The Stranglers

[whythelongface]

Did anyone else catch them on their very brief tour of the East Coast?

Saw them last night here in Sydney and they rocked. Didn't know what to expect without Hugh Cornwall, however as he had left the band in 1990 thought they would still be reasonable as they had survived all this time. They certainly didn't disappoint. Baz Warne is an excellent replacement who has a bit of attitude. JJ Burnel is as good as ever on the bass and the legendary Dave Greenfield on keyboards rocks. Unfortunately Jet Black has not been feeling well (the guy is 70) and so did not appear, his replacement was excellent though.

They pretty much played all their classics such as Nice 'n' Sleazy, Walk on By, Duchess, Peaches, Always the Sun etc. The highlights being Something Better Change, No More Heroes, Hanging Around and Tank.

Whilst not a sell out they drew a decent crowd of around maybe 600 punters with the average age around 50 I would think. Great to see the crowd getting into it and reliving their younger days - there was even a decent mosh pit happening.

The Stranglers, certainly here in Australia, are a very underrated band with the majority of people only knowing songs such as Golden Brown and Skin Deep. Their first 4 albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black and White, The Raven) deserve alot more recognition as they are brillant pieces of work.

Long live The Stranglers.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

Did anyone else catch them on their very brief tour of the East Coast?

Saw them last night here in Sydney and they rocked. Didn't know what to expect without Hugh Cornwall, however as he had left the band in 1990 thought they would still be reasonable as they had survived all this time. They certainly didn't disappoint. Baz Warne is an excellent replacement who has a bit of attitude. JJ Burnel is as good as ever on the bass and the legendary Dave Greenfield on keyboards rocks. Unfortunately Jet Black has not been feeling well (the guy is 70) and so did not appear, his replacement was excellent though.

They pretty much played all their classics such as Nice 'n' Sleazy, Walk on By, Duchess, Peaches, Always the Sun etc. The highlights being Something Better Change, No More Heroes, Hanging Around and Tank.

Whilst not a sell out they drew a decent crowd of around maybe 600 punters with the average age around 50 I would think. Great to see the crowd getting into it and reliving their younger days - there was even a decent mosh pit happening.

The Stranglers, certainly here in Australia, are a very underrated band with the majority of people only knowing songs such as Golden Brown and Skin Deep. Their first 4 albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black and White, The Raven) deserve alot more recognition as they are brillant pieces of work.

Long live The Stranglers.

I love the Stranglers - I bought Rattus Norvegicus when it first came out - but you couldn't have paid me to go to see them on friday night. I went when they last toured in 2004 and,as good as they sounded, without Hugh Cornwell the whole thing just seemed pointless to me.
Having said that a mate who has been a fan for a similiar length of time went and had a great time.
I went and saw Rowland S Howard with his band for an eighth of what the Stranglers cost and am pretty happy with my decision!

 

[blackshadow]

I love the Stranglers - I bought Rattus Norvegicus when it first came out - but you couldn't have paid me to go to see them on friday night. I went when they last toured in 2004 and,as good as they sounded, without Hugh Cornwell the whole thing just seemed pointless to me.
Having said that a mate who has been a fan for a similiar length of time went and had a great time.
I went and saw Rowland S Howard with his band for an eighth of what the Stranglers cost and am pretty happy with my decision!

Was Mick Harvey playing with Rowland?

I declined on seeing The Stranglers for similar reasons you did - I saw them in Sydney in the distant past and didn't want to sully my memories. I was talking to a mate last night who is a big Stranglers fan at Eddy Current Suppression Ring who went to the show on Friday and he wasn't too impressed by it.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

Was Mick Harvey playing with Rowland?

I declined on seeing The Stranglers for similar reasons you did - I saw them in Sydney in the distant past and didn't want to sully my memories. I was talking to a mate last night who is a big Stranglers fan at Eddy Current Suppression Ring who went to the show on Friday and he wasn't too impressed by it.

Yeah. Mick on Drums and JP Shilo on Bass. The line up that recorded the new album. It was about half "Teenage Snuff Film" and half the new album, including an amazing version of the Talk Talk song "Life's what you make it".

 

[bunsen burner]

Not enough love for this thread. For those homos who don't really know about The Stranglers, here's some cool arse tracks:

Peaches

Remind anyone of Blur's Parklife?

Hanging Around


No More Heroes

 

[bunsen burner]

Here's a good cover of No More Heroes

 

[JimDocker]

I went to see The Stranglers on May 18 1985 at The Perth Entertainment Centre.

They were supported by Hunters and Collectors who were brilliant despite being booed for their entire set.

The Stranglers were fantastic that night and as an 18 year old, it was exciting and manic.

We got to the pub afterwards just in time to see Kevin Moran get sent off for Man U in the FA Cup final and a brawl erupted in the pub between rival sets of fans !!! Crazy nioght all round.

I never listen to them anymore now. Not sure that they have stood the test of time like The Clash or The Jam and I would not go and see them nowadays.

 

[GhostofJimJess]

The Stranglers were an integral part of the soundtrack to my youth. As much as I love their first few albums I find it difficult to listen to anything they released beyond about 1983 (notwithstanding the fantastic gig they did at The Palais in 1985).

Rattus Norvegicus is one of the best dozen or so albums released in the 1970's and "Down in the Sewer" is just about my favorite closing track of all time.

I'd probably consider seeing them nowadays if the price was reasonable i.e. under $50.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Like this one.

Certainly not innovators, would put them on a par with the Damned.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

The Stranglers were an integral part of the soundtrack to my youth. As much as I love their first few albums I find it difficult to listen to anything they released beyond about 1983 (notwithstanding the fantastic gig they did at The Palais in 1985).

Rattus Norvegicus is one of the best dozen or so albums released in the 1970's and "Down in the Sewer" is just about my favorite closing track of all time.

I'd probably consider seeing them nowadays if the price was reasonable i.e. under $50.

Last time they played here I think they were closer to $100.
Seeing them without Cornwall is like seeing "From the Jam" or "Dead (fake) Kennedys". I realise bands have to tour to make $ these days as CD sales only account for something like 6% of an artists income, but if you don't have the original singer PLEASE reconsider your decision.
I agree re 1983. From memory the cut off point is going from United Artists label to the Epic label.

 

[bunsen burner]

I would not go and see them nowadays.

Whatever happened to the heroes?

 

[Plugger35]

The Stranglers 70s punk phase is overrated, they had a few half decent songs back then but they were mostly shit.

Their 80s pop phase is underrated with classics like Golden Brown, Skindeep and Always the Sun.

They peaked with this song imo.



I agree with the no Hugh Cornwell no Stranglers call though, they aren't the same without him.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

The Stranglers 70s punk phase is overrated, they had a few half decent songs back then but they were mostly shit.

Cannot agree. No More Heroes, Hanging Around, Peaches, Go Buddy Go (as an aside I've seen someone at Hawthorn games with this on a banner - maybe a fan) - these songs were as good as anything coming out of London at the time. Add to the mixture that they were taking a different approach to the sound (heavy emphasis on the organ when most punk bands, particularly English ones, were guitars only) and for mine they were one of the best of the genre. I'd put them on par with a band like the Only Ones - they took the punk influence but weren't punk clones. I mean, geez, they had a member with a moustache at a time when the punks were against anything that wasn't spiky hair and bondage trousers.

 

[HARKER]

Like this one.
Certainly not innovators, would put them on a par with the Damned.

An early one but probably my favourite track of theirs.

 

[Plugger35]

Cannot agree. No More Heroes, Hanging Around, Peaches, Go Buddy Go (as an aside I've seen someone at Hawthorn games with this on a banner - maybe a fan) - these songs were as good as anything coming out of London at the time. Add to the mixture that they were taking a different approach to the sound (heavy emphasis on the organ when most punk bands, particularly English ones, were guitars only) and for mine they were one of the best of the genre. I'd put them on par with a band like the Only Ones - they took the punk influence but weren't punk clones. I mean, geez, they had a member with a moustache at a time when the punks were against anything that wasn't spiky hair and bondage trousers.

I'm not really a big fan of the late 70s UK punk era in general. I wasn't around back then when it was all kicking off with the Sex Pistols etc but it just sounds like mostly boring, simple, one dimensional garbage.

With one exception.



Actually the only bands from that late 70s UK punk era I like are the Clash and the Stranglers but I wouldn't call them proper punk bands. They were just great bands that started in the punk era and were able to evolve and reinvent themselves into the 80s .

The reason I became a Clash fan and Stranglers fan was due to these two songs, which both have nothing to do with punk.










.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

I'm not really a big fan of the late 70s UK punk era in general. I wasn't around back then when it was all kicking off with the Sex Pistols etc but it just sounds like mostly boring, simple, one dimensional garbage.

With one exception.



Actually the only bands from that late 70s UK punk era I like are the Clash and the Stranglers but I wouldn't call them proper punk bands. They were just great bands that started in the punk era and were able to evolve and reinvent themselves into the 80s .

The reason I became a Clash fan and Stranglers fan was due to these two songs, which both have nothing to do with punk.

.

So you like the Austereo stuff then?

 

[Plugger35]

So you like the Austereo stuff then?

Oh here we go, I don't like late 70s punk so I must know nothing about music.

How about you post up all your punk classics then smartarse so we can rate them all?

 

[Leaping Lindner]

Oh here we go, I don't like late 70s punk so I must know nothing about music.

How about you post up all your punk classics then smartarse so we can rate them all?

Settle down. I simply noticed that the three songs you posted are all on high rotation at austreo. The Clash released 5 albums (with Mick Jones) there is a LOT more to The Clash than London Calling and Rock The Casbah.

 

[Plugger35]

Settle down. I simply noticed that the three songs you posted are all on high rotation at austreo. The Clash released 5 albums (with Mick Jones) there is a LOT more to The Clash than London Calling and Rock The Casbah.

They're on high rotation for a reason, because they're the best f***ing Clash songs of all time.

I'd like to see you post up your list of Clash songs that are better than LC and RTC

 

[Max Rockatansky]

This was a great song.

 

[Gough]

They're on high rotation for a reason, because they're the best f***ing Clash songs of all time.

I'd like to see you post up your list of Clash songs that are better than LC and RTC

White Man in Hammersmith Palais, maybe English Civil War and the first half dozen songs on London Calling.

 

[Plugger35]

White Man in Hammersmith Palais, maybe English Civil War and the first half dozen songs on London Calling.

I beg to differ but you're entitled to your opinion. I've listened to a lot of The Clash's stuff and The Strangler's stuff but generally speaking it's their biggest hits like London Calling, Rock the Casbah, Golden Brown, Skindeep and Always the Sun which I rate as their best songs and which I enjoy listening to the most. I'm not ashamed to say that either despite opening myself up to criticism from smug tossers like Leaping Lindner who claim I only listen to austereo and know nothing about the rest of their albums.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

You better watch out for the string-bean.

 

[Soul_Pie]

No more heroes is such a fantastic song, off a great punk album, although the Stranglers were more than punk. Yeah, they're a highly underrated band, everyone knows Golden Brown (brilliant song definitely) but they've got a really great array of tracks. The keyboard work is some mighty fine stuff as well.