The Icicle Works Aston University 4th December 1987

I cannot recall now how I became aware of The Icicle Works, a Liverpool band fronted for many years by Ian McNabb. 'Love Is A Wonderful Colour' had been a hit in 1983 so I suppose it was that. Later in 1987 they released the album 'If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing his Song', a cumbersome album title perhaps, but a great album. They were on the bill of the Reading Festival the same year and they were one of the bands that I made a point of watching.

This is a recording, albeit incomplete of the band playing at Aston University an the year of the 'Enemy' album release. Thanks to the original Dime uploader.

30 years down the line and I saw Ian McNabb again when he played in a friend's living room for his 50th birthday. After his set, I said hi at which point he mentioned The Stranglers shirt I was wearing and the fact that he was a fan. I mentioned that I'd seen The Icicle Works on the Friday of the Reading Festival ahead of The Stranglers playing on the Sunday. Clearly this lead on to the occasion on which his path crossed with The Stranglers leading to something of an audition for a potential replacement for Hugh. He confirmed that something along those lines did occur.... but unfortunately, it being a party close to Christmas, 24 hours later any detail that he did impart on this event was erased from my memory!!

Ian McNabb didn't land the job as we all know, and to be honest, I don't think that he, or any other established, known musician would have been the right move for The Stranglers.

The Icicle Works are playing again with Ian and Chris Layhe (the original bass player).

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-fYT2JSJYRhXqr0D3

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-vhCDEcXEttHKR1Df

 

Victoria Theatre Halifax 11th November 1997

 

Here's another one, courtesy of yesican. Cheers, appreciate it as always! On tour with 'Written In Red'. 

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-VVbBNYXLGS0cf79V

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-YzHkUeDrqWQeXNZR

Elastica Liberty Lunch SXSW Festival Austin Texas 17th March 1995

 

Earlier this week I posted the following on Facebook.

"I noticed recently that I was seeing quite a few Elastica posts turning up on my Facebook feed. Couldn't be a reformation I thought, although a return after 30 years would be in keeping with the sense of urgency in the band. No, the increased traffic would appear to be linked to the upcoming deluxe reissue of the first album, 31 years on. This must have been one of the last vinyl albums that I bought back in March 1995 (before resuming two or three years ago) with the catalogue insert (after the 'Kings of the Wild Frontier' album). Such a great album, even if a tad derivative of other bands' material in parts!

I was also reminded of the fact that at around the time of the release of 'Connection', Gunta decided that she wanted more than anything to be in Elastica! She is still waiting for the call..."

The reissue is something to look forward to and I may even go for the T shirt too!

As a reminder of just how good they were back when the music press deemed Elastica to be the coolest band that Cool Britannia had to offer, here is a great 'first album recording' from Austin, Texas. Undisputedly, many of their songs did not attempt to hide the inspiration behind their composition.... 'Waking Up' (The Stranglers), 'Line Up' (Wire), 'Vaseline' (Blondie), 'S.O.F.T.' (Adam & The Ants)..., they had so much good material. As I remember, in the legal dispute with The Stranglers over similarities between 'Waking Up' and 'No More Heroes' it was the publishers who went after the money whilst the band remained in the background, even publicly stating something along the lines that 'mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery'.

For me, whilst Brit Pop offered something great in comparison with the utterly disposable music that was filling the charts at the time, it was in itself rather contrived. The media set up rivalry between Mancunian swaggerers, Oasis, and mockney scamps, Blur, was a blatant attempt to recreate the Beatles Stones face offs from the 1960's, the previous occasion when a British 'music scene' had garnered the interest of America, being the best known example of biz interference. 

Aside from record company self-interest, Brit Pop did for a very short period appear to be a mirror held up to reflect a positive version of Britain. Of all the bands lumped into the scene, for me it was Elastica and that first eponymous album that represented Brit Pop's finest moment, this ultimate 'girl band' (in the same way that The Slits even with Budgie can't escape the label!) had the most verve and attitude of them all (more so than Oasis!).

Thanks to the original Dime uploader, markp.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-NoLaEXDODKdMcG0L

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-Z9iwAUL7jgk1EuQ2

Hugh Cornwell Interview (Record Mirror 7th September 1985)

Apologies if this is a hard read, it is manageable if you click on the image to enlarge, but the font is still small and the contrast (white on light blue) is not the easiest. See how you get on. 

The 'Aural Sculpture' tour is done and dusted as Hugh turns his attention to the promotion of his new single 'One In A Million'. With talk of his appearances on stage and screen along with talk of his extracurricular ventures into making music for film, it is clear that it this stage Cornwell was seeking something beyond the realms of his current quartet and more importantly something vastly different to what he was able to do within the confines of The Stranglers structure.

With some understanding of tensions that existed within the band at this time coupled with Hugh's efforts to branch out and experience other aspects of the creative industries, I have always been a little surprised that the split did not come in 1985 rather than in 1990... discuss.

Alexandra Palace London 11th August 1990

 

A mere 36 years ago The Stranglers played Alexandra Palace in North London. A gig that I missed as on the night I was in Whitehaven in Cumbria at my brother-in-laws wedding. I have said it on these pages before that having heard the gig I don't have any real regrets about missing this one (despite its significance). It was a lack lustre gig... perhaps due to the cavernous and soleless nature of the venue (an iconic building but a crap one for gigs) or it could have been the knowledge of what Hugh was to do within a couple of hours that perhaps unconsciously affected the band on the night. Whatever, it wasn't the swan song that Hugh deserved.

Here's a link to the full gig posted back in 2016.

Ally Pally 1990

Listen To The Sirens Is Live

Just a reminder, since the original announcement post is by now deeply buried, as is the link on the site's right side bar.

'Aural Sculptors' has a sister site that goes by the name of 'Listen To The Sirens', a site run along similar lines but focussed on the career of Gary Numan. Like Aural Sculptors, the content extends to cover other bands that could broadly be said to occupy the same musical space. I decided to run these as separate sites because The Stranglers and Numan are indeed very different. However, I do know for sure that there is a reasonable degree of cross-over in visitors interests sufficient to warrant the occasional reminder of its existence.

https://listentothesirenslive.blogspot.com/

This morning I posted a Numan gig from the US leg of 'The Touring Principle' recorded at San Francisco's Warfield Theatre on 8th March 1980. It is one of the best unofficial recordings from this early period in his career.

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.