, The Bubba Club in Swansea, Astons in Barry Island, TJ's in Newport, our original home at Clwb Ifor Bach, and our current residence at Cardiff Barfly. If you haven't joined us yet, come visit us soon you'll be very welcome!

For more info on live music and gigs e-mail jonwing@xplosure.com

Click here for Mad4it!

Our WELSH Favourite Five

Could've & Should've

These are great songs and recordings from five bands we quite simply had to break rules to play on radio. They should have seen much bigger recognition and success,

THE CROCKETTS - 1939 Returning Mid Wales
THE FLOWER KILLERS - State Of Grace Blackwood
60FT DOLLS - Pig Valentine Newport
MURRY THE HUMP - Cracking Up Aberystwyth
DUB WAR - Enemy Maker Newport

AND IN WELSH...

Fe gafodd Xplosure ei sefydlu yn 1996 fel clwb nos bob non Lun am gerddoriaeth fyw newydd yng Nghaerdydd.

Roedd y Stereophonics wedi achwyn eu bod yn methu cael gig dda yng Nghaerdydd a gyda'r man cerddoriaeth enwocaf mwyaf diweddar Gassy Jack's ar fin cau yr roedden yn iawn - ni fydde unrhyw hyrwyddwyr neu leoedd yn edrych am gerddorwyr Cymraeg ac yn enwedig rhai o Gaerdydd a fydde eisiau chwarae eu cedrddoriaeth gwreiddiol a'u berffeithio o flaen gynulleidfa.Mae Jon a Mike yn diolch yn fawr i unrhyw un sydd wedi ymweld ag un o'r noswaithiau yn Brifysgol Caerdydd, Y Toucan Club, Y Bubba Club yn Abertawe, Astons yn Ynys y Barri, TJ's yng Nghasnewydd, ein cartref gwreiddiol yng Nghlwb Ifor Bach ac ein cartref heddiw yn Barfly, Caerdydd - ac os nad ydych, dewch i'n gweld yn fuan, cewch groeso cynnes.Ein Deg Hoff gig :- 

1     Coldplay - June 2000, Clwb Ifor Bach
2
     The Strokes - Feb 2000, Clwb Ifor Bach
 3     Electric Six - Jan 2003, 2 Sioe Barfly mewn un diwrnod
 4     BBC Radio One Lamacq Live - October 2000, Clwb Ifor Bach
 5     Lost Prophets - May 2001, Barfly
 6     Mogwai - May 2003, Prifysgol Caerdydd
 7     Feeder - July 1996, Clwb Ifor Bach
 8     John Otway - August 1996, Dempseys
 9     Bowling For Soup - Nov 2002, 2 Sioe Barfly mewn un diwrnod
10    Stereophonics - July 1996, Clwb Ifor Bach