The Night Tom Jones Came To Town
During my first year at Cardiff, a new pub opened up the road from our halls, called Gassy Jacks.

It was fairly big, helped by a seated gallery area, had TVs everywhere showing MTV or sports (fairly avant garde for a pub at the time) and a stage where every night you could see bands playing (including names you'd actually heard of - Hugh Cornwell out of The Stranglers, for instance).

It quickly became our second home.

Early in my second year, a mate came up from London for the weekend - we had tickets for the Manics, who were playing the student union on Saturday night (this was in Generation Terrorists era).

On the Friday, we went to Gassy Jacks, but left at half ten because my mate wanted to go to the student union for late drinks, and we wanted to avoid the queue.

Boy, did we miss out.

Gassy Jacks was run by a guy who used to be in the band Amen Corner (If Paradise Was Half As Nice...), who knew Tom Jones from back in the 60s.

Tom Jones was in the middle of a run at St David's Hall in the centre of Cardiff.

I was told afterwards that around normal last orders time (11pm back then), the manager went on the PA and said anyone who wanted to leave within the next couple of hours should go now, anyway who wanted to stay would be pleasantly surprised.

Shortly after, Tom Jones turned up, with his band.

Who proceeded to do an impromptu gig which lasted into the early hours.

Tom fucking Jones. In a pub. In Cardiff. And I missed it.

Gutted isn't the word. People were talking about it years after.

In fact, for that one night, that little part of Cardiff became a central focus of the rock'n'roll universe - a girl in our year at uni had been to see the Happy Mondays in Newport that evening, had met Shaun Ryder afterwards, who had his driver take them both back to her place in Cardiff, just down the road from Gassy Jacks, where they spent the night shagging (rather loudly, according to her housemates).

Length?

Tom Jones, about an hour and a half.
Manics, about 45 minutes.
Shaun Ryder, she never said.
(Capo, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 14:56, 8 replies)

you were in Senghenydd?
When I was at Cardiff Gassy Jacks had turned into a shit hole poncy pub like most of the other pubs in that area. The only one that remainded not shit was the Macintosh.

they even fucked up the Taf...
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 15:05, closed)

Yup, Senghennydd
But before they built the newer blocks in the middle.

Last time I went to a Cup Final in Cardiff, we parked up near the Students Union - we were a bit early so ended up in Ramon's Cafe for breakfast - hadn't changed one bit.

Surprised to see that they'd managed to squeeze a Tesco Metro in next to it, mind.
(Capo, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 15:07, closed)

they've got a tesco metro in there?
that's after my time. used to be some dodgy flea market thing or something.

Ramon's will hopefully never change!
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 15:37, closed)

One of my brother's best friends
is Shaun Ryder's drugs worker.

Not much time for other clients I would imagine.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 15:28, closed)

Jesus
Why would anyone want to have sex with Shaun Ryder
(Bazongaloid, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 15:31, closed)

Rather that
than be locked in for 2 hours having to listen to Tom Jones. And I'm a straight male.
( stopmeandslapme Cometh the hour, cometh your mum, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 15:41, closed)

thats not unusual.
.
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 17:44, closed)

Ramons
Has had a facelift

They filmed some Dr Who in there and they used the money to buy new tables, chairs, lick of paint etc.

The only thing that hasn't changed is they still can't do a fried egg with a runny yolk for love nor money!
( RadG Drinking Mojitos in the sun, Thu 12 Feb 2009, 14:57, closed)