999 Resolution Festival 100 Club London 15th January 2023

 

999

Resolution Festival, 100 Club, London

15th January 2023.

So the punk stalwarts, 999, brought January's Resolution Festival to a close (if you discount the rescheduled Conflict gig), with support from another band of the Class of '77, Menace. This was a great package to see in the spiritual home of the London punk scene.

Menace are not really big on my horizon, but I respect their position within UK punk. They play well enough but I am not overly familiar with their material, but of course I know G.L.C. with which they closed their set.

Before long, the familiar figures of Nick Cash, Guy Days, Arturo Bassick and Stuart Meadows were poised stage right. The 100 Club does not accommodate grand entrances! So is often the case the band opened up with 'Black Flowers For The Bride', but problems were just around the corner. Zap! Part way into the second number 'Inside Out' and Nick gets his first jolt of electricity from his guitar and the song comes to a rapid, ramshackle end. This wasn't a problem for Menace, nor the Subs a few days earlier. It's just the luck of the draw I guess. The interim solution is to cast the guitar to one side and crank up the mike volume. ' Inside Out' restarted and we were off once more. 

Several 'new' songs now appear in the set, new in the sense that they are lifted from the most recent 999 studio album, 'Bish Bash Bosh'.... that was released two and a half years ago... it is only too easy to forget now the extended period of suspended animation that we endured so recently! 'Shoot!'  (although not in tonight's set), 'Don't Wanna Know' and 'My Dad Trashed My Submarine'. Of the latter song Nick mentions that his Dad (who served in the RAF) suffered from PTSD... which would explain the otherwise rather obscure track title. Some weeks previously I mentioned this song to brother Guy (at another 999 gig at the Dublin Castle) and asked about their old man's PTSD. Guy said 'I don't think he had it..... Nick was just more annoying... he didn't trash my submarine!' Brilliant!

After a while, with the power issue resolved, Nick was reunited with his guitar and the 999 sound was once again complete. Pablo got a shout out on this night. He was present, but unfortunately I was unable to locate him to say hi. Next time.

Great to see 'No Pity' in the set and all credit to the band to rip through it. I have to say, rather selfishly that I would love to see some obscure tracks thrown in.... but what to drop? If they want an endurance test, how about 'High Energy Plan', and then there's 'Subterfuge', or 'Trouble', or 'All Of The Days', or, or, or...

Always a great night out and a pleasure to see musician's on stage that have had such a connection with The Stranglers over the years. Long may all this continue!

 

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-6Gz9EsnpdY

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-Sz0PMlEeD9

01. Black Flowers For The Bride
02. Inside Out (Aborted)
03. Inside Out
04. Hit Me
05. Boys In The Gang
06. My Dad Trashed My Submarine
07. Feeling Alright With The Crew
08. Let’s Face It
09. Lil’ Red Riding Hood
10. Lie Lie Lie
11. No Pity
12. Don’t Wanna Know
13. Titanic (My Over) Reaction
14. I Really Like You
15. Emergency
16. Nasty Nasty
17. Homicide
18. My Street Stinks
19. I’m Alive

European TV and Radio March 2012

 

The Spring of 2012 really did throw up a bonanza of quality live material (audio and video) as the band crisscrossed France and Belgium visiting radio stations to promote the then new offering 'Giants'. This I think is the last that I have to be posted. Just search '2012' and the rest is there.

Disc image: https://we.tl/t-GjLX4NqL4d

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-dkt6AhfkjZ

TV Smith Inked

 

'Life's short, don't make a mess of it

To the ends of the earth, you'll look for a sense in it

No chances, no plans

I'll smash the windows of my box, I'll be a madman

It's no time to be twenty-one

To be anyone'

TV Smith (The Adverts/TV Smith's Explorers/Cheap)

Linoprint 30cm x 21cm (A4)

Black ink on cream card.

Hugh Cornwell Borders Bookshop Oxford Street London 30th November 2001

 Here we have a short in-store appearance from Hugh at Borders Bookshop which existed 20 or so years ago in Oxford Street. Back then he spend some time being interviewed and playing in book shops and at literary events as he promoted his book 'Song By Song'. Accompanied by co-writer, Jim Drury, he played a handful of acoustic Stranglers' songs at these events.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-4kemp139h1

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-Zx54GRhrSL

Hugh Cornwell Crossroads Festival Harmonie Bonn 23rd March 2007

Here is a pro-shot TV recording of Hugh in Germany in March 2007. As usual, a mixed set of Stranglers and solo material. This is a partial set (i.e. not the full gig) that was broadcast as pert of the long running Rockpalast series by the WDR Channel.

DVD image: https://we.tl/t-ouzuFdaXey

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-44XGsy2BaD

01. Nice 'N' Sleazy

02. Picked Up By The Wind

03. Hanging Around

04. Bear Cage

05. Black Hair, Black Eyes, Black Suit

06. Always The Sun

07. Nerves Of Steel

08. Walk On By

09. No More Heroes

10. Interview

11. Peaches

12. Down In The Sewer

 

Peter And The Test Tube Babies Le Truck Lyon 15th December 1989

 

Here's a great set from Peter & The Test Tube Babies in France in the late 1980's. Peter has a few health issues at the moment, so we wish him well.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-YuExG47DvE

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-rp2Z94pSP8

Oxford Apollo 11th February 1985

 

And another one to fill in some of the 'Aural Sculpture' tour gaps.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-VTETIfJt2v

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-QX2SeZE8ep

01. Something Better Change
02. Nuclear Device
03. Uptown
04. Dead Ringer
05. No Mercy
06. Nice ‘N’ Sleazy
07. Thrown Away
08. Let Me Down Easy
09. Midnight Summer Dream
10. European Female
11. Ships That Pass In The Night
12. Golden Brown
13. Peaches
14. Death & Night & Blood
15. Threatened
16. Punch & Judy
17. Hanging Around
18. I Feel Like A Wog
19. Down In The Sewer