Outside there are several punters who can’t get in to see a band that, even into their thirtieth year of existence and without key figure Hugh Cornwall, are still capable of cranking up the electric bill with a mean and powerful belligerence.
Its one of the great puzzles why The Stranglers are never mentioned in dispatches, they are virtually written out of punk history books. Some notorious moments of bad behaviour may have scuppered their chances but its the music that should count. And that where The Stranglers really score.
Their glowing menacing pop, their angry psychedelic, their dank, dark twisted music that always came in tight, hard, honed-diamond songs is as listenable now as when it was first released a quarter of century ago. Their influence still hangs heavy over any band that want to crank the bass guitar to the forefront of a song. FACT: any gnarled tuff bass sound or bass guitar as lead instrument is descended straight from JJ Burnell's awesome bass sound... from Peter Hook to Queens Of the Stone Age to Shellac you can hear the echo of this greatest of bands.
And tonight after 12 years of diminishing returns they seem to be back with an awesome punch. There is fire about the band; they may be cranking out a jukebox of classic back catalogue but there are new songs here which they play with a cut throat intensity.
The key to the reborn, powerful Stranglers is new guitarist Baz Warne who has a powerful presence. The Sunderland lad (in his late thirties he’s easily the baby of the band) cuts an imposing presence of the stage and has the courtesy to play with a Telecaster, resurrecting that scratching rhythm sound crucial to the Strangler attack, he also knocks out Cornwall's old solos perfectly and on the new material prove himself to be an innovative player in his own right.
Much has been made of ‘new’ singer Paul Roberts not being the right man to replace Cornwall but he's doing his own thing and he does it well. No one could replace the charismatic surly Cornwell - that's a given - and credit to Roberts for not even trying - he’s got his own schtick to work here. Roberts is on a dynamic, Iggy trip and is a damn good frontman and at last The Stranglers crowd is cutting him some slack, of course we would all love to see Hugh back up there but Roberts does a damn fine job of keeping the Strangler flame alive.
Roberts may be the singer but JJ Burnell is still the frontman, in impressive and powerful shape for 50 year old man, he, disappointingly, sings only two songs, but the new look grinning Burnell is a man whose buzzing on the crowd and the sheer love of the gnarled audience is something to behold.
His bass playing is still awesome, that fantastic sound is in place and when he sneaks out for a bass solo its always for a fantastic energised melodic run.
Drummer Jet Black is a mountain of man - all huge grey beard he dwarfs his kit (which already has the smallest bass drum anyone has ever seen) - his jazz tinged drumming is still as unique and powerful as ever, anyone starting out on the drums in rock n roll would do well to listen to this man, economical when needs be but skewed and weird as well. Locking in with Dave Greenfield's bubbling keyboard that gives the band that melodic twist, its one of the most perfect and instantly recognisable signature sounds in British rock n roll.
And, fuck, if songs were ever a currency this is one motherfucker of set list: ‘No More Heroes’, ‘Something Better Change’, ‘Five Minutes’, ‘Walk On By’, a non-stop hit machine in Doc Marten propelled action. And to think the songs they didn't play would make most bands weep! Its a shame they didn't play one of the newies, ‘Norfolk Coast’ - a fantastic return to the early Stranglers sound, complete with tuff, gnarl bass and Jet Black's deceptively simple drumming, ‘Norfolk Coast’ is a hit waiting in the wings if only the band could marshal their still huge following or play the music biz game one tiny bit.
A Stranglers revival? Well it would be cool; rock music should have no rules and their age should actually work in their favour! Bring out the freaks! To have this rum bunch of outsiders - the original and best rat pack - glowering from Top Of The Pops again, leering at the teen-pop buffoons would be a great experience....
Sometimes the old guys ROCK!.
