Here's an audience shot video of the band in Brighton on the Ruby tour of 2014. The footage is steady with some close ups. Apologies, I have no recollection where this came from or wo did it, but thanks!
DVD image: https://we.tl/t-ES5b9xBQDZ
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-aR2JOJZaAD
My appreciation of punk has been wide reaching for many years. Whilst listening to the mellow tones of 'Feline' I was also listening to and appreciating Crass, Conflict and a host of other anarcho bands. I was a teenager at the time and angered by a lot of stuff. We may be closer to a nuclear conflict right now than we have been since the Cuban missile crisis, but I remember the background fear ever present in the early '80's when we were still deep in the depths of the Cold War. Those Government 'Protect and Survive' leaflets were a real thing... even if completely impractical! The anarcho bands addressed many of those burning issues of the day. I would never describe myself as an anarchist though, I was more Newtown Neurotics than Conflict politically....
'You say politics are boring, boring and grey/But would you rather see 'Cruse' brighten everyone's day? ('Get Up & Fight' - Newtown Neurotics) versus 'Cruise missiles have arrived, despite our protest and anger/The fucked up fucking shits took no notice of our banners' (Cruise - Conflict).
The other great thing about the anarcho scene (especially so for a 15 year old with very limited funds) was that it was all so cheap! Pay No More than.... Can't argue with that. Those wonderful records with their fold out sleeves and brilliant thought provoking artwork... none of them are going cheap any more! So, it has been that for many years the likes of 'Skin Deep' has shared shelf space with 'The Serenade Is Dead' and 'Sheep Farming In The Falklands'.
As already mentioned, last week it was announced that Conflict's lead singer, Colin Jerwood, had died. Having been a thorn in the side of elements of the establishment as well as to some involved in the punk scene, I was surprised at the volume of tributes paid to the man. I remember a section of the audience at the 'Gathering of the 5,000' in 1987 chanting 'Kill Colin!' Perhaps it is the passage of time mixed with a degree of age related mellowing that brings this about. I am reminded of a quote that Paul Weller made at the passing of Joe Strummer (a feud between The Clash and The Jam in the early days had been whipped up by the press), Weller said 'That we were both soldiers in the same war'.
Here is a good recording of Conflict was back in the early 1980s. Thanks to Sewer Rat for the share.
MP3: https://we.tl/t-kJk0w7yl0t
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-mBlerTnX11
Here is another excellent recording of a Hugh gig in Essen courtesy of Peter. Cheers, highly appreciated as always! Although predating the release of 'Totem & Taboo' Hugh is obviously proud to be able to give the title track an early airing here.
I did stumble across a spat on one of the multitude of Stranglers related Facebook pages... the keyboard combatants were once again engaged in the 'Hugh's better, Hugh's best' type argument. This particular argument was based around an old article that someone had dredged up in which Hugh was bemaoning the fact that The Stranglers' had retained the name... there then followed the 'karaoke' Stranglers comments etc etc. Essentially we are talking about the same argument that that has rumbled on since 1990. That argument should have run out of steam by the mid-90's at the very latest, but still seems to trouble the minds of some 35 years on!
At a time when we are rapidly losing our the bands and the musicians that we love to the Grim Reaper as opposed to Test Match Special (as Hugh would have it) we should just relax, enjoy the bits that we like and ignore whatever it is that we don't like or that which annoys us whilst we still can.
Anyway... here's a bit of Hugh.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-gUKX3RJ8PZ
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-9mwXGI7oB2
I think that I would have got this documentary originally from Punktorrents. This is an excellent Granada TV special spotlighting the progress to date of Manchester's Buzzcocks and Magazine. In interview's with Tony Wilson, both Shelley and Devoto discuss their writing and motivations as well as the early incarnation of Buzzcocks. The documentary also features some excellent footage of a 'reunion' gig of sorts when Devoto once again joined his former Buzzcocks band mates on stage at a gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester on 21st July 1978 to mark the second anniversary of the gig where they supported Sex Pistols.
DVD Image: https://we.tl/t-dmVamrCurT
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-riUIvSPuOZ
I believe that this collection of demos has been in circulation for sometime. The artwork that I have put together is accurate in one sense in that the material in this collection was demoed with the intention that the final songs would become the basis of the fourth Buzzcocks album. On the other hand, it should be noted that these songs are performed in these rudimentary states by Diggle and Shelley separately i.e. without the involvement of each other or John Maher and Steve Garvey.
It does seem apparent that the two principal song writers in the band were pulling in different directions in a musical sense at this point. Pete Shelley especially has already embraced electronica with which he would continue to work with Martin Rushent during 1981, a collaboration that was to bring him significant critical acclaim with 'Homosapien'. The two named songs from Shelley in this collection, 'I Get A Feeling' and 'Guess I Must have Been In Love With Myself' went on to appear on that first solo album. Steve Diggle's contributions are more aligned with the pop/rock sound that Buzzcocks were known for.
The tensions within the band arising from relentless touring schedules over a number of years, not helped by an excessive intake of drink and drugs, pulled them apart in March 1981 as described in this piece that appeared in the 28th March issue of New Musical Express.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-Fj8TnjHRil
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-A92UYyogIH
Conflict and Colin's biggest legacy in my life is that they were responsible for me giving up meat 30 years ago and whilst in some respects I may be in the words of the Subhumans something of an 'Ex-Teenage Rebel', the diet thing remained!
I believe that Guilfest is back up and running this year. For a few years this was a brilliant festival and Day out. The Stranglers have played there no less than four times over the years if I have my jottings correct (2004, 2006, 2009 and 2024). If you take a close look at the 'Guilfest '09 ' logo it also states that the event organisation was in association with the University of Surrey... forgiven they must have been!
Here's an audience shot video of the set.
DVD image: https://we.tl/t-BqAezghCVe
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-56SsnF3hZc
So after a brief interlude with the 'Forever Now' thread of posts its back to the bread and butter, This is an excellent gig from Germany recorded in March 2014. This is new to circulation for which Peter gets my most sincere thanks!
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-hyS1Kz2rva
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-pfLeYkojHo
