It’s definitely time for another update on a great band with a terrific sound. The Welsh trio Cardinal Black ooze a super blend of rock and blues and deserve to be better known. They have been working hard on that again over the past few months. There are big plans lined up to keep their upward momentum going in 2026.
The band completed a sold-out headline tour in North America last year. That was followed up by dates in the UK through to early November. A series of European gigs followed as they spread their net wider and promoted their second album, Midnight At The Valencia.
The band has just finished the final leg of the tour with more dates in Germany and their first gigs in Italy. You can sense how well they have gone down from the many Instagram reels published by the band and fans after each date.
They even managed to squeeze in another visit to the US. In January. Cardinal Black was one of the live acts featured at the NAMM show, the premier music industry trade event held in Anaheim, California. That tied in nicely with the launch of guitarist Chris Buck's new signature guitar with Yamaha.
A signature guitar and more tour dates for Cardinal Black
That's quite an accolade and underlines Bucks’ growing stature as a top guitarist. He’d been playing a Yamaha for a while and worked with them on this very special version. If you are into guitar playing, check out the Yamaha RS02CB Chris Buck Signature Revstar.
Looking ahead, there are some short-term plans for the band taking them into the summer. Four intimate “An Evening With” dates in the UK kick things off. That promises to be interesting with a mix of stripped-back songs and plenty of chat and stories. At the last count, there were fewer than 10 tickets left for Newcastle and Bury, with Glasgow and London already sold out.
Strasbourg, France, is the next venue in June as the band pairs up with Myles Kennedy again. His metal band, Alter Bridge, has selected Cardinal Black as their support for a date on their European Tour. That should help get the trio noticed more widely, their bluesy rock being a neat contrast to the headliners.
Then it's back to North America in July for Cardinal Black. Just four dates for now in a mini tour as they hit Montana, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. A chance to reach more West Coast audiences and not to be missed if you are out that way.
After July, no doubt this busy trio will have more to follow. Whether it's gig dates, short runs or extensive tours remains to be seen. There is also the question of a third album, which will surely get a mention soon, too.