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V good live
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Thursday 1st May 2008 |
|
| It seems all the
insider info we were getting a couple of months back about The
Stranglers appearances at the big summer festivals have all come
true – with the V Festival added on top of the recent
confirmation of T in the Park and of course, Spain’s Summercase.
Lots to look forward to on the live front this year – and it
continues this autumn: in one of the UK’s colour supplements,
the band are advertised to be performing a Greatest Hits set for
the tour of the UK. Perhaps this coincides with another Greatest
Hits? Rumour has it, another new compilation – with the snappy
title of ‘Forty Two Forty’ - is due out September.
After Hugh’s nationally-reported onstage bickering at his last
acoustic gig in Motherwell – thoughts are turning to his future
appearance at Kirkcudbright’s Wickerman Festival this July: many
of us are hoping for the return to the Horn in St. Albans,
Hertforshire. After all, Hugh seems to favour the venue over the
years for warm-ups to big gigs in the past. Watch this space.
|
Stranglers
2008 live dates
|
Thursday
1st May 2008 |
|
| Friday 13th June |
Isle of Wight Festival |
Isle of Wight |
| Sunday 29th June |
Hard Rock Calling |
Hyde Park, London |
| Thursday 3rd July |
Raanana Park |
Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Saturday 12th July |
T
in the Park |
Balado, Kinross-shire, Scotland |
| Sunday 13th July |
Oxegen Festival |
Punchestown Racecourse, Co.
Kildare, Ireland |
| Friday 18th July |
Summercase '08 |
Madrid, Spain |
| Saturday 19th July |
Summercase '08 |
Barcelona, Spain |
| Tuesday 22nd July |
Summer Pops |
Liverpool |
| Saturday 26th July |
Lisbon
Calling |
Lisbon, Portugal |
| Saturday 16th
August |
V Festival |
Stafford |
| Sunday 17th August |
V Festival |
Chelmsford |
| Monday 13th
October |
Ambassador |
Dublin |
| Tuesday 14th
October |
Mandela Hall |
Belfast |
| Thursday 16th
October |
University |
Cardiff |
| Friday 17th
October |
Arts Centre |
Aberystwyth |
| Saturday 18th
October |
Corn Exchange |
Cambridge |
| Monday 20th
October |
Guildhall |
Southampton |
| Tuesday 21st
October |
Hexagon |
Reading |
| Wednesday 22nd
October |
Academy |
Bristol |
| Friday 24th
October |
Great Hall |
Exeter |
| Saturday 25th
October |
Academy |
Birmingham |
|
Tuesday 28th October |
Villa Marina |
Isle of Man |
| Thursday 30th
October |
Ironworks |
Inverness |
| Friday 31st
October |
Fat Sams |
Dundee |
| Saturday 1st
November |
Academy |
Glasgow |
| Monday 3rd
November |
Academy |
Newcastle |
| Tuesday 4th
November |
Academy |
Leeds |
| Thursday 6th
November |
Engine Shed |
Lincoln |
| Friday 7th
November |
Academy |
Manchester |
| Sunday 9th
November |
City Hall |
Hull |
| Monday 10th
November |
UEA |
Norwich |
| Tuesday 11th
November |
Cliffs Pavilion |
Southend |
| Wednesday 12th
November |
Leas Cliff Hall |
Folkestone |
| Friday 14th
November |
Shepherds Bush Empire |
London |
|
For all details of live dates:
www.stranglers.net
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Stranglers London date...
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Friday 28th March 2008 |
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|
On Sunday 29th June, the band are due to
play at Hard Rock Calling – the second of
two days at the rebranded Hyde Park
festival. Headlining are The Police - with
KT Tunstall, Starsailor and Carbon Silicon
(featuring Mick Jones of The Clash) also on
the bill. Tickets for this date range from
£65 to a whopping VIP-priced £245. |
Outside Tokyo - Spain - and more
festival chat...
|
Wednesday
20th
February 2008 |
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|
JJ will be
performing a couple of solo live dates in
Japan: the Shinjuku Loft in Tokyo will host
two acoustic nights in March. Brush up your
Japanese for more details to be found on the
band’s official site:
http://www.stranglers.net/glist.html
On top of The
Stranglers Isle of Wight date in June,
Spain's Summercase 08 has been mooted too –
featuring Maximo Park, Mystery Jets and Pete
& The Pirates. Back in the UK, it is
rumoured The Stranglers are due to play T in
the Park and the V Festivals too. Although
not officially confirmed, organisers are
expected to announce final line-ups
imminently. As always, Stranglers dates are
only confirmed when the official site posts
them.
For Hugh
Cornwell fans, the Wickerman Festival at
Kirkcudbright in Scotland has announced he
will appear at July’s bash. Once again,
confirmation is expected in due course at
hugh’s official site:
http://www.hughcornwell.com/live.html
Back to now –
and Sunday saw JJ and Baz performing in the
intimate setting of a hotel in Doncaster -
but the big gig of the weekend was…
|
The
Stranglers at Buxton Opera House,
16.02.08 -
and
PaulinLondon was there!
|
Wednesday 20th February 2008
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Spa town heroes!
The
hills are alive - to the sound of
The Stranglers - soon! But first,
we’re standing in a hotel reception
dressed in our Stranglers T-shirts
attracting odd glances from the glib
staff - Best Western - I can’t help
thinking about cowboys and Indians
for some reason. Thank God they’re
only here for one night - is what’s
going through their minds as we
check in. Little do they know we’ll
have the night porter busy with
booze until half-three! |
A beer and
wine taster at the Queen’s Head with Adrian,
Pigeon and Saminblack is top priority, but a
reccy of the venue leads to us spotting
another familiar face:
“Gor, it’s
bloody cold here….” Says a chipper Jet
Black on his way to the afternoon sound
check.
Our pre-gig
pub venue soon becomes a bulging throng of
Stranglers fans, as the jukebox plays The
Stranglers. The hapless locals appear amused
- honoured perhaps - by this afternoon’s
invasion-in-black. Meanwhile, familiar names
are put to faces from far and wide, and we
catch up with Steve Tyas who we haven’t met
in years; he was with us on our infamous
1989 Car Tour. Ah, those were the days. But
all too soon, the afternoon session
dissolves into blackness, as we grab some
fish and chips and head for our night at the
Opera House: this stunning all-seater was
built at the beginning of the last century
and has been recently redecorated - and
there is something endearing about seeing
the band in such a classical setting. Folky
support band, Amsterdam, receive hearty
applause before the lights go down on
Buxton… And Waltzinblack is back!
|
We
stand – in a split second, a mosh
develops at the front - as the crowd
buckles to growling opener, 5
Minutes. JJ looks fabulous in a
round necked T-shirt (as opposed to
the V-shape of recent years) and
sings with passion and aggression.
The band look lean and mean and the
locals around us clearly love the
spectacle. The sound is first class
and the songs are performed note
perfect. The humour on stage is
there and one gets the impression
that this band still has a long way
to go; the individual component
parts each love being on stage
despite JJ looking a little tired.
But nothing deters him from jumping
high in the air and Karate kicking
at 45 degrees. The crowd lap it up -
no ballet dancers or sopranos on
stage at the Opera House tonight.
Throughout the venue, there are
people standing up and dancing
about. At the mosh, several fans
clamber onstage before being
confronted by the two big and burly
bouncers for subsequent eviction. I
spot JJ casting his watchful eye
over the proceedings, just in case,
like.
It’s a
first class Stranglers show with
songs performed to meticulous
precision – with no real surprises
in the set – and no new oldie from
the awesome back catalogue.
Nonetheless, the highlight is
Nuclear Device: JJ comes right up to
the front of the stage in between
the two microphone stands and stands
there - practically playing the
entire middle eight to the front
row. Amazing! At the end of No More
Heroes - now half-naked - JJ flings
his guitar pick into the crowd and
the show is over. To the tune of
Meninblack, we leave the heat for
further sustenance nearby.
Thirty
Stranglers fans make the ascent to
the upstairs part of the India
Palace restaurant, where we alter
the seating plan to open-plan: very
Roman orgyesque. We fit everyone in:
Rodders, Ice Cube, Gizzard, Fendale,
Billyinblack, Pigeon, The Strangler,
Ladp, 50 Million Watches, Lucy, Elm,
Saminblack, Radioactivity, Paul B,
Adrian and Sancho Panza and
myself... Rodders organises
Stranglers songs to continue as we
dine – but the speakers can’t quite
handle it. Mr. & Mrs. ThruBeingCool
pop in for a quick hello –
and we head back to the hotel for a
nightcap or two!
Pix: © Colin Mace |
 |
|
Buxton Opera
House
5
MINUTES
GRIP
SPECTRE OF LOVE
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY
UNBROKEN
PEACHES
ALWAYS THE SUN
GOLDEN BROWN
I HATE YOU
SUMMAT OUTANOWT
WALK ON BY
STRAIGHTEN OUT
BURNING UP TIME
ALL DAY & ALL OF
THE NIGHT
DUCHESS
LONDON LADY
*
NUCLEAR DEVICE
SOMETIMES
**
HANGING AROUND
NO MORE HEROES
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Sold out...
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Saturday 2nd February 2008 |
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Festival organisers have
announced The Stranglers are added to this year’s sell out
Isle of Wight Festival. They will be performing in a new
5,000 capacity big top on opening night Friday 13th June.
Also appearing are the Sugababes, and the Kaiser Chiefs, as
well as The Police, Feeder, Sex Pistols, The Kooks, Ian
Brown, Lily Allen and the Australian Pink Floyd Show.
The Stranglers’ live year
kicks off with another sold out concert - this time in the
Peak District’s spa town Buxton - despite tickets prices set
at an eye-watering £27.50. The following night, JJ and Baz
play in Doncaster (see below).
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The Stranglers acoustic, St.
Niklaas, Belgium 14.11.07
by Mark Van Dongen
|
Sunday 9th December
2007
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Final
outing for the Meninblack in 2007. Bruges photos courtesy of our
Man From Bruges, Stef ©
Flemish moon
Not fancying
watching the warm-up act, I get there at 8 - the time on my
ticket. Then I realise there is no warm-up! Soon as I sit, the
show starts. This is a 500 seater venue - in the pretty
provincial town of St.Niklaas - 10 minutes down the road from
where I live. My 8 year old daughter has performed here several
times with her dance group. In years to come I’ll be able to say
she shared the same stage as my heroes, if not on the same
night. It’s a comforting thought. I’m not expecting much
difference with the first acoustic gig I saw in Ghent, so I
leave pen and paper at home. Sod’s Law – there;s plenty of
differences tonight!
‘Instead of
This’, sung perfectly by JJ. His singing has really got better
over the last two years post-Paul. After rapturous applause, JJ
welcomes the audience to the show. Belgium still hasn’t managed
to form a government (175 days after the elections – see
previous Gent review!) and much to the delight of the maestro
himself: ‘It really is a great honour for us to be performing
here in Belgium where there is no government. Playing in an
anarchist state is what we’re all about. I never thought I’d see
it in my time!’
Laughter all
round as JJ goes on to point out to the Flemish members in the
audience that they needn’t be afraid of the numerous English
fans who have made the trip from across the Channel. ‘They
may be a bit loud, but don’t worry – they’re completely
harmless.’ Up next is a stunning ‘Long Black Veil’. This
time it’s Baz’s turn to welcome the audience. One fan walks up
to the front of the auditorium and asks Baz if he can ask him a
question. ‘I won’t bore you with what he’s just asked me,
ladies and gentleman, but can I just take a minute to give him
an answer?’ Yes, we all shout. ‘Right, I’ll only say this
once: FUCK - OFF!’
Lots of hoorays
and clapping follows, after which, JJ gives us an introduction
to ‘Dutch Moon’. ‘Seeing we’re in Belgium, we had thought of
changing the title of the next song to Flemish Moon, as we’ve
heard the Flemish don’t really like the Dutch.’ (which is
more or less true, it’s bit like the relationship between
Scotland and England). Cheers from half the audience, as the
other half is made up of English and… Dutch fans! St.Niklaas is
only 15 miles from the Dutch border. Baz duly changes the last
chorus to ‘… a yellow Flemish moon’ and when JJ finishes
‘European Female’, it’s time for a JJ and Baz double act. Move
over Morecambe and Wise:
JJ (turning to
Baz): ‘Why do you do that thing with your guitar?’
Baz, who has been shaking his guitar throughout the song: ‘Shall
I explain it to you? Do you think the audience wants to know?’
JJ: ‘But I want to know.’
Baz (in pedantic mode): ‘Well then, if I play these chords like
this (i.e. with no movement), you hear this (i.e. just the
chords). Whereas if I do it like this (shakes his guitar), you
hear this (i.e. an echo effect).’
JJ: ‘Oh, I see.’
Baz: ‘So, let me explain again… Also it helps dissipate the
smell of my farts.’
Top notch comedy which, incidentally, is also appreciated by the
Flemish members of the audience.
‘Princess of
the Streets’ contains a fantastic bit of harmonised singing
between JJ, Baz and Dave at the end of the number. ‘Strange
Little Girl’, ‘Always the Sun’ and ‘Grip’ complete part one of
the show. The second part opens with ‘Spectre of Love’. JJ
treats us to another observational gem. ‘Dankuwel’ he says in
accent-free Dutch. ‘We speak many languages… No, not really. The
fact is everyone in the Netherlands and Flanders speaks English
so well, we don’t need to learn to speak Dutch. And let’s face
it, no other fuckers are gonna learn Dutch, are they?’ Quite.
JJ’s moving ‘In the End’ up next, which is preceded as follows:
JJ: ‘I think
we’ve come to a point in our relationship where we can be
totally honest with each other. That is us, the band and you,
the audience.’
Male member of the audience: ‘I love you, JJ!’
JJ: ‘Ooh, I’ll see you later!’
What JJ
actually wants to know is who in the audience has ever been
divorced. Not many hands are raised, so JJ turns to his band
members, all of whom have their hands in the air. Jet in the
meantime has disappeared offstage. JJ: ‘If Jet had been behind
me, he’d have needed two hands to answer that question.’ A
wonderfully moody ‘Southern Mountains’ next, which Baz dedicates
to ‘JJ’s admirer in the audience’. The band then throw up a
surprise by playing ‘English Towns’ with Baz on lead vocals (Baz
changes the very last line in camp fashion to: ‘no love in a
thousand …boys’). JJ follows this with what I can only put as a
surreal English language class. He asks the audience if they
have heard of rhyming slang. JJ then explains that this slang
was used in the old days as a code language. The audience is
invited to come up with examples, the best one being ‘Mary
Hinge’. Then all the band members are asked to have a go.
Baz delivers the pick of the bunch: ‘James Blunt’.
Percussionist Neal gives us ‘Berwick upon Tweed’: speed.
JJ: ‘Ah, that brings us round nicely to the next song. Drugs
also have their own slang. Charlie is cocaine, dope is any drug
and Harry is heroine. This is an anti-drugs song by the way!’
And thus we are treated to a dark version of ‘Don’t Bring
Harry’, swiftly followed by a rare live outing for ‘North
Winds’, a song not played in the first acoustic gig in Ghent.
‘Well, that was a happy song,’ JJ sarcastically adds. ‘Here’s
another happy one. It’s dedicated to my ex-wife’s lawyer.’
Yep, it’s time for ‘I Hate You’!
Baz then wants
to know who in the audience are ‘miserable bastards’.
House lights are switched on as Baz inspects I also raise my
hand at this stage as I’ve been having to put up with a woman
suffering from a severe bout of verbal diarrhoea all evening.
Honestly, some people! Before ‘Old Codger’ starts Baz points out
that he’s been so busy being a miserable bastard he’s forgotten
to introduce Dave on the guitar. The lads then take the time to
thank a number of people before a rousing ‘Sanfta Kuss’ blows
the final whistle on the show. The next bit of comedy comes in
the form of the encore. On walks Baz with a cap on and sits in
percussionist Neal’s seat, followed by Neal (who also has a Baz
style shaven pate) and steps up to the mike: ‘Hang on, I can’t
play the guitar.’ Up gets Baz: ‘And I’m no good on this.’
‘That’s the same joke from Mechelen (22nd November)!’ shouts one
of the crowd. ‘Yeah well, we have to do the same thing every
night. It’s what we do!’ replies Baz. ‘OK then, especially for
you…’ and Baz gives us a neatly improvised guitar solo.
‘Walk on By’
and ‘No More Heroes’ end the festivities – the atmosphere is
spot on. The band hangs around on stage to greet the fans
personally, which is a nice touch.
The Stranglers’
diary for 2008 is pretty empty so far. Surely this type of gig
would go down a treat in the UK… However, if there are no
takers, we’re more than willing to have you back!
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The Stranglers at The
Roundhouse by Joe Crass
|
Thursday 8th November
2007
|
Mothership
returns to The Roundhouse
– but not without
hardship!

© Onstage photos: Calvin Brady
SADLY, A LOT
of the juiciest footage from the forthcoming DVD of tonight’s
tumultuous concert will doubtlessly end up on the cutting room
floor; eight songs into their ‘Rattus at the Roundhouse’ event,
the band make a snap decision to entirely restart the gig from
the top! Totally unprecedented as it sounds - it is
understandable if you, err, hear the sounds: Dave Greenfield’s
keyboards cut-out continually, peppering the mighty 1977
Roundhouse set list with breakdowns and breaks in service. The
band leave the stage as the crew fiddle. Priceless drama in
north London’s old theatre.





|
It all
starts so impeccably, for the fans anyway: the day kicks
off for this particular Stranglers fan swigging and
munching and chatting on PaulinLondon’s Finchley patio
with an already nationwide throng, to the tunes of
Stranglers’ past glories before boarding the charabanc
parked in the roadway for Camden Town. Organ Grinder and
myself hop off at our hotel in Primrose Hill Road to
dump bags and powder noses. It’s a complete surprise,
some thirty minutes later, to find ourselves in the
company of JJ Burnel!
One
moment we’re strolling along (and minding our own
business…) downhill towards Chalk Farm when a dark
Renault pulls into a driveway in front of us. Inside
sits a chipper JJ Burnel at some steel gates. I take the
opportunity to pitch my set list concept:
Me: “Are
you playing Down In The Sewer tonight?”
JJ: “No. The set will be the same as last night.”
Me: “And Down In The Sewer?”
JJ: [LOL] “The set will be the same as last night!”
Me: “Okay. What about Down In The Sewer, then?”
JJ: “Um…”
We
leave JJ to prepare, while Organ discovers there are no
corners to piss in at The Roundhouse! An atmospheric
amble through the Camden sunshine leads us to the Spread
Eagle in Parkway where our Stranglers’ buddies await. To
be honest, it’s hard to tell who are the local winos and
who are the fans. But lovely Laura sorts out The
Stranglers on the jukebox with Porlee, and... Okay. Look
- there’s no point trying to put this section into any
prosaic semblance of meaning: you just have to be here
to know what a fantastic time is being had. Roughly
translated, that means we are horribly drunk. Well, not
all of us get out that much!
The
venue is awesome – inside, as it is outside. At the
Roundhouse bars, beer choice is limited, to say the
least, but I can do with a rest from the booze, I
figure. But the omens are evident from the off: solo
support act John Cooper Clark stumbles to centre stage
in darkness and without introduction. At least, at
first. I can’t help recalling the first time I
accidentally bump into Johnny at the side of Southwark
Cathedral on my way to meet Jet at the Stranglers’ HQ
back in 1980. After an intro, as the lighting man
struggles to catch up on events, the monotone Manc is
good quality, and adept at heckler-thwarting to boot.
Even so, his set is prematurely cut short when he
mistakes a call-off from behind the scenes and exits -
before returning for just a few more sharp-tongued
minutes. I feel short-changed all the same. Spizzenergi
could have cut the mustard better, and with a laugh.
Seventies DJ Andy Dunkley spins some hits of yesteryear,
as well as a fairly recent ones, including a solo track
from Hugh: “I won’t faackin’ be there!” said Hugh in
Dingwall’s next door a few weeks back. He lied!
Anticipation can’t get much higher, especially with
those optimistic enough to (even) discuss Hugh’s return
tonight in light of JJ’s BBC London News Friday evening
interview where he bands about words such as ‘special’
and ‘reunion’, Curiouser and curiouser. And implausible. |
|
|
Warm words from the DJ
replaces Waltzinblack as the band take to the stage. You
can almost touch the energy generating from this 3,000
capacity dome. Then technical blips throw the night into
chaos. Cracks are temporarily and cheerfully covered
with band banter, but it doesn’t stop them taking a
breather back in the dressing room while techy-types
mend and make good as best they can. All the same, the
night is thrown into complete confusion. Goodbye
Toulouse, off the debut album, is an unlikely casualty
in the re-run with more errant keys in Dagenham Dave. Is
this further work of the Men In Black? Nothing fails to
stop ‘Stranglers IV’ working like Trojans, though. These
guys are troopers, and if this was any other band, the
night would have been called off, dummies chucked from
prams, and tickets rescheduled for the spring. So full
marks for persistence, Stranglers! The original set from
November 1977 featured the then new album, No More
Heroes of which tonight’s set draws from. In fact the
band need no commemorative wreaths – just medals for
bravery. The sound, when it’s not faltering, is raw and
urgent. The moshpit is massive and for some down the
front, the crush is all too much as some are hurled
beyond the barrier to safety and cool air.
I take my camera to the
safety of the sides where I spot photographer Chris
Gabrin. As one-time stage manager here, I wonder what he
makes of tonight’s shenanigans? Bad day at Black Rock
for the Men In Black. Coming on, coming off… |

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Many might be forgiven for
thinking The Stranglers play their own support slot nowadays!
Mind you, I bet it is cheaper… and I expect the DVD product will
paper over the cracks as it should do [the film editors will be
doing some overtime, I reckon] so they can rightfully and
respectfully portray the band as the potent outfit they clearly
are, showcasing the feel and power of a quartet a quarter of
their years – or more, in view of Jet’s age! And then there’s
the final bow we expect from the Glasgow and Manchester
warm-ups. Jet’s the only one here who’s as fresh as a daisy, but
many are drawn to question: is this taking a bow a sign of the
end of the band? Will Jet lay down those sticks? I say this -
don’t be fucking stupid! Tonight I witness a band who, in their
33rd year, will continue to go on interminably and relentlessly.
Through thick and thin. Till death us do part. Shit, the
cliché’s are out in force tonight.
|
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And talking of relentless
– the encores feature Suite XVI’s Relentless and Spectre
[minus Unbroken and I Hate You, thanks to the keyboard
Gremlins earlier] and are an inspired decision to bridge
old and new – although marred by closing track Duchess.
It’s anachronistic [two years post-77] and needless.
However, I can’t help thinking Down in The Sewer would
have commemorated not only the band’s parting shot off
Rattus, but aired an amazing end track to end all
events. It also ties in with the parochial lyrics of
first verse, eh? So many fans say this tonight…
Chalk Farm’s Roundhouse is
a heady mixture of success and [power] failure,
frustration and joy, that is archetypal Stranglers,
whether we like it or not.. Sure The Stranglers end up
on a two-hour marathon tonight [as we all do for a
post-gig kebab and sing-song in the Marathon until the
wee small hours!] but… Down In The Sewer next time, eh
lads? Or better still, Black And White at The
Roundhouse!
©
Camden photos: Joe Crass |
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The Stranglers at The
Roundhouse by Graeme Mullan
|
Thursday 8th November
2007 |
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Ladies and
gentlemen –
The
Stranglers!
THIRTY
YEARS TO the night, The Stranglers return to play the
Roundhouse, blowing away the amassed throng with an
incendiary performance. With songs of the original 1977
set-list, this is THE gig of the year/decade/century for
any discerning Stranglophile - a must see show, in
possibly London's most iconic concert venue and stunning
architecture.
The
venue itself is synonymous with the band since breaking
the consecutive sell-out records set by The Stones and
The Who. As for the band - like the venue – a recent
face-lift is evident. The re-vamp appeals to both eye
and ear - stripped down, rebuilt, refurbished and ready
to ROCK. Queuing up pre-doors outside the decor is to be
marveled, set off by subtle lighting: the air is
electric. A frenzied rush leads to seats in the circle.
Warnings of impaired viewing prove unfounded: it is
spectacular, not just of the stage, but the whole
shebang.
Original Roundhouse DJ, Andy Dunkley, spins vinyl and
warms the crowd with Undertones, Ramones and Dictators
interspersed with LCD Soundsystem, Pete Shelley and even
Picked Up By The Wind by Hugh! [Anyone know the reaction
backstage?] Then the infamous John Cooper-Clarke, Punk
poet extraordinaire strides on with unmistakable black
suit and trademark 'dragged through a hedge backwards'
hair to crowd cheers. Speeding through his sardonic book
of verse which includes Hire Car, Twat and the swear-box
pension fund, Evidently Chickentown is mixed with jokes
crowd banter. But his spot is over too soon, even after
the encore of The Punk DJ. Talking of which, Andy
Dunkley returns to the centre spot: |
 |
“Six months
before this band played The Roundhouse thirty years ago, they
supported Patti Smith at this very same venue. The crowd that
night were not to appreciative but I informed them that, in the
not too distant future, you will all be queuing around the block
to see them - and I was proved right. Ladies and gentlemen - The
Stranglers!”
In the cheers,
the four figures in black take up positions after checking amps
and other equipment with a glance to each other, saying they’re
set. Spine-tingling intro No More Heroes reverberates as an
unexpected opener, heightening expectation and anticipation as a
torrent of half-full beer glasses fill the air, soaking all and
sundry in a sea of swaying bodies below. Straight into Ugly,
with the first slip-up of the night by Baz, unusually, and then
spoiled by a JJ’s adlib near the end: "only the children of the
fucking wealthy.." gets altered to "bald and deaf" – digging
slightly at the shaven-headed Baz. Dead Ringer, Sometimes and
Goodbye Toulouse blast out at breakneck speed until Hanging
Around. The, everything comes to a halt……
A technical
fault with Dave's keyboards, and then JJ aborts mid-song as Baz
jokingly remonstrates it’s best he’s played that solo. Crew run
on as JJ remarks it’s “just like the old days…” while Baz
entertains the baiting crowd with his northeast banter about
Newcastle United and London clubs too. Realisation dawns as the
techy problem remains unresolved, for JJ to call the band
offstage for a five minute break.
With keys in
place, the band return to rapturous cheers. JJ asks: “What
should we do? Start from the top of Hanging Around or from the
top of the whole thing?” The majority win and the band restart
from the top of the night. What was the chance of that
happening? As JJ fires up the bass riff intro to Heroes once
more, the crowd go ballistic. Minus Goodbye Toulouse, the band
retrace their steps – we all assume is for filming purposes. If
anything, this unplanned interruption stokes up the band even
more as they play out of their skins, even faster, tighter, with
more venom. Each note and intonation hits perfectly. This,
tonight, is The Stranglers at their prowess peak. But then
disaster strikes: Dave's rig gives out once more, and for longer
this time. JJ tells the crowd of a 5 hour fix of Dave's Hammond
once in the US.
Pressure builds
as the crew remedy the situation so the show can go on. From the
top this time? Not likely - the band resume from where they end
with more of the Roundhouse set including Bitching, I Feel Like
A Wog, Bring On The Nubiles, Something Better Change, Peaches
and Grip.
The band look
like they are really enjoying themselves as JJ karate-kicks his
way through many a bass-line, stressing the Shuker's power and
precision [pun intended] with two-legged high jumps. Even Baz
joins in with a few of his own star jumps. But his guitar work
is still spot- on, riffing at 100 mph all the way. And despite
Dave’s tribulations is also on top form: the sound effects and
keyboard runs perfectly supplement the musical soundscape.
However, plaudits for the night go to Jet, who to his credit,
played as solidly as ever - on this performance any signs of his
recent illness are well behind him. Not only does he supply the
perfect backbeat throughout, but he plays tonight faster and
longer than ever.
Go Buddy Go
explodes into the night and JJ is at the mike again: “”The
Stranglers aren't renowned for saying thanks - but, thank you
for your patience - for the last thirty years." The band exit,
returning for an encore of recent offerings, Spectre Of Love,
the classic to be, Relentless, and then a frenzied finale of
Duchess.
With guitars
back on stands, JJ and Baz take a bow alongside Jet and Dave.
Jet gets the biggest applause, and the usual chorus of “Jet
Black! Jet Black! Jet Black!”. Ever the gent, he humbly accepts
the accolade by assuming his 'unworthiness'. The faithful wave
back and the band leave the stage to alien sounds advocating
porky meat, echoing round the massed brigade-in-black, the house
lights go up and it’s all over.
With those
rumours of the band calling it a day, this could be a fitting
finale. Regarding the performance tonight – there’s undoubtedly
another few years in them. So how about Black And White in
Buxton?
Now
yer talkin’!
|
The Stranglers acoustic,
Capitole Threatre, Ghent 05.10.07
by Mark Van Dongen
|
Friday 19th
October 2007
|
Baz Warne quote: ‘Who’d
have thought it? The Stranglers sitting down!’
Belgium buns!
With a mix of excitement and trepidation, I
arrive at the splendid Capitole Theatre to witness The
Stranglers kick off their acoustic tour of Belgium and Holland.
Obviously excitement stems from the fact that I was in for a
musical treat: trepidation, from the fact The Meninblack are
about to play to an audience mostly made up from a hospital
charity foundation – not Stranglers’ fans, per se. It’s a full
house, but my fears deepen when I look around: at 35 years of
age, I’m usually one of the younger audience members, although
tonight I’m virtually embryonic! And normally, Waltzinblack
heralds the start of the show. Instead, introductions come from
a dead ringer for Harry Potter’s Uncle Vernon, who manages to
mispronounce JJ’s name as ‘GG Burnel’! But it is great watching
Jet walk on looking so well. Also, percussionist Neil Sparkes is
brilliant for this acoustic setting, adding a whole new
dimension to the sound.
Instead of this opens - surely the best
Stranglers’ song never to make an album. The audience take a
while to catch up (not us true fans, of course) but when Baz and
JJ thank them in Flemish with a ‘dank u’ - Baz looks around and
adds: ‘Who’d have thought it? The Stranglers sitting down!’ to
cheers and laughter all round.
An awesome version of Long Black Veil and
Dutch Moon next, and then JJ gives us a magical European Female,
where a hint of recognition ripples through the crowd – to be
suddenly wrong-footed when a powerful and moody Princess of the
Street comes next. Here, Baz gets sarcy, telling the audience
he’s always wanted to get some audience participation going on.
‘You over there - clap, you lot over here…’. All very amusing.
Always the Sun, and the crowd join in, albeit in a half-hearted
fashion. More amusing banter: JJ asks the audience to raise
their hands if they’d been divorced – and only the band members
raise their hands!
‘Only us four have
actually been divorced?’ An incredulous JJ responds. (Fact:
Belgium has a divorce rate of 1 in 3 couples, so either the
audience’s English wasn’t up to scratch or they were defying the
statistics!) This leads into In the End, which at the end, Baz
calls ‘lovely’. After an amazing English Towns (Baz: ‘there
could be a thousand girls here tonight, ladies and gentlemen,
and there would be no love in them at all’), another Mark II
song got an unexpected airing - Southern Mountains. It was a
real treat proving The Stranglers produced some great stuff in
the 90s.
Golden Brown next, with jazzed-up drawn-out
intro – impressive stuff! This was swiftly followed by Spectre
of Love, Grip and a chilling Don’t Bring Harry. Cruel Garden –
and what a song! Yet another B-side not getting it’s album
status. Never to Look Back, then No More Heroes, and yes – this
works brilliantly in an acoustic setting, when you’ve got
musicians like Baz and JJ up onstage. And if all of this is not
enough (I was secretly expecting Heroes to end…) Dave joined in
on acoustic guitar for Old Codger! ‘Not only does Dave have a
swelling organ…1 says Baz – who in turn, provides some pretty
damn good (mouth) organ on I Hate You. Beforehand, JJ does the
song introduction:
‘This song is
dedicated to… a lot of people!’ before finishing the song with
‘I’ll hate you forever, even longer than… the Belgian
Constitutional Crisis’. Brilliant! For all you non-Belgians, the
country hasn’t had a government for over three months as the
Flemish and the Walloons can’t agree on… anything!
Sanfta Kuss finally signals the end of the
set. More Baz quips:
‘I’ve always wanted
to say this - ladies and gentlemen, we’ve come to the end of our
show. We hope you have enjoyed the evening. I had a great time.
What about you lads?’
JJ
(enthusiastically): ‘Yeah, it was great...’
Jet (in drole
fashion): ‘Mmm. It wasn’t too bad...’
Dave (still
clutching his guitar): ‘I’ve busted my fingers!’
The audience cheer loudly as the Meninblack
exit the stage – testament to what a good night is had by all
(even the geriatrics!). The band return for a stunning Walk On
By, for ‘Uncle Vernon’ to appear and thank the event organisers.
For those who can’t wait for the acoustic set to return England,
it’s definitely worth the trip to either Holland or Belgium. As
for me, the band are virtually playing in my back garden this
November… I can’t wait.
|
Set list: Instead of
This, Dutch Moon, Long Black Veil, Strange Little Girl,
European Female, Princess of the Streets, Always the
Sun, In the End, English Towns, Southern Mountains,
Golden Brown, Spectre of Love, Grip, Don’t Bring Harry,
Cruel Garden, Never to Look Back, No More Heroes, I Hate
You, Old Codger, Sanfta Kuss and Walk On By. |
|
| |
The Stranglers at The
Engine Shed, Lincoln 28.09.07 by PaulinLondon
|
Thursday 4th October 2007 |
First
class trip!
The Mothership
lands in Lincoln as our chariot takes both Crass and myself to
the centre of the citadel. It’s late afternoon. The brooding
grey sky is interrupted by menacing black clouds above The
Engine Shed venue where tonight, The Meninblack will play. The
setting is unique: situated on the picturesque Brayford, the
following morning we are drawn to this leisurely pool as Crass
and I muse the pleasure these sailors derive. Quite right too.
In the drizzle, we meet Lord Justice Gizzard of Mitsubishi and
proceed to the walking district of the town nearby. Clad in
black, we three team up at the Cheltenham with the very fabulous
Yellowcake UF6 who sports a black Suite XVI T-shirt and nasty
cold. Lager and some mosh pit disco dancing will improve his
health later on.
Everything proceeds as it
should in any Mib and Wib get together as we are joined by
50MillionWatches, LadP, Homme en Noir, The Strangler, PaulB,
John and BlackTania. The smiles and laughter say everything
about how special these pre-gig gatherings are. Everyone is in
high spirits and looking forward to the last electric UK
Stranglers show before the band play Glasgow, Manchester and the
highlight, The Roundhouse. We move to another watering hole
closer to the venue, the Duke William, where pub diners are
open-mouthed as we enter in our black garb, with ravens, nasty
spiders and the odd rat emblazoned across our respective chests.
The Real One! joins us for a G&T before heading for the Engine
Shed to herald the advent of yet another aural sculpture.
This
venue is Lincoln’s answer to the Roundhouse: in previous
incarnations, they both housed steam locomotives. The only
discernable difference is this one isn’t round, or old. Two of
our party are ASLEF members, as we file into the huge hall and
we see many other new faces. The support band play and I ponder
the percentage of fellow MiB Forumsters. The crowd size is
already eminently respectable, and I sense anticipation and
excitement in the air.
Ten to nine. Suddenly the house
lights dim; showtime! Waltzinblack starts up after a weighty
pause. The suspense is fabulous. But, a minute in to the intro,
there’s a surprise: the song segues into Longships! No it’s not
the CD jumping… and then in the fade, The Stranglers walk on,
donning guitars. In my most humble opinion, Longships is a great
hark back to the band’s past, proving those roots are not
forgotten. Sometimes opens and rocks the joint. All four
Stranglers look on top form: JJ - mean and moody,
ceiling-staring and then down at the crowd, perhaps picking
someone out before nodding and shifting, acknowledging your
presence like only JJ does. Its great to see him move about the
stage, covering ground. Baz, meanwhile, is having a fine night
and is up for Man of the Match. You can tell he is enjoying
every second of tonight; his delivery of I Feel Like A Wog is
stunning and full of passion and aggressive finesses. You can
hear each word, and the roar from the crowd was the ultimate
approval.
Ava appears in the crowd and
says hello and I glance to a pensive Jet onstage, staring at the
snare, concentration etched on his face, pounding out the beat.
Dave is all smiles and engages in some great interaction with JJ;
lots of laughing too, reinforcing the bond these Stranglers have
for each other. And in Walk on By, Dave practically hangs over
his top keyboard to watch a side-on Baz bash out guitar notes
before they both move onto the next shift in the song. Totally
live and thoroughly human. Great to see. The only thing that I
miss with Dave’s stage appearance is the black sheeting around
his keyboard rig. Not that I have nothing against Dave’s legs
(ha!) but I miss that mysterious look of the Planet Greenfield
spaceship workstation.
JJ is having a fine night - his
playing and singing are superb - the only let down is the bass
guitar is a bit flat, sound wise. I can assume his onstage
monitor sound is okay, even though at one point mid-song, I saw
him crouch before his rig for a while to check the sound from
the right hand Ashdown speaker cab. I also see a Trace Elliott
amp on top of the left hand side of his bass rig, so maybe it is
a rare off night in terms of sound clarity. Who knows ? In the
absence of a bright and tonal bass definition, JJ is relentless:
In Relentless itself, the bass is spot on, and rib bending in
all the right moments. The band go off briefly. Gig highlights
include the crowd chants of ‘Jet Black! Jet Black! Jet Black!’
And when Jet returns to the stage for the encore, he syncopates
his bass drum to form Five Minutes. Totally fabulous! A ‘Jet
moment’ to stay with many of us for years to come. He really is
the Master. May we have many more years with Jet Black.
Tonight really is first class:
we’re blessed with gems such as Sometimes, Wog and Bitching – which counteract the missing soundscapes like Toiler,
Raven and Sewer (and the ever popular and mesmerising Nice ‘n’
Sleazy) – and it’s a true testament to the bands’ back catalogue
of strength and depth in their compositions from the last 30
years. The only thing I want to see is the return of Norfolk
Coast - a worthy member of the songs Toiler and Sewer are part
of. A lot of us were right up front to the stage where
ThruBeingCool appears, pogoing with glee to Bitching.
|
Lincoln set is as follows, in chronological
order:
Sometimes, Grip,
Peaches, Straighten Out, No More Heroes, Bitching, I
Feel Like A Wog, Burning Up Time, Five Minutes, Walk
On By, Duchess, Thrown Away, Golden Brown, Always
The Sun, All Day & All Of The Night, Lost Control,
Spectre Of Love, Unbroken, I Hate You and
Relentless. |
All good things come to an end
- a statement I profoundly disagree with - but the lights are
up, and very early too, thanks to University licensing
regulations. As the crowd disperse, we congregate near the bar
and I meet that fabulous time traveller, Mr. Freddie Laker with
his usual post-gig smile. We leave, and have a couple of drinks
in a nearby cavern of a bar. But now time to eat! We pile into
the Light Of India and Paulb, Gizzard, 50MillionWatches, Homme
en Noir, Ladp, The Strangler, Crass, me and Yellowcake UF6 all
drink and be merry. And God, we are loud ! Stranglers’ song
after Stranglers’ song are sung at top volume. Thankfully there
aren’t many diners there, but those who were, including the
staff, are very happy to let us vent whatever it was we were
needing to vent. [Tolerated, more like?! Ed.] Great table top
drumming by Ladp, Homme en Noir with some master class vocal
delivery from Yellowcake UF6. And then, the Man we Loved to
Meet: irony of ironies – after being in the restaurant for just
ten minutes, we’re singing Nuclear Device when Helgy and his
wife are sitting behind us. Of all the curry joints and eating
emporiums in Lincoln, surely the work of the Meninblack?! Then
someone called Sean, and his girlfriend, both local, both fresh
from the gig joined in. Sean saw The Stranglers’ at Lincoln’s
Drill Hall in 1978. Drunk he most certainly is, but a good
addition for the singalongs and the evening’s fun. Then it is
literally: lights out, gentlemen! Before we pay and go, the
restaurant suffers a power loss. The bill is then scrutinised by
candle light.
It is great seeing everybody
for both the pre-gig and post-gig meet-ups: the banter is
superb. In summary, an excellent day is had by all. The band are
surely pleased to have such great support from the assembled
Mibs and Wibs. I have to say, it’s another of those fabulous and
unique family gatherings where the travelling fans are genuinely
pleased to see each other. It’s a very special Stranglers thing.
Until we all meet again!
|
Thanks to Sid (and Andy) for the pix
Hugh
Cornwell warms up at the Horn reborn
Joe Ordinaire was there...
|
Wednesday 6th June 2007 |
|

The
St. Albans house-on-the-hill forms a handy stop-off
for the M1 and Hugh’s next gig – the headline slot
at Strummercamp. So The Horn crowd might be excused
for expecting a hidden gem within the warm-up set
tonight, eh? Here just two years back before jetting
off to Canada, the New York Dolls’ Human Being
came alive – but tonight it’s a safe set – not even
a paean to his old Clash buddy Joe in the process.
Meanwhile, the DJ plays the same New Wave tunes he
spun in 2005.
Normally the place to see tribute acts. the Horn is
rammed with revellers from all over the country,
most of them well bitten and smitten from the Hugh
era-Stranglers with Hugh. Due on at nine, Hugh is
late and audience eagerness sours into exasperation.
They finally stroll on at half-past and Hugh halts
to tune his Telecaster. The Scala revisted?
 |
At last - back
to 1977, Tank is scrapped for Grip
– the more worthy opener. Hugh‘s laid back
vocals are left behind in the blaze created
by flawless bassist Caz and hard-hitting
drummer Chris. With no signs of altering his
old Stranglers v. solo strategy, Hugh coolly
rejects the big two Stranglers hits for
Always The Sun, No More Heroes, Hanging
Around, Goodbye Toulouse and Sleazy,
plus a cracking Bear Cage and a
Walk On By. In 2005, Hugh’s guitar
soloing meandered during the Dionne Warwick
cover – this time it’s spot on and note
perfect - replacing Greenfield’s old
arpeggio fills amply. Caz also assists by
basslining out the organ intro to Nuclear
Device: she plays a great gig, despite
her recurrent grimaces aimed at an offending
spotlight – but ably serving up a sexy mix
of pout and sass in the set to substitute
Burnel’s broody bass. Hugh really has hit
jackpot with Caz. For eye-candy alone! I
wasn’t gonna go on about Caz: she knows
she’s a babe! |
It’s all too much for the bass amp: an overload
causes a cut-out in between songs. But no one
notices, bar ex-roadie Bri standing in the crowd
taking pictures. Thankfully it happens between
songs, and is quickly reparable. Full power resumed,
and the show goes on. Drummer Chris from bears down
on his snare harder all the time. “He doesn’t
really need to mic up those drums…” says Bri.
“Come July 1st you’ll all have to fuck off outside…”
Dressed
uncharacteristically in black, Hugh is relaxed and
lean. His stagecraft is, as usual, measured and
minimal. Inter song banter ranges from an initial:
“Great… great,” to a gripe about the smoke:
“Come July the first, and you’ll all have to fuck
off outside… think about my voice…. I don’t smoke,
at least not in public.” To the more abstract;
“We were wondering what the term ‘kite’ means, as
in ‘cheque’…?” Maybe his backstage payment cued
the quizzing of the crowd in line with his old
teaching days? In the end, his wit cuts through:
“St. Alban’s – the home of Vera Lynn.” Referring
to the town’s Roman roots. Geography and history
rolled into one -
maybe
‘School Mam’ would have been a great
inclusion at this point!
Solo songs don’t
come much catchier than the live version of Hot
Cat On A Tin Roof and possibly Nerves of
Steel and Black Eyes… with a solitary
Elysian Fields song from 2004 – the ‘almost’
single, Picked Up By The Wind – while slow
accomplices Harry Power, Under Her Spell and
24/7 are thankfully sidelined. Among the
others played are First Bus To Babylon and
Leave Me Alone. The Captain Quirk factor goes up
to the max with Mothra – a song originally
recorded on 1979’s Nosferatu with Robert
Williams – who will replace Chris on drums for the
summer live dates in the States. The crowd are left
in no doubt how spooky Nosferatu tracks are –
and how we miss them. Once again we’re in 1977, this
time for the finale. Down In The Sewer is
superlative – the crowd, tumultuous and the mosh
surround the sole bouncer, who is helpless, as he is
hapless. Perhaps you don’t get all this
punk-inspired energy when the tribute bands come to
town? Hugh’s one hour and three-quarter set might
have lacked any real surprises or changes, but it
definitely warmed up the audience on a cold wet
Hertfordshire night in May.
Pix by Brian Johnson
|
|
Black in
Town gig: post-match report
|
Tuesday 13th March
2007 |
|
At
the 100 Club, Paul rekindles Mk II Stranglers
for one night – Gaz Energi was there…
Strangers in the
night
It’s The
Stranglers. But not as we know it. Erstwhile
front man Paul Roberts is ‘Black In Town’ to
thank the fans and celebrate 16 years service
with the MiB – and John Ellis is also back on
guitar to revive and relive the tracks they
contributed to - with the odd Soulsec song
thrown in for good measure. In footballing terms
– you can say it’s a testimonial!
The evening
kicks off with a few jars in The Tottenham pub
before uniting with the nearby 100 Club queue.
Support band The Exorsisters pose and prance
with hairstyles and not much more, although they
are feisty, as I witness during their headliners
set…
Paul, with his
fourth solo CD End Games out online, defies his
years, looking like a teenager, and incredibly
fit-looking (check out all the swooning mums and
daughters in the audience!) with hair longer and
browner, and later minus his shirt. Even
ex-Vibrator and Strangler for 10 years John
looks spruced and fresh-faced for the occasion.
Less than a week before, John was on BBC TV’s
Newsnight explaining his part in the Jimi
Hendrix tape hoax. But the crowd are busy
dissecting Paul’s last show in Ruislip, west
London where he bared his soul in the Q and A
about his Stranglers departure in May 2006 (as
revealed on these pages) and there’s a distinct
buzz in the air. By the bogs, photographers hog
an enclave, clamouring unattended seats to stand
atop to gain advantage. Onstage, a cameraman
hoists a camcorder to his shoulder. Paul and
John come on with Soulsec’s Micky Sparrow
(ex-Blue Zoo) on drums and bassist Brad Waissman
(ex-Waterboys), together with keyboardist Tom
Phelan. The Mk II post-Hugh pre-Baz era is
dusted off, resuscitated and rejuvenated,
exploding with 1992’s non-charter Sugar
Bullets, then Valley Of The Birds and
Golden Boy - the opening gambits of their
finest moments from Written In Red and About
Time. In a pause, a heckler calls out something
which includes the name of Paul’s predecessor.
Paul is quick to connect:
“…It’s Corn-well, actually. Not Corn-wall…” Paul
says, while John swigs from his lager,
impassive. The heckler shuts up.
She Gave It
All is next, and Paul tells the crowd: “This
should have been on another album, but there you
go…” but sadly Suite XVI’s She’s Slipping
Away is missing from the set – with Sad
Soft Lullaby sidelined once again; it was
replaced with See Me Coming when Paul
left. Desert Soul might have missed Suite XVI
selection, but it is premiership material - it’s
anthemic, right? And this soul from the desert
flourishes into a verdant oasis of catchiness...
Am I hallucinating? A young girl collapses to
the floor in front of me and I help her to
safety and seat her. I have my uses, sometimes –
and the crowd seem to think I’m the bouncer,
although further help ensues from the
kind-hearted throng.
Similarly, at
Braintree Rock in September, I witnessed a
resounding thud on the green behind me, followed
by: “I can’t breathe!” Although tonight I
avoid the kiss of death and a glass of water
arrives with an escort up into the fresh night
air of Oxford Street. Thankfully, the girl
recuperates. Heaven Or Hell and Still
Life bumble and brood with a couple of solo
tunes as Wet Afternoon (what a great
black and white flick) reminds us how the jangly
quirkiness knob can go to the max and In
Heaven She Walks reinforces more missed
chances for Stranglers Mk II in the pop charts.
I
must say, it is refreshing hearing these tracks
again. Especially Paradise Row: I don’t
know if it’s because I’m a Londoner, and in
Leytonstone in my teens where John felt the
force of the Highways Department – but this
track makes the earth move for me every time.
Tonight, it’s deep and dominant, like the
diggers their selves - as is Sinister,
and even more so… “such a sad shag…”- is
that, Paul?
Money
and Fried would have been more suitable
around the halfway mark instead of the final
furlong, but Brainbox goes in some way to
make up at the end. Many of these songs have
been long-since mothballed in favour of the
greatest hits and JJ or Baz-flavoured songs,
accounting for the Coup de Grace void,
and you all know why… Infinity Drive or
Hoox in You next time, eh lads?
It’s a fulsome
sound for a tiny club, “Stadium-sounding…”
my punk pal Spizz remarks, before adding: “is
he a Bowie fan, by any chance?”- pointing at
Paul. This God Is Mine – “a track we
were going to record in the States for a
single…” ends the night – with encores of
Daddy’s Riding The Range and a splendidly
riotous Mine All Mine.
At the bar, one
Exorsister (remember the support act poseurs?)
picks a row with one of the biggest guys there –
and it’s his manager! The tussle culminates in a
Premiership-style grapple with much flailing and
arm-windmilling before it dissipates into a sea
of Stella and mascara. Aah, youth of today. But
it doesn’t detract from the spirited Black In
Town show - the boys done good! The Stranglers
nowadays with Baz and JJ sharing front man
status are throbbing menace, but in Paul and
John’s bygone era, as displayed so eloquently
here tonight, was quite quirky and oddly
melodic. More curators than inventors, it was
good to see the duo reunite tonight, and
celebrate the part of their lives they probably
wish they could put to bed in some ways. But
reward comes from a baying, paying crowd calling
out for more, As the descent the stage, the
crowd ceremoniously mob the pair. Word is, there
will be another Black In Town in 6 months. – a
tour perhaps? After the show I can’t resist
asking John why he isn’t in Soulsec with Paul,
and he explains away the logistics from around
that time, but he was pleased with tonight’s
show:
“It seemed to go down very well. For me it was
great to see some old friends - I was really
amazed to see people who had come from as far
away as the USA. It was only my 4th gig in 6
years. Now I want to do more. I was really
pleased for Paul. He put a great deal of work
into making it happen and I know he feels very
strongly about his relationship with those fans
that appreciate his work with The Stranglers. It
was also great to revisit some old songs. I hope
everybody had a great night.”
The last word
goes to Paul, who addresses the audience once
more:
“I never had a chance to say thank you to you –
I’m speaking for Johnny tonight… thank you!”
And Mr.
Cornwell…?!
Thanx to John for
his set list.
|
|
The boys are Black in
Town...
|
Saturday 24th February
2007 |
|
|
Paul Roberts performs at London’s 100 Club on Thursday 8th March
to celebrate the 16 years he played with The Stranglers. See gig
flyer
HERE. We catch up with erstwhile Strangler John Ellis, who
will be providing guitar on the night: “The set will be 2/3
Stranglers material Paul and myself contributed to while we were
members - and a 1/3 Paul material.” Rehearsals are going
ahead in town, and John is upbeat at the prospect of playing to
a live audience once again: “I’m really looking forward to
getting out there and performing. Hopefully, if this is
successful, we might tour with it at some point. We’ll have to
wait and see.” Word is, the event is already sold out.
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LIVE REVIEWS: Hugh, here…
Monday 6th November 2006
As
Hugh’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ Tour leaves a trail across Germany, Austria,
France and Greece, we review his last UK gig at the Scala, Kings
Cross, as well as the first night - at Brighton’s Komedia. There’s
also a recall of Hugh’s fine solo performance and reading at the
Brighton venue from 2005…
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Fully booked
Gary Kent recalls an intimate evening in August 2005.
BRIGHTON’S KOMEDIA is a hot comedy spot,
which seems to rub off on Hugh tonight:
“Anyone here heard of Bob Dylan? He’s a bit like the Pope, ‘cept he’s
alive - and he’s a Jew, not Catholic!”
Fiery and wiry, suited and booted Hugh
Cornwell sticks on his readers and pulls out a bookmarked copy of his
autobiography to read out loud. The Gardner Street crowd are gripped at
Stranglers scrapes with Holland’s chapter of the Hell’s Angels before
Hugh sweetly segues into Nice ‘n’ Sleazy. Half playing, half
reading, Hugh swaps guitar for glasses to reel in the onlookers,
relaying each excerpt at a breezy comedy pace with great timing, leaving
the crowd wanting more. He bangs out stoic solo versions of other
Stranglers classics, like Get A Grip On Yourself, Strangle Little
Girl, Always The Sun, Golden Brown, Hanging Around, No More Heroes
and Duchess – and also some of his solo gems, such as: Beauty
On The Beach, First Bus To Babylon, Picked Up By The Wind, 24/7, Henry
Moore and Nerves Of Steel.
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These book readings display Hugh’s own
steely nerve: standing up in front of a bunch of strangers in a room is
a brave move. At least when you’re in a band, you can fall back on the
others to a degree. It doesn’t take much to recall the sheer horror of
being made to stand at the front of a schoolroom to read out a short
passage from a book! Something that pragmatic teacher-like Virgo people
like Mr. Cornwell take in their stride, while Jake Arnott, The Long Firm
author, has been seen shaking and sweating at his own book readings.
Here, Hugh is open, but eager to detect idle chit chat from down the
front, a distraction Hugh does not tolerate, and gets caustic.
“Sorry – do you want
to break for 5 minutes? A fag break, perhaps - or a pee break maybe..?”
He does have a point, and the chatters
respond with mute gawps. Next came the ubiquitous snapping of a string,
preceded by a resonant ‘click’ from the Godin acoustic: “Wow! Did you
hear that?” He says, almost incredulous, as it then goes for good.
Without a pause, Hugh darts inside his dressing room to retrieve a
replacement E6, and threads it through quicker than any roadie. On two
other occasions this year, Hugh prematurely cut short concerts due to
broken strings; he is clearly lapping up the night. And it is reflected
in his finest solo performance - topped only by his Horn gig two months
ago when we last saw the whole band.
Backstage in jeans and top, Hugh was
chilled and friendly. He takes the glasses from his nose and places them
carefully on top of A Multitude of Sins, which in turn sits on today’s
Times newspaper. A crisp packet lies next to these, opened and
half-eaten alongside a glass of Prosecco. Hugh is sharing his space with
Adrian from Audioporn, who provides the support for the tour. Talk
hops between Hazel O’Connor, Radio 2 presenter Rowland Rivron, the
progress of the PDF and the upcoming cricket; Hugh was concerned the
Aussies would return 100% match fit for the Third Test at Old Trafford –
but confident of an England victory all the same. He was also excited
after rehearsing with the full band earlier in the day – particularly
with bassist Caz who had learned some new songs recently, naming
Sewer and Walk On By… recent additions already in the live
set.
The crowd are thoroughly appreciative and
Hugh appears hugely energised, clearly enjoying the freedom of the cosy
subterranean stage. But when he played the Big Chill a few days before
in a multi media tent, things started off badly. Hugh: “I plugged in
and played to just 4 people… all sitting on bean bags. I wondered to
myself, what the hell am I doing here? But to my surprise, at the end,
there was something like 400 people watching! It was great.”
I can’t imagine much phasing the mettle of
our erstwhile Strangler:
“Reading from a book?
Oh, that’s a doddle! It doesn’t come much easier than that, for me. It’s
all written there, right in front of you. Writing a book is a lot
harder!”
A Multitude of Tunes…. Hugh’s autobiography
comes alive with tonight’s rampant quick-fire
delivery. His opening gambit is the gripping chapter
on the Dutch Chapter, leading into Sleazy, Beauty
and the very well received Grip. Next up was the
1980 (not ’82..!) drug bust trial and subsequent
spell in Pentonville, and a melodic triptych of
Babylon, Strange Little Girl and Picked Up By The
Wind. Early Strangling days, and tales of playing to
a solitary audience member at Islington’s Hope &
Anchor, name checking Joe Strummer and Iggy Pop and
the Rock Goes To College walkout. Always The Sun,
Nerves Of Steel (ironically, Hugh’s sixth string
snaps here!) and Golden Brown, and Hugh tells us
about Sweden. Then it’s Henry Moore… Hanging Around…
“and another couple of numbers and we’ll call it
quits…” 24/7 and No More Heroes. Duchess was the
encore. A splendid gig. |
Pix: Hugh at the Komedia 10.08.05. © Gary Kent |
Mike Cobley’s 2006 Hugh Cornwell Komedia review
HERE
LIVE REVIEWS: Hugh Cornwell
Sunday 29th October 2006
To infinity, and beyond!
Gary Kent sees Hugh play the Scala,
London 26.10.06.
TONIGHT IN a former porn picture house (once closed
for screening Clockwork Orange) I watched the Good, the Bad and
the Gorgeous tonight! All we need is a whistling Morricone
soundtrack and tumbleweed - as Hugh appears in his Toy Story Woody's tan-colour
tassled suede cowboy coat! Alongside is bad-ass drummer Chris Bell
in place of Windsor and Hugh's cute bassist, the gorgeous Caz Campbell
- deputising for Steve Lawrence for what seems to be for good. She's
a welcome inclusion since spotting her at The Horn at St. Albans
in June 2005. And just like then, tonight the cat-calls and eye-gazes
are torn between the ex-Stranglers singing legend on the left -
and the sexy, smiling young bassist on the right!
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But cowboy outfit, this is not. The King's Cross
crowd will witness a fluent performance from a fine voiced Hugh,
backed by the best rhythm section to date. But as he plugs in his
Fender Telecaster, the crowd's exuberance is seemingly falling on
deaf ears. Maintaining indifference and ignorance in his two-sizes-too-big
suede epidermis, momentum becomes inertia while Hugh tunes, tunes,
and tunes again… Measured and metered, he's oblivious to the warm
cheers - even when they turn to perplexed stony silence. There's
even time to do a total recall of some of the darker moments from
one drab gig from the not-so-distant past - Cut to the Ashdown Theatre
in March 2005 when Hugh, Steve and Windsor walk on stage, and then
gawp at each other; you can hear that pin drop. Words get muttered
before eventually immersing themselves into an extremely average
performance, pedestrian and flaccid, with Hugh finally taking it
out on the audience halfway though the show to berate us for not
cheering enough:
"Is that the best you can do? Is that what
they do in Croydon? Zzzzzzzz… Boring."
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Duchess
Leave Me Alone
Nice 'n' Sleazy
First Bus To Babylon
Goodbye Toulouse
Picked Up By The Wind
Hanging Around
Hot Cat On A Tin Roof
Bear Cage
Black Hair Black Eyes…
Always The Sun
Nerves Of Steel
Nuclear Device
Putting You In The Shade
Walk On By
No More Heroes
Dark Side of the Room
Down In The Sewer |
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Cut to the Scala... When it finally gets going,
Duchess is the opener, the set is urgent and smooth, with not a
moment lost. Hugh, Chris and Caz flawlessly flick between Stranglers
and solo stuff; for the most part, it's a reshuffle of The Horn's
set. No More Heroes, Sleazy, Walk On By, Nuclear
Device and Duchess are - and should be - Stranglers staples.
Even Always The Sun sounds fresh and current. Thankfully,
Golden Brown is still sidelined to the bench, as well as his
Cadiz, Under Her Spell, Harry Power and 24/7:
the acoustic stayed at home tonight. Picked Up By The Wind
- the mooted single that wasn't - is the sole track off the last
album, Beyond Elysian Fields. Leave Me Alone, Putting
You In The Shade and Dark Side Of The Room from 2000's
Hi-Fi sound cool, the latter aided by harmonica man John
Dominic. Hugh kept the baiting mob at bay:
"Can you all hear what we're playing? He
can't, down there - he must be deaf. And there's someone over here
who can't see a thing. But he's blind..."
A little thinner on top, a tad greyer at the sides,
he is his usual wiry self, rocking out and leading the charge with
sporadic head nodding to the other two using muso's nous, or side
to side, when things are not ready to end right now, not yet. Part
impassive, part fettered ardour perhaps, at least I'd like to THINK
Hugh enjoys these nights, going about his business whether there's
a 3,000 strong crowd to perform to like in the golden days - or
the 300 or so like here tonight. Nonetheless, his vocal timbre is
rich and effective and his playing is crisp and clear.
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Hugh,
West London, November 2005 © Gary Kent
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Then came something I certainly won't forget. An
unlimited version of Bear Cage - it went on for an eternity.
absolutely awesome, it was worth the entrance fee alone! Some knew
from the Internet Hugh had played it on this tour, but nothing prepared
the amazed audience for the extended onslaught in store. It was
blissful. Hugh occasionally pulls one out of the bag like this,
like at the Mean Fiddler in November 2004 when he played a mesmerising
extended version of I Feel Like A Wog complete with psychedelic
e-bow soloing… Dead Loss Angeles too, at the Islington Academy
in April 2005… and Walk On By… I could go on.
The Bear Cage rhythm section throb was pulsatile
and perpetual, Hugh studiously banging out those three chords, aided
by Aural Sculpture brass stalwart Hillary Kops who ably fills
in the missing keyboard pads with wicked trumpet scats, all drenched
in hypnotic reverb and delay that bounce off the walls to the crowds
obvious approval. In all these years, this was also the first time
I witnessed Hugh singing it: previously I was left to watch Ian
Dury et al. maul it at the Rainbow in April 1980! What an inspired
choice tonight - a song The Stranglers must have clearly overlooked,
for Hugh to get in there first. Unbelievable!
Sure, both Hugh and The Stranglers draw from the
same song book, but comparing the two camps is fruitless. Recently,
when both The Stranglers and Hugh played Preston's 53 Degrees within
days of each other, Hugh told the local rag: "the audience
should be offered the two tickets for a slight reduction so they
can compare how they perform and how I perform and make a direct
comparison."
A stark contrast to a time not long ago when Hugh
refused point blank to play the songs that got him well known, and
well paid. Thankfully, that's changed.
For many fans, it's simple: Hugh and The Stranglers
are, and should be, two separate entities. Hugh is Hugh, and The
Stranglers are The Stranglers. Never the twain… With Baz and JJ
as dual front men looking more like The Stranglers were way back
when, barring Steve Lawrence, bass players in Hugh's band have all
been female (Michelle Marti, Midus and our luscious Caz), which
could be a conscious step for Hugh to distance himself from the
erstwhile image, keeping him remote. Just as much as binning his
keyboard players ("having keyboards is like pouring glue
on top of a song," he once said, which may allude to his
Strangling days?) …and just as much as avoiding wearing the colour
black. Is that why he dons the tan tassled suede thing? But, lo
and behold! What do I spot en route to the bogs? A brand new selection
of Hugh Cornwell T-shirts hanging up with the moniker written in
same font as The Stranglers. Maybe Hugh wants the comparison after
all? And the competition.
Bear Cage is a tough act to beat: a tour de force.
Walk On By and Down In The Sewer (…yes!) came incredibly
close. The trio's musicianship throughout was superb, fluent… and
Sewer was probably the best version I've witnessed by either camp.
There I go now, comparing. Whatever… I want more!
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LIVE REVIEWS: The Stranglers at Cambridge
and London
Monday 9th October 2006
No frills!
Crass reports from The Junction,
05.10.06
THEY PLAYED with vim and vigour
reserved for a band half their age! 32 years on, their live set is
better than ever. Tonight, the black-clad quartet rocked the rammed
Junction and their onstage satisfaction is apparent. Baz and JJ maintain
a solid front line attack, fluid and faultless, filling the gap left by
their energetic former front man, Paul. Jet sweats it out on the
backdrop, tub-thumping, brush-wielding, cymbal bashing and paradiddling
like he always does while Dave beams from ear to ear during his gorgeous
arpeggios and intricate synth work.
JJ stands upright and relaxed, quick to
banter and chuckle at the antics of the Cambridge mini-mosh. In
Unbroken, when Baz sings “I’ll wear these suspenders if it gets
you high…” the crowd have recently been known to indulge in frilly
lingerie-lobbing onto the stage… but tonight, none of that is evident.
Perhaps Anne Summers was half-day closing? Even so, JJ takes no chances
and steps backward, just in case – but I suspect it’s business as usual
in the capital tomorrow!
I Hate You (ear-marked for the
next single, as is Unbroken) is sheer unadulterated class,
delivered with black humour and blues-type pathos to superb effect. This
will be in the set for years to come, mark my words. Underperforming
single, Spectre Of Love is so catchy tonight, but Relentless
is absolutely awesome - right from the surf-picked intro and bass plod
to Jet’s subtle hi-hat ride and Dave’s plinky-plonk synth solo -
mesmeric and magical stuff.
Overall, the band’s set didn’t sway
much from previous nights on the Suite XVI tour, but that’s not a bad
thing. It means they’ve finally settled on a collection that covers all
bases. Just how refreshing it is catching all these early nuggets;
London Lady, Dagenham Dave, and Grip - alongside 5
Minutes, Threatened, Death & Night & Blood, Peaches, Duchess, Nuclear
Device, Thrown Away, Always The Sun, All Day & All Of The Night, Lost
Control and the big crowd-pleasing closer, No More Heroes. It
really is, pretty much, a fulsome set. Almost. Tonight’s teasing
highlight is Relentless, although I can’t help wishing the likes
of Toiler On The Sea or The Raven will rear their
beautiful heads too. Maybe one of these tracks will make a surprise
appearance at Shepherd's Bush tomorrow..?
Along with all the front row frillies!
5 Minutes - Grip -
Spectre Of Love - Nice ‘n’ Sleazy - Death & Night & Blood - Peaches –
Unbroken – Peaches - Always The Sun - Golden Brown - I Hate You - Lost
Control - Summat Outanowt - Walk On By – Relentless – Threatened -
Burning Up Time - All Day & All Of The Night - Thrown Away – Duchess -
London Lady - Nuclear Device - Dagenham Dave - No More Heroes.
Chemical brothers
Crass is at
Shepherds Bush Empire, 06.10.06
THE SUITE XVI tour rolls on… and
following last nights note-perfect gig at Cambridge, I’m now in West
London at the Shepherds Bush Empire, spiritual home to The
Stranglers. The new Rainbow even!
Pre-gig meeting point, The Green,
is chock-a-block with faces old and new. You could sense the
excitement in the air, but safe in the knowledge that The Stranglers
are truly and finally back on form - at the top of their game. And
there hasn’t been one bad review of Suite XVI yet, which seems a far
cry from days of old!
The Empire is heaving, sweaty and
sold out. Waltzinblack fades as 5 Minutes ignites the
evening’s entertainment, forming the strongest opener this side of
Shah Shah… You can see just how much the band are into it,
just like the animated moshers down the front. Two women in black
find their way onto the stage to gently girate their curves during
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy - as JJ looks on, impassive. The crowd bay
for more – for a redo of the Battersea strip, perhaps? But the WiBs
stay clothed and as the song disappears, so do our brace of femmes
fatales as they get shown the stageside curtains. Death & Night &
Blood continues the Black & White theme – Walk On By
comes later – with Yukio’s song forming a regular zenith among the
stalwarts. Unbroken is the cue for the naughty knicker
chucking competition, while Thrown Away becomes ‘disco-time’
according to Mr. Burnel who enjoys the evening to the extent of
thanking the audience for coming not once, but twice. Young or old,
it’s apparent all are blown away by The Stranglers tonight. The set
list is similar to Cambridge, only with the welcome return of
Hanging Around, which sounds resonant and urgent with Baz doing
vocals.
For many, this is the first viewing
of the new line-up following the cabinet re-shuffle. Strapping Paul
performances of Lost Control and Summat Outanowt are
now ably handled by Baz and JJ respectively, with the space now
filled with a dark, poignant and totally fitting fluency not seen
since the halcyon era of the late 70’s. JJ, with his low-slung bass
shoots from the hip, sloping back and forth at the mic, grungelike
and cool. Meanwhile Baz tilts his head with defiant arrogance and
sullied aggression while stamping on Hugh and Paul in the process
with guitar finesse and lucid vocal timbre. The knock-on effect is
that JJ now sounds better vocally than he has ever done as he twangs
away at the best bass lines imaginable. |