The Stranglers live at The Royal Albert Hall, London (26.3.2024) and Bristol Beacon (5.5.2024)
The 50th anniversary tour – blimey, we are getting old – we are two Stranglers down having lost Dave Greenfield and Jet Black – Hugh Cornwell has long been ploughing his own furrow, but the ‘familyinblack’ is still holding it together, with Jean-Jacques Burnel the only original member and still looking much fitter and younger than his 70 years. For me it’s a mere 44 years of seeing The Stranglers, with my first gig not being until July 1980 at The Rainbow, Finsbury Park, London.
They have had their dips in popularity and performances but since Baz Warne joined in 2000, becoming the main guitarist and vocalist in 2006, they have continued to rise again. They said the last tour was the end of their big full tours but this year’s has still been a significant outing. I selected two gigs to go to on this tour – both were excellent in different ways. How long can we all go on? I’ll enjoy it while I can.
There was some uncertainty around these gigs. Bristol was supposed to be the day before the Royal Albert Hall but frontman Baz Warne had a bad throat, so it was put back – this gave 24 hours to recover for the Albert Hall gig. All the more grateful.
I’ve been to just a handful of gigs at the Albert Hall and different spots each time. This recent Stranglers opportunity came courtesy of… I’ll call him North London Dave, who sorted half a box out for four of us, almost hovering over the stage (right).
No support band on this tour but a long and diverse set in two halves, covering the breadth of material really well. The sets in London and in Bristol were identical. At the Albert Hall there was a fairly brief introduction to both halves by some drummers (Fugu Taiko), of the type that introduce martial arts bouts – a passion of bassist JJ.
A strange position perhaps, hanging above the stage, but that gave a wonderful sweeping view around the huge space of the building, the standing crowd below and the band, especially drummer Jim Macaulay (touring with the band since 2012, overlapping with Jet Black for a while before Jet retired) and keyboardist of the last few years, since Dave Greenfield died, Toby Hounsham. They do amazing jobs at filling the old boots.
It this all embracing set list, perhaps what surprised me most was the opening with two songs from ‘The Gospel According to the ‘Meninblack‘ album – not everyone’s cup of tea that one but I love it – I saw them twice on that tour when I’d not long been going to gigs, so it must command a special place. The Raven followed – one of my favourites, if not THE favourite…… no that has to be Hanging Around (also included in the first half).
I’ll mention more on this tour’s setlist later, but last song of the main set was Tank, from the Black and White album. A beauty and I grabbed a video from our unusual position, saved here on my YouTube channel.
Beer was flowing and the time rattled by. There was a bit of a feeling we were watching the gig rather than being part of it from our vantage point, but ease of seat access and the view made this novelty an enjoyable one. All this was in complete contrast to my front row seat, yes seat, at Bristol Beacon some weeks later. This opportunity courtesy of another Dave – you can’t have enough Daves eh. Plymouth Dave couldn’t make it to Bristol as the rearranged gig clashed with other sizeable gig-going arrangements – but I still get a seat in the front row, in front of JJ on the left hand side. I have never had such a great view of The Stranglers live.
I returned to the heavily refurbished Bristol Beacon, after my first visit in December to see The Darkness. The basic shape is as the old Colston Hall was, with the large atrium when you enter, whether to the back or front, whichever is the back or the front!
There was a bit of social media criticism of having the seated downstairs area for a Stranglers gig – I get it – yes it is good to have a standing/ seating split and it saves the irritation that often emerges from people who want or need to sit , with people leaping up in the way in front of them for a whole gig. As it happens, when I looked round after the standing and dancing started during the latter stages of part one of the set, most people seem to be on their feet on the ground floor.
For a lot of the set I have no one in front of me but I did enjoy it more when we were joined at the front by invaders from behind. Not so good was the invasion of security with a job they had been told to do. At one point the heavy handling on one particular female fan led to JJ crouching down and speaking to security. Baz looked on smiling and after it was sorted remarked that we were all lucky that wasn’t a few years back – it would have all kicked off…. with JJ getting stuck in, as a peacemaker of course.
Hanging Around and Down In The Sewer ended part one of the set. What a finish and that’s just the first half. It set the tone for the second half and when the band return most of the crowd downstairs are on their feet – not all and the central front was where most remained seated. They looked like they really wanted to/ needed to.
The playing was excellent – such a good sound – bloody loud at the front mind with some extra speakers right on the front of the stage. I took my muso ear plugs out quite early on. Sometimes I just think let’s go for it…but my ears were ringing well for a day afterwards. Bad idea in hindsight but great at the time. Throughout, neither Baz nor JJ said too much. JJ’s dedication of The Raven to Jet Black and Dave Greenfield was a bit of a choker (both gigs, but more notable when sat yards from JJ). It must have been so hard spending your whole musical career with the same guys and then losing them.
What more can anyone say about The Stranglers style – despite the loss of Jet and Dave G there is a new stability. The original four piece set up, with a powerful drumbeat, exceptional keyboard wanderings and layers of sound, JJ’s throbbing bass and deep vocals, leading on some songs and Baz on guitar and main vocals bringing it all together. Shouldn’t forget the vocals on Genetix, which were always Dave Greenfield’s and Toby delivers in part one.
My first Stranglers gig was the tour when Who Wants the World single was released, so when that started the second half, I of course loved it.
The part two set list is shown below – what a feast (displayed by friend Paul’s son, James, who had the seats next to me, and nabbed a list). There are not many bands I see live when I know every song, and well, but The Stranglers are one such band….OK OK I admit to not recognising Lost Control from The Norfolk Coast album. I can’t have played that for ages. This is followed by what seems to be the favoured live track now from the last album – White Stallion from Dark Matters, including the last work of Dave Greenfield.
After Tank to finish, as in London, it was encore time. JJ introduced the first Stranglers song ever, Go Buddy Go. Then the inevitable… No More Heroes.
Two more Stranglers gigs. Two very different gigs but the two are my top gigs of 2024 so far, early doors I realise, but I don’t know how these will be pipped. I hope there will be more opportunities to see these meninblack in 2025. Every yearinblack will be appreciated here.
Gigs with Ivan 