{"id":606,"date":"2015-04-08T14:43:18","date_gmt":"2015-04-08T14:43:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/?p=606"},"modified":"2015-08-18T16:38:41","modified_gmt":"2015-08-18T16:38:41","slug":"guest-gig-review-the-stranglers-manchester-academy-21st-march-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/guest-gig-review-the-stranglers-manchester-academy-21st-march-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Gig Review – The Stranglers Manchester Academy 21st March 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

March On Manchester – Guest reviewer Maria Meli gives a first-hand account from the front line\u2026<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Few bands can claim a 40+ year longevity. The Grateful Dead, with their fiercely loyal Dead Heads, lasted\u00a0only 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 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Next up, The Rezillos, Edinburgh\u2019s 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 \u201cLife\u2019s a Bitch\u201d it made you think, yes, \u201cSomebody\u2019s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

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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 \u201cWaltzinBlack\u201d danced through the air. The audience hummed along as they always do. The MeninBlack kicked into \u201cLongships\u201d followed by \u201cThe Raven\u201d an easy and natural pairing.<\/p>\n