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.


Saturday, 29 March 2025

Archive Interviews 1978 - 1980

 


Here's a great little collection of radio interviews conducted in the 1978 to 1980 period which covers the most interesting period of the Mk I career. Skipping through it prior to posting I noted two notable interviews were both conducted for Tommy Vance's 'Rock On' Radio 1 show. Hugh talks about Nosferatu, how Devo got involved and Robert's unique percussive contribution to the album. There is also an interview with Hugh and Jet on their Raven 'rebirth' prior to the Wembley gig, in which they also discuss the 'Rock Goes to College' incident. Seems to cast some doubt on the idea of a BBC blackout of the band post Top Of The Pops and RGTC.





Hugh Cornwell Kulturzentrum Schlachtof Kassel 28th March 2024

 


Here's one that I intended to post yesterday (on its birthday) but unfortunately work intervened. Hugh returned to this venue in this central German town to play the 'Totem & Taboo' almost on its entirity (9 of 11 tracks) along with a similar number of Stranglers' tracks (I wonder whether he s contractually obliged by promoters to include Stranglers' songs in the set these days?).

Anyway this one sounds great and Hugh enjoys a good report with the audience. An all round good gig I think.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-af91WpHmQE

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-jHhJMpyacy



Tuesday, 25 March 2025

The Vapors Cruel World Pasadena CA 20th May 2023

 


Following on from last weekend's northern adventures with The Vapors here for your listening edification is a short festival set from 2023's 'Cruel World' event, a West Coast celebration of New Wave music, a type of festival that seems to be very popular at the moment in the US.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-BcOxBz9Lp2

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-KOQwUg4wCK



Sunday, 23 March 2025

Spotlight on Andrew Lauder (New Musical Express 3rd March 1978)

Here's a brief insight into the world of Andrew Lauder, the record company executive, who when with United Artists signed The Stranglers, and along with the acquisition of Buzzcocks, made UA one of the big league independent labels behind punk.

This piece comes from the time when, having left United Artists, he was setting up Radar Records that really got behind Elvis Costello & The Attractions.

I found it interesting what he said of the punk scene as it existed in early 1978.

"In 1977," he theorises, "a new generation of kids discovered rock 'n' roll for the first time. This year many of them will learn how to play it and those who've already learned to play it are now learning how to write it".

He hit the nail on the head with that opinion I thought. Those bands that had survived the madness of punk could within 18 months play their instruments and were therefore free to produce some very exiting and totally diverse material... the reason why 1979 can be considered to be the best year for British misic ever!



Saturday, 22 March 2025

Ventura Theater Ventura CA 22nd March 1997

 


Another anniversary show, one a bit younger this time and as obnoxious as your average teenager! An adrift Stranglers entertain the Californians back in 1997. I still wince when I hear the band's version of 'Summer In The City'. A great song in the wrong hands.

MP3 (as received): https://we.tl/t-LZntk3Wuuv

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-3dyyxNudj9



Rotation Hannover 22nd March 1985

 

Sticking with all things Aural Sculpture for one more post. Here is a gig that celebrates its fortieth birthday today. A great gig with pretty good sound too. Please read the original uploader's notes. This is a matrixed version of two different recordings as the taper (the same person as the uploader) had mike issues with their own recording which affected several songs mid set.

Happy Birthday Hannover!

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-KIQqU8hqVD

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-3LcqDOId6i



UK Subs Deported (The Guardian 21st March 2025)

This story appeared on the Guardian online and in the newspaper this morning.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/21/uk-subs-band-detained-deported

Any organisation be it a government administration, a faith organisation or whatever that cannot deal with critisism without resorting to draconian measures to silence any dissenting opinions is weak. I hope that US and Canadian punk bands and whosoever in North America who can see this cohort of dangerous clowns for what they are keep up a spirit of resistance.

Members of British punk rock band UK Subs denied entry into the US.

Three members of the pioneering band were detained and returned to the UK after flying to Los Angeles for a gig.

Members of the punk rock band UK Subs have said they were denied entry and detained in the US, according to accounts from the band themselves.

Bassist Alvin Gibbs shared details of the incident in a Facebook post on Wednesday, which comes amid widespread reports of people being denied entry to the US, including a French scientist who said he was barred because of anti-Donald Trump comments he had made.

Gibbs, along with bandmates Marc Carrey and Stefan Häublein, were deported back to the UK following their detainment. Only vocalist Charlie Harper had been allowed entry. Harper ended up playing the band’s scheduled show in Los Angeles with a group of stand-in musicians.

He recounted how after he landed at the LA airport with his partner, he was told he would be questioned after being flagged. He was informed the flagging was for two reasons: first, he was told he had an incorrect visa, but he was also told that there was another reason that the agents would not disclose to him.

“I can’t help but wonder whether my frequent, and less than flattering, public comments regarding their president and his administration played a role – or perhaps I’m simply succumbing to paranoia,” he said.

The band, considered pioneers in the genre of British punk rock, have been outspokenly critical of Trump and his policies in the past. They are known to often make political statements during live performances.

“What followed was far from pleasant,” Gibbs said. “Two police officers escorted me to another section of LAX, where I found Stefan and Marc already detained in a cold holding pen, along with a group of Colombian, Chinese, and Mexican detainees. My luggage, phone, and passport were confiscated.”

He explained how he was eventually called for a second interview at 4am, hours after he had initially landed at 7pm.

Gibbs says his partner waited 25 hours for him to finally be released from the detention. “By the time we were escorted on to the flight at 8pm the next day, I had gone without sleep for well over a day, surviving only on a pot noodle and a couple of cups of tea.”

Though he expressed relief that Harper had been able to enter the country and perform the scheduled show, Gibbs is not keen on trying to come back to the US again. “It seems my relationship with the country is over for the foreseeable future,” he said.

The experiences of the UK Subs members are the latest in a long line of people who have experienced long hours of detainment and deportation upon entering the US, with the incidents frequently credited to vague or unspecified visa issues.

In a similar situation to UK Subs, a French researcher was denied entry to the US earlier this month after immigration officers at an airport searched his phone and found messages in which he had expressed criticisms of the Trump administration.

In response to the news Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister of higher education and research, said: “This measure was apparently taken by the American authorities because the researcher’s phone contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration’s research policy.”

D.O.A.Canada needs you now!