Cardiff music fans invited to share gig stories ahead of major heritage exhibition

A new oral history project celebrating Cardiff’s live music scene is inviting young people to record their best music memories.

Cardiff’s ever evolving live music scene – from legendary nights at the Casbalanca Club, wild punk gigs at Top Rank, sweat‑soaked shows at Clwb Ifor Bach, to huge stadium performances at the Principality Stadium – is to be captured through a new oral history project inviting younger people to record the memories of those who lived it.

Our City, Our Stories: Untold Stories, Unforgettable Sounds: Capturing Cardiff’s Vivid Live Music Heritage is an intergenerational project that brings people together across ages and experiences. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, but the project especially encourages people aged under 25 to take part.

Younger volunteers will be trained as interviewers and will work with older Cardiff residents to record memories of live music across the decades. From rock and pop to punk, soul, dance and classical, the project will celebrate the gigs, venues and unforgettable moments that have helped shape Cardiff’s cultural identity.

All volunteers will be supported by a volunteer mentor and receive full training in oral history techniques, including how to conduct interviews, ask great questions and make high‑quality audio recordings. No previous experience is needed – just enthusiasm, curiosity and a love of music and storytelling.

Training is expected to take around one day, with interviewing and recording each story taking approximately a further two hours. Volunteers are welcome to take part in one interview or as many as they wish.

The recorded interviews will form part of a lasting public legacy with the stories archived at Glamorgan Archives and the People’s Collection at the National Library of Wales, ensuring Cardiff’s live music history is preserved for future generations.

Public exhibition

The project will culminate in a public exhibition in October, bringing together extracts, photographs and audio from across the interviews as well as memorabilia from the people, places and moments that have defined Cardiff’s live music culture.

A council spokesperson said: “Whether it’s catching Aretha Franklin at Casablanca Club or the Beatles at Top Rank, being there when Adele played to a handful of people in Buffalo Bar, or the opening night of the historic Oasis reunion tour at Principality Stadium, Cardiff has hosted artists at every stage of their careers, in venues of every size, from the early gigs at grassroots venues to huge stadium shows.

“Cardiff’s Music Strategy aims to support and sustain the city’s music sector, but live music simply doesn’t happen without the fans who go out and buy gig tickets and help shape the city’s music scene.

“Despite this rich live music heritage, many of the most powerful stories belong to the audiences – from the friendships made in queues and the bands seen before they were famous, to the songs that still bring back a moment in time.

“This intergenerational project puts those memories centre stage, while giving young people valuable skills, confidence and experience in interviewing, listening and storytelling.”

Alongside recruiting interviewers, the project is also inviting older people from across Cardiff to come forward as storytellers and share their memories of gigs, venues and musical moments that matter to them.

Whether it’s a first live concert, a favourite local band, a night that changed everything or a venue that felt like home, all stories from Cardiff Music City are welcome.

Anyone interested in taking part either as an interviewer or a storyteller is encouraged to get in touch to find out more.

Email: [email protected] Follow the project on social media: Facebook and Instagram