Tiffany's Leeds Review 7th February 1982 (Melody Maker 13th February 1982)

Back in the day I hated reviews, singles, albums, gigs whatever, that left you none the wiser as to whether the gig was actually any good! Melody Maker's Frank Worrall was clearly nonplussed by his evening's entertainment.

He is clearly echoing the sentiments of the time as held by the UK music press in general i.e. that by the beginning of 1982, The Stranglers were washed up and had nothing more to offer. Couple the garbled review (an attempt as some manner of satire?) with a stock photo many years out of date and it amounts to lazy journalism.

I suppose that it is the music journalist's dream and perhaps their primary function to get their claws in to a new act early so they can take the credit and kudos to be the first to give a band truly destined for bigger things their earliest coverage. This being the case, an instruction from your editor to spend a cold February night in Leeds in the company of a band that you consider to have passed its sell by date back in 1978 probably does inject a bit of poison into your pen.

Early coverage of The Stranglers did the likes of Chas de Whalley and Barry Cain no harm! However, it takes many nights out enduring bands, for which 15 minutes of fame is perhaps 10 minutes too long, in order to strike it lucky with a band that will endure.

Sharing the live review section of Melody Maker's 13th February 1982 issue are:

True Life Confessions (Fulham Greyhound, London)

Machito (Venue, London)

The Onlookers/The Times (Marquee, London)

Mood Six/Miles Over Matter (The Fridge, Brixton)

Cockney Rejects/The Business (The Bridgehouse, Canning Town)

Ruby Braff/Scott Hamilton (Pizza Express, London)

Aztec Camera/The Secret Goldfish (Kings College, London)

Altered Images/Vic Goddard & The Subway Sect/The Bluebells (Hammersmith Palais, London)

Drastic Measures/The Gymslips (The Starlight, West Hampstead)

Hula/The Surface Mutants (Limit, Sheffield)

Animal Magnate (The Venue, London)

Flip Phillips (Canteen, London)

To the best of my knowledge of those bands reviewed only the Cockney Rejects, The Business, Altered Images, Subway Sect, The Bluebells and Aztec Camera achieved any sort of longevity.

The Stranglers have done better than that!

Unfortunately, I don't believe that this night in Leeds was ever recorded so you will have to judge it through Mr Worrall's eyes and ears... or maybe not.