Gigs with Ivan

Hugh Cornwell live.. somewhere near Newbury

Hugh Cornwell at Arlington Arts Centre, Mary Hare, Newbury 7.4.2022

Not long since I saw ex-Strangler Hugh Cornwell, now 72, supporting The Undertones in Frome, but this is a much more focused affair: Hugh and his band only tonight. The first night of a three day weekend gig hat-trick with gig buddy Dave starts with a cab ride from Chieveley M4/ A34 Services to The Arlington Arts Centre. (Thanks to my sister, mum and nephew for the lift up there 👍.)

An extraordinary location in the middle of nowhere, next to a deaf school, in the middle of green belt. No hope of public transport or an urban wander to get here – I suppose it’s handy for the M4 and A34. Always interesting to explore a new venue though – much like football ground-hopping – and got here nice and early. A couple of very bright small bars with a few tables and some chairs dotted about – friendly smiley staff – interesting landscape photos on the walls – draught Bombardier, Shipyard, Estrella (the real ale is off tonight but some bottles of Two Cocks’ Flintlock in a fridge – purple feather on the label was winking at me.)

Two Cocks’ Flintlock IPA – purple feather

The auditorium has a 252 capacity when fully seated but the rear seats/ front standing arrangement that is set up tonight holds 380. We are standing with bags of space around, with the seats being full – 90% of the audience must be 60s plus or had a hard life. Net result is that when Hugh comes on – no support tonight – I am stood right in front of him, about 10 feet away without being enveloped in a sea of Covid bodies. This is quite surreal having listened to Hugh and the Stranglers for 45 years plus. I remember playing the tennis racket guitar to No More Heroes on my parents’ old box gramophone like it was yesterday..well last week anyway and now I’m stood in front of my once hero and now respected musician in his 70s. We are both rocking on. These individuals are like lifelong friends you never really knew.

The added novelty of being stood in front of my own legendinblack (he was all inblack) ‘singing’ my own versions of Stranglers songs and some of Hugh’s solo numbers was extended to not taking a photo, not even a sneaky one, in accordance with ze rules. Fair enough if that’s what someone thinks works – might make this blog a bit of a dry read mind (hence a beer bottle photo makes the cut 🙄)

One of my top tips is not to look your heroes in the eyes when mouthing the wrong words to their carefully crafted lyrics – mouth shut until the choruses.

The first part of the set is as clearly advertised: his solo material which is a good way of doing it – it keeps any impatience for a Stranglers song at bay – something that Hugh has had to wrestle with since he suddenly left the band in 1990. He’s joined by much younger bassist and drummer for both sets who really get a work out, especially with those Stranglers’ JJ bass lines.

It’s a mix of material, starting with three from first solo album Nosferatu, one from Guilty and then latest work Monster, before the very thin looking Hugh stops for an introduction. He explains the story behind Mr Leather, from Monster: his failed meeting with Lou Reed in New York, after some mutual admiration, when both of them got flu. Lou Reed died sometime later so that was his chance to meet gone.

Monster the title track catches the ear but it’s hearing Losers in a Lost Land from Nosferatu that I glow at hearing the most – the opening familiar lines ‘see the actors leaving Stratford…’. I remember being disappointed with the first solo effort when it came out and I bought my copy. Now it has more nostalgia… that’s one for a vinyl spin soon then.

The solo set ends for an interval with First Bus to Babylon from the album Wired. By this time I’m studying Hugh’s guitar work closely; watching the effort in every finger. I acquired a secondhand electric guitar a few weeks ago and my level of appreciation of the fret board activity and general level of awe has shot up.

The second set starts with Dead Ringer and then we are off into Thrown Away, Duchess and Strange Little Girl and more. “Stranglers songs, huh….you want some more?” “Yeaaah!” Not so much louder than for the solo stuff everyone – don’t upset him.

Hanging Around – amongst the best Stranglers songs. We lose sound at one point from the PA so we get the raw sound from the Vox amps which only enhances the feel of a gig in your front room – I was quite disappointed that got sorted so promptly. Then in Skin Deep the stage lights were lost and the main lights went on. Weird. A room full of mainly old blokes bopping about in bright lights: it was like stumbling into a midweek exercise class…but everyone carried on and it got a cheer.

Nuclear Device next followed closely by Sweden, which opened with lines in Swedish, as appear on the Swedish version (Sverige – Jag är insnöad pä östfronten) and there are a few more interjects of Swedish. Brilliant. Song of the night – great version and the ‘all quiet on Eastern Front’ lyric spat out with Ukrainian thoughts.

Goodbye Toulouse, Tank and it was London Lady to finish. That’s it. Goodnight. That’s yer lot and it’s off to the merch stand where I can’t resist the Monster double vinyl album which Hugh signed.

Next day I read that a sore throat put pay to the next four dates of the tour.

My previous Hugh Cornwell gigs

Aside from the recent Undertones support slot I’ve seen Hugh a fair few times, first one being in Nottingham as part of a double header with Spear of Destiny. I still have the ticket for that one from 1996.

There’s also been a Bridport Electric Cinema gig (2013), The Brook, Southampton (2009) and a few Wimborne Tivoli Theatre gigs (2005, 2008), one interspersed with Hugh reading extracts from his autobiography and various signed books and CDs acquired at these.

That’s my Hugh stuff… catch him soon again I hope.

Stiff Little Fingers live in Bournemouth

Stiff Little Fingers at O2 Bournemouth Academy 24.3.22 with support from The Professionals and TV Smith

Earlier times

A Thursday night in Boscombe for another band of my youth. I saw them first in 1981, twice on their Go For It tour, in Guildford and at the London Rainbow. I still have part of an old ad I scrawled on and put in a scrap book.

Looking back at my old vinyl I only had the live Hanx! album and one EP. I love that album and the between song passionate comments. Everyone else played the SLF studio albums though…..John Peel Festive 50s and all that on the radio. I stocked up later with CDs, including the later Hope Street, with free live album and Guitar and Drum.

Next it was Birmingham Odeon in 1982 and I kept a published write up of that. Bet the author didn’t see them still on stage 40 years on. I remember the Odeon bouncers. Enthusiastic custodians of order. I remember holding on to the legs of a fan, with others, who’d been standing on a seat and was being ejected as the bouncers dragged his arms. He must have been a few inches taller when he got outside.

A 1982 review of an earlier gig – I think from a student paper

SLF took a break from 1982 to 87 and in that period I saw Jake Burns and the Big Wheel, around 1983, in Birmingham’s Tin Can Club – a glamour club most of the week with a heart shaped stage opening. I didn’t catch them again until 1999 down in London at The Kentish Town Forum, then at tonight’s venue in March 2010 and once more with the larger Jake Burns supporting Green Day in Hyde Park 2017. Then there was a Dead Men Walking ensemble with Jake Burns, Kirk Brandon and a few Ruts in Winchester in March 2016.

It’s always been about the old songs…those first three studio albums.

My tickets that survived and an old badge

Tonight’s Support

As I wander into this familiar haunt – venue blog here – old Adverts frontman TV Smith is playing solo. Many still to come in yet and it’s easy to get to the front and lean on the rail to the left where I stay for the support bands. Good view. TV Smith – still looking enthusiastically punky – finishes with the Adverts big one, Looking Through Gary Gilmore’s Eyes.

TV Smith – first support at Bournemouth O2

Next up it’s The Professionals, with Tom Spencer on lead vocals and guitar and ex-Pistol drummer Paul Cook – something Tom reminds people of a few times and turns around to point in case anyone is missing this fact.

Pretty good support to have on the tour. The crowd is still coming in and Tom has a bit of an effort to work up some interest but the better known songs help – Silly Thing; Kick Down the Doors; 1-2-3 and one the Pistols covered (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone.

Stiff Little Fingers tonight

The build up and walk on music goes on for quite a while – where are they? A selection of old TV themes: Match of the Day; Captain Pugwash; It Ain’t Half Hot Mum; The Likely Lads and loads more. Frontman Jake Burns has had a sore throat and the band cancelled the last two gigs so a relief to see them appear at last.

It’s a classic SLF set – a crowd pleaser and it’s maybe easier for SLF as the first few albums are so central to what they are. Ten of the 19 songs in this set are from the first two albums, starting off with Suspect Device, At the Edge and Fly the Flag – a test for any throat.

Jake gives a short historical intro to most songs and there’s of course a lot about their growing up. Jake did say at one point, I think before introducing The Last Protest Song, that he hadn’t spent Lockdown just shaving his head and eating pies – I can’t say his frame didn’t startle me at first.

That ripping guitar and rasping voice is still a winner…it gets me still. Before playing When We Were Young Jake mentions what a welcoming friendly guy Phil Lynott was when they first started coming to London to play and he dedicates the song to him.

After Barbed Wire Love, which the other original band member Ali McMordie introduces in the context of the Belfast troubles, it’s quite an emotional Strummerville as a tribute to the late Joe Strummer of The Clash.

The mosh pit is again in full swing as we get to the later stages. There’s a selection of ages in there – hope for youth is not lost 😉. Also there is a variety of old blokes on their own who are quite clearly loving having a night out of nostalgia – yes and I’m one of them.

Wasted Life and Gotta Getaway run us up to the end of the main set – Wasted Life has always been a favourite of mine. This is really very nostalgic. I hope this isn’t the last time… emotion’s rising, thinking of the Covid break and threat of nuclear war. Jake thanks everyone for keeping hold of their tickets for two years.

The encore is two magnificent anthems: Tin Soldiers and inevitably Alternative Ulster, a song that sums up SLF. No surprises here. SLF always hit the nail. “Hanx!” to coin a Jake phrase.

Altered Images live in Southampton

Altered Images at The Engine Rooms, Southampton 24.3.2022 with Magnetic Skies supporting.

Gig feast and uncertainty

The first of a four-day run of gigs for me as 2022 warms up. I’ve got a few of these enthusiastic runs in the calendar which have come together largely as a result of Covid postponements. Not ideal but I’ve taken the view to just go with it and ride on the wave of opportunities with the ones I’ve sorted being paid for over the last two years. As we have already seen, cancellations and postponements continue due to sensitivity around high-risk big tours, lack of planning time, Covid illness and isolating artists and road crew, fear of disruption from the war in Ukraine and Americans still not relishing trips to Europe or being unable to insure a tour.

Keep your arrangements flexible: nothing is nailed on until you get there and the music starts

Add to that the usual casualties and the age of me and artists I have followed since my youth, then I think just get out and see it while you can. Only in the last week or so gigs were cancelled or postponed by Dexys due to Kevin Rowland recovering too slowly from a motorbike accident; The Alarm due to the M4 being blocked between Cardiff and Bristol; The Undertones Scandinavian tour due to war fears in that area; Joe Jackson due to Covid venue restrictions in Europe; Ian McNabb’s mum passing away (RIP Pat); Adam Ant having exhaustion; Bruce Foxton having rest after a surgical procedure and then there was the Adele hissy fit Vegas fiasco. Gig arrangements are never nailed on – keep bookings flexible. I was only going to four of these I should add and no Adele wasn’t one of them 🙄

Altered Images

Back in the early 80s when Altered Images appeared I bought some early singles and that first album Happy Birthday 1981) but now over forty years later I get to go to an Altered Images gig for the first time.

I did catch a few songs from them – well it was Clare Grogan singing – at Let’s Rock the 80s Winter show at Wembley in 2019 (my blog here) but this was a mere taster.

Tonight’s gig

Well, I’ve got here for tonight’s gig anyway – wife Sally has Covid though. Not easy to sell a mobile phone ticket outside.

I didn’t rush – I thought it was supposed to be DJ set by Gary Crowley aka no support – and walked in to hear Magnetic Skies playing. I only caught about five songs, one of which was a Bowie cover. Reasonably heavy indie rock.

There’s not many here and it doesn’t get any better – less than 200 in and max 800 capacity room (my venue blog). It doesn’t look much like a gig audience and there’s not much energy in the room; more an air of curiosity, and I suppose that’s why I’m here.

The Altered Images single A Day’s Wait starts playing after a string of early 80s indie classics and I thought that was odd, they’re playing in a bit. But this was their walk on music. They didn’t play it. They start with I Could Be Happy.

Clare Grogan’s happy. Massive smile and seemingly pleased to be on stage and out despite the small and rather flat and curious crowd: “It’s fucking awesome – we’re out and it’s a Wednesday night” she exclaims. The band with her changes round a bit she says and there a female backing singer and overloud bassist, with drummer Martin and Alan guitarist.

Clare Grogan – Altered Images – Southampton Engine Rooms

See Those Eyes from the second album Pinky Blue is an early well received one. It is over 37 years since Clare Grogan and Altered Images have put out an album and she tell us, full of excitement, that a new album Mascara Streakz is on its way soon, before they play the title track. “Can you please just buy it” she pleads.

I gave first Altered Images album a spin this week and it’s still a good listen although the single Happy Birthday may have lost its magic through overplay. They play Insects and, a little to my surprise, first single Dead Pop Stars, my highlights of the compact and just long enough set.

Dead Pop Stars is I’d say their best song – Clare says she loves singing it. It’s as if she gets in character to be disrespectful. I still have on 7″ vinyl single still.

Clearly still an important one to Clare as the band wrote it and played it in their early excursions on tour with Siouxsie and the Banshees.

She’s also ‘super proud’ of a song she wrote in Lockdown with her London neighbour Bernard Butler of Suede fame.

For most of her career she has written songs with her now husband Stephen Leroni, who was originally in the band. She introduces the first song they wrote together: Don’t Talk To Me About Love, another familiar one.

The Ting Tings cover It’s Not My Name injects some energy with some Clare and her backing singer enjoying themselves.

The bass really is loud and with a few disco beat numbers it’s a bit overwhelming on the vocals. The sound engineer located at the side of the stage keeps popping out to listen but no change.

The main set over the band disappear and return for the inevitable encore of Happy Birthday, a single that set her up for life. The applause was polite but this was a long way short of any sort of party atmosphere. Clare’s buoyant spirit wasn’t matched by this Wednesday night tired audience.

The Spitfires farewell show

The Spitfires at The Electric Ballroom, Camden, London 26.2.22

A sad day. This was the end of The Spitfires. After the social media messages that announced the band was finishing after nine years and a recent fifth album there was a question: who wants one last gig to say farewell? There were 1500 of us who were up for that, and we made our way to the Electric Ballroom, Camden. Some familiar faces in the Bucks Head pub up the road, from previous gigs and some familiar Mod labels and retro clothing too.

Out of Camden tube station and turn left and the Electric Ballroom entrance is 20 yards up the High Street. I made the trip with my wife Sally – our fourth and final Spitfires gig. Two at the Holroyd Arms, Guildford, one of these in Lockdown and one just after, and first was supporting The Selecter at the Wedgewood Rooms in 2019. (Link to my last Spitfires blog.)

With lead Spitfire Billy Sullivan after the Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms gig in May 2019

Although I have been inside the Electric Ballroom a couple of times, I’ve never seen a band there. The other visits have been for club nights – one in the early 80s when new romantic and Boy George buddy Marilyn was hanging around the cloakroom as we arrived and later at some sort of indie/ goth night in the 90s. It looked a familiar layout when I walked in, with the standing partial balcony.

No support – the planned one had to cancel – and this was an early start, early finish gig with the doors opening at 6pm and a 10pm curfew so the Saturday night people could come out.

It was fantastic to see a full medium sized venue for this farewell show – ten times more people than I’ve seen them play to before and therein lies the stated reason for calling it a day. They just couldn’t make ends meet from the band.

It seemed like half of Watford was there – their hometown – and I was struck by the red and yellow lighting in Watford Football Club colours as the band came on – must have been deliberate, surely.

Lead singer and guitarist Billy Sullivan emerged, smart jacket with top pocket hanky looking every bit as Weller as he ever does – in Weller’s crew cut days. “You alright? One.. to the end eh.” Must have been a hard gig for this talented young man and it’s only bassist Sam Long who was with him from early on. They opened with Disciple from the first album Response before a couple from the much-awaited Lockdown album Life’s Worth Living.

There is no dodging the comparisons with The Jam whether it be the raw guitar tracks and Billy’s voice or the later additions of brass. There’s more ska sounds though and I’m sure any Clash fan would love them. Not enough found them in the end for them to keep going. You could see by a Spitfires audience that this is music that grey haired post punk gig goers love….not just them but we are significant.

The set drew more from their earlier albums with just three from Life’s Worth Living and nothing from the final release Play for Today. I guess of these albums we are left with the middle one Year Zero is my pick with the stand out song being New Age. That appeared mid-set.

The original keyboardist joined them halfway into the set with Billy joking that that couldn’t afford him for the whole set and the other additions were the two brass players that have been such an effective addition to so many songs – Tear This Place Right Down for example.

Sad it’s all over – The Spitfires farewell show

The set is a wonderful selection. I’m sure it was carefully mulled over (Farewell set list). As this memorable keepsake of a gig nears its end, it’s Billy Sullivan doing a bit on his own, something we will now be seeing more of as he announced his first solo performances several weeks later – yes, I didn’t write this one up promptly. Three solo songs – 4am – loved it – Something Worth Fighting For Return to Me.

The crowd were roaring, singing, dancing, drinking. Was that it…The Spitfires gone… not quite and they came back for two final songs as The Spitfires. On My Mind from the 1000 Times, the second album and they finished where they started with one from the first album, I’m Holding On.

The band give a final bow. It’s quite early still – 10pm – but there is an element of alcohol fuelled chaos. That’s it. A few heads in hands; a few tears….even an irrelevant chorus of ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ as the crowd dispersed to the lobby and back out onto the carnival atmosphere that is Camden High Street on every Saturday night. Farewell The Spitfires; hello Billy Sullivan solo.

The Wailers live in Bournemouth

The Wailers at O2 Academy Bournemouth 03.03.2022

A return to Boscombe to the O2 (O2 blog). Went for a late start as I didn’t fancy a long night and the pricey beer choice has crashed of late, so wandered in to hear the last couple of songs from support Samuel Johnson and his band. Sorry Sam.

It was only about half full but picked up a bit as The Wailers were ready to start. The upper two floors were closed off and one addition was tables and chairs set out near the rear downstairs bars. You can’t see much from there mind as the balcony roof drops down low but a bonus on a quieter night for a grey-haired gig goer. We made do with the rear steps for a bit.

The Wailers came on and after their first song there was some hesitancy from lead singer Aston Barrett jr. (Son of long-time Wailers’ bassist Aston ‘Family Man’ Barratt) as he peered into the crowd and the band came to a halt. There was a bit of rushing about down the side and Aston jnr. announced a ‘medical emergency’. A woman had collapsed at the front and after confusion and chatter in the eerie pause a medic team rushed in and brought the poor gig goer out on a trolley with a blanket over her, parting a concerned audience as she left. Hope she was OK 🤞🤞

Lights on and an early break due to a medical emergency

Understandably a strange atmosphere after this that took a while to lift. The Wailers did it though with songs of one world, love and peace, as the threat of World War Three emerged on the news…. and while many in the busy and restless audience trooped out for an occasional smoke, returning followed by a calming herbal vapour trail.

It was really quite cold in the venue which the band commented on… the gas price crisis is kicking in. We were warmed up though with Is This Love and I Shot the Sheriff, and a new song in between. One of a few reminders that the pictured guitarist gives that new songs come from the ‘Grammy nominated more recent One World album.

I’ll be honest, it’s pretty hard to get to the bottom of who is in this offshoot of Bob Marley’s original Wailers – even from their own website and social media. The band changes are frequent and touring members aren’t the same as recording members necessarily. I saw them back at the same venue in 2015 but it was different lead singer then. I guess it’s all about the legacy and the songs and you can’t get away from the fact that this is a tribute act with heritage.

The Wailers warm it up – Boscombe, Bournemouth

As everyone gets into their stride the classics emerge: Buffalo Soldier, Jamming and, with maybe pop reggae at its best, Three Little Birds that they run into One Love. The lad below was just in front of me for a lot of the time.

Three Little Birds football shirt merch innovation

It’s a good relaxing school night loosener this one. For encores, first the beautifully solemn Redemption Song, then You Could Be Loved.

The Undertones live in Frome

The Undertones at The Cheese and Grain, Frome 18.3.2022 with special guest Hugh Cornwell

Good to be back in Frome. Only my third visit to this friendly Somerset venue, last one being The Sweet last year with more venue details in that blog.

Stopping at The George Hotel again so good for a few pints to kick off after the winding roads up from Dorchester today.

It’s a while since I wore these. I understand from the guy on the merch stand the larger white ones are quite sought after.

The Undertones are very much part of my jukebox of growing up and tonight I’m sporting a few badges, the larger of which I bought at the merch stand at Bracknell Sports Centre in 1979. That was my first Undertones gig, on the You’ve Got My Number tour, with Tenpole Tudor supporting.

I saw them four times back in the Feargal Sharkey days including three Hammersmith Palais gigs during 1980/81 with the Positive Touch tour gig in May 1981 being the most memorable one (I still have the decomposing t-shirt in a bag of nostalgia clothing in the loft). The whole sweaty dance floor at the Palais was absolutely bouncing that night. The support bands at those Palais gigs also stayed with me: The Moondogs, Orange Juice and TV21.

After Feargal Sharkey left it seemed all over. I saw That Petrol Emotion a few times, featuring original ‘tones John and Damian O’Neill, and a Feargal solo performance but it wasn’t until some 30 years later that I found The Undertones live again, this time in The Brook, Southampton in April 2011. I was typically sceptical about seeing them without frontman Feargal but was impressed by Paul McLoone who was up front and bouncing then, as he is tonight.

Later I saw them in October 2016 at The Engine Rooms, Southampton and at a Butlins Alternative Festival in Minehead in 2019… so this is Undertones gig number eight for me. Waited a bit for this one due to Covid Lockdowns, as the tickets show.

Tonight’s special guest really is a special guest. It’s Hugh Cornwell, with a band: a drummer and a bassist and Hugh. A good length set mixing some old Stranglers classics – London Lady, 5 Minutes, Duchess, Skin Deep, Strange Little Girl, Always the Sun, Goodbye Toulouse and more – with tracks from his last album Monster.

Hugh Cornwell at The Cheese and Grain, Frome

A well-received set by the sell-out Cheese and Grain crowd. I still found a bit of room to get down the far side to snap a few close ups. Although new tracks like Leatherman catch the ear it’s hard to overcome the draw of The Stranglers songs. I will return to Hugh in more detail when I catch up with him on his own tour next month…all being well.

The boys from Derry take to the stage. There’s still that same slightly chaotic feel as five guys go about plugging stuff in and check each other are ok. We’re ready. They’re ready…. for a bounce, a jump and fist pump through around thirty songs, mainly old ones, but a handful of newer ones.

Family Entertainment from their first album to start and Jump Boys isn’t far behind. Over the years the biggest hits like Jimmy Jimmy and Teenage Kicks have had so much air play that it’s the lesser-known songs that are so good to hear live again, obviously as well as the aforementioned anthems.

All those songs ‘about chocolate and girls’, well more girls than chocolate…. Girls That Don’t Talk, Tearproof and True Confessions follow. It’s boys having fun music and few better than the more refined anthem from the third album The Positive Touch: When Saturday Comes.

Of course, there is that wondering of what it would be like with Feargal Sharkey but that was all done and dusted decades ago and frontman Paul McLoone bounces through it all like he always owned the old songs, as well as the new, the best of which must be the title track from the 2007 album Dig Yourself Deep. He’s got a bit of that Feargal throat vibration and the shared Derry accent brings some familiarity for Feargal seekers.

When I say throat vibration, I mean like on Jimmy Jimmy where it goes ‘Jimmy Jimmy….ohhhhh’: he doesn’t have to pinch his larynx and wobble it with his fingers like I do.

With the O’Neill brothers on either wing, hunched over their guitars, Michael Bradley on bass is the talkative bonus frontman at the heart of it all. Earlier he was stood quietly at the back of the hall in a raincoat to watch Hugh Cornwell’s set – I said hello as I brushed passed.

I suppose the newer Here Comes the Rain must be worth another listen as that was the one the band chose to sandwich between More Songs About Chocolate and Girls and I Know a Girl in the first encores.

That was never going to be all though. What could be left? Back out for a last blast with the wonderful Get Over You, which I captured on my phone from the curtained walls.

A parting tip for overnight visitors to The Cheese and Grain. If your leaving your car in the main car park overnight, check Frome Market or a car boot sale isn’t on the next day. I returned to the car to find it part of the market in full swing 🙈 I was escorted out, hazard lights on by a very understanding market supervisor. There are some signs somewhere but not near where you pay for parking.

JJ’s 70th Birthday Gig: The Stranglers live in Bristol

The Stranglers at O2 Academy Bristol 21.2.22 with The Ruts supporting

Headed cross country to Bristol on this Monday night for my second gig on The Stranglers ‘last full UK tour’ and today it’s bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel’s birthday – his 70th. Hard to believe.

I couldn’t have imagined either of us being in a Bristol nightclub some 45 years after playing the No More Heroes album on my mum and dad’s box gramaphone…tennis racket in hand, strumming away.

I’ve spent many happy times dancing around on one leg playing an air-bass guitar. This included doing so outside the Pompidou Centre in Paris in tribute to JJ’s solo album – a mixed bag – Euroman Cometh.

Through the decades of Stranglers gigs I did fit in one JJ solo performance: The Union Chapel in North London on 3 June 2000… and evening of songs and stories. It’s even available on YouTube: JJ at Union Chapel. I think that was a bit of a one off.

Back to this evening: although a reasonbly inconvenient trek, Bristol is inviting and gets most tours. In recent years I’ve been to the O2 Academy here several times: my venue blog. The recent Guildford Stranglers gig also included my Meninblack nostalgia.

It’s a sell out tonight and we are queueing in the O2 ‘queue jumping’ lane about 15 minutes after the doors opened (met up with the Plymouth guys this evening). The early rails are taken though when we get in but still a place on one of the raised little platforms by the stairs – all ready for The Ruts.

Another compact set of classics from The Ruts, winding up with Babylon’s Burning. (Link to my phone clip.) I don’t particularly like waving my phone about but it’s quite handy on this raised platform. One of the tallest men in Bristol thought it handy as well and stood just on the front of it 🙄

The chorus of Happy Birthday started at the first pause after The Stranglers came on. The last original Strangler on stage, for his 70th birthday; doing what he’s done for nearly 50 years.

The same set as Guildford bar two songs. Grip is a welcome addition mid-set.

Hanging Around is a paricular favourite off mine and out came the phone. (My YouTube clip.)

The added attraction of this venue is the proximity to the stage that everyone has – side on stage and the venue is not that deep. All in all a more intimate gig and easier for a few snaps.

At the end of the main set,the first encore, JJ and Baz grab stools for a couple of quieter tracks from the excellent new album Dark Matters. Lines, and then And If You Should See Dave. Hugely emotional. JJ’s voice cracks when he speaks about this one. ‘It’s hard… it’s hard when you lose your mate you’ve been playing with for over 45 years’. You can feel the audience sink and then will him to hang on in there….and he continues.

Hats off to the band for cracking on with the Dave Greenfield memorial album – keyboardist Dave died of Covid in 2020 when they were half way through recording the album. And then there is Toby Hounsham who was recruited to try and fill the legendary Greenfield’s boots, or at least get us through the tour. He’s done a storming job.

And, as in Guildford, the final encores are the same. Back to where it all started with Go Buddy Go and then the epic No More Heroes. This is proving to be an amazing tour – many sell out crowds. Dave Greenfield mourned and respected. There won’t be another one like this but the legend of the Meninblack will continue. I’ve got one more Stranglers gig booked this year – Rebellion Festival – but I’m very tempted to find one more date on this tour.

Towards the end JJ strips to the waist (top down 😁) and celebrates his birthday in style. This was another top Stranglers gig. Here’s to the next time.

Pale Waves live in Bournemouth

Pale Waves at O2 Academy Bournemouth on 16.2 2022. Beaux supporting.

Got here in time to see support act Beaux starting up. They have come down at short notice from London to support their label mates. The advertised tour support acts were Hot Milk, a late withdrawal due to a Covid case, and an American band (LA) Gene that seem to have been replaced by Bitters (missed them), perhaps due to the name controversy with UK 90s band Gene that kicked up a row when the tour was announced.

Beaux is a 22 year old bouyant poppy singer songwriter chap with guitar plus bassist and drummer, with some synth backing. Enjoyable and I can see him emerging further. He is brimming over with enthusiasm and excitement at his opportunity.

After, we wander back to lean on the barriers behind the mixing desk (I’m with wife Sally at this one). After a chat with the venue’s sound engineer we are talking a friendly Showsec security woman..I’m interested in the venues she covers and how she finds those problem gig goers…you know, the drunken middle aged fighting women.

“Are you ..er ..the parents?” she asks. I gave it my best ‘smiley face and p*ss off eyes’. Actually, thinking about it, I’m probably about old enough to be a grandad of half the audience and the band so hey ho.

Yup, Pale Waves are a relatively new band by my standards. This is the third time we’ve seen them (a fact I could hardly spit out fast enough to the security woman): supporting The 1975 at some car boot sale cowshed in Exeter (aka Westpoint Arena) in January 2019 and then a top performance in The John Peel Tent at Glastonbury Festival later that year.

A black haired Heather Baron-Gracie at Glastonbury 2019

It was that first sighting in Exeter that got me interested in these Manchester Emo-indie pop rockers. They are label mates of The 1975 and at that Exeter gig they did a short but high impact set…and in doing so still outshone The 1975 in my ears. (A bloody awful venue by the way – never to be revisited, in Winter months at least.)

Pale Waves have two albums: the debut My Mind Makes Noises (2018) and the more recent 2021 album Who Am I? I like them both – quite poppy and not as gothy as the band look on stage – now softened by a blonde for black hair swop for lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie.

‘Television Romance‘ is a good first place to go to listen. They play this as the second song of tonight’s set down here in Boscombe, having opened with Change, the first track on the latest album.

Pale Waves – O2 Bournemouth – Heather Baron- Gracie

It’s not that busy tonight but full enough. The upstairs tiers are both closed and the crowd that goes back to the mixing desk isn’t so dense as to prevent a wander with my pocket zoom. Down at the front and to the far right brings a really close and easily achievable view later.

Venue details can be found in my O2 Academy Bournemouth blog – very much a ‘home venue’ for me.

Heather Baron-Gracie is very much the focus of the band – songwriter, lead singer, guitarist. More of a central focus than when I’ve seen them previously…..as my photo selection underlines in hindsight. It’s a very visual performance. She’s given a lot of space to project from by her band mates.

There’s a break for Heather to sort her black lipstick out before an acoustic selection for which she’s seated. The attentive and polite crowd whoops its approval. It’s dreamy and jangly and I can understand the appearance of a couple of Cure t-shirts I spotted earlier.

Pale Waves are surely a band that were hit unduly hard by the unwelcome Covid interlude to music making and performing. Their awaited second album Who Am I? was released in February 2021, reaching no.3 in the album chart, but the associated tour to promote it had to be postponed until now.

The set list draws from both albums with one new song. Seven songs from the 2021 album – songs notably focusing on relationships.

The first of the encores is She’s My Religion. (My YouTube clip) Heather is down in the pit to retrieve a rainbow flag and she parades her colours for the final song: There’s a Honey, (YouTube single link) a big one from the first album.

Pale Waves haven’t been down this way much before but I’m sure they’ll be back as their following grows.

The Stranglers return home: Guildfordinblack

The Stranglers at G Live, Guildford on 3 February 2022. The Ruts supporting.

Billed as the ‘final full UK tour’ this Covid delayed gig is something I have looked forward to for… well years.

As soon as it was announced I wanted to return to the town where I first saw a gig – Penetration at Guildford Civic Hall in 1979 – and see The Stranglers in the town where they started out. During the Covid delay we lost keyboardist Dave Greenfield to the evil plague – a real sickener when that depressing news emerged as I painted a bench in my back yard one sunny May Lockdown day. This has meant the latest album, Dark Matters, and this tour have become memorials to Dave – a respectful celebration.

My Lifeinblack

If there is one band I have associated with throughout my gig-going life more than any other it’s The Stranglers. Six decadesinblack from the 70s to the 20s….for them and for me. Plenty have followed them more than me but they are a massive part of ‘my’ music.

For me it all started with No More Heroes on the weekly Radio 1 chart show. I remember discussing my potential purchase of the single with school (and lifelong) friend Big Gra (GGu – Sprog from Staines) – I was concerned it was a bit of a short track and I was skint. Big Gra pointed out that they cut them short on the charts and as a respected spikey topped, Doc Marten wearing punk of the class I took his nod of approval and bought the single, picture cover, from Squeeze Inn record shop in Ashford Common… a few units along from Davro’s Discount Store, where young Bobby joked and laughed with customers.

Weeks later I returned to buy the No More Heroes album and that was it. A lifetimeinblack had started. That was 1977.

My first giginblack wasn’t until 8 July 1980 – London Rainbow. This was quite quickly followed by two gigs on the Menininblack album tour in 1981, Hammersmith Odeon and again London Rainbow. My first black shirts were in my wardrobe – the first of many.

Some old tickets, handwritten lists and scrapbook bits help piece togther my decadesinblack. I can be sure that as I arrive in Guildford this is at least my 28th Stranglers gig. It could be more.

The 28inblack includes more recent appearances supporting Simple Minds, Alice Cooper and a Hyde Park Green Day out. The there are festival performances at Guildford Festival, Reading Festival and Ross-on-Wye.

JJ when The Stranglers played Hyde Park supporting Green Day 2017 – my trusty pocket zoom

One that always sticks in the mind was the trip to Wolverhampton in the early 90s, from my then Coventry home, and when standing outside trying to sell a spare ticket, Stuart Pearce (England full back and massive Stranglers fan) rocked up while we (mate Chrisinblack, CMe, was there) were spotting lookalikes to kill time. ‘This bloke looks a bit like Stuart Pearce’ I muttered – “it IS Stuart Pearce!” I got him to sign the spare ticket and kept it. It was top gig – beer fuelled – I remember Walk on By particularly and Dave Greenfield doing his downing a pint while playing his solo thing. That was in the Paul Roberts frontman era.

Tonight’s line up

Some people get a bit sniffy about the post-Hugh Cornwell years but he left in 1990, 32 years ago. Paul Roberts was the guitarless frontman from 1990 to 2006 and Baz Warne took over as main vocalist and guitar from 2006, having been in the band on guitar from 2000. John Ellis played guitar in the Paul Roberts years as well.

On drums in recent years has been Jim Macaulay. The last gig original drummer Jet Black played was in March 2018 and prior to that he would play part of the set as he moved into semi-retirement. I wonder if I’ll see him again – last time was in Salisbury on the 2015 Black and White anniversary tour. He played for part of the set.

The man now in the hot seat and in the shadow of Dave Greenfield, on keyboards, is Toby Hounsham.

So with Jean-Jacques Burnel (bass), the only original Strangler, tonight we have Baz Warne (guitar/ vocals); Toby Hounsham (Keyboards) and Jim Macaulay (drums)… They are today’s Meninblack😎

G Live: Tonight’s Venue

My first visit to G Live. It’s modern and like a mini Bournemouth BIC and a preferable size. A spacious bright bar area and tonight all standing downstairs in the high ceiling auditorium, with a seated balcony with some thin sections of seating extending down each side of the balcony – I guess they are great seats if you don’t want to/ can’t stand. Capacity 1700 with this set up.

It’s at the top end of the main high street in Guildford so some pubs to choose from. Inevitably I had to pay homage to The Star Inn near the bottom of the main street – the pub where the band played early gigs.

Tonight’s support: The Ruts

This is a treat. It’s not often I see a support band that I once drew logos of on a Tippex patch on my taken in drainpipe jeans 😳 thank god there were no mobile phones when I was a lad.

I bought In a Rut when it came out, served in a clear polythene outer. I never saw them live until there were just the current three left. That was at Mr Kyps, Poole in 2015 – an ear splitter. Then a couple of Ruts also appeared in the Dead Men Walking hybrid band with Kirk Brandon and Jake Burns which was a novel evening.

What a great set. Most are in early to see them. We get greatest hits and a new one: SUS; It was Cold; West One; Never Surrender; Jah Wars; Staring at the Rude Boys; In a Rut and, of course, Babylon’s Burning. What a set. A top clutch of tunes.

In A Rut at G Live (My YouTube phone clip)

The Stranglers at G Live

See I got you here eventually – excuse my indulgence. I thought it was pretty full for The Ruts but by the time I made it back in from the everlasting wait at the bar, the Waltzinblack walk-on music was over and the place was heaving with tall mature blokesinblack.

Toiler on the Sea, a Black and White album classic to start before heading backwards with Something Better Change and Sometimes (brilliant): songs to spit words out to. (My YouTube clip of Sometimes)

The new boy Toby is introduced on keyboards to an supportive cheer from ‘the familyinblack’.

JJ with Toby Hounsham on keyboards behind

There’s a luxurious collection they have to choose from – Skin Deep and Nice ‘n’ Sleazy in the early selections, with a couple selected from the new Dark Matters album – which is a strong memorial to Dave Greenfield. Water and cover (Disciples of Spess) This Song Will Get Me Over You. Five songs from the new album in all throughout the show. Two of those are as an acoustic pairing later on: The Lines, an acknowledgement of aging and experience, and the inevitably emotional And If You Should See Dave . (Have a listen.)

It’s a big appreciative crowd without being wild. We are all getting oldinblack I guess. In Nuclear Device the shouts of “Bruce… She-ila” were a little muted – perhaps there’s a lot of ‘Golden Brownies’ in. It does get a huge cheer and the mobile phones are in the air. The lighting seems more elaborate than usual for The Stranglers and there is a space themed projected backdrop for some of the set. That Stranglers logo is never far away.

A track to make it into the set from one of the Baz Warne sung albums – Suite XVI – is Relentless. A classic of the modern Stranglers era.

Walk on By is as magnificent as ever. The fourinblack meandering down their focussed paths each of their instruments take. The set builds to my favourite section: Straighten Out; Duchess then Hanging Around. Tops.

After that a few bottles of Corona 😷 lager are cracked open as a nod to the pandemic, JJ mentions how they couldn’t get a gig round here back in the 70s in the early pub gig days. That beforr a bit of pub rock in the form of Go Buddy Go – one of the first Stranglers songs.

To end, JJ ascends the sparkly lit steps to the drum and keyboard platform, for a mock My Way finale as he decends, bass slung at the ready and they launch into the song that started it all for my ears in 1977: No More Heroes. Still a beauty.

Goodnight. I’ll see you in Bristol.

Echo and the Bunnymen: big coats and Bournemouth live

Echo and the Bunnymen at O2 Academy, Bournemouth on 4 February 2022

The Bunnymen were a key part of my growing up (a bit) in the early 80s in Birmingham, initially as a student. Big second hand coats and messy fringes. Our fashion houses and gentlemen’s tailors were the musty second hand clothes shops of Digbeth, with their excellent line in dead men’s jackets and big coats. Clothes of character and history for a couple of quid. I am delighted to see Ian McCullough sporting a super big coat this evening, although I doubt it’s a dead man’s one and the messy fringe seems relatively cropped and tidy this evening.

Previous Bunnies encounters

My old ticket stash and list of early gigs reveals the first Bunnymen encounters as Hammersmith Odeon May 1981 and two Birmingham Odeon gigs in 1983 and 1985.

Memories are dark and shadowy, as they would be for a Bunnymen gig and no cameras or phones to assist. I do remember a Brixton Academy gig more clearly – grand venue, with the seats out and a sloping floor to help the view. I was living in Twyford near Reading at the time so another period of London accessibility, although expensive dodgy late night cab rides home were an occasional necessity when missing the last train home.

With Shepherd’s Bush Empire (2001), here at Bournemouth O2 supporting James (2013), Oxford O2 (2014) and a V97 Leeds appearance that’s a fair few I can rustle up.

There have also been a couple of more unusual Ian McCulloch solo gigs. In October 1989, at Leicester De Montfort Hall, a ‘crowd’ of less than 100 of ud watched him on his Candleland tour. It was sparse enough to be embarrassing in that sizeable venue. My other solo experience was Winchester Discovery Centre (YouTube clip) in April 2017 which was an up-close and personal, seated, acoustic affair. Towards the end a bloke ran on to the stage area and locked McCulloch in an embrace and wouldn’t let go. They were seperated and the stage invader weirdo ejected, before a few encores.

Tonight in Bournemouth

We are in Chaplin’s nice and early – me, wife Sally, gig buddies Dave and Ann and Steve (SGo) who we all know from Glastonbury Festival. There is some sort of DJ on before the Bunnymen, otherwise known as ‘no support’ in my book, so no rush. Good job as it turned out: I’d forgotten my reading glasses or the usual pre-gig prep of screen shotting the tickets from what turn into inpenetrable apps when in a hurry to get in with intermittent connectivity. Ann to the rescue 👍. One day I will really mess up this e-ticket stuff…I guess with some pleading at the box office and some proof of ID you’d be OK : I’m yet to test that theory.

It’s a bit of a relief that the gig is on at all. After the usual Covid induced postponements, the band had to leave the stage early a few nights ago in Leeds, due to front man McCulloch’s back problems. A planned rest day and he is all set to return this evening.

After getting in and surveying the inviting merch stand we pop upstairs to sit on a comfy sofa for a bit. The second floor ‘Gods’ seats are closed this evening.

(More details on the venue, a more regular haunt, can be found here in my O2 Academy Bournemouth venue blog.)

Back downstairs – midway back and to the left – the band are on and McCulloch appears from the gloom and dry ice in a huge coat. I’m wondering if it’s covering a back support. It’s plenty big enough….come to think of it mine was too big back in the early 80s.

The band is McCulloch on vocals – he doesn’t pick up a guitar tonight – with Will Sergeant as the only original band member on guitar. He’s been forever present – even McCulloch left the Bunnymen for a bit. The rest of the band are touring musicians that have changed over recent years.

The focus is all on McCulloch. We occasionally lose him to clouds of dry ice but he’s up front and central to it all. He’s quite cheerful this evening, bearing his back problem in mind, but it’s hard to hear what he’s saying between songs and he knows it.

The whole set has a welcome leaning towards the old stuff and three of the first five songs are from debut album Crocodiles: Going Up; All That Jazz and Re-es-cue 🎶

The title track of the Flowers album made a surprise early entry – I didn’t know this 2001 album at all until a few months back (Thanks Steve G). It’s a cracker. I did buy their first five albums and then later Evergreen and What Are You Going to do With Your Life. Clearly a longterm attachment…but I’ve clearly dropped the ball a few times along the way.

Ian McCulloch with big coat – balcony view

Having forgotten my trusty pocket zoom (again 🙄) I only have my unremarkable phone camera to illustrate the evening. I go for a wander upstairs. The phone snappers are up here – surprisingly few phones in the way and being waved downstairs – mature audience I guess. Upstairs you can wander freely and peer over the one deep crowd at the rail, clinging on harder like Limpets as I walk passed in case I dive in to their space – I’d do the same.

Will Sergeant and Ian McCulloch in the haze

Heaven Up Here (1981) tracks Over the Wall and Zimbo are mid-set treasures that are followed by the first – Seven Seas – from what many would say was the Bunnies best album Ocean Rain. The set is something of a masterpiece with its selection across the albums – no more than three tracks from any one album. I wouldn’t have bet on Bedbugs and Ballyhoo coming out. There’s a decent new song: Brussels is Haunted and the other surprise to me is is just how sing-a-long-a-popular Nothing Lasts Forever is. A later album classic. I thought it was just me.

Great sound. An absorbed audience. This helps the enjoyment hugely. The main set ends with The Cutter , a student anthem for me. There are two encores, the first being Lips Like Sugar (my phone clip on YouTube) which I captured on another upstairs wander.

Another half hour of classics could easily be added but hey, less is more….. nothing lasts forever eh. It’s time to end with what McCulloch has often referred to as the greatest song ever written (he’s a modest lad)…..The Killing Moon. (Official video on YouTube)