I've not seen this photo before. It features in the 19th February 1977 issue of Record Mirror marking the entry of '(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)' into the British Top 50 Singles chart at number 49. The start of great things to come!
I've not seen this photo before. It features in the 19th February 1977 issue of Record Mirror marking the entry of '(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)' into the British Top 50 Singles chart at number 49. The start of great things to come!
Here's a review of sorts from one of several near legendary visits that The Stranglers paid to London's Roundhouse in Camden Town throughout 1977. Poor old Barry Cain eh!? Whilst part of me sympathises with Barry, an early advocate of the band and one of the few undoubted allies that the band had in the music press, for having to review the band once again when all available superlatives in the writer's arsenal have been exhausted. What more can be said? On the other hand for me who never saw the punk Stranglers, it is irksome indeed. I'd be happy with a dry Sunday matinee!! A word of explanation in the unlikely event that anyone under the age of 50 is reading this post. If you think Sunday's are dull now, back then the law was such that Sunday licencing hours were very restricted (a hangover (or not) from efforts to boost productivity during The Great war). Pubs shut at 2pm only to reopen at 7pm.
Record Mirror 2nd July 1977.
What more can Barry Cain say about The Stranglers. He's just...
LOST IN SPACE
The Stranglers
OK, hands up, I missed it. The anniversary of Joey's death... the reason why Mo is named Ramona! Sadly, this 'Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die' applies equally to all of the founder members of Ramones, but this is for Joey.
Here playing the 'Rock The Reservation' benefit in Arizona, Joey and his band The Resistance play a good quality set of covers and Ramones classics!
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-2Q13gHr2Ba
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-gAgo2aVOL6
Here is another radio documentary that tells the story of the world's greatest record label. Narrated by Pete Waterman who was at the time a Coventry record shop manager soon to be tied up with The Specials. Like many other independent labels, Stiff being a perfect example, the 2 Tone Records story is a short lived roller coaster journey that encompasses innovative genius and awful business decisions.
As ever, I make no apologies for continuing to spread the word about the cultural and political significance of The Specials, Jerry Dammers and all things that 2 Tone and their roster of great bands represented.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-c76LImCrDX
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-1AywsL7PzR
So with many thanks to yesican, here is an anniversary gig from a mere 41 years ago. A partial set unfortunately but a good sounding audience recording nevertheless!
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-tMO8rBSQIz
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-2W3cuwPZFJ
01. Intro
I was quite lucky in that I discovered eBay quite early on, about 2001 perhaps. At that time there were some genuine bargains to be had. I remember getting both the Stiff America MIB and Last Supper posters for about £30 for the two. There was loads of other stuff too, it was great, not to mention exiting when the clock ran down to the last minutes! Every so often, although increasingly infrequently, I dip in and have a look at the Stranglers in music memorabilia. Sadly, for the last few years it seems that only about 20% of listings related to genuine memorabilia. It is shocking how much badly produced reproduction stuff is on there. Even worse than the repro stuff are the items that have been cobbled together by someone on a computer. It may be that the sellers are not trying to pass this stuff off as genuine (the price gives that away) but the items are lazy, devoid of thought and just out to make a quick buck... and seemingly people are buying the stuff.
Here's an example that I saw tonight.
Yesterday evening I learned of the passing of Ultravox's bass player Chris Cross. This band broke through on the early London punk scene (whilst also pre-dating it having formed in 1974), but they were worlds apart from the three chord thrash. The band brought together grating guitar and synthesizers, Roxy Music, meets Kraftwerk with a bit of Johnny Thunders thrown into the mix.
With the departure of John Foxx, Midge Ure entered the fold as the band shifted to a more chart friendly sound that rode the crest of the New Romantic wave. Later still, Ultravox held their own with the hit heavy albums of Quartet (1982) and Lament (1983). Chris Cross was a constant presence across the years.
I prefer the Foxx era band, but never saw them. I did however see them play with Midge in Brighton in May 1984 and that is the gig posted here.
RIP Chris Cross (1952-2024).
The best A side/B side release ever, bar one (12" of Ghost Town/Friday Night Saturday Morning/Why? pips it). I love 'Something Better Change' even though it could be said that it may have been riding the Summer of Hate wave somewhat :). 'Straighten Out' however is in a class of its own and the better of the two tracks in my opinion. Of course you cannot think of these two tracks without the accompanying promo videos... perhaps the finest footage of the band in 1977.
Keeping up a bit of momentum over the Easter weekend, here is an anniversary gig from the German leg of the Aural Sculpture tour. Thanks to the original Dime uploader (Stacheleber) for this version, a nice sounding audience recording and an upgrade to what I had previously. The accompanying info file also clears up a date anomaly for this gig that appears on many lists as having occurred in Mannheim, but as the taper asserts from being there, on the night of 1st April, the band were in Ludwigshafen.
The artwork reflects a split between 'European Female' and 'Golden Brown'.
I posted this originally back in 2012 on the long defunct Rapidshare platform. So here it is again on a reactivated link. This is quite a nice audience recording as I recall.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-lXOr85J5bf
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-NRFznyiBg4
01. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
On the night that I was supposed to be seeing The Stranglers in Belfast, Belfast came to Nottingham in the form of SLF. I missed them on this tour, but here's a nice sounding recording from their 'Hate Has No Home Here' tour. A good solid sing-a-long set from the band! Listening to this makes me think that I may well make the trip over to Belfast in August for the now annual 'Putting The Fast In Belfast' mini-festival.
Thanks to the original Dime uploader (Darkorb).
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-yHcV0FYfMu
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-wipEG5SMYB
Apologies, I cannot recall where this DVD came from or who authored it. It features footage from two gigs, one certainly incomplete (Paris) and one incomplete in all probability (Manchester). As to the Manchester gig, on this night The Stranglers were support to The Pogues. The ticket I located on a New Model Army site, so it may be that if The Stranglers were first on it could have been the shortest set ever... any ideas?
OK then, as another tour comes to an end, in an almost time honoured tradition, here is the first recording that has gone into circulation. Thanks to several people who shared it with me. Much appreciated! I believe this first appeared on 101guitars, so thanks are due to the Historical Field Recording Unit!
I had tickets for this particular gig as I kind of missed out on getting RAH tickets and the only other tickets I have were for Cambridge. With regard to the latter, the band love it, as I recall Baz referred to Cambridge as their 'home gig'. The Dave and JJ connection. For my part I have never liked the venue, but on the other hand it is 30 minutes up the road. Logistical issues meant that I was left with little option other than to offload my Belfast tickets.... at least there is Europe later in the year.
So, I can only speak for Cambridge but I though the band were excellent (not that I was expecting a disappointment). The penny only dropped the other day when The Stranglers (Official) Facebook page posted something thanking 'The Meninblacksuits' for supporting on the tour. Then the structure of the night made sense. Devo once did something similar on their 'Duty Now For The Future' tour when 'Dove', a Christian rock band (whose members has a striking resemblance to the Devo boys) supported Devo.
I did eventually see the set prior to the gig. I don't mind that so much and I find it stressful to go all out to avoid spoilers during a tour anyway. What did people make of the set? 'Hallow To Our Men' was certainly a nice surprise and always happy to have 'Sewer' in the set, but I dunno, perhaps I am being unreasonable... I would love to have seen something completely unexpected, a B-side perhaps (remember back in 1988 when 'Vietnamerica' cropped up briefly in the set?). And, I still maintain that 'Nuclear Power' would fit perfectly into a Stranglers' set... maybe next year.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-V87HbwwdzS
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-ny3gC7JuR5
Last night BBC 4 ran a brilliant thread of music programming in an evening that celebrated the immense talent of Terry Hall, from The Specials, The Fun Boy 3, The Colourfield and back again. The evening started with a new compilation of 'Terry Hall at The BBC' covering his 40 plus years in music. All of the footage was familiar to me except for one show (the name of it escapes me now) where The Band were introduced by Toyah Willcox. Most of this material I have seen in the past, but it was brilliant to see it all brought together and to see it in such excellent quality.
Aside from the BBC music compilation, the highlight for me was the showing of the 'Arena' documentary which saw fanzine writer turned music journalist, Adrian Thrills, travel to Coventry see see what all the fuss, that had turned the UK monochrome, was all about. The scenes filmed in the 'office' of 2 Tone HQ in Albany Road are priceless. I pitied the neighbours! How great it was to find all of the band partying, larking around and getting on with each other! Gunta loved it too as it showed Coventry city centre as she remembered in back in 1980.
Well done BBC 4 as they would say on 'Points Of View'.
Should you be at a loose end in Manchester on Friday (The Stranglers have a night off!) you could do worse than see Ombudsmen at The Old Abbey Taphouse in Manchester supporting VEE VV.
Thanks to Chatts for this one. As part of the TFTLTYTD thread, this one is for the former Blockheads drummer Charlie Charles to lost his fight with cancer not so long after this series of benefit gigs. However, the ring master of the Blockheads circus, Ian himself, lost his own fight with cancer five years later in 2000.
I was fortunate enough to see The Blockheads with Ian on three occasions. In 1994 Madness played Madstock II in Finsbury Park with Ian (a well acknowledged influence for the band) in support. At around the same time the band headlined at the Grand in Clapham, this time with The Nutty Boys (Lee and Chrissy Boy from Madness) doing the support honours. Lastly, I saw one of the band's last gigs at the Junction in Cambridge. That must have been in 1999, Ian was unwell by this stage but it was magical seeing such an icon in such a small venue.
My first encounter with Ian and his Blockheads was when 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' came out.... late 1978. I remember going to a schoolfriend's house specifically to record the single. This meant kneeling in front of his parent's radiogram with the small plastic microphone pointed at one speaker whilst trying to be as quiet as possible! The B-side, 'There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards' was wonderfully subversive in my 9 year old mind!
Dury was a fantastic lyricist whose wayward appearance and cockney delivery meant that he still found a receptive audience after punk swept the pub rock bands aside (of course not overlooking the fact that Kilburn & The High Roads were the inspiration for many of the young punks that dominated 1977).
By all accounts Ian wasn't the easiest of personalities, but that not withstanding his and The Blockheads legacy is second to none.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-dICXFvyWK2
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-sdbmYB3dUK
As the Stranglers touring machine rolls into the West Midlands today for tonight's gig in Wolverhampton, here is a birthday gig from this day in 2013, Baz's 500th gig with the band.... I wonder what his tally is 11 years down the line? Thanks to MeAnIe for the artwork!
MP3 (as received): https://we.tl/t-9qVkudrOh0
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-9sXaco0xt8
It was Day two on our mid week Mancunian trip and we were in the city's Northern Quarter. Gunta wanted some haberdashery and it was convenient for me that the shop was next to a pub. With a justification of 'I don't want to rush you so I'll have a quick pint' or some such nonsense, I disappeared through the swing door of Gullivers. As an aside, Mo informed me that the pub was one of Mark E. Smith's locals (I suspect that there were a fair few of those!) and The Fall's track 'The Mixer' was written about a guy who worked behind the bar in there. Any way, I digress. I could not help noticing this brilliant mosaic on the wall. It had not been on the wall when I last called into this pub. Since it was a Wednesday and just past opening at that, I was the sole customer, so I was able to occupy the booth opposite and study it well. It was a memorial piece to Steve Shy, original Manchester punk and creator of the fanzine 'Shytalk', one of the earlier cut, pasted and xeroxed DIY efforts that informed local kids about the new music both on a national level and local level. The piece is accompanied by a quite from Pete Shelley who described Shy as the 'Unsung hero of the early Manchester scene'.
From a Man United fan blog site, Steve recalls an encounter with an irate Hugh Cornwell:
'One of the editions of Shy Talk had a piece in it which was slagging The Stranglers off. I had the mag on sale at the Electric Circus when they next played there in June 1977 and Stranglers lead singer, Hugh Cornwell, bought a copy off me. Half an hour later, he was all over the place looking for me and wanting a fight after reading what had been written. The following night, The Drones were supporting The Stranglers in Sheffield and Cornwell saw me and came walking over. I thought, “here we go”, but he just said “sorry about that last night. It annoyed me. I thought we were all supposed to be on the same side”. I said “maybe, but you’re not on the same side as the lad who wrote that fucking piece”'.
This morning Gunta and I paid a visit to Harlow museum that also takes in the walled garden. The garden is a great secluded and peaceful space amidst the persistent traffic of Harlow (could it be that on the cusp of being closer to 60 than 50 I have become mellow... oh no!). The exhibition space traces the development of the area from from the Bronze Age, through the Roman period up to the modern day and Frederick Gibberd's new town vision.
For me the pinnacle of the town's development was The Square, simply the bestest, independent music venue that there ever was. Since moving to neighbouring Bishops Stortford 29 years ago The Square was the location of many brilliant nights.
Sadly and seemingly inexplicably (given what happened to the plot) the company that owned the land decided to end the lease so that this near legendary venue closed its doors finally in 2017.
After closure, the venue stood derelict for several years before bulldozers levelled the building a couple of years ago. Why the decision was made to close the venue only for the land to be undeveloped for such a long time is a mystery to me. On the face of it Harlow and its residents were needlessly deprived of a brilliant entertainment hub for years.
So back to 2024 and the museum then. The original backdrop is an exhibit and boxed up sections of The Square's stage were available to buy... well I had to! Boxed as it is I was reminded of the presentation of posh cakes and pastries. However, open the box and I can assure you you would not put the contents anywhere near your mouth. It is a 10 x 10 cm slice of stage, the rubber surface of which is a rich infusion of gob, sweat and gaffer tape adhesive... in short all the flavours of rock 'n' roll condensed in a CD sized block. OK, so it is not a piece of Wardour Street Marquee, but nevertheless within it is a small part of my musical journey, but more importantly the history of the bands that put Harlow on the map and those bands that went on to much bigger things.
Also, whilst sifting through a mass of gig tickets and flyers I came across a Square beermat... could be worth a fortune!