At this point in time it is difficult to comprehend that as even in the late summer of 1978, punk or at least the contribution of The Stranglers to punk rock was still a thing to be feared. It does seem to be ludicrous that the Greater London Council (GLC), the capital's administrative body with the responsibility of licencing major events in London, deemed it necessary to apply a blanket ban to any gig at which the band were due to play. That at the time The Stranglers were shifting more units than any of their contemporaries must have been a thorn in the side of venues and promoters alike as well as the band.
This unacceptable situation was eventually overcome, after several aborted attempts at staging an outdoor 'new wave' event featuring the band, when an afternoon gig in London's Battersea Park finally was granted a licence to go ahead. From the following cuttings it can be seen how the gig came about as reported by New Musical Express over the summer of 1978.
15th July 1978
S.O.T.S. (Stranglers On Tour Secretly)
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