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 18 November 2017

The Undertones Epic Studios Norwich 10th October 2012


Last night The Undertones played Koko in Camden. The world would be a much poorer place without them. In these days of uncertainty when the world seems to have gone mad..... and that is most mornings if Trump has been online, the fact that a group of men approaching 60 can sing songs about Chocolate and Girls is a cause for celebration! Family entertainment indeed!

Here are the band performing in Norwich in 2012.

FLAC: https://we.tl/uqJ4rT3yRb

01. Intro
02. My Perfect Cousin
03. Jump Boys
04. Girls Don't Like It
05. You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It)
06. Here Comes The Summer
07. Tearproof
08. Male Model
09. Jimmy Jimmy
10. Need Your Love The Way It Used To Be
11. Billy's Third
12. Family Entertainment
13. When Saturday Comes
14. Top Twenty
15. Love Parade
16. Teenage Kicks
17. Thrill Me
18. (She's a) Runaround
19. I Know A Girl
20. Get Over You

Wednesday 15 November 2017

20 From '86 (4) The Icicle Works Royal Court Liverpool 1st October 1986

Now here were a great band (and one still playing). Liverpool's Icicle Works. This home town gig was recorded in late 1986 and as such features several songs from their excellent 'If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song' album that was released in March 1987. I saw them at The Reading Festival that August and they wee one of the best bands of the weekend..... miles better than Magnum and The Enid!

FLAC: https://we.tl/dyby6837Gt

01. Hollow Horse
02. Who Do You Want For Your Love
03. Understanding Jane
04. Love Is A Wonderful Colour
05. Stary Blue Eyed Wonder
06. Little Girl Lost
07. When It All Comes Down
08. Birds Fly
09. Should I Stay Or Should I Go

10. Seven Horses

Sunday 12 November 2017

20 From '86 (3) Killing Joke Vaulx En Velin Lyon 6th December 1986


Here's a 1986 festival recording from Killing Joke. The mid '80's was a tremendously creative period for the band with some of there best material released (and very different from the raw of the earlier.... an later albums).

FLAC: https://we.tl/TVGvqmL9Ua

Artwork: https://we.tl/olfGhqMJID

01. Intro
02. Twilight Of The Mortal
03. Chessboards
04. Kings & Queens
05. Darkness Before Dawn
06. Night Time
07. Love Like Blood
08. Love Of The Masses
09. The Sun Goes Down
10. Requim
11. The Wait
12. Wardance
13. Eighties
14. Complications
15. Rubicon

Too many fools blocking my motion

Siouxsie Sioux
Linoprint 20cm x 15cm
Black ink on cream.

Saturday 11 November 2017

Lest We Forget


On 11th November I am remembering my Grandad, the men of the 59th (Staffordshire) Division and 49th (West Riding) Division and all those killed, wounded and scarred by war. Lest we forget.


Sunday 5 November 2017

20 From '86 (2) The Ramones First Avenue Minneapolis 27th July 1986

Johnny being Johnny 1986

1986 saw the Ramones touring (no great surprise there) on the back of their new album 'Animal Boy'. Many think that The Ramones at this stage had nothing more to offer, but in my opinion it is a solid album. The highlight of this gig for me is Dee Dee's 'Love Kills', a great song and the band's musical tribute to those other punk junkies, Sid and Nancy.

Sid was a punk rock king
Nancy was a broken queen
Their lives were so glamorous
Sid and Nancy were a mess
When you're hooked on heroin
Don't you know you'll never win
Drugs don't ever pay
You really did it your way
Love kills (x3)

We still believe in anarchy
It makes me so damn angry
Sid and Nancy meant a lot to me
You may be dead but your souls are free
Like Romeo and Juliet
You two made a pact of death
Like the needle that ya used
Sid and Nancy were born to lose
Love kills (x3)

Sid never meant any harm
He shot some dope into his arm
All he wanted was some fun
Now she's lying in a pool of blood
Always loaded, always high
Why did you have to die?
I'll say one thing is
It leaves me with a bitter taste
Love kills (x9)

Many thanks to to person who kindly shared this with me for this site!


MP3 (as received): https://we.tl/CYGeMZBu44

01. Teenage Lobotomy
02. Psycho Therapy
03. Blitzkrieg Bop
04. Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?
05. Freak Of Nature
06. Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment
07. Rock 'N' Roll High School
08. I Wanna Be Sedated
09. The KKK Took My Baby Away
10. Crummy Stuff
11. Loudmouth
12. Love Kills
13. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
14. Glad To See You Go
15. Surfin' Bird
16. Cretin Hop
17. I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You
18. Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World
19. Pinhead
20. Chinese Rock
21. Somebody Put Something In My Drink
22. Rockaway Beach
23. Do You Wanna Dance?
24. California Sun

25. We're A Happy Family

Saturday 4 November 2017

20 From '86 (1) RCH Nottingham 28th October 1986


OK, I haven't done one of these for a while, but here is the start of what will be over the coming days a series of gigs from 1986. True, by this time, Stock, Aitken and Waterman had the charts in a stranglehold, everything was bouncy and over produced but there were diamonds in the rough.... you just had to seek them out that's all.



As this is predominantly a Stranglers site, they can get the ball rolling with this Dreamtime date from Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall.

FLAC: https://we.tl/YPUQrtGnoO

Artwork: https://we.tl/LwQdnJ161t

01. Intro
02. No More Heroes
03. Was It You?
04. Down In The Sewer
05. Nice In Nice
06. Punch And Judy
07. Souls
08. Always The Sun
09. La Folie
10. Strange Little Girl
11. Nice ‘N’ Sleazy
12. Who Wants The World
13. Big In America
14. Duchess
15. Bring On The Nubiles
16. Shakin Like A Leaf
17. Uptown
18. Tank
19. Toiler On The Sea
20. Spain
21. Hanging Around
22. London Lady