Nashville Review - 21st November 1976?

Whilst rifling through some of the many Stranglers cuttings that I have, I stumbled across a review of an early gig at the Nashville Rooms. It appeared in the short lived music paper National Rock Star. In it the journalist, one John Shearlaw, makes specific mention of the unreliability of the band's equipment, a persistent problem that they themselves have often referred to with regard to the early days. John it would appear was in fact on The Stranglers side in late 1976, a rare example of press support. In the same paper of 4th December he was again responsible for interviewing the band whilst avowing that they were indeed the next big thing.

Interestingly enough this gig mentions the support for the night as Chelsea, a gig which I believe occurred on 21st November 1976. Mention is also made of a stage invasion during the encore, which makes me think that the photograph below is also from this gig. The Finchleys are on the stage, exactly a week after their first encounter with the band at the Torrington pub on 14th.

The Nashville Rooms - 21st November 1976

 

 

This photo by Ray Stevenson is credited to have been taken in 1977, but from an admittedly incomplete gig chronology, in early '77 the band were travelling further afield from their London base introducing themselves in the English towns. The London dates (prior to the bans) were generally in the larger established music venues such as the Rainbow and Roundhouse by this time. Effectively with the record deal and the release of 'Rattus' in April their pub residency days were behind them.

 

Here's the follow up piece from December.