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.


Tuesday 26 September 2017

Joy Division Piccadilly Radio Session Pennine Sound Studios 4th June 1979


Last week I started reading 'Unknown Pleasures - Inside Joy Division' bassist Peter Hook's take on life within one of Britain's most original bands.

It was very late in the day when I started properly listening to the band. Apatr from 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' and the handful of songs they performed on TV I was largely ignorant of their music. It was true that back in the day I had mates that were huge fans and conformed 100% to the JD fan stereotype. I am sure they wore their macs in bed! I took the band at face value and thought the misery exhibition stance to be a bit ridiculous. Thinking back I should have taken a look at myself, a big fan of those laugh a minute folks from Crass!

It was only when I saw the film 'Control' that I waded a bit deeper into their murky Mancunian waters buying the 'Heart and Soul' box set. Hook's book presents another side of Joy Division, an intense and driven band certainly, but not without humour. He expresses and issue with the perceived deification of Ian Curtis. Whilst Peter Hook recognises the poetic, romantic, other worldliness of his former lead singer he paints an alternative side to him that one would expect of a bloke in his early twenties in an up and coming band with a bunch of other blokes in their early twenties.

Here then is a session the band did for local Piccadilly Radio in the summer of 1979.

FLAC: https://we.tl/p6dqmzfi2u

01. These Days
02. Candidate
03. Chance (Atmosphere)
04. Atrocity Exhibision

Feeling in the mood I also created a lino print of Ian Curtis on stage.

Ian Curtis (Joy Division)
Lino print 30cm x 40cm
Black in on grey card (1 of 10)


Friday 22 September 2017


Hard to believe that this goes back 10 years... time flies for old punks!

FLAC: https://we.tl/gvmww7Ynfg

01. Love Song
02. Second Time Around
03. I Just Can’t Be Happy Today
04. Disco Man
05. Generals
06. New Rose
07. Neat Neat Neat
08. 13th Floor Vendetta

01. I Fall
02. Fan Club
03. History Of The World
04. Ignite
05. Alone Again Or
06. Anti-Pope
07. Smash It Up
08. Eloise
09. Jet Boy Jet Girl
10. Wait For The Blackout
11. I Feel Alright

Sunday 17 September 2017

The Alhambra Dunfermline 10th March 2017


So with the announcement of the 2018 which sees a the band playing three dates again in Scotland, here is a reminder of the last tour when they played the wonderful Alhambra in Dunfermline. Uploaded here in 24/48 bit FLAC format and high quality 320 kbps MP3 format. My thanks as always goes to Chatts and MeAnIe!!

FLAC: https://we.tl/5UqHuAXrEf

MP3: https://we.tl/4TJbvwByeg

Artwork: https://we.tl/iJpPXuZG8t

01. Intro-The Raven
02. Was It You
03. Sometimes
04. Grip
05. 15 Steps
06. Nice-N-Sleazy
07. Never To Look Back
08. Midnight Summer Dream
09. Always The Sun
10. Strange Little Girl
11. Golden Brown
12. Bear Cage
13. Who Wants The World
14. Dagenham Dave
1.5 Freedom Is Insane
16. Peaches
17. Genetix
18. Hanging Around
19. 5 Minutes
20. Down In The Sewer
21. Encore-Relentless
22. Something Better Change
23. Encore-Go Buddy Go

24. No More Heroes

2018 Tour Dates Are In



Tuesday 5 September 2017

What's my na-aa-aa-aa-me!

The Clash
15cm x 20cm linoprints 
Black ink on cream.

Joe

Paul

Topper

Mick

Saturday 2 September 2017

The Playhouse Theatre Edinburgh 24th February 1981


A classic and much loved bootleg from 'The Men in Black' tour.

FLAC: https://we.tl/gWg9mOmbG3




Top Secret Volume 18 July 1989


Here is the latest installment of the wonderful 'Top Secret', here.

Buzzcocks Reading Festival 25th August 1990


Here is an early festival set from the recently reformed Buzzcocks, that at this point featured ex-Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, John Maher having returned to the States after the reunion tour of the previous year.

FLAC: https://we.tl/KYXErVwpYn

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-YR8Legoe3N

01. What Do I Get?
02. I Don't Mind
03. Love You More
04. Promises
05. Can You Hear Me?
06. Never Gonna Give It Up
07. Autonomy
08. Nothing Left
09. Successful Street
10. Everybody's Happy Nowadays
11. Harmony In My Head
12. Ever Fallen In Love…?
13. I Believe
14. Orgasm Addict
15. Mad Mad Judy
16. Boredom