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.


Wednesday 17 October 2018

The Arts Centre Aberystwyth Arts Centre 17th October 2008



10 years to the night, the Stranglers entertain the folk of Aberystwyth on the Forty-two Forty tour. Hello to Doug if you are looking in!

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-mXy65jhkCE

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-5VPzsMwtHk

01. Intro
02. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
03. Five Minutes
04. Peaches
05. Nice 'N' Sleazy
06. Spectre Of Love
07. Skin Deep
08. No Mercy
09. Always The Sun
10. Strange Little Girl
11. Golden Brown
12. The Raven
13. Thrown Away
14. Walk On By
15. Hanging Around
16. Straighten Out
17. Big Thing Coming
18. All Day And All Of The Night
19. Duchess
20. Tank

01. Crowd
02. Nuclear Device
03. Something Better Change
04. No More Heroes


Dave twiddling the knobs in Welsh Wales

Saturday 6 October 2018

Killing Joke Manchester Academy University of Manchester 6th October 2003



Killing Joke touring the 'Killing Joke' album on this day in 2003.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-v5RAMYUZWS

01. Communion
02. Requiem
03. Total Invasion
04. Wardance
05. Blood On Your Hands
06. Change
07. Seeing Red
08. The Fall Of Because
09. Tension
10. The Death And Resurrection Show
11. Kings And Queens
12. Loose Cannon
13. Empire Song
14. The Wait
15. Asteroid

Thursday 4 October 2018

Soft Cell Hammersmith Palais 10th January 1984


Bollocks to the detractors I am posting this with no apologies. Last weekend I took my daughter to see Soft Cell's last hurrah at the horrendous pleasure dome, otherwise known as the O2 Arena. I have a bit of a history with Soft Cell going back to the first appearances of the band on Top of the Pops with 'Tainted Love'. Later in '83  and '84, they released two of my favourite albums of the 1980's, namely 'The Art of Falling Apart' and 'This Last Night in Sodom'. This was at the same time that I was listening to 'Feline' and (albeit slightly later) 'Aural Sculpture' and whilst at that time we were attuning to the more mellow Meninblack, those Soft Cell albums offered an intensity that really wasn't much in evidence at the time. As the band spiraled towards their implosion in a morass of drug fueled paranoia their music shifted from radio friendly poppy bedsit melodramas to full blown primal scream songs of desperation and despair. All good stuff to the ears of a mid-Sussex school boy!

Anyday, give me 'The Art of Falling Apart', 'Baby Doll' or 'Martin' over 'Punch & Judy', 'Mad Hatter' or 'No Mercy'. Love them as I do, at that time I wanted something with more potential to raise the blood pressure. Sadly, these days there is a tendency to look upon Soft Cell as early '80's big chart acts on a par with The Human League, ABC and Ultravox, but there was so much more to them than that.

So, despite the expense I was very happy to see Soft Cell one more time at their last ever gig. All respect to Marc and Dave!

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-iPI7GA38uk

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-cuYHjvJG8S

01. Mr Self Destruct
02. Soul Inside
03. Down In The Subway
04. Torch
05. L'Esqualita
06. Loving You Hating Me
07. Youth
08. Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It Most)
09. Best Way To Kill
10. Baby Doll
11. Martin
12. The Art Of Falling Apart
13. Hey Joe
14. Purple Haze

01. Memorabilia
02. Heat
03. Bedsitter
04. Ghost Rider