Hugh Cornwell live at The Cheese & Grain, Frome, Somerset (27.1.2024) with EXTC supporting
Another trip over to Frome – something of a habit in recent years and prompting a gig venue blog for the legendary Cheese & Grain.
A reasonably convenient Hugh Cornwell live appearance will always lure me in. My last Hugh blog from Newbury covered my long running enjoyment of this former Stranglers frontman.
A few days prior to tonight’s gig, support band The Primitives had to pull out of the tour due to lead singer Tracy Tracy’s failing voice. Having booked the tickets partly on that worthwhile addition, I was disappointed but only until I discovered that EXTC were replacing them on the tour.
That is original XTC drummer, Terry Chambers, playing XTC songs with Steve Hampton (previously with The Vapors and Joe Jackson’s band) and Terry Lines on bass.
This is a band I’ve wanted to see since I knew they were an active reincarnation of XTC. I never saw XTC live before they parked their spell of art rock pop brilliance.
The audience were well educated in the tunes – XTC emerged from up the road in Swindon so were probably local heroes in their day. The singalongs got louder as the set progressed, starting with Statue of Liberty and on through gem after gem. The likes of Senses Working Overtime and Sgt.Rock (Is Going to Help Me) early on and building to the choruses of Generals and Majors. I forgot how good these songs are. “Bloody Marvellous!” was vocals and guitarist Steve Hampton’s verdict on the crowd singing.
Of course, Making Plans For Nigel was the one everyone knew. Joyous nostalgia. They finish with Life Begins at The Hop. The band seemed to have enjoyed their surprise substitution to tonight’s entertainment as much as the audience and very grateful they were, apologising several times for their presence, in the most humble way. Well worth seeking out this XTC tribute with an original heartbeat.
Now for Hugh. The venue is about two thirds full so it feels busy enough but plenty of room once back passed half way. Bit of wandering room to pop down the side for a pic.
Hugh, playing with a drummer and bassist, opens with Iwannahideinsideaya from his latest album, Moments of Madness. I held off buying the album until tonight but I’m already familiar with it through Spotify. The title track, a skanking reggae number, is one of the best on the album, and makes an appearance about 20 minutes in. Red Rose and When I was a Young Man would be my other picks.
Hugh’s vocal is clear, up front and unmistakeable on the album, as it is with the live set. The sound is good and no ear protection required. Most of the time his guitar playing is intense as he picks away, eyes down on the fretboard. Bassist and drummer add supporting vocals, helping those choruses.
A couple of stand outs from the last album, Monster (2018), are Pure Evel and Mr Leather, which Hugh introduces and explains is in tribute to Lou Reed – Hugh had arranged to meet his hero once while on tour in America but it all went wrong and he never got to see him… then he died.
I snapped a setlist afterwards from the lucky recipient – needs a bit of de-coding, adding to its interest. I did enjoy the way the old Stranglers numbers – and not always obvious ones – were weaved into the set. This was a great mix that highlighted the recent albums and also respected the Stranglers years. The title track from Totem and Taboo (2012) was another of the memorable solo material. Always a tricky balance. This worked better than the new stuff v old stuff sets in my view.
One Stranglers song aired, that had me reaching for the 1981 La Folie LP as soon as I got home, was Tramp. It is more like a Hugh solo track and one which is so familiar to me, but I hadn’t played for ages. That tour was one I saw The Stranglers twice on (Birmingham Odeon; Leicester University) so it was like finding on old favourite jacket or something.
Before that, singles Skin Deep and Strange Little Girl. Who Wants the World was my favourite Stranglers track from the main set tonight – released just before my first Stranglers gig at the London Rainbow in 1981.
This was a long enjoyable set, a good hour and three quarters in the end. The encores retained the new/ old balance with Leave Me Alone from the solo Hi-fi album (2000), Lasagne from the latest release and two more Stranglers ones. The first, Thrown Away, a bit surprising as this isn’t a track with a Hugh lead vocal. All four of The Stranglers are credited with writing it so perhaps Hugh is just underlining his claim on it.
To finish – the best for last – Hanging Around, plucked from that debut Stranglers album.
I have never enjoyed a Hugh Cornwell gig as much as this one and with the bonus support act, tonight was a successful outing. I celebrated with a copy of the latest album, Moments of Madness, in a fetching green marble vinyl, which the man himself signed for me.
Gigs with Ivan 