'No Grass Grows On A Busy Street' - Baz Warne On 25 Years Of Strangling

 

I have no idea how knowledge of this one passed me by. I am familiar the title, Baz said it to me as I was stood in front of him at one of the acoustic gigs in The Netherlands... just about half an hour before he said 'If you're gonna call me a wanker do it to my face!'. Well, I never did say such a think, I don't think he is and besides he's much bigger than me! I guess as I leaned over to say something to Owen it must have looked that way. I think what I was saying was that the band seemed to be a little lubricated at that point in the proceedings judging from the banter on stage... any way I digress.

I am sure that this will be an excellent addition to The Stranglers library and for once, it may fill in some gaps in my own personal history with the band from the period when I walked away. I imagine that it will be quite a contrast to the choas and confrontation of the early years. Always interested tobetter understand inter-band relationships and how that helps or hinders the creative process.

JJ and Baz on Liz Kershaw's 'Legends In Their Own Lunchtime' Show (BBC 6 Music)

 

Here's one that I dredged up recently. As far as I can see I haven't posted this before. Broadcast on 12th December 2021, this one hour mix of music and chat looks both backwards at a long career and forwards, 'Dark Matters' having been released a few months before. So cast yourself back to that Covid period of suspended animation for 59 minutes.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-kO6Min26Qy

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-d2fP4CrJMf

Baz Warne The Centurian Club Somersham 16th July 2022

 

Many thanks to Saz Chapman for allowing me to take the audio from her video clips and also to Jez Bottley who's recording of 'Nice 'n' Sleazy' meant that songwise this is a reflection of the full set from this most important of gigs. Many thanks to you both!

This was the near culmination of a very emotional day... tired and emotional for many, myself included. A friend's tribute in a place that Dave knew so well.

WAV: https://we.tl/t-IpTglNMOXB

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-WMGJrMwXL7

01. The Man Comes Around

02. Nice ‘N’ Sleazy

03. Golden Brown

04. Bless You (Save You, Spare You, Damn You)

05. Dutch Moon

06. Lines

07. Breathe

08. And If You Should See Dave

09. Always The Sun

Baz Warne Inked

 

Baz Warne

15 cm x 20 cm linocut print

Black ink on cream art card.

JJ Burnel and Baz Warne on BBC Radio 4's 'Loose Ends' March 2012

Here is a new one to me. Back in March 2012, JJ and Baz provided the musical portion of an episode of BBC Radio 4's 'Loose Ends' programme. Here then is an acoustic version of 'Boom Boom' followed by the briefest anecdote from Blur's Alex James concerning fellow cheese enthusiast, one Dave Greenfield. Thanks for the share!

MP3 (as received): https://we.tl/fII46hcdA4

Various Stranglers Related Interviews - by Malcolm Wyatt

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a guy called Malcom Wyatt, a freelance blogger with a healthy interest in The Stranglers. Looking at his site there are a number of interviews conducted over the last couple of years with individual band members as well as that Hugh bloke.

They can be found here. (starts with Hugh - other links are at the bottom of the article)

Baz Warne At The Stroud Inn East Kilbride 21st Novembwe 2014

Here's a recent solo outing from Baz in which the expected Stranglers material is mixed up with some interesting covers of which Johnny Cash's tremendous 'The Man Comes Around' (a powerhouse description of Armageddon recorded towards the end of the great man's life) and John Hiatt's 'Perfectly Good Guitar' ("It breaks my heart to see those stars, smashing a perfectly good guitar") stand out for me.

The sound quality is not the greatest and the audience are quite noisy throughout (it would have tipped Hugh over the edge!), but it is an interesting gig for all that. Many thanks to yesican for the recording.

FLAC: http://we.tl/n85YIwAX44

Artwork: http://we.tl/CTDwrmWLFH

01. Intro
02. The Man Comes Around
03. Perfectly Good Guitar
04. Barbara (Shangri-La)
05. One Of Us
06. Long Black Veil
07. My Fickle Resolve (Abandoned)
08. Only Women Bleed
09. Relentless
10. Walk On By
11. Nice 'N' Sleazy
12. Goodbye Toulouse
13. Bless You (Jock The Box - Abandoned)
14. Bless You
15. Spectre Of Love
16. Strange Little Girl
17. Golden Brown
18. Who Wants The World?
19. Always The Sun
20. Rockin' In The Free World

Baz Gets The Beaumont Treatment

 

Baz Warne

by Steve Beaumont 2013

 

Love This!!

The Toy Dolls On Tour in November

 

I am in a bit of a quandary the elusive Toy Dolls are playing rare dates next month in the UK. I'll be honest in saying that whilst I have some of their early stuff, they never set my world alight really. But, TV Smith is supporting......

What ever I decide, it is always a good excuse to post this bit of footage.....

Not to mention this......

The Faith Band, The Golden Fleece Nottingham 22nd March 2002

Here's a gig with a bit of a tale. On this occasion under the banner of the Faith Band, Paul Roberts and Baz Warne played a low key gig in Nottingham. The gig was promoted by a friend Barry Spooner.

In his own words:
'A very special year for me not least of all because I had the pleasure and privilege of becoming a “promoter” for Paul Roberts & Baz Warne when they performed as the Faith Band in Nottingham on ‘The Peoples Acoustic Tour‘. This tour was an opportunity for fans to organise their own gigs. Myself and about another dozen or so fans jumped at the chance (maybe ‘jumped’ is not the correct word)!. To cut a long story short I joined forces with a Nottingham city centre based landlord to put on a free gig which basically showcased PR’s solo material and very successful it was too, even if I do say so myself. Fans came from all over the place and ‘The Golden Fleece’ rocked that night. But all of this didn’t happen without mucho blood, sweat & tears. I even went to a Hugh Cornwell book signing (’Song By Song’) armed with home made flyers to try and publicise our event. Hugh even autographed a flyer for one fan! Anyway, 3 months of sleepless nights paid off.' 

FLAC: https://rapidshare.com/files/1565025032/TheFaithBandNottingham22March2002FLAC.zip

MP3: https://rapidshare.com/files/4026491679/TheFaithBandNottingham22March2002MP3.zip

Artwork: https://rapidshare.com/files/348901205/TheFaithBandNottingham22March2002AW.zip

1. Chasing Rainbows
2. Fried
3. Here
4. Postcard
5. Can't Seem
6. Only Women Bleed
7. In Heaven She Walks
8. Grateful
9. Sinister

Thanks to Paul B for the recording and Barry S for the words and the photos.

Paul Roberts & Baz Warne

The Golden Fleece, Nottingham

22nd March 2002

JJ & Baz Session Jonathan Ross Show BBC Radio 2 28th February 2004

A short acoustic radio session from JJ and Baz back in 2004.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-oYI50cqS4Y

1. Interview
2. Dutch Moon
3. Interview
4. Strange Little Girl

JJ Burnel & Baz Warne RTE Radio Interview 22nd October 2010

As An example of some more of JJ and Baz's little acoustic sideline (referred to in the France 2007 post), here's a feature that appeared on Ireland's RTE Radio back in 2010. The short extract featuring a rather belligerent Burnel is from 'Willesee at Seven', a prime time early evening magazine show in Australia. Recorded during the band's ill-fated 1979 Australian tour, this interview was to the Stranglers what Grundy was to the Pistols.... all good sweary fun.

MP3: https://we.tl/t-dHnE41LHhs

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-DSyFF1oTgl