Gig Review – Hugh Cornwell – Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto Canada 28th June 2015
Maria Meli brings us this report:-
The Return of Hugh Cornwell
Hugh Cornwell has dabbled in biochemistry, acting, writing and dated various women, but his main and longest-term love is music. He returned to Toronto on June 28th to share that love. It was the second time in 18 months he was here, this time performing at The Horseshoe Tavern, where he also played when he was in The Stranglers. (The Horseshoe is a live music institution. First christened for performances at the end of 1947, the venue has hosted both Canadian and international acts over this time such as, Willie Nelson, Stompin’ Tom Connors, The Tragically Hip, The Blues Brothers, Talking Heads, Ramones, Danko Jones and The Rolling Stones.) On both tours, he would start with a song from his 2012 CD Totem and Taboo and move to a Stranglers’ song and alternate T&T with Stranglers tunes.
He took the stage at 10:00 pm with Steve Fishman, his North American regular touring bassist since 2009, along with Seve Sheldon, the drummer from indie band, The Wild Ones, amidst cheers from the crowd. They kick-started the night with “Totem and Taboo” the title track and first song from his latest CD. It was a good choice as it has an interesting rhythmic arrangement and a punch that gets one’s attention. Cornwell was on fine form and in excellent spirits as he rotated between old and new songs. Among the new, he included, “Stuck in Daily Mail Land,” “God Guns and Gays,” “I Want One of Those,” and “A Street Called Carroll,” the last three songs influenced by his stays in the USA. Carroll Street actually exists in Los Angeles and Americans still worship at the feet of great and powerful Consumerism. The American way of life is rife with religious fundamentalism, the right to bear arms versus the violence caused by guns, and gay rights. Cornwell was in the moment as he closed his eyes and at times enunciated dramatically as he almost forced the words out of his mouth. He also played his ode to the other half of humanity, “God is a Woman.” Missing from his set was “Love Me Slender,” another pervasive ideal from across the Atlantic about the infatuation with being thin.
In keeping with his buoyant mood, he delighted the audience with several upbeat Stranglers’ earworms, such as, “Skin Deep,” “Grip,” and “Straighten Out.” He may have been nostalgic, since he included songs about his ex-girlfriends – “Duchess,” “Strange Little Girl,” and debatably, “Golden Brown,” on which he handled the guitar solo quite well. He did have requests fired at him, and at one point, he asked calmly, “Do you mind?”
Cornwell was in a playful mood. Early on, before beginning a Stranglers’ song, he teased the crowd by telling them the next song was “No More Heroes,” then he and the band launched into “Dagenham Dave” instead. He bantered with audience members. After about four songs in, he asked people seated at the back of the club, if they were comfortable and whether he should order any food for them. He shared the tidbit that people in Scotland call him Shug (a diminutive for Hugh). A couple of songs later, he commented on the cold and rain the city was experiencing and how lately, it always seems to rain in Toronto during the Pride celebrations. Kayvon, a British ex-patriot, called out that he had brought the bad weather. Cornwell replied, “I brought it? I just came from Califor-nae-ay. It’s 100 degrees there and sunny.”
He was sporting a new drummer, who he said had come on with short notice (due to the untimely passing of Darius Minwalla). He asked the gathering whether Seve Sheldon reminded them of Animal from the Muppets. (He actually bears more than a passing resemblance to the frenetic drummer from the Muppet band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.) Sheldon, along with his wiry-haired, enthusiastic head banging and constant smile while keeping time, has talent. He learned a catalogue of songs in a short time, played them well and with gusto, and memorized the order, as there were no set lists taped to the floor.
Further evidence that the Cornwell of yore has resurged was his trademark lyric altering, which he did with “Peaches.” He asked, “Is she trying to get out of Toronto?” and he could think of worse places to be, like Mississauga, a nod to a boring city, almost a suburb on the western edge of Toronto.
The set lasted an hour and at 11:01 they left the stage. The crowd wasn’t having that. They cheered and clapped for more, so Cornwell, Fishman and Sheldon retook the stage. As Cornwell adjusted the strap for his guitar, various requests were volleyed at him, such as, “Nice ‘N Sleazy” and “I want another one of those.” Cornwell, ever the deadpan artist, scoffed.
First up was indeed “Nice ‘N Sleazy” about the Amsterdam Hell’s Angels. This was very well received. From there, they moved to “No More Heroes” in earnest, however, without JJ Burnel’s familiar bass pounding and digit dextrous intro, it seemed a little lacking. As the strains died down, Cornwell said they were going to move to a slower song next, and they did. “In the Dead of Night,” a nice little number that ends Totem and Taboo, ended the evening.
After an enjoyable performance Cornwell came out and interacted with the fans. He easily chatted with people, signed CDs and graciously posed for pictures with them. He seemed genuine and to be enjoying himself. Not all artists will interact with fans like this and it creates stronger loyalty on the part of the fans. Just two weeks before, a tour bus pulled up in the middle of the road in front of the venue where Paul Weller had played, fifteen minutes after the concert and he made a dash for it from a locked side entrance, before fans realized what happened. A few minutes later, his band was escorted by security as they too made a run for the bus. Some contrast. Fair play Mr Cornwell.
Gig Review – Motorhead/Stranglers/King Creature – Eden Sessions Cornwall 27th June 2015
While it may or may not have been the early hours of Saturday morning, the great adventurer Antro rolled down primrose hill. Checking in with MI6 for a mission briefing before collecting EiTC from the wilds of Battersea and heading west to the even wilders of Stanwell for SiB. Now, the triumvirate complete, they set off on an epic trek to the Rain Forests of Cornwall…
Deep in the jungle, the three came upon an alien landscape within a valley; here there were huge geodesic domes reminiscent of some strange insectoid cocoons. Closer inspection revealed an array of exotic Flora and Fauna (lots and lots of ants) housed within these giant structures…
Around and about, two great native tribes were gathered to witness a ceremonial ritual display from the revered tribal elders of the respective clans.
Arriving somewhere near the centre of the barrier, the three became five with the addition of Megabus Elaine and Mr T. Then they were three again as Antro and Sib broke off to explore further. Shortly thereafter the evening’s proceedings kicked off…
King Creature.
First up locals King Creature proved their mettle with a solid set of well-crafted heavy rock. Along with some very enthusiastic female fans at the front, the crowd very quickly warmed to what was an excellent display of their craft. Excellent, talented and well worth a listen…
The Stranglers.
Then, a dimming of lights and Waltzinblack heralded the arrival of The Stranglers.
The crowd suddenly came to life as Jean Jacques Burnel fired up his trademark growling bass for the epic Toiler On The Sea. And growl it did, and Dave, Baz and Jim kicked in, hurtling along at a fair old tempo.
Clarity! Yes that’s it! All became clear, in an eternal yet brief serendipitous moment… The sound that is! Crystal! The sound really was spot on tonight in this huge reclaimed clay pit/amphitheatre!
The bass growled, the Keyboards swirled, the Tele bit, the Drums pounded and the vocals combined to bring it all together – perfection and precision!
Toiler gave way to a mighty Grip. Then a classic Sleazy which saw JJ and Baz providing some menace down at the front of the stage…
No let up as they gave us a soaring Relentless (great to see a not specifically Stranglers crowd really responding to numbers like this) and an epic 5 Minutes.
Then it was hits time with uber crowd pleasers Golden Brown and Always The Sun before returning to the rockers.
Walk on By sounded superb, especially the subtly frantic stand-out bass work on the (excellent) solo sections. A pristine Peaches continued the fine form and crowd delight as Jim nailed the drums! Time Was Once On My Side (another relatively newish song well received).Then another crowd pleaser in a delightful Duchess. More well recieved modern era goods with Norfolk Coast before the classic Hanging Around.
JJ’s Bass beating signalled the intro to No More Heroes, also signalling the end of the set and a swift exit leaving the huge crowd satiated yet hungry for more.
Motorhead.
In a seeming blur, the stage was radically cleared and redressed in preparation for Motorhead and the crowd packed in tighter.
Motorhead took the stage with Lemmy announcing ‘We are Motorhead and we play Rock and Roll!’ And they proceeded to deliver the (Heavy) goods. The sound while not as clear as for The MiB was certainly a tad or two louder (this is Motorhead after all!)…
Kicking off with a set consisting of; We Are Motorhead, Damage Case, Stay Clean, Metropolis and Over The Top, it really was fantastic to see Lemmy up on stage continuing his recovery and the crowd agreed as they showed their appreciation and adulation and packed in ever tighter.
Lemmy and Drummer Mikkey Dee exited leaving guitarist Phil Campbell up on stage then an atmospheric synth pad backing fired up, affording him the space to stretch his musical legs with a superb bluesy solo.
The boys returned and it was up another notch as the main set continued with; The Chase Is Better Than The Catch, Rock It, Lost Woman Blues and Doctor Rock at the end of which Phil and Lemmy disappeared to leave Mikkey Dee firing off a huge salvo of a drum solo from his mega-Hi-rise drum riser.
And the crowd packed in tighter. By now people were beginning to suffer a little as quite a number fainted or blacked out and had to be rescued by the excellent security team who were bang on the case, add to this the crowd surfers and they certainly had their hands full!
Phil and Lemmy returned to delight the crowd once more with Orgasmatron and Going To Brazil. And the crowd packed in tighter, in time for the closing number Ace Of Spades.
And the tightly packed crowd yelled, screamed and whistled for more before packing in tighter and being rewarded with an extended Overkill then over…
Epilogue
After hunkering down in a nearby encampment for the night we made a detour on our homeward journey finding ourselves at Carlyon Bay former home to the St Austell Coliseum host of many a gig in its day but now flattened and gone. We were approached by some locals (and a London Lady among them) who chatted with us about the gig and how great The Stranglers and Motorhead were.
It seems that everywhere we went we encountered Motorhead T-shirt after Motorhead T-shirt. At Exeter services a father and son engaged us in conversation where the dad misty eyed (and a hardcore Motorhead-head) told us how blown away he was by The Stranglers and that he hadn’t seen them since the No More Heroes tour but would definitely be seeing them again. A not unfamiliar scenario in regard to the Stranglers continuing renaissance (and a testament to how brilliant they sounded)!
Conclusion: Two Superb Legendary bands in a fantastic location with excellent company.
As you may or may not be aware, The Stranglers partook of a sellout tour across the UK during March of 2015 winding up in Glasgow for the finale on 28th March.
Here for your delectaton, entertainment and delight is a brace of reviews . . .
First up – Maria Meli gives her account of the tour closer . . .
Strangled Weegie Night Out
Rituals give people stability and comfort and can be cleansing. They also offer a sense of community. Such was the case with March On, The Stranglers’ 2015 UK tour. The band tours the United Kingdom each March, this year culminating in Glasgow, home to lively audiences. The initiated flocked to partake of the final rite, and as with all pilgrimages, many of the faithful came from other cities.
The preamble was delivered by The Rezillos and it was a full body assault. Two mountains of speakers dominated each side of the stage, like sound canons that blasted waves into the audience. This was not for the faint of ear drum. The Rezillos kicked off with “Destination Venus” with an escape velocity to match. Singers, Fay Fife and Eugene Reynolds, along with guitarist, Jim Brady, provided visual interest as they danced, scaled the amps and interacted with each other. Brady, in his cobalt helmet, was particularly animated in his guitar wielding, lifting and multi-positioning. He is a rubber action figure! They played old and new songs like “(Take Me to the) Groovy Room,” ”Nearly Human” and the classic “Top of the Pops.”
During their penultimate number, “River Deep, Mountain High” the stage was invaded by some background singers and dancers – The Stranglers in drag – all in mini-dresses, garish lipstick and blonde wigs to the amusement of the audience. Fay tried to pull guitarist, Baz Warne, to sing with her, but he slipped away and she was more successful at nabbing bassist, JJ Burnel, who was relishing his alter ego. Keyboardist, Dave Greenfield, had the biggest grin (obviously enjoying himself), and drummer, Jim Macaulay, tried to hide his shapely legs in the background.
The Stranglers were soon on, all cleaned up and dressed as their MeninBlack personas, while sporting a new light show with a shimmering, almost serpentine screen behind them. The audience greeted them joyfully as they took the stage to the strains of the now familiar March On version of “WaltzinBlack.”
The crowd was wild, but now gone dead.
They wait to hear what comes instead.
The lights are up, the notes they tread,
unseen through fingers that pound, pluck, shred.
They unleashed a string of older and newer songs – a mix of upbeat, anvil-pounding and slower-paced tunes. The Stranglers’ sound is unmistakeable, yet it’s still as hard to define today as it was when Greenfield’s keyboard flourishes and Burnel’s bass growl made them stand out from punk and new wave’s more lumpen efforts.
“Four Horsemen” was dusted off and played much more compellingly than the original recording. During “Baroque Bordello,” a song Burnel considers a masterpiece, among the layerings and ripples, he lifted his heels and tapped them on the stage to punctuate the beat and pivoted on them as he slinked with his bass. A good segue into “Golden Brown”’ with Greenfield’s baroque accents, in which Warne sang, played his guitar solo, and then pulled back and crossed his arms as he made faces while the others played – his mark on the band’s hugely popular ode to heroin and possibly, a golden-skinned girlfriend. “Freedom is Insane” saw Burnel belt out the chorus like a battle cry. It’s his mantra on how Western democracy doesn’t gel with older, tribal societies. Warne smilingly announced that it was time for a pop song that went “something like this” as they launched into the cheerful strains of “Nice in Nice” about a pampered rich girl in the South of France.
At the end of the song, came a launch from female fans in the centre front, of women’s panties, followed by an answering catapult of men’s extra-large Y-front shorts. Warne and Burnel examined the offerings and read out the message written on the men’s shorts: From all the FatArsesinBlack – AKA HareminBlack. This was the answering volley’s reference to the lyrics in “Peaches” about “fat arses,” but also a reality check that middle-aged or older women are throwing panties (young groupie behaviour) that are much smaller sizes than they actually wear. It was basically, a “Who do you think you’re fooling?” statement.
After that comedic interlude, The Stranglers shot into “Norfolk Coast” for which Warne crooned, snarled and shred his guitar while a smiling Burnel karate kicked his way through the song. “I Feel Like a Wog” followed it continuing the sound onslaught, in the course of which Burnel executed two mid-air jumps! The regular set was capped off with “Lost Control,” “Curfew,” and the seven-minute “Down in the Sewer” about the cesspool that was London in the 1970s. “Sewer” won a fan poll last year as the most popular song out of forty Stranglers tunes they had to choose and rank for the Ruby anniversary. Amidst these songs, Burnel executed his lithe feline moves, Warne was spread-eagled, anchored and rocking, or doing his stamping walk. They got down for “Down in the Sewer” doing a crouching dual guitar advance, like brothers in arms. During “Curfew” they seemed to do a box step in tandem, and many times, they punctuated final notes on their instruments in the same up or down swing of their arms, like the string section in an orchestra. The two seem to exist on the same wavelength, unconsciously moving in synch – not the case with the two previous frontmen.
The cherry topping the performance was four encores including, “Go Buddy Go” a 1950s-inspired ditty Burnel wrote in his teens. Both the band and audience were sweating even before the end of the concert; a sure sign of a fun evening. As always, the band was prepared and well-rehearsed, conscientious of giving a good performance. Warne bantered with the audience and both he and Burnel bestowed smiles and nods to various audience members they recognized, giving them an extra thrill. Greenfield seemed surprisingly dry, focusing on his keyboards and saving his dexterity for arpeggios than brandy. Macaulay pounded all night with a precision and intensity that may explain his slimmer physique. Either that, or he needs to fit into a suit for his impending nuptials in September. The evening was a rousing success, full of sound and fury, signifying the gold standard for concert experience.
* * *
Elvis was there too, he had this to say . . .
Gig Review – The Stranglers – Glasgow O2 Academy 28th March 2015.
The City Slumbers . . .
Up before the dawn chorus . . .
A cab ride from South to North offers a timely reminder of her beauty.
Gliding across Waterloo Bridge,
The myriad lights from the various bridges and assorted buildings
Contrast with the still dark of the dying night and reflections from the cold, cold Thames
Providing a real treat for senses still coming to terms with being up at this ungodly hour . . .
Arriving at Euston Station in a blink,
Meeting a fellow traveller and then aboard the early train to another bejewelled city –
Glasgow, the destination for the finale of The Stranglers March On tour.
Off to a smooth start until . . .
Delays at Wigan allowing for a little more shut eye . . .
And, before not too long, crossing The Clyde into Glasgow Central Station.
Settling into a room with a view to shake off the journey
Then heading out as hunger makes its presence felt.
Sustenance in the form of Deep Fried Potatoes
Accompany the short ramble to the Thirteenth Note
To take in a pre-gig from local band The Vex.
Many familiar (in Black) faces, dotted here and there, some far from home . . .
A warm welcome, a convivial atmosphere and a fine performance.
Back to the Crystal Palace,
More friendly faces and the excitement is building,
Becoming almost tangible in anticipation of the main event!
Dusk gives way to night’s darkness . . .
Gliding across the Clyde Bridge,
The lights, while not as busy as those witnessed this morning,
Are equal in their beauty and effect.
On to the O2 Academy,
Inside where a capacity crowd buzz in anticipation of the Men in Black!
Anticipation becomes realisation;
The masses collide as one,
In a sweaty, writhing ball of worshipful adoration.
Cheering they leap,
Word-perfect they sing,
In awe of The Stranglers,
Who once more deliver the goods,
With unerring precision.
Perfect!
Over . . .
First Review: Words, images and video – Courtesy of Maria Meli.
March On Manchester – Guest reviewer Maria Meli gives a first-hand account from the front line…
Few bands can claim a 40+ year longevity. The Grateful Dead, with their fiercely loyal Dead Heads, lasted only 30. The Stranglers, with The FamilyinBlack, have surpassed the life span of most marriages, including their own personal relationships, reaching a point where, in a 40-year marathon, concerts are now better attended than early years, and where older fans are passing the baton to younger ones – children, family and friends. Their audience has mushrooming demographics and these people get it; they understand the satire, they understand the socio-political commentary, the expressions of human emotions and struggle, the aggression, and they just plain revel in the sheer fun of it. Some find such kinship with their music, it is a therapeutic vehicle for them. For some, it is an addiction they cannot get enough of, resulting in the annual migrations of FamilyinBlack members to multiple concerts in various locations, both within and outside of the UK, and vice versa, fans from other countries not blessed with concert dates travelling to see them.
On March 21, a convention of FamilyinBlack and fans-at-large descended on the Manchester Academy for a special night: two opening bands and the Stranglers, with a not-so-common appearance by original drummer, Jet Black, for four songs.
First up, punk outfit The Membranes fronted by bass- playing John Robb, a Stranglers fan. In their 25 minutes, Robb barely stood still, zipping about like the photons that he sings about. He came down into the media pit and up onto the barrier, playing to the audience and interacting with them.
Next up, The Rezillos, Edinburgh’s precursors to the B-52s. The Rezillos were colourful, with the two original singers, Fay Fife (Sheilagh Hynd) and Eugene Reynolds (Alan Forbes), giving animated performances, along with helmeted guitarist, Jim Brady, a Glaswegian with the energy of a Tasmanian devil. As they exuberantly performed songs like “Life’s a Bitch” it made you think, yes, “Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonight.”
Around 9:00 pm though, the lights turned down and the strains of marching and barking orders wafted through the venue, in keeping with the March On double entendre of the tour and the familiar notes of “WaltzinBlack” danced through the air. The audience hummed along as they always do. The MeninBlack kicked into “Longships” followed by “The Raven” an easy and natural pairing.
They moved up and down tempo throughout the night, all songs well-positioned in the set list. As soon as “(Get a) Grip (on Yourself)” started, so did the familiar bopping and chain swaying. “Time to Die” with its characteristic four notes that remind me of a Western, provided guitarist, Baz Warne, and bassmeister, Jean-Jacques Burnel, swagger time, along with another intro sing along for the audience. Jet Black claimed his drum kit for the unique “Baroque Bordello,” the band’s trademark “Golden Brown,” upbeat “Always the Sun” complete with audience participation and altering of lyrics by Warne, and Black’s personally branded “Genetix.” Quite an achievement for a 76 year-old man.
“I’ve Been Wild” from the more recent album, Norfolk Coast, got an airing, making you think, “Yes, you have!” The eponymous “Norfolk Coast” rumbled out from the stage, the inspiration that gave Burnel his musical mojo back after years of feeling uninspired.
This was followed closely by “I Feel Like a Wog” – a custom-made fit. Warne’s confident vocals poured out and his body anchored by the microphone as he sang and stuttered the lyrics. A pounding, powerful wall of sound came out and we were treated to a mid-air jump by Burnel. Still relevant today in a UK facing waves of immigration and politicians vowing to stem the tide. Which was succeeded by the happier, but ever observant (and appropriately relevant) “Skin Deep” – a palate cleanser. “Relentless” Warne’s tune showing he can rock as hard as Burnel, and a fan favourite, also had full-throttle stage time.
The evening was punctuated by Dave Greenfield’s weird and wonderful bass vocals and versatile keyboards. Jim Macaulay, crown prince of percussion, got an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd. Chants of both “Jet Black” and “Jim Mac” could be heard.
An almost two hour well-delivered performance was topped off by three encores. “Peaches” with the traditional altering of lyrics, “Walk on By,” the cover they made their own, and “No More Heroes” which saw Burnel tease the audience – banging on his bass to elicit a behemoth growl, eventually leading into the dextrous intro and the full blown sound and light show, as the crowd danced joyfully. This is another Stranglers song that hasn’t dated and is embraced by fans weary of a lack of role models. Overall, a most memorable evening.
The Stranglers Birmingham O2 Academy – 14th March 2015.
Gig Review.
The Ballad of Birmingham
As we had done so before…
So, we did once more.
The family gathered from far and from near.
To see the Men in Black and lend them our ear.
A dark waltz heralded their arrival on stage
As if a wild beast had been freed from a cage
The crowd went wild with appreciation
Venting their pent up adulation
Longships gave to Raven and then Straigthen Out
Baz shot a grin and JJ a pout.
A full house did rock and also did rave
The majestic four horsemen was sung us by Dave
We anticipated yet
The arrival of Jet
The appearance of him
Followed the exit of Jim
The Master delivered to all and to one
Baroque Bordello, Golden Brown and Always The Sun
Finishing with a flourish of thrills, fills and licks
The boys delivered the beauteous strains of Genetix
Jet left and Jim did join us once more
And proceeded to pummel his kit through the floor
Swirling Keys, biting Tele and Growling Bass
Lit up the smile on everyone’s face
Then all was quiet but for the ears a-ring
As they gathered and posed sweaty faces a-grin
All too soon it was over and off we were led
To the pub, then for Curry, then off home to bed.
The MiB Health Spa week: Diagnosis, Treatment and Convalescence.
A Trilogy of Gig Reviews – The Stranglers March On Tour – Brighton, Guildford, London.
Incorporating Black Friday – Straighten Out at The Hope and Anchor.
Guest Starring – The Rezillos and The Membranes.
Spoiler Alert!
Apologies for the delay in transmission but being an active participant in The Great Review Writers Strike of 2015 rendered timely communication impossible. Now both sides have reached an amicable agreement things are slowly starting to return to normal. I had considered going back in time and transmitting before the strike had begun but the Department of Temporal Investigation caught wind and soon put paid to that with their concerns of Anomalies and Spoilers. So here it is…
Chapter 1 – Diagnosis.
Gig Review – The Stranglers – Brighton Dome 3rd March 2015.
SiB arrived early to accompany me to the much needed MiB Health Spa week, kicking off with a blast of the healing Salt Air of Brighton (London by The Sea Indeed!). After catching up with a few FiBs we made our way inside the spacious capacious acoustically gracious Dome. Having just awoken from hibernation the weary bones were happy to settle for a seat behind the sound engineers for tonight’s proceedings.
We were in good time to catch most of the set of Support act The Rezillos, about whom we’d heard many good things.
This turned out to be the truth! New and Old material sat side by side most comfortably in a splendid performance of fine musicianship and showmanship. And fortunately I didn’t miss the superb ‘Good Sculptures’. I’m looking forward to hearing more of The Rezillos.
And the clock struck nine as the marching drums signalled the imminent arrival of The Men in Black. A superb Oom Pa Pa rendition of Waltzinblack followed and before we knew what had hit us the band arrived on stage and kicked off with the superbly undulating brevity of Longships (never before played live by the band if I’m not mistaken…) which of course segued into The Raven. Up next another surprise Baz donned another guitar and we were treated to the fine pop tones of Nice in Nice with JJ nailing the breathy vocal.
This is the first time I’ve caught the opening night of a Stranglers tour and the sense of uncertainty added to the magic of the proceedings. The stage set was dressed in combat webbing with a huge drape of this hanging behind the band and this was accompanied by a very effective light show. From my aforementioned vantage point both the visual and sonic aspects of The Stranglers performance tonight were spot on!
A blistering Grip next followed by I’ve Been Wild which holds its own nicely with a great vocal from Baz.
It must be said that tonight’s set contains some very brave selections/omissions. Incorporating as it does a healthy mix of crowd pleasers and hits plus a decent selection of obscurities to satisfy the more hard-core fans.
Jaw dropping time as the band break into the eerily creepy oddness that is Four Horsemen with its superb central symmetrical rhythmic arc, Dave’s wonderful vocals and the flawless rendition from all four instrumentalists.
No let up as they set to stun and launch straight into The Man They Love To Hate. Jim’s drums sound mighty on this like he’s going to thump them through the floor! Brilliant!
You’d be forgiven for thinking this was the end of the tour rather than the beginning as they sound so tight and spot on tonight. Clearly they’ve been rehearsing hard and it’s paid off!
The band delivers the modern classic Relentless then Jim exits which can mean only one thing – Jet Black joins the stage to a warm reception from the delighted masses. The brilliant Baroque Bordello is followed by uber crowd pleasers Golden Brown and Always the Sun. The Jet set is then completed by the masterpiece that is Genetix with its deliciously intertwined rhythms and melodies, another excellent Dave vocal and JJ’s exquisite bass solo.
It must be said that while the sound is excellent throughout, there is noticeable drop in volume levels for the Jet set, which is accentuated again as Jim re-joins for Time To Die and the volume appears to increase.
More pleasant surprises next with the not often aired (and magnificent) Ice. Then, I Feel Like A Wog delivered with off the scale intensity. Before the pace drops for a brace of hits – Skin Deep and Peaches.
Tonight Giants is represented solely by Time Was Once On My Side with its super ska-ified ending. Duchess then gives us our sixth title from tonight’s best represented album The Raven.
Lost Control makes way for the awesome menace of Curfew which in turn ramps up nicely for Down In The Sewer.
And they’re gone!
And they’re Back!
Walk on by is executed deftly with the ceaseless bass and drums creating the foundation for the soaring solos from Dave and Baz. Stunning!
Then No More Heroes and they’re gone!
I head off for an early night as I’m booked in for a seaweed treatment and some trepanation the following morning.
Chapter 2 – Treatment.
Gig Review – The Stranglers – Guildford G-live 5th March 2015.
So Thursday rolls around and this Spa week is really having an effect, especially the trepanning – the Demons have been purged and the recovery continues…
Up next is a day in the Surrey countryside.
I make my way to G-live Guildford and new parking regulations are in place since I was last here in 2013; the single yellow I used to park on is now a double and all nearby singles have been changed from 6pm to 9pm cut-off. I’m left with little choice but to try the venues pay and display car park, which to the relief of my purse strings, costs the princely sum of a Knicker (Five times less than NCP Brighton on Tues (I think)). All of which leaves me worrying that I’d briefed SiB that he could park on the single that’s now a double. I duly bell him and NiB (Nephew in Black) answers to say they’re driving around Guildford in ever decreasing circles, eventually they land in the centre not too far off target. In the meantime I contact Guildford Lil and inform her of our arrival. And before too long we’re all standing at the bar (after negotiating the drunken staircase) having a natter and catch up with the FiB. Further evidence of the healing power of The MiB spa week comes as Baglady comments on my apparent recovery after looking ‘Dead’ in Brighton!
We venture inside to catch The Rezillos, again locating ourselves at the rear centre near the sound desk.
The Rezillos are on form and put in a brilliant performance in spite of sound issues with sporadic feedback.
New and old material sit comfortably side by side and are received well by the crowd who are appreciative if a little pedestrian.
Again Nine o’clock rolls around and Lil and I make our way to the front to catch the MiB.
Kicking off in the same vein as Brighton the band seem bright eyed and bushy tailed, they’re up for it and the crowd is up for it! A stonking Straighten Out takes the place of Nice in Nice which is relocated to later in the set tonight (A clever change which works nicely. Allowing the set to start with more immediacy and subsequently giving more contrast/space later on).
Four Horsemen is once more stunning but the sound gremlins begin to appear during The Man They Love To Hate as JJ’s Bass echo effect is not coming through the mix.
The Master arrives for the Jet Set to much appreciation (mine included) and I note once more the apparent dip in sound levels, or maybe I am imagining this!?
After The Jet Set the Jim Set continues pretty much as last night excepting the previously noted SO/NiN shuffle and the inclusion of classic Hanging Around at the expense of Walk on By.
Guildford once again proves to be a gig of many contrasts. In fact, it’s a strange situation here tonight; as the boys continue playing for all they’re worth and interacting with the crowd, the gremlins are clearly manifesting themselves, establishing a hold on the group(s) consciousness. Concerned glances at monitors and equipment and across the stage to each other and the sound engineers begin to increase but the crowd continue to lap it up in their own polite Surrey Manner.
Eventually it’s all too much as the keyboards/monitors appear to fail completely during Down in The Sewer and the band curtail the encore with the exclusion of No More Heroes.
All in all a mixed bag of a gig with the band and crowd both up for it but the gremlins who having been fed and watered, were having none of it and eventually wrought havoc on the technology.
Chapter 3 – Convalescence.
Black Friday Part 1
Gig Review – Straighten Out – Hope and Anchor Islington 6th March 2015
Matinee performance.
My convalescence continues as I opt to head for the Sunny climes of Highbury and Islington for a Straighten Out Sauna therapy. Arriving early I meet up with SiB, NiB and Karl. Before long I encounter Straightenout, Steeplejackinblack, badvlad, bebop, Bjorn, Buster, Bunny, Bloggs&Lou, Apollo, TBC, The Munros in Black, Mully, Guildford Lil, Kathinboots and many many more. In a trice the place is teeming and Legendary Finchley Boys the Hillier Brothers hold court while the black clad masses soak up some sunshine, nicotine and various other forms of pollution both voluntary and involuntary.
We squeeze into the tiny basement and Waltzinblack signals the arrival of Straightenout who proceed to give a knockout performance covering the whole of the X-Certs album in track order.
In addition we get some choice cuts from The Raven including Longships/The Raven, Shah Shah A Go Go (It’d be great if The Stranglers revived this one for live work too!) and Genetix.
It can’t really be overstated how fantastic it is to hear authentic MK1 Stranglers material at this legendary venue! The crowd laps it up with a conviviality and bonhomie unique to the FiB. Before we know it the band concludes this matinee performance with Tank and we file out of the black hole blinking back into the sunny London spring like afternoon. Where we enjoy a few more drinks and natters before slowly heading off in dribs and drabs for Camden/Chalk Farm.
Black Friday Part 2
Gig Review – The Stranglers – Roundhouse Camden 6th March 2015
Plus guests: The Rezillos and The Membranes.
Evening performance.
All of this Spa therapy can work up an appetite, so we head off in search of the rejuvenating nourishment known to be found at the Kebab shop next to Camden Tube station. Suitably revived we find ourselves at The Worlds End among a horde of FiB too numerous to mention!
I signal my intent to catch The Membranes set and hence the need to arrive in good time for their performance. A few of us head up Camden High St toward Chalk Farm. Also, I’ve ended up with a spare ticket to this sell-out performance and would like to find a suitable home for it before the show. We scour the nearby pubs in search for a recipient of my spare ticket but to no avail. I’m resolute that I’d rather tear it up than sell it to a tout!
I head to the Roundhouse box office to leave Antro’s ticket there for him, as he will be joining us later tonight. While there I pick up some tickets for The Damned D-day gig. I overhear a chap enquiring with the box office about returning an unwanted ticket. To which the reply was something like “sorry we can’t take any tickets back but that couple over there might be waiting to see if anyone has any spares”. Duly tipped off said chap and myself then proceed to donate our spare tickets to the wonder and surprise of this couple who have ventured ticketless from the continent (couldn’t place their accents) for tonight’s show.
We make our way inside and venture to the front to catch The Membranes set. Drummer Rob Haynes is suitably dressed for the occasion in Jet Black Attire.
Having seen Goldblade a few times I was quite keen to catch The Membranes set and was not disappointed. Their dual guitar attack coupled with Rob’s skin bashing and frontman John Robb’s hyperactive stage presence (and agile bass moves) make for a very entertaining show.
I enjoyed the more atmospheric numbers immensely and definitely hope to see them again. Unfortunately time-constraints meant no chance of an encore in spite of demand and willingness.
Up next are The Rezillos who once more deliver a fine set of their trademark brand of New Wave Punky Poppiness.
It’s infectious and it’s hard to resist and tonight’s rapidly expanding crowd agree as the band go down a storm.
Then the time is Nine and the time is nigh…
The March On Waltzinblack heralds the arrival of The Stranglers who come on to a rapturous reception from the capacity crowd and they don’t miss a beat. Having shrugged off the Gremlins from the previous night, tonight’s sound is brilliant, the best I’ve ever heard in The Roundhouse!
Through Longships and The Raven, on to Straighten Out, Grip and I’ve Been Wild the set builds then gives way to the superb Four Horsemen and The Man They Love To Hate which is followed up by Relentless.
Then it’s the Jet Set with Baroque Bordello, Golden Brown (which affords me a little boogie with Ravenette), Always The Sun and Genetix rounding out tonights Masterclass. Again with perceived volume drop!
Baz announces Jet has gone off for a cup of Cocoa and it’s back to the Jim Set with Time To Die. A guitar change for Baz for Nice in Nice then back to the Tele for the sublime Ice. The crowd laps up an energetic I Fell Like a Log (wf) and they keep lapping for Skin Deep and Peaches. Time Was Once on My Side is once more the only song representing Giants, while Lost Control is tonight’s second offering from Norfolk Coast.
A brace of menacing classics round out the main set in the shape of Curfew and Down in The Sewer both deftly delivered and razor sharp.
After the crowd holler, whoop and whistle their appreciation the band return for an encore consisting of Nice and Sleazy and Hanging Around (Cue Bazzainblack going over the top…).
A brief respite and they’re back for a second encore and the final number of the night as the whole house responds to No More Heroes.
And it’s all over.
What a superb week!
If you find that the pressures of modern living become over-burdensome or are tired and run down or if you just fancy treating yourself – Do yourself a favour and go along to one of the patented MiB Health Spa Weeks.
Gig Review – Hugh Cornwell, Hazel O’Connor, John Cooper Clarke – Electric Ballroom Camden Town – 4th December 2014.
Ships Log: Acting Captain – Elvis in The Clouds.
Stardate: -308074.60045662103.
Following my temporary promotion in the light of The Captain being otherwise disposed, we assumed standard orbit around an inhabited Class M planet in the Terran System. Where I organised and headed up an away team to study the life forms therein.
We arrived to find a damp, dreary, dismal Thursday evening in Camden Town. After a quick reconnoitre we decided to transport back. However, due to a fluctuating build-up of Electro-magnetic interference affecting the operation of our transporters, our chief engineer pointed out that we may be stranded here indefinitely until this phenomenon subsided. So we made our best efforts to blend in…
Arriving at The Worlds End I joined SiB and Bjorn and before long we were in turn joined by Straightenout, Antro and Guildford Lil. After stopping off at the end of the pier for a cone of chips, we made our way to the Electric Ballroom. Where we met Mr & Mrs Bloggs and it was soon evident that there was a healthy turnout of The Family in Black.
Up first, John Cooper Clarke took the stage delivering a set of poems in his instantly recognizable Mancunian Cadence, punctuated with witty observances and sharp one liners. The audience lapped it up, being in the palm of his hand from first ‘til last!
Antro carried out a survey of the planets technological capabilities and was most encouraged with his findings which appeared to indicate an advanced pre-warp civilisation, adding that he wouldn’t mind one of their sound mixing desks for his collection.
Then Hazel O’Connor took the stage along with Claire Hirst Sax/backing vocals and Sarah Fisher Piano/backing vocals. Together this trio delivered a set which held us captive. Interlacing atmospheric sonic textures with material old and new including hits such as 8th Day and the delightful Will you. It is duly noted that the sound system of the Electric Ballroom did full justice to them, in providing a clear balanced mix with the piano, sax and voice crisp and clear at all times. And thirsty work it was for the crowd too. As, at the end of the set, a surge was seen heading in the direction of the bar.
Moments passed…
The dulcet tones of the Latin/demo mix of T&T brought forward a smile while simultaneously heralding the imminent arrival of His Hughness.
Kicking off with a blisteringly awesome Totem and Taboo, starkly contrasting the aforementioned version. Followed by Skin Deep which was not too troubled by a complete loss of FOH sound, although the ship was soon righted in time for a bright poppy Stuck in Daily Mail Land.
A brief pause for Hugh to enlighten us with an explanation of the concept of a Stranglers sandwich…
…before he goes on to tell us this next one is about a bloke from Essex (Manchester’s likely too) and delivers a great rendition of Dagenham Dave.
Up next another from T&T I Want One of Those, evocative of the Rainy day it’s lyrics describe. Then a valiant effort to perform Duchess without one of its ‘key’ components. Before swerving back to Hoover Dam (informing us of his Mothers wish to charge the going rate for this body of work now) and serving up the fine slice of pop that is Beat of My Heart (and Antro Nods in approval).
Next up in the Super-Club Hugh/MiB sandwich is the classic – Strange Little Girl, always a treat to hear Hugh sing this and credit to bass player Caz Campbell for her creative melodic bass foundation here, allowing Hugh the space he really needs to add some sparkling guitar work. All held together nicely by the drum work of Chris Bell.
…Observation: – It’s nice that Hugh is happy performing The Stranglers material again. And it’s worth mentioning that the solo material in this set sits well alongside the classics and, in some cases, could be said to sound fresher and more urgent. The production of Totem & Taboo is totally based on live performance, with minimal or no overdubs. Subsequently, when this material is played live it represents a very close approximation of the recordings, notwithstanding changes of personnel (i.e. Caz/Steve) and progression of the songs themselves as they evolve. In contrast, while some of the classics stand up exceptionally well to the 3 piece treatment and almost always sound great with Hugh singing, others clearly have a keyboard sized hole in them with that particular missing elephant etc etc EiTC…
Then God is a Woman with its creamy bass followed up by Peaches and (for Bob) – is she trying to get out of Camden Town! And the excellent Gods, Guns and Gays with Chris once again taking a steady beat to the extreme while building his shed so hard it’s little wonder he hasn’t destabilised the core of the planet!
Up next Grip, which for me is one of the songs that doesn’t really work in this format, I’d have happily swapped this for the brilliant T&T Bad Vibrations (sadly missing tonight)!
Caz and Chris once again provide that solid platform for the master to perform with the great – A Street Called Carol, seguing niftily into a super punked-up version of set closer Straighten Out…
More…
Encore…
They return with the atmospheric Dead of Night. Which, in contrast to my prior ramblings, is Doorsy despite lacking the key ingredient, which it does excellently without (Thank you very much)!
Hugh then introduces a very special guest the Lithuanian (from Epsom) youtube artist Seethelittlenuclei (well known for her Stranglers covers) to duet with him for Souls. A brilliant moment, inspired and touching!
A super stonking and urgent Sleazy almost makes Tank seem a little tame by comparison (almost!).
Then Hazel, Sarah and Claire join in for the finale performance of Hanging Around, executed in a fine manner both vocally and musically with a super solo from Mr C.
Brilliant Stuff!
Just then, the atmosphere cleared enough for our ship to get a transporter lock and beam us out of there!
N.B. at this point Lord London pondered as to if Elvis had technically left the building but as he was in fact beamed out, this has become a matter of philosophical debate among temporal historians of the period(s).
Over.
Thanks to all involved. Apologies for errors and omissions.
Photos courtesy of Andy Miller (Thank you very much Sir!)…
Straighten Out – A Tribute to The Stranglers – Gig Review –
Hope & Anchor Islington – 26th September 2014.
Once more it seems like time may have gotten the better of us… I put it down to the Dog cocking it’s leg on the hyperdrive of the Time and Inter-dimensional Travelling Spaceship (TITS) and fusing the Antler Stabilising Sprocket with the Temporal Offset Sugar-tong Housing, causing all manner of chaos (not least of which the perceived delay of this transmission)!
After replacing the parts and a quick retune and calibration procedure on the Carpet-beater Random Access Particulator and Pickled Egg Regenerator it was on to business…
Met up with SiB at a pre-arranged destination in India. Where we partook of stale Papadums and slightly fresher Starters whilst awaiting (… and awaiting for ’em!) the eventual arrival of Domestos, Guildford Lil and FdN. Suitably fed and watered we wound our way up Downer Street or was that down Upper Street… En Route G’Lil and Domestos dragged me off down a side Street and demanded guidance and demonstration in the execution of some ancient Yogic rituals which I tried unsuccessfully to defer… Serious calamity narrowly avoided, we caught up with Sib and FdN and arrived at the Hope & Anchor to a warm greeting from the gathered Family in Black. Again we partook of refreshment, largely without anomalous incident (Disappearing/Reappearing Pineapple aside).
Before long Shaggy shepherded us down to the cellar for the evening’s entertainment. A ripple of excitement ran through the crowd as Waltzinblack burst from the PA and the band kicked off with a blistering 1-2 of Burning Up Time and Ugly. No punches were pulled tonight as there was barely a Rizzla’s width between the opening numbers. Continuing with a superb selection of MK1 classics the set-list tonight was absolutely stunning!
Straighten Out are a band firing on all cylinders and tonight was no exception with a tightly executed super-sharp sound. Close your eyes and it could’ve been 77, 78, 79 or 80. The crowd were (rightly) lapping it up and I couldn’t resist getting down to the front for a bit of a boogie. Sir Burn was seen getting his groove on to a masterful Goodbye Toulouse (but not Walk on By, which, apparently, was not part of the set).
Shaggy and Phil had a good bit of banter with the crowd and were both in fine voice. Shaggy’s bass (neither Fender P nor Shuker) had exceptional growl tonight, awesome! Similarly Phil’s Tele and rig provided the necessary guitar bite. Drummer Micky P pounded most powerfully and also was the recipient of some Jet Black style appreciation in the form of a chant. While Keyboard wizard Mick was on form both instrumentally and vocally.
Phil did a string on one of his Tele’s but his spare had a broken nut forcing him to change a string on the fly. I took this opportunity to nip upstairs to the bar then came back down to find the band improvising Peasant in The Big Shitty whilst Phil readied his Axe. Huge Bonus (meaning we got 3 Dave songs in tonight’s set with that, plus the equally superb Dead Ringer and Genetix)!
We heard seldom played classics such as Ice and the brilliant Shah Shah A Go Go. It’d be great if The Stranglers themselves could include numbers such as these in their shows occasionally.
People travelled far and wide to make it to the gig tonight which is a reflection of; the dedication of the FiB, the quality of Straighten Out and the historical importance of The Hope & Anchor to The Stranglers story.
The band finished with an encore of London Lady and Tank. Then Shaggy announced that they would be back with a Matinee performance to coincide with The Stranglers London (Roundhouse) appearance on 6th March. Definitely one for the diaries!
Wonky IV – The Stranglers Family in Black – Wonky Bus IV weekend.
Abstract
A travelling hoard went abroad,
Across the Eastern Sea,
To see The Stranglers in Holland and France,
And home by Sunday Tea!
…Apologies once again for the delay in transmission… Once more much activity in the time stream, including being stuck in 1977, has necessitated such… I mean you’d think with time travel and all that I’d be able to go back a couple of days and post this earlier but no, can’t possibly do that, might upset the fabric of space and time itself! Oh well, it is what it is, here goes anyway…
Sitting comfortably…
Part 1 – We came across The West Sea – The gathering, the departure and the outbound journey (or Shakespeare burnt down my boozer or Whatever floats your boat!)
Early morning somewhere in London…
Rising to the dawn chorus, springtime…
Thinks… “Ok, today’s the day, I and a good few others will be losing our Wonky virginity, there’s no going back now!”
Much later…
…Arrive at Victoria Station around 6pm and meet Ravenette in The Shakespeare pub. Joined by Flores De Negro and Alexinblack we make our way to Paradise in search of sustenance. During our supper I’m drawn to beauty at the adjacent table like a moth to a flame. We exchange sporadic seemingly mutual glances of appreciation and the odd smile. All too soon, fed and watered, it’s time to leave! I wish beauty a pleasant evening and we head to our Rendezvous with Bag Lady at The Willow Walk where we arrive, only to find that it burnt down that morning… A hasty bit of texting to notify of change of venue and we head back to The Shakespeare. The Family in Black are here en-masse now and have taken over the pavement outside the pub. We receive a warm welcome and meet and greet family friends old and new.
The time arrives, we head for the bus (after being herded by Bazzainblack) where we are cordially welcomed by PaulinLondon and Owen. We board and take up refuge on the back seat (Just like school days). The driver Carl skilfully navigates us toward Dover, stopping twice en-route to collect more Wonkyites.
Evidence of sleep deprivation part 1. Conversation on the bus takes in such subjects as the branch of medicine known as Vagina Tree.
Boarding the Ferry we set sail for new horizons. Although it’s now getting rather late, the buzz of anticipation for the coming adventure seems to be keeping most of us going. A fair few of us chill for a while in the lounge and I take refuge in Costa Coffee for a couple of inversions. Then we make our way to the bar where PaulinLondon greets us once more.
We arrive in Calais at around sunrise and head north through France and Belgium toward Holland. After some masterful driving from Carl and tuneful snoring from fellow passengers we eventually arrive at our hotel near Schiphol on a beautiful sunny day.
Part 2 – Amsterdam/Haarlem – ben je mijn oom?
Evidence of sleep deprivation part 2. I make my way toward the hotel reception when bellabelle asks me “where’s your suitcase?” which I’d completely forgotten about. Panic sets in and I go back toward the coach to find that Bag Lady has very kindly lived up to her Moniker.
We’re informed that we won’t be able to get to our rooms until late afternoon. A large part of the Family decide to go into Amsterdam (where former ‘Dam’ resident ‘Uncle’ Burn e 77 plays tour guide – mint fella!) while the rest of us decide to stay and chill in the spacious and comfortable hotel lounge.
I ponder on the possibility of getting forty winks, not having had any shut-eye for about a day and a half, after some discussion, I decide against it.
Eventually the rooms are ready and while I’m generally impressed with the hotel I’m a little concerned that the dimensions of the room will not allow for any inversions. So after a little freshen up I head back to the lounge and find a nice spot in the corner where I partake, much to the amusement of my fellow FiB. Ravenette is suitably inspired and decides to go for a backbend, I offer to spot her but she declines and sets about walking backward down the wall into an impressive posture!
After the inversions, several herbal teas, some raw chocolate Bliss Bar and an herbal supplement (Rock & Roll!!!), I find my second wind and feel completely revitalised for tonight’s proceedings…
Henry and I head off for Haarlem early to go to the pre-gig drinks at La Pien Noir. I text my mate Mark, who lives in Haarlem, that we’re on our way so he can meet us in town. On arrival Mark meets us as arranged and we head off for the bar where we receive a warm welcome from the lovely Jacqueline and catch up with some of the others. We have a swift one then Mark and myself head off to meet up with some of his friends for dinner.
After a fine dinner in excellent company we make our way toward the venue, the band are on early tonight at around 8.30. The place is already fairly packed when we arrive, I make my way down to the front and meet up with some of the other Wonkyites.
Before too long the dimming lights and some wierd tones herald the arrival of our heroes…
Opening with an urgent and stunning Toiler on The Sea tonight, this is the best I’ve ever heard it! The sound tonight is second to none and the band seem to be really at ease and totally into it. Next up; No More Heroes, Was It You and Threatened. Then another change Summat Outta Nowt is replaced by crowd pleaser Relentless. The crowd are lapping it up and the venue is heaving. The home crowd and the Wonky crowd seem to be like peas in a pod and it has to be said that it is one of the nicest atmospheres of any gig I’ve ever witnessed.
Peasant is perfect tonight, this song has been a Ruby highlight for me and tonight they’ve nailed it!
Peaches goes down well and during the show various items of lingerie are thrown at the boys. JJ and Baz respond in the appropriate and proper manner by carrying out the sniff test.
On to the slower part of the set allowing a welcome breather with Midnight Summer Dream, Golden Brown and Always the Sun.
Picking up the pace again it’s time for Never to Look Back with the bass and drum arrangement on the opening being somewhat reminiscent of Public Image by Public Image. Then we’re disco dancing for Thrown Away before ramping up for Nuclear Device.
A slight breather with Skin Deep then another crowd fave Time To Die. Lowlands goes down nicely in an appropriate setting. During the keyboard sequence in Nice N Sleazy, JJ and Baz come right to the edge of the stage and really get in the face of the appreciative crowd, a nice menacing edge.
Walk on By sounds amazing tonight and the solos are just out of this world, with Dave receiving a healthy applause at the end of the keyboard solo. Staying in the zone, Freedom is Insane sounds nicely psychedelic tonight. The classics Duchess and 5 minutes follow, then Hanging around sees Bazzainblack giving it his all with a bit of crowd surfing and an attempted stage dive. Encore time…
The boys come back with a stonking Norfolk Coast then a welcome surprise, Grip is thrown in tonight and we even have the honour of being joined in the pit by none other than Mr Carne!
At the risk of repeating myself the sound tonight is awesome and the band are playing like they mean it! JJ’s growling bass, Dave’s swirling keys, Baz’s biting Tele, and Jim’s relentless pounding beat. First class! Surely this is unprecedented – a band in their fortieth year of existence going from strength to strength.
See, I’m in tune!
During All Day and All of The Night a good humoured bit of banter between JJ and Baz ensues over a tuning issue. JJ goes back to check his tuner and confirms he’s in tune giving Baz a real “Oops!” moment, as he confirms he needs to tune up. None of this deters from the delivery of the song which again is the best I’ve heard it played along with some fantastic improvisation (loving the improv!).
Oops!
Then we’re at Tank and then it’s all over…
…Or is it?
Well the band have finished but we’re left with a good 90 minutes of a Punky Disco we have a darn good boogie with the fantastic Dutch crowd at this awesome venue, before we have to board the wonky Pumpkin back to the Hotel. Top night!
Back at the Hotel the party atmosphere continues and after being in the bar until closing people adjourn back to the lounge to carry on carrying on. I estimate around this time I must’ve gone around 42 hours without any kip, so I decide to call it a night. My head hits the clean linen and it’s good night…
…Later that same evening in an Amsterdam Hotel, a lone and lost pigeon is wandering/prowling the corridor…
Knock knock knock!
“Hello”
“Are you my uncle?”
“Is your Uncle Dutch?”
“Err, I don’t think so!”
“Then I’m probably not you’re Uncle!”…
Suitably refreshed after a few hours slumber we gradually start filing up to the fourth floor for breakfast and Pidge has us in stitches with his story of the previous night’s adventure, which puts me in mind of Dr Who “Are you my Mummy?” replace Mummy with Uncle and that becomes one of the Slogans of Wonky IV, along with an ode to Dave Higginson’s Hind quarters!
After breakfast, some of us gather and chill in the lounge again, whilst others make their way to the airport for some shopping. Then it’s all aboard the wonky bus again for the road trip to Lille.
Part 3 – Lille – êtes-vous mon oncle?
En-Route to Lille, PaulinLondon and bellabelle run the raffle, while Pidge provides the DVD entertainment of the Paris Olympia gig. All very entertaining plus EiTC won a raffle prize! Also, rather incredibly, MiB Mark Mulkeen’s Mrs has lovingly made stranglers themed cup cakes for the whole bus, yum!
Before long we arrive at our Hotel in Lille and get our allocated rooms, we have a few hours to kill before the gig tonight and a pattern appears to have emerged; while some stay at the hotel and chill, others go and explore (well at least 30 yards down the road to the first boozer and or McDonalds!)… I do a bit of both as Non-wonky Fran had arrived earlier on his Guzzi, he’d already scoped out the town and pointed me in the right direction of a decent supermarket, so that’s where I head for supplies.
I chill out in the sunshine on the window sill of my 5th story room, whilst having some banter with my fellow travellers in the garden below.
In a trice it’s bus time and we all board for the wonderfully named Le Splendid…
The mood is upbeat on the bus, everyone is rested and up for it!
Evidence of sleep deprivation part 3. Upon arrival I come to the gloomy realisation that I’ve left my bleedin’ ticket back at the hotel. PaulinLondon suggests that I cut my losses and get another at the box office rather than mess around with taxis to and from the Hotel. I walk up the road a bit to see if the coach is still there but it’s gone. I see no taxis either. After walking a couple of blocks, Paul’s words of wisdom sink in and I turn around and head back for the box office.
Inside I see Owen who thankfully has a solution to my conundrum.
I make my way to the front and find the Wonky crew mingling in with the locals. It’s packed and it’s hot and sweaty.
Tonight we have a support act, a lone troubadour who introduces himself as David Zinc. He receives a fair bit of flack/banter from the crowd but he skilfully brushes it aside. Every put-down he has an immediate come back for and you’ve got to admire this man for his super sharp wit and for having the balls to take on this crowd.
Crowd interaction aside, David Zinc has a great voice and is an accomplished guitarist playing a great fingerpicking style using alternate tunings and having a small kick drum for accompaniment. It really sounds great and his material is good. Responding to heckles of “play something we know!”, he asks “what do you know?” Some smart Alec replies “Postman Pat!” And he immediately responds with the opening verse of the Postman Pat Theme. Much to the astonishment and delight of the crowd.
Soon enough, he has the crowd eating out of his hand and his rendition of The Boxer gets the crowds sing-along juices flowing nicely. Great stuff!
In the interval I meet up with evonx (great to meet you sir!) and a few other familiar facesinblack. The DJ keeps the sing-along spirit going by playing ELO’s Mr Blue Sky which gets just as hearty a sing-along as it received at Birmingham in March.
The Lights fade… Waltzinblack…
Kicking off with Toiler on The Sea again tonight, the sound is once again really good and the band are tight and up for it. The crowd respond accordingly and it’s difficult to say what the locals are making of the rowdy Brits. It’s a bit tighter in the pit tonight and not as laid back as last night but after a while it all settles down and everyone appears to be getting on and enjoying the band.
The set is similar to the previous night but the big change tonight is the song everyone is in anticipation of! And it arrives… La Folie.
During the early part of the set I located myself at several different places within front few rows of the crowd and had established eye contact and sing-along recognition with several of the locals, including a rather statuesque red-headed lovely. Who, when La Folie began, turned to me and said “It’s our turn now!” I assured her of our love for this song too and joined in where I could (i.e. the chorus!). The locals really did seem to click with Midnight Summer Dream, Golden Brown and Always The sun too.
It is boiling in here tonight, lots of bare chests and gallons of steamy sweat. Kudos to Mark Mulkeen for making it all the way through in his fabulous MiB outfit, how cool is that!
The crowd is really lively and Thierry gets the ball rolling with the crowd surfing (Bazza follows suit during Hanging Around and is joined by an enthusiastic local. Big al and one or two others join in).
The band very generously donate their water bottles to the flagging crowd for some much needed hydration. Thank you!
Once again Walk on By sounds very good tonight with Dave’s keys and Baz’s guitar solo both sounding superb.
JJ is both in fine voice and on it bass-wise tonight.
Jim’s drums are top notch and tonight he gets some recognition… A late night discussion in the lounge in Holland the previous night led to a plan being hatched to honour Jim with a chant in the “Jet Black! Jet Black!” style, saying instead “Jim Mac! Jim Mac!” The moment arrives and we get right into the chanting and it must be said the bands reaction was a picture… At first they looked a little confused, then you could see it register with JJ who turned to Jim to acknowledge the fact. Then he came to explain in French to the locals. A golden moment! Which leads me to wonder if that had anything to do with inspiring the particularly lively drum solo at the end of Something Better Change tonight.
Tank and a few pics then Elvis left the building.
We board the bus back to the hotel then set off to the centre of town for some supper we end up at a restaurant called La Chicoree (if my memory serves me correctly) where we settle for dinner. PaulinLondon declares that we will not be going home tomorrow and that the party will continue and we will make our way to Lessines. A plan is hatched to hijack the bus and we start to assign roles – PiL is the Mastermind, Henry the Bankroll, Bag Lady the Cashier, Fran will provide the fire power (badabing!), while TBC and Myself will provide the distraction… Simultaneously TBC has inspired us to form Punk Supergroup – The Hitler Cats… Our raucous laughter is heard down the street by Audrey and Sandra who come in and join us for a while. Slowly we start to disperse I get back to the hotel at around about 4am and it’s at least two hours before the rest return (bearing in mind that we need to be on the bus to leave at 10.45!).
I just about manage to get up in time to make breakfast and meet up with some of the other Wonkers. After perspiring and being slightly dehydrated at the gig the night before, I ended up with cramp and am craving minerals. Surprisingly there is no salt available, I’m not sure if this is normal in France?! I ask one of the waiters who supplies me with some of the white powdery substance and implies rather humorously that it’s very Rock and Roll to be having Salt with my breakfast!
With 20 minutes to go I return to my room on the fifth floor to find my key is no longer working. I knock on the door to see if Henry is awake or still there but no reply. So I head to reception to get my key re-programmed.
Evidence of sleep deprivation part 4. I return to the room with 10 minutes until departure and discover Henry is still fast a kip. I apprise him of the situation thusly “Oi Henry you better get up mate, we’ve got 10 minutes till the bus leaves!” Henry responds accordingly. “F*ck!…”
Happy that he’s awake and getting it together I collect my stuff and head out to the bus. On the way I play knock-down-ginger on Bag Lady and Ravenette for one last time and also See Thru Being Cool. Aboard the bus, Owen asks if there’s anyone else to come so I inform him of the four I know of. The others arrive and lastly Henry makes it to the bus just in the nick of time to rapturous applause and we set off for Calais.
Part 4 – Homeward bound – Got the post Wonky Comedown Blues…
The party mood just keeps on keeping on… The wine flows freely. I share some of the supplies I’d bought the previous day with those who’d missed breakfast. While once again Pidge provides the DVD entertainment with the excellent Damned MGE 25th anniversary concert. Turkey Troter is in on the Hijack operation and will be providing the stockings… but somewhere along the way it all goes awry… We get distracted by the Rise and Fall of The Hitler Cats and their greatest hits such as “Un, Deux, Trois Cats!”, “Tumbleweed”, “Don’t Spurt!” and the cover of “Chanson d’amour”.
By the time we get to Calais the skies have clouded over and it appears to be a rather dull day, no complaints though as the weather has been with us for a beautiful mostly sunny weekend. We alight for passport control, I’m a little concerned as I look nothing like the short haired clean shaven chap in my passport photo of 8 years ago! I only hope that Henry’s skills at forgery stand up to the test… No need for concern as I sail through and the customs officer chats to me about when he used to have long hair!
Aboard the ferry we head straight for the bar, then a few of us decide to go up on deck, where we spend the rest of this leg of the journey; discussing The Hitler Cats, renacting scenes from Titanic and general other shenanigans; Inversions for me, gallons of wine for the rest and most of all laughing. Reports come back to us that those in the bar have found the MiB on the juke box and are extending the party below decks. Before we know it the klaxon sounds the announcement that it’s time to reassemble down to the lower decks for our arrival. A quick group wee then it’s back on the wonky bus to Blighty.
After a couple of drop offs in Kent we tunnel under the Thames into East London and work our way to Victoria. Lots of fond farewells then a group of us head for The Shakespeare to spend the time waiting for buses and trains later that day. Upon finding that the Shakespeare is closed I suggest the Wetherspoons in Victoria Station where we adjourn for a few final drinks. There’s a real sense of a slow come down but still a great buzz from the whole experience I stay for a while and eventually pootle off home (which is only a couple of stops for me)…
It’s nearly a week later as I finish these ramblings… I’m still not fully recovered and still buzzing!
Conclusion.
Top stuff!
Thanks to Owen and Jac, The band, The FiB and all involved in pulling off such a fab weekend. Here’s to the next time.
Over…
Stranglers Photography courtesy ofMarcel Van Oosterhout taken at Haarlem Patronaat 18th April 2014.
