Aural Sculptors - The Stranglers Live 1976 to the Present


Welcome to Aural Sculptors, a blog aimed at bringing the music of The Stranglers to as wide an audience as possible. Whilst all of the various members of the band that have passed through the ranks since 1974 are accomplished studio musicians, it is on stage where the band have for me had their biggest impact.

As a collector of their live recordings for many years I want to share some of the better quality material with other fans. By selecting the higher quality recordings I hope to present The Stranglers in the best possible light for the benefit of those less familiar with their material than the hardcore fan.

Needless to say, this site will steer well clear of any officially released material. As well as live gigs, I will post demos, radio interviews and anything else that I feel may be of interest.

In addition, occasionally I will post material by other bands, related or otherwise, that mean a lot to me.

Your comments and/or contributions are most welcome. Please email me at adrianandrews@myyahoo.com.


Saturday 28 May 2016

The Damned Portsmouth Locano 20th March 1977


And here's one from when it all began. A nice sounding recording from March 1977. My eighth birthday in fact, although my thoughts would be more directed to a new birthday Action Man or something similar than to punk rock.

And they say the Ramones had the short songs and the speed!

FLAC: https://we.tl/v6i5uICudW

01. I Feel Alright
02. Born To Kill
03. Fan Club
04. Neat Neat Neat
05. Sick Of Being Sick
06. Stretcher Case
07. Help
08. New Rose
09. New Rose
10. Stab Yor Back
11. So Messed Up
12. Fish

The Damned Berkley California March 1982


Here's a short radio broadcast from The Damned's 1982 US tour as broadcast on KALX-KM

FLAC: https://we.tl/wG46oJQmTC

01. I Fall
02. Wait For The Blackout
03. Disco Man
04. I Just Can't Be Happy Today
05. Plan 9 Channel 7
06. Melody Lee
08. Noise Noise Noise
09. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
10. Limit Club
11. Love Song (cutoff)

Ruts DC - New Single Alert - PSYCHIC ATTACK

I interrupt this Damned thread for a short commercial break. The Damned's mates of old, Ruts DC, have a brand new single out called 'Psychic Attack'. For this one they have resorted to the other sound that they do so well, driving punk!

If you like the video, support the band and buy the single.


Order links:

CD (http://bit.ly/1UdIh4o)
7″ (http://bit.ly/1TYYuvs)
iTunes UK (http://apple.co/1SuOtH6)
Google Play (http://bit.ly/1WdK0Id)


The Damned 10th Anniversary Tea Party Finsbury Park London 26th July 1986


My first opportunity to see The Damned was at their 10th anniversary bash in North London. I missed out on seeing them on the Phantasmagoria tour, or 'Big Tour' as it was also known, if my memory still serves me I had my biology 'O' Level the morning after. No appearance from the then departed Captain at this one, he showed up and took the abuse the following day.

FLAC: https://we.tl/ykz8DYBSE8

01. Plan 9 Channel 7
02. Anything
03. Neat Neat Neat
04. Stranger On The Town
05. Is It A Dream?
06. The Girl Goes Down
07. Wait For The Blackout
08. Limit Club
09. I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night
10. Restless

01. The Shadow Of Love
02. Eloise
03. Street Of Dreams
04. L.A. Woman
05. Smash It Up
06. Love Song
07. Dr Jeckyl And Mr Hyde
08. New Rose
09. Lust For Life

Friday 27 May 2016

The Damned Royal Albert Hall 20th May 2016


OK folks, here's the big one. THE cerebration of all things Damned. I have been to so many gigs over 35 years, so it is really quite rare to feel the same sense of excitement and anticipation that came with this one. As I have already mentioned The Damned surpassed themselves on this night. Not bad for a throwaway cartoon (as they were labelled early on)!

Thanks to Chatts99 for the superb effort. I just don't know how he does it..... I had to go to the loo three times during the set!

FLAC: https://we.tl/1AZVF7rBeu

Artwork (box case format): https://we.tl/jiF6IT0Jg4

 HISTORY OF THE DAMNED PART 1

00. SPOKEN INTRO (NOT RECORDED)
01. NATURES DARK PASSION (OPENING NOT RECORDED)
02. DEMOCRACY
03. AMEN
04. THRILL KILL
05. ABSINTHE
06. ALONE AGAIN OR
07. SANCTUM SANCTORUM
08. STREET OF DREAMS
09. GRIMLY FIENDISH
10. SHADOW OF LOVE
11. ELOISE
12. STRANGER ON THE TOWN
13. UNDER THE FLOOR AGAIN
14. GENERALS
15. IGNITE

HISTORY OF THE DAMNED PART 2

01. ORGAN INTRO-LIFE GOES ON
02. DISCO MAN
03. LIMIT CLUB
04. WAIT FOR THE BLACKOUT
05. TWISTED NERVE
06. THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1
07. DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE
08. LOVE SONG-MACHINE GUN ETIQUETTE
09. I JUST CANT BE HAPPY TODAY
10. PLAN 9 CHANNEL 7
11. SMASH IT UP
12. FEEL THE PAIN
13. FAN CLUB
14. NEAT NEAT NEAT
15. SEE HER TONITE
16. 1 OF THE 2
17. NEW ROSE

HISTORY OF THE DAMNED PART 3.

01. CURTAIN CALL

Sunday 22 May 2016

The Damned Bristol Bierkeller 29th April 2003


In 2003, their 'new' album, Grave Disorder' was about 18 months old (and a fine album it is too!). Mrs V, atricia Morrison was coming to the end of her eight year stint in the band.

Here they are one spring evening in the fair city of Brizzle.

FLAC: https://we.tl/0Sbr2xul6i

Artwork: https://we.tl/kl4rJ3DNEH

01. Intro
02. Disco Man
03. I Just Can’t Be Happy Today
04. See Her Tonite
05. Democracy?
06. Amen
07. 13th Floor Vendetta
08. Born To Kill
09. Thanks For The Night
10. Song.com
11. Street Of Dreams
12. Would You Be So Hot (If You Weren’t Dead?)
13. She

01. She
02. Neat Neat Neat
03. Captain Intro
04. The History Of The World
05. Eloise
06. New Rose
07. Love Song
08. Smash It Up
09. Looking At You

The Damned Manchester Apollo 21st November 2009


In 2009, The Damned were reunited with their mate of old, the late, great, Lemmy. Lemmy, like fellow hard rocker Phil Lynott, was one of the few metal musicians in London to embrace punk. Many of their ilk considered punk to be a bastardised form of heavy metal, played badly to boot. The union between the Damned and Lemmy was very close, with the latter filling in on bass duties in the transitional line-up, The Doomed. Motorhead and The Damned also came together briefly in the studio as Motordamn.

And so it was that The Damned took to the road with Motorhead on British dates (along with some European dates).

FLAC: https://we.tl/1Z1UmAs4Ze

01. New Rose
02. Street Of Dreams
03. Neat Neat Neat
04. Curtain Call
05. History Of The World Part 1
06. Under The Wheels
07. Looking At You
08. Eloise
09. Love Song
10. Smash It Up Parts 1 & 2

Saturday 21 May 2016

The Damned BBC 6 Music Session With Marc Riley 19th May 2016


In my previous post I said that it was my plan to start current and work backwards. Well, it does not come much more current than this, the first UK radio session for an age and what a corker. Broadcast on 19th May on Marc Riley's BBC 6 Music slot, Ladies and Gentlemen (how do?) I give you The Damned!

FLAC: https://we.tl/Ep9mpP2GRZ

Artwork: https://we.tl/oOQP4c1mn1

01. Introduction
02. Generals
03. Interview
04. Plan 9 Channel 7
05. Shadow Of Love
06. Ignite
07. 1 Of The 2
08. Outro


A Damned Fine Week


This is mostly a site dedicated to The Stranglers, but as I said whilst that band have most shelf inches in my CD and record collection, others come a close second. One of those bands is The Damned. In the eye of the London punk storm, but nevertheless considered to be and treated like scene outsiders.

This week marked the culmination of the band's 40th Anniversary celebrations with two shows. The first a 'warm up' at The Roadmenders in Northampton, ahead of the big one at The Royal Albert Hall. Not only that, even the BBC have cloaked up and given over air time to The Damned, with a radio session and a documentary 'New Rose and 40 Years of the Damned' both aired on BBC 6 Music this week. Both of which items I hope to have up on the site in the coming days.

Dave Vanian at The Roadmenders, Northampton
18th May 2016

Not having got my arse in gear to buy tickets for the RAH bash, I was over the moon when the band announced that there would be doing a warm up 48 hours earlier. And thus it was that Gunta and I traveled up to Northampton under lowering skies, through driving rain and then sunshine (an English early summer for certain). Needless to say, the venue was heaving, but we got a decent spot located near the gents and the bar (happy days!). Bands that have being doing the rounds for 40 years don't really need so much rehearsal time, but on this occasion Captain made a point of mentioning the legwork that they had put in to make the forthcoming, rather prestigious, London date stand out. Those hours spent in the rehearsal studio, paid dividends, The Damned played as though their lives depended on it. They turned in a wonderful set and we returned to Hertfordshire happy in the knowledge that whist we would not be joining the celebration in South Kensington, we had played a part and had not missed out.

Captain Sensible at The Roadmenders, Northampton
18th May 2016

About 20 hours later, as I sat on the sofa, after a day at work, and contemplated that I may in fact be too old to be getting back from gigs in the early hours midweek, when out of the blue I was offered two free tickets to said soiree in SW7. Gladly accepted, son Rudi and I, headed down to London late on Friday afternoon. Positioned in the Grand Tier (one of the boxes) we had a fantastic view of the evening's proceedings as the band methodically worked their way through the impressive back catalogue backwards towards 1976.

A ghostly organist calls The Damned back to the stage with the Grand Organ.

Happily they lingered over the classic period of 1979 to 1982! An absolutely fantastic night all round. Rudi even finally got round to buying me a pint for the first time (well 330ml if I am being pedantic) since turning 18 in March. I thought I'd never get one!

Punk rock royalty at The Royal Albert Hall
20th May 2016

A very many thanks to WS for the tickets!

So, over the next few days, I will indulge myself with a mini-Festival of The Damned. Then I promise normal service will be resumed..... but hey, I can't say I know many Stranglers fans that don't like The Damned.

Taking the lead from the band, these posts will also work their way backwards to Year 0.

Sunday 15 May 2016

Toyah The Rainbow London 21st February 1981


Toyah did not support The Stranglers, but Toyah Willcox did lend a helping hand at the early April Rainbow gigs as a guest vocalist.

Here is a soundboard recording of the band Toyah playing in their own right at the Rainbow. This is, I think, an audio rip of the long deleted BBC Video of the band's appearance at the North London venue. I remember seeing this high on the shelf of my local record shop (Rounder Records in Burgess Hill - now long gone) for £20 or more. A fortune then. I think that Toyah Live at the Rainbow may have been the second ever video music release after Gary Numan's 'Touring Principle'.

Thanks for the trade.

Toyah helps out at The Rainbow (April 1980)

WAV: https://we.tl/zFys1hPhQJ

01. War Boys
02. Neon Womb
03. Waiting
04. Tribal Look
05. Ghosts
06. Victims Of The Riddle
07. Race Through Space
08. Angels And Demons
09. Insects
10. It’s A Mystery
11. Danced
12. Ieya





Saturday 14 May 2016

Top Secret Volume 4

The next installment of Top Secret cam be found here.

The Roundhouse 26th June 1977


I was thrilled to receive this one recently! Initially I thought that I didn't have this one at all, but on closer inspection I can see that a version of this gig was posted on here in June 2013 in mp3 format. Here is is again, this time in lossless WAV format plus three additional tracks, 'London Lady', 'Straighten Out' and 'Burning Up Time'. You must grab this. Thanks for the trade!!

WAV: https://we.tl/6ehz6xicZX

Artwork: https://we.tl/IRUMaKE13b

01. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
02. Sometimes
03. I Feel Like A Wog
04. Dagenham Dave
05. Dead Ringer
06. Bitching
07. Peaches
08. No More Heroes
09. Hanging Around
10. Burning Up Time
11. Straighten Out
12. Something Better Change
13. London Lady


Saturday 7 May 2016

Top Secret Vol 3

And another slice of nostalgia from the '80s. Here.

Leas Cliff Hall Folkestone 22nd March 2016


Another from the recent 'Black & White' jaunt around this fair isle. Thanks as ever to Chatts and MeAnIe for their efforts!

FLAC: https://we.tl/RmRQUs2Lwq


Sunday 1 May 2016

The Damned Bristol Locano 17th June 1979


With a apologies to The Stranglers, here's a somewhat better gig from Bristol. With the Stooges on speed sound left behind them by the summer of 1979 The Damned were back with one of the finest punk alum's ever recorded, 'Machine Gun Etiquette'. This tour also saw them teamed up with The Ruts - not a bad paring for £1.75 in my eyes!

Thanks to Scott for this one.https://we.tl/xUmfrbpDSK




MP3 (as received): https://we.tl/xUmfrbpDSK

01. Intro
02. Jet Boy Jet Girl
03. Teenage Dream
04. Stretcher Case
05. Ballroom Blitz
06. Second Time Around
07. 'Abuse'
08. Burglar
09. Born To Kill
10. 'Rat Abuse'
11. Looking At You
12. Melody Lee
13. I Hate The Clash
14. New Rose
15. Suicide
16. 'Tuning'
17. Noise Noise Noise

The Academy Bristol 20th November 2002


Here's a gig in MP3 format from the 2002 UK tour.

MP3 (as received): https://we.tl/Bh7mHh2hlO

01. Goodbye Toulouse
02. Was It You?
03. Peaches
04. I’ve Been Wild
05. Skin Deep
06. Never To Look Back
07. Mine All Mine
08. Golden Brown
09. Walk On By
10. Tucker’s Grave
11. Dead Loss Angeles
12. Death & Night & Blood
13. Something Better Change
14. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
15. Coup De Grace
16. Nuclear Device
17. Curfew
18. Duchess
19. Tank
20. Always The Sun
21. 5 Minutes
22. No More Heroes