Ultravox Brighton Centre 27th May 1984 TFTLTYTD#7

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.

Tuesday, 2 April 2024

Ultravox Brighton Centre 27th May 1984 TFTLTYTD#7

Yesterday evening I learned of the passing of Ultravox's bass player Chris Cross. This band broke through on the early London punk scene (whilst also pre-dating it having formed in 1974), but they were worlds apart from the three chord thrash. The band brought together grating guitar and synthesizers, Roxy Music, meets Kraftwerk with a bit of Johnny Thunders thrown into the mix.

With the departure of John Foxx, Midge Ure entered the fold as the band shifted to a more chart friendly sound that rode the crest of the New Romantic wave. Later still, Ultravox held their own with the hit heavy albums of Quartet (1982) and Lament (1983). Chris Cross was a constant presence across the years.

I prefer the Foxx era band, but never saw them. I did however see them play with Midge in Brighton in May 1984 and that is the gig posted here.

RIP Chris Cross (1952-2024).