The culmination of a great Strangling weekend with consecutive gigs in Livingston, Newport and London (didn't get across the Irish Sea for gigs in Belfast, Dublin and Cork). Set included a couple of '10' teasers in the form of 'Someone Like You' and 'Where I Live'.
There is no question about the influence that Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground had upon The Stranglers. The triumvirate of David, Iggy and Lou are widely accepted to be musicians that resulted in punk. More recently, Hugh wrote his own homage to Lou in the form of 'Mr Leather'.
I recently noticed this particular soundboard recording on from 1989 on Dime. It is from the tour that he did to promote the release of the 'New York' album. At the time of its release I was in my first term of university. Listening to this live recording of 'New York' album material, I was taken back into a Hall of Residence (Urgggh!!) and sitting around on Friday and Saturday evenings listening to music as others got stoned. Not being puritanical at all here, but I never really got on with cannabis so I rarely partook myself... so I was just left with thoughts of being in a pub as the music played. I endured endless hours of Pink Floyd, The Doors (I still can't listen to 'The Crystal Ship to this day!) and Lou Reed's 'New York', whilst my stoner companions went off in their own reveries!
I am not especially a fan of Lou Reed, I have 'Transformer' of course and I am partial to some VU stuff, but parts of the 'New York' album were very good, the single 'Dirty Blvd' especially so. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album the 19th best album of the '80s (out of 100).
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-ZVEyVlICoW
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-4fKUpylI32
The Damned surely are the masters of the reformation. I mean, they first did it way back in 1978, just when multitudes of second wave punk bands were plugging in their guitars for the first time. The Damned had two stabs with the original line up in 1988 and 1989. I really enjoyed these gigs as they were my first time seeing the band with not only Brian James but also with Sensible (having missed his 10th Anniversary cameo... I went on the Saturday to Finsbury Park).
I have mentioned elsewhare in a Damned post on here that these gigs were the reason why I didn't opt to see the reunion gigs of 2022, figuring which gigs would likely be best? Damned Damned Damned performed by a band in their 30's or by a band in their late 60's. A silly thought process I know. I must sit down at some point and play an '88/'89 show back to back with a 2022 gig to see how they compared. In the end I was the one who lost out since by the time that the 2022 shows came around, The Damned were at long last able and willing to acknowledge that they did in fact release a second album! At the end of the '80's in their eyes, 'Music For Pleasure' did not exist!
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-Mk3WxVyeRv
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-T4qerSGLuq
Here's a great set from Peter & The Test Tube Babies in France in the late 1980's. Peter has a few health issues at the moment, so we wish him well.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-YuExG47DvE
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-rp2Z94pSP8
Like the 'Go For It Again' reunion of the last line up of Stiff Little Fingers in December 1987, the announcement that the classic line-up of Buzzcocks (Shelley, Diggle, Garvey and Maher) would be 'Telling Friends' on tour in the UK in December 1989 was like a gift out of the blue for a 20 year old punk desperately trying to catch up as best he could. In truth, perhaps the announcement was not so much out of the blue. As I seem to recall, some months prior, Steve Diggle's band 'Flag Of Convenience' (FOC) mysteriously appended 'Buzzcocks' to their gig ads in the music press, becoming 'Buzzcocks FOC'. At this point the rumour grapevine started to vibrate.
I was at this particular gig and it certainly did not disappoint, the bands talent shone though despite the passage of eight years apart. The same can be said of the line-up's performance at 2012's 'Front To Back' gigs where punk's Fab Four stole the show, despite an even greater gap of 20 plus years!
'This could be the last time, baby, I don't know'
In light of today's announcement here's one they did earlier.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-lfNnINdm5X
01. See Her Tonite
