Please note that the views expressed in these fan reviews are not necessarily those of SIS OnLine.

Just back from SECC in Glasgow where the Stranglers were the support band to UB40. (What a travesty that our band were the support act.) The band came on at 7.45pm and straight away went into 5 Minutes which got the fans out of their seats and up to the front of the stage. The band really seemed up for it and appeared to enjoy themselves. Paul was leaping around as usual putting his all into the act; Dave enjoyed his pint (or two) during Heroes; Baz pulled some amazing faces especially during his lead guitar solos which were outstanding (Walk on By was brilliant); JJ was doing his high kicks and looking super cool as ever; and Jet was solid on the drums.

The play list was as follows: 5 Minutes; All Day & All of the Night; Peaches; Skin Deep; Always the Sun; Golden Brown; Strange Little Girl; Big Thing Coming; Walk on By; Grip; Duchess; No More Heroes.

As usual, the band were fantastic. We, as two long standing Stranglers fans, cannot wait until Norfolk Coast is released. We love the single too -- we knew the song, having heard it on JJs solo acoustic set at Islington in 2000. The only downer was that the Stranglers only played for 45 minutes and then it was over to the UB40. However, it was worth the money to see the Stranglers -- they never disappoint us.

This day was to be a whole outing for a load of us, some that had just returned from Iraq. As it turned out, it was collectively, one of the best days of our lives. A lot of us were wound up and needed a relaxing but exciting day and we found it with The Stranglers.

Off we left at 12:00 in the minibus, with songs being played at full blast all the way down the Autobahn. We arrived at the gig at about 18:00, only to find out the Stranglers were coming on at midnight. What does a bunch of guys do when they have to wait and the town is in party mode? Drink, drink and more drink. The atmosphere in the town was electric.

At midnight, the unmistakable sound of "Waltzinblack" bounced over the speakers. Then we were greeted by the Meninblack on stage. Straight into "5 Minutes", a firm favourite with us and a guaranteed song to get the crowd moving. The guys moved through a seemingly faultless set with such classics as "Peaches", "Golden Brown", "Walk On By", "No More Heroes", "Hanging Around", "Coup De Grace" and "Sinister".

"Mine All Mine" and my new favourite, "I've Been Wild", were also played. I only hope that these songs grace the set-list for the tour with UB40 later this year -- surely both singles in the making.

Backstage, it was also nice to meet with old acquaintances such as Pam, Andy and our dear Maaike, to name but a few. It's always good to see the usual faces and also the new faces that keep coming to see this band, who are far from past it.

Many thanks to the band for keeping the sprit alive, and if you are unsure as whether to go to the tour later this year, then get up and go for it: you will not be disappointed.

Having The Stranglers come to Belgium is great, but having them play right on your doorstep is even better! And this is exactly what happened when the group came to headline the surrealistically titled 'Pukemarock' festival in the sleepy little town of Puurs in the province of Antwerp, Belgium.

The Stranglers' set was a mix of old and new, familiar and not-so-familiar numbers. The opening "5 Minutes" immediately brought the gig to life, with Paul taking centre stage both literally and figuratively. Paul was flanked by J.J. and Baz, who were playing it cool. Dave was set behind the threesome and Jet was barely visible at the back of the stage.

"All Day and All of the Night" proved that The Stranglers can make any song their own. "Walk on by" was thankfully as far removed from Dionne Warwick as was possible, the band still managing to capture the raw energy of their own version on stage. I'd had a few concerns about how numbers like "Skin Deep" and "Always the Sun" would sound live. I was not disappointed, however. "Skin Deep" (my personal favourite) really rocked live just as "Always the Sun" did - the latter song starting with a great bass line. "Golden Brown" had the whole audience enthralled, while "Peaches" was a surprise to me as I'd heard that Paul didn't like singing the song. He sounded convincing enough however! In fact, it has to be said Paul is a great front man for The Stranglers, always commanding the stage, occasionally adding a humorous one-liner. This was the case when Baz left the stage and Paul commented that Baz was 'the only person on stage under 38 … stone.' At one stage, Paul got his own back on the pillock with the ridiculous hair standing in front of me who was always giving Paul the thumbs down. Paul just said at the end of "Duchess", 'You really need a haircut, mate.' And that was the end of that!

The brand new "Mine all Mine" has Dave playing an intriguing intro, which reminded me a bit of a fairground. The song then takes off with lots of typical Stranglers ingredients: energetic vocals, Dave's swirling keyboards and a great bass line from J.J. It certainly made me want to hear it again when it is released next year. The same can be said for "Having it All".

After about 75 minutes the band left the stage after a rousing performance of "Tank" only to return a couple of minutes later with "Hanging Around" and "No More Heroes", which was a great choice for an encore as it was the absolute highlight of the gig.

For me personally there was no downside to the band's performance in Puurs. However, the fact that the crowd consisted of mainly 14 to 16 year-olds (due to Dog Eat Dog's appearance at the festival), meant that only the front section of the audience were REAL fans. As a result, the 'atmosphere' in front of the stage in no way matched the energy of The Stranglers on stage.

Having returned backstage to congratulate the band on their performance, J.J. (always the gentleman) thanked me, but said the band were 'a bit loose' and 'needed to practise more'. Was this J.J. being modest? Maybe this self-criticism is why The Stranglers have lasted so long. I don't know. What I do know is that any group who can afford to leave out FIVE top twenty hits ("Something Better Change", "Nice 'n Sleazy", "European Female", "Strange Little Girl" and "96 Tears") from their set list is NOT living in the past, but looking to the future. The Stranglers are definitely still a class act and 2004 will definitely be their year.

I had ridden over on my bike from Germany to see this weekend. SLF and the Stranglers on the same stage was another opportunity not to be missed. I last saw them together at the Rat's Rally in Devon 3 years ago. They had also played together in the Channel Islands a year ago. Jake Burns (SLF) sang with The Stranglers in 1980 when Hugh Cornwell was in jail and more recently, Jake and JJ Burnel, have been singing together as part of 3 Men & Black. The history of these 2 greatest bands on earth has been bonding over the years, which is why it was worth the journey, and also worth it for the 30,000 other people who turned up for the gig.

How do I know they turned up for these 2 great bands? Well, before the gig started, the Master of Ceremonies came on stage to tell us of the evening's line up. "Tonight we have Stiff Little Fingers." The crowd went mad yelling in support. "Tonight we also have the Stranglers." Again, the crowd went mad. "And to finish the night, we have Thin Lizzy." Well, you could have heard a pin drop! All these people were there for only 2 bands, and what a bloody good time was to come.

With SLF just having finished a great gig, it was the turn of the Stranglers to take the evening on. "Waltzinblack" bounced over the speakers. then The Stranglers came on, as usual with the cracking "5 Minutes". The crowd was with them all the way through the set list. My highlight was to hear "I've Been Wild" again. I heard it in Joure a few weeks earlier and fell in love with it instantly. It's worth going to a gig to hear this song alone. It's old style Stranglers stuff, but with more power and menace and surely will be a hit when they release their new album.

Other songs played were Coup de Grace, All Day and All of the Night, Skin Deep, Peaches, Thrown Away, Always the Sun, Golden Brown, Sinister, Walk on By (full version), All Mine, Never to Look Back, Grip, Duchess and Tank. The encores were Hanging Around and No More Heroes.

The gig was played with a close-knit group, with the audience loving every minute. The band seemed to enjoy the experience as well. I certainly loved it and I put all those horrible memories of a sore arse when I was riding that long journey to the gig behind. I spoke with the band afterwards and they are looking forward to the forth-coming tour later this year. If tonight was anything to go by, then the tour will surely be a cracker, so make sure you come along to experience it for yourself.

What an event! 100 years to celebrate of the best motorcycle in the world, the hottest summer since I can remember and The Stranglers playing at the event of the century! I couldn't just sit in Manchester UK, cleaning my 1995 HD Heritage knowing the event of the year was just an hour's flight away! So I legged it to Barcelona to see the band I hadn't seen for many-a-year at one of the most vibrant cities I have ever visited.

Arriving at the Palau Sant Jordi site in the afternoon, the place was pretty dead. An empty stage awaiting one of the best bands ever to come out of the UK! It was a fuckin' hot afternoon, the beer was expensive and there weren't many activities to keep us bikers interested (Harley Davidson, you have a lot to answer for!) and I had a 6-hour-wait for MY BAND!

But hell, was it worth it! The band came on pretty early (for some crazy reason the Pretenders headlined!) and straight into "5 minutes", if my memory serves me well. The audience soon came flooding to the stage area and in no time they were singing and jumping around to a blistering set! And note, most of the audience wasn't English, so the reception was great! What made it even more special for me personally was in the middle of my pogo-ing mid-set, two arms grabbed me from behind -- it was some friends who I hadn't seen for a few years -- and we all met again whilst dancing to the Stranglers in Spain!!! Amazing!

I gotta say I was highly impressed with Paul, and JJ was his usual menacing self. The Stranglers made what could have been a shit party into one amazing event -- they really made the trip worthwhile for me! I gotta say I left after their set as there was no way The Pretenders could have followed that! My memory is safe in the knowledge that the band I loved all those years ago is still as amazing today as it was then.

The next night was given over to a bunch of dinosaurs - The Rolling Stones... Oh dear, how could they follow the footsteps left by The Stranglers? No hope! I left Barcelona with the biggest smile I have had in a long time!

...And now home ... well, not being a big reggae fan, I wouldn't normally go and see a band like UB40 but knowing the Stranglers are playing here in Manchester with them ... well, I will happily endure a couple of hours of reggae just to see the Stranglers again!

The Stranglers have played some unusual places in their long career and Joure is probably also one. Almost three years after their last Dutch gig (Steenwijk, August 2000) the Stranglers were the act chosen to highlight the annual Vroem event in Joure.

Joure is a sleepy little city in the north of the Netherlands, the province of Friesland. The Vroem event is a day for owners of vintage cars to come and show their prized possessions and look at the cars of their fellow club members. Quite fun if you’re into that and I saw some very nice US cars from the fifties. But, my main interest was the musical section of the event, of course. In the city park, Hereme State, in the middle of the trees, is a nice oval field where the evening was started by the local band Girls on Top. Not very interesting I must say, some leftfield pop-rock lacking good hooks. At around 10.00 pm the 300 or so in the audience (of course with some of the real die hard fans) were greeted by the oh-so-familiar Waltzinblack and before we knew it, the Stranglers burst in a raging version of Five Minutes.

It had been a while, so it was good to see the band on top form. JJ was cool as expected, Baz stomping around the stage playing superb, Jet’s tight drumming, Dave smiling, drinking and playing those wonderful melodies and Paul being in a good mood, it seemed. He was joking around with the road crew and teasing Dave a lot, doing some very fancy dancing and, most importantly, singing great and powerful as ever.

Although the set was mostly the normal festival greatest hits set we were treated to two of the songs recorded for the forthcoming CD: "All Mine", with its great chorus, destined to be a hit, and the menacing "I’ve Been Wild", with its quirky riffs and power-drums -- very Black & White-ish, I think. Other highlights for me were a superb long version of "Walk On By", thundering versions of "Grip" and "Tank", the moody "Sinister" and a personal fave: "Never to Look Back". Always a treat!

"Time flies when you’ re having fun" they say and indeed, after the familiar encore of "Hanging Around" and "No More Heroes", the silly town disco took over again. It seemed to me that, apart from the fans, the locals and the Vroem people had a great time. The band was sharp and powerful so it’s no surprise to me, but I think they might have converted some more people that The Stranglers are still a force in the music world to be reckoned with.

EDITORS NOTE:

According to organizers of the festival, 1200 people were in attendance.

It was a long way to travel to see The Stranglers, but it was well worth it. Myself and fellow Fan, Karen, had never travelled abroad to see them before and were a little dubious about how you find out where everything is, how to book trains/hotels/bus journeys etc.. At this point I have to mention Dave & Lynne Southworth who basically carried us all the way over, and without whom we never would have managed it - Thanks again to you both.

Anyway, after a long day of travel we arrived at our hotel and by pure chance met up with several other fans, which obviously added to the excitement of the weekend. We were informed that the band was using this hotel as their base for getting ready/showering etc., which was of course an additional bonus. When we arrived, Baz was in the bar talking to other fans and he duly signed my copies of 5 Live 1!

BERLIN

The venue itself was like a barn, it reminded me of a 'Hells Angels hang-out'; there were a variety of motor bikes at the back of the venue, and the brick walls had all kinds of weird and wonderful photos on them. The other thing I should add is that the venue was located opposite the Berlin Wall, which all added to the atmosphere.

The gig started at 9pm sharp with 'Waltzinblack'. The band were on TOP FORM, they really seemed to be enjoying themselves and made several references to British fans, which was nice. The entire band seemed to be having a great time; it appeared that everytime I looked at Dave he had a grin on his face -- JJ as per usual kicking his legs about and having a banter with the audience. Baz was also on top form. The faces he pulls are amazing, from looking really angry to looking like he is pain, so intent is he on playing - Fantastic. Paul as ever jumping about the stage like a cat on a hot tin roof ;-). Certain fans were trying to entice Paul to do a stage dive, but to our disappointment he declined - can't say that I blame him though.

It was good to hear a few favourites that aren't played that much anymore, Sinister being the ultimate for me (being my Fav.), and it was sung the BEST I have ever heard it.

After the set had finished most if not all the British fans came back to the hotel for a drink and a chat. It was great to be able to continue chatting and having a laugh, the next thing we knew was Paul walked in and said he'd come to see us all and say thanks for coming. He stayed for about 1.5 hrs, again signing autographs and having photos taken. He informed us that the tour bus was leaving at 1am, and that he mustn't be late as they may leave him behind, so dead on 1am he disappeared 'In The Night'.

HAMBURG

Arrived in Hamburg after a 3 hr long train ride, and went in search of the venue, which was only about a 10 minute walk away from our hotel.

Arrived at the venue at 8pm to pick up our tickets and entered the most amazing venue. It had balconies going all the way round, including right over the stage so there was a view from whichever angle you preferred.

The stage this time was a lot lower than last night, and so much more comfortable to watch. Unfortunately the 'Bouncers' insisted on no flash photography, which is a disaster in a venue. Anyway I took some anyway and was warned twice to stop. Unfortunately in the excitement I 'forgot' and it wasn't long before another bouncer came over to me and said "Come with me". With that I hastily handed my camera to Paul for safe-keeping!! Luckily for me it was between songs; otherwise who knows?

The rest of the set went without a hitch, except when another fan jumped on the stage, and quickly jumped off again as he saw a rather 'large' German coming towards him !! The set was the same as the night before, and even though they must get fed up of playing the same set, it certainly didn't show as the band were all on top form, and seemed to be really enjoying themselves. Baz was playing the guitar so hard, that it broke!! A replacement was soon found and the show carried on.

It was over all too quickly, but we 'hung around' for a while and they all made an appearance with the exception of Jet, and were all more than willing to sign autographs/have photos taken etc..

The set list was: Genetix; Skin Deep; Threatened; 5 Minutes; Coup De Grace; Nice N' Sleazy; Always The Sun; Never to Look Back; Thrown Away; Golden Brown; Sinister; Goodbye Toulouse; Who Wants The World; Money; Grip; Valley Of The Birds; Something Better Change; London Lady; English Towns; Curfew; Tank; 1st Encore: Toiler on the Sea; All Day and All Of The Night; Duchess; 2nd Encore: Hanging Around; No More Heroes.

All in all a fantastic weekend: Great music, Great Company, what more could you ask for.

Monday, the 5th of February: at 15:45, my niece Jessica (18) and I (39) head to the Primeclub in Cologne from Moers. For Jessica, it's the first Stranglers concert; she only knows their bigger hits so....

At 17.00 o'clock, we reach the Primeclub in south Cologne; still 4 more hours to go. The Soundcheck could be heard from outside. Nevertheless: first thing, something to drink. Nearby, there is a vending machine-bistro that offers Kölsch (bah), Coke, coffee, etc., but the good music and nice atmosphere have relaxed us.

Half eight, we stand in the "Line" at the front and entertain ourselves; with the rest of the crowd, we were admitted and edged up until we made it to the front of the stage. Eagerly, we watched the last preparations, until "Waltz in Black" was played. However, about 21:08, Jet pounded in the entry with "Genetix". J.J., Dave and Baz came onstage and played until almost to the end of the song without Paul. As usual, Dave's interpretation made the song.

Without a big transition, there followed "Skin Deep", a song for sound-tuning, as it seemed to me....the sound was optimal after this, however. (Thanks to Maaike Uithoven for the ear-plugs for Jessica.) The public was into the gig from the beginning; although Paul now and then asked for louder applause. Paul worked the audience very well -- as effectively as Freddy Mercury.

I was tense about how Baz would fit in into the group. But not to worry: he plays hard and clean and seemed fully integrated. With "Golden Brown", the applause was little skimpy, however. That rendition was better than on the current CD though. J.J. worked somewhat wearily and relaxed, but played super.

With this playlist, I almost felt like I had returned to the 1970s. Jessica was up and away and directed her aim toward Baz. A new Stranglers fan! All ages between about 10 and mid-fifties were represented. A small child was shielded by his dad and having fun. Pogo dancing was going on behind us and all together it was a successful evening. After two encores, the show ended at 23.00 o'clock.

I went home with the memory of another successful concert. Jessica was completely enthusiastic and we babbled over the concert the whole trip home. By the way: why does one get away so badly from a metropolis like Cologne at this hour? We only arrived home at 2.00 o'clock...

Now then: I hope that I can come to the Convention in September.

Playlist (with thanks at Maaike): Genetix (by Dave); Skin Deep; Threatened; Coup de Grace; 5 Minutes; Never to Look Back; Thrown Away; Golden Brown; Sinister; Goodbye Toolouse; Who Wants the World; Money; (Get a) Grip (On Yourself); Valley of the Birds; Something Better Change; London Lady; English Towns; Curfew; Tank.

Encore 1: All Day and All of the Night; Duchess. Encore 2: Hanging Around; No More Heroes.

Two other songs on the playlist were not played, however,: Nuclear Device and Toiler on the Sea!

Unfortunately due to a very hard storm on the Channel, the band started their set five and a half hours late. It was well worth the wait. I was there with three of my friends: Jan-Hendrik, Theo and Maaike. Maaike was almost sleeping by the time they came on stage, but I think the energy of the set woke her up again.

We were very anxious to hear the new member. Baz Warne certainly surprised us all and left us gagging for air: it was breathtaking. We are all sorry that John decided to leave the Stranglers, but as that is his decision, we must accept and respect his choice. I think the band has found a worthy replacement.

Despite the tardiness, the band gave their all. The set (which we can only remember parts of) was very energetic and vibrating all the way. Apart from a few solos that Baz let pass by, I think he really fits in. It was actually quite funny to hear just one note in the same place we are used to in one of John's notorious guitar pieces: I mention "All Day and All of the Night". On the other hand he must have listened a hundred times or more for he gets all the parts right.

I can't remember the whole set and together with my friends we came up with:

Grip; Skin Deep; Always the Sun; Duchess; No More Heroes; Money; Golden Brown; Something Better Change; Who Wants the World?; Valley of the Birds; Coup de Grace.

I remember a keyboard of Dave's sliding a bit off the stand, a drumstick flying through the air, Paul and JJ and Baz dancing away on stage.

We only drove about 150 miles, but we met a lot of fans/friends from the U.K.. I think the Stranglers have the most loyal/fanatic supporters in music history. We love them.

At long last 22nd October. Arrived at about 7.30pm and met with a few friends (Old & New). The first act appeared (Schindler) -- they were very good, and received a warm reception from the audience. Then appeared a comedian called Jim Tavare, who blagged his way through a few jokes: still, it all adds to the fun of the evening.

Eventually, at around 9.30, 'TheMeninBlack' came on and the crowd went mad. I have to admit, I'm not sure in what order the songs were, but whatever they were, it was brilliant. Seeing Dave sing 'Genetix' was fantastic, (especially as he was dressed in his 'suit of armour'). I personally have never seen this performed live before. It was also good to hear JJ sing 'The Raven'.

Paul was fantastic as usual, singing a lot of the old songs along with two new (Valley of The Birds & Coup De Grace). It's a pity they didn't sing more new stuff, but then again it was the 'Hits & Heroes' Tour. My one disappointment is that Paul didn't do his normal stage dive, but I believe that was because he couldn't see properly, and it's a bit dangerous to dive 'blind'. John E also lived up to the normal expectations and played brilliantly. Jet, well there's not a lot I can tell you, as he was hidden behind his drum kit.

All too quickly it was over, but not before they had 2 encores. The BBC were filming that night and some of it has been shown on a programme called 'Inside Tracks': very short and sweet, but better than nothing.

My friend and I were extremely lucky as we had back stage passes. To think that we were in a bar with our 'Icons' of years was a truly memorable experience. I spoke to Paul for a short while, who I have to say is a really nice bloke, extremely down to earth and friendly. We discussed his new website, single, etc.. After a few photos, it was time to leave. We unfortunately did not get the opportunity to meet any other members of the band, still I s'pose you can't be too greedy. It was then home to look forward to Hemel Hempstead.....

Arrived at Hemel Hempstead at approx. 8pm. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people that were there. I had previously seen them here 2 years ago and at that time is was fairly empty, so to see it as busy as it was, was a good start.

The band appeared on stage at approx. 9.15pm, to another good reception. I have to say this gig was crazy from start to finish: there were people 'pogoing' from the start to the end. I believe it was the same set list, but, who cares. Paul did his obligatory stage dive, along with other fans, who were getting on the stage only to dive off again. The only downer for me , were a few 'idiots' who threw glasses of water/lager onto the stage. At one point it missed Paul and hit Dave's Keyboards, but luckily no damage was done (I don't think). Paul was as usual 'strutting' his stuff, and looking (and sounding) good as usual, and JJ was having a ball, with his leg cocked in the air and grinning from ear to ear. At one point a fan joined JJ in his pose, and danced alongside him before 'diving' into the audience.

Again another fantastic night, but again over all to quickly.

EDITORS NOTE:

At the start of this tour, the set-list was:

Goodbye Toulouse; Grip; Who Wants the World; Coup de Grace; Pin Up; Ice Queen; Golden Brown; Always the Sun; Princess of the Streets; The Raven; Genetix; Just Like Nothing on Earth; Nuclear Device; Two Sunspots; Burning up Time; Something Better Change; Tank; Down in the Sewer.

First Encore: Skin Deep; Valley of the Birds; Thrown Away.
Second Encore: Duchess; Hanging Around; No More Heroes.

As the tour progressed, both "Down in the Sewer" and then "Just Like Nothing on Earth" were replaced with "Five Minutes and "Threatened", respectively. "Valley of the Birds" was eventually dropped in favour of "Money" in the first encore.

I feel that as the venue and date were changed, a lot of fans were not aware that it was taking place on that day and not 7th August as previously advertised. [To be fair, Paula is new to the web, and would not have seen our news postings -- Ed.]. Apparently 5000 people were expected, but unfortunately there were only about 2500.

There was quite a delay before they eventually appeared (lighting/sound checks etc.), but the fans kept each themselves entertained by discussing various aspects of the group with whomever was next to them.

The Stranglers appeared on stage about 11.30pm to a very enthusiastic audience, most like myself had been there for most of the day waiting patiently. We watched groups like The Damned and 999, but obviously the main 'brunt' of the crowd were there for the Stranglers.They opened with a very powerful version of Grip, which went down extremely well with the audience. They went on to play a lot of old songs along with all the favourites (Golden Brown/Always the Sun/Hanging Around/Strange Little Girl/No More Heroes/Valley of the Birds/Golden Boy/Sewer) and others; it was nice to hear JJ sing the Raven again after so long, as they don't play it that often.

The fans were all in good spirits , and there was a brilliant 'family' atmosphere surrounding the whole of the crowd (being in the Open-Air added to it). The weather was kind to us although it did get a bit chilly (especially when you're camping out!!).

Unfortunately it ended all too quickly, but it was well worth the long trek down to Devon. I would definitely do it again, although next time I think I'll splash out and stay at a B&B!!.

I was very lucky because I was at the front and so had a brilliant view. The audience behind us were very 'enthusiastic' (bruises to prove it) and quite a few got over the barrier (via my head!!). Many times I had to 'duck' out of the way, but it all added to the experience and excitement of the day.

All in all a very enjoyable day, and can't wait 'til they play again, which won't be too long. (Thank Goodness).

My congratulations to all concerned, and also my thanks to Carl at Planet Promotions (without him I wouldn't have known about the change of date/venue etc).

This was our first UK tour-outing since forming the Rat's Lair, so we'd like to take the opportunity to say "hi" to all the folks we were fortunate to meet and thank you for so much positive feedback.

Three gigs, three very different venues.....

Support for the Coup de Grace tour was ably provided by Lawrence Gowan, who took to stage as a solo perfomer on keyboard (and voice) only. Little known in the UK, in his home country of Canada he has five platinum and four gold albums, plus four number 1 singles. He has also two Juno (Canadian music industry) awards under his belt. On stage, he struck an incredible audio presence, as he performed a cross-section of his work; and who would have thought that a (wonderful) rendition of an old rag-time piece would have been so well received by a Stranglers audience! A link to Gowan's web page can be found on our links page.

Albeit a fairly new structure, the Rhyl Pavilion is probably what many think of as a typical sea-side theatre. It overlooks the coast, is fully seated only (therefore a bit constraining for a Stranglers audience), but affords a great view of the stage from anywhere in the audience.

The use of "Waltzinblack" as a show-opener seems to be a distant memory, as the band blasted onto stage to the haunting strains of "God is Good". JJ, Paul and John provided a visual united front line for this wall of sound. This was followed by the other aggressive track from the new album (and it's title track) "Coup de Grace". Each tour seems to conjour up a tighter performance from the band, and this was certainly no exception, as they propelled their way through material from every album except "Feline". Mid-way through the set, Paul left JJ to sing "The Raven" and "In the End", returning after the instrumental intro for "Toiler on the Sea". "No More Heroes" brought the proceedings to a great finish. Great to see the band in such good form, pity about the seats and (as it turned out) a more subdued audience than the latter gigs (probably due to the venue).

In stark contrast, Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall is a simple rectangular hall (no seating, no balcony, no frills), which has probably seen better days. The place was packed to the gills, and sold out; disappointed fans were turned away at the door. Certainly a great place (and audience-size) to capture the band's live power and energy. The audience were in a very lively mood, as witnessed by JJ's female on-stage guest.

The southern English town of Salisbury (known for its cathedral, and for having Stonehenge on its doorstep) was the next stop on the tour. This had by far the loudest sound (or were our ears just beginning to pack in?). A bit more room in this half-seated, half-standing hall (despite an audience close to the size of that in Wolverhampton). Great to see some real youngsters at the front and another very appreciative audience. The evening nicely rounded off our Stranglers-following excursion around the English countryside.

The set list for these gigs was:

God is Good; Coup de Grace; Skin Deep; Money; Golden Boy; Sleazy; Thrown Away; Sinister; The Raven; In the End; Toiler; Tonight; Always the Sun; Valley of the Birds; 96 Tears; Straighten Out; Brainbox; All Day All Night; Duchess; Golden Brown; 5 Mins; Hanging Around; No More Heroes.

Following the Albert Hall, I could hardly wait for my next Stranglers gig.

Support came from Cooara, a bunch of Northerners. It was quite good, but only 50 odd people were in the audience at the time.

By the time The Stranglers came on, the hall was about 95% full. Unlike the Albert Hall, The Stranglers emergence wasn't half as grand, appearing out of the darkness, and going straight into "Valley Of The Birds". It seems "Valley..." is the new concert opener, rather than WaltzInBlack. Another tradition seemingly broken is that of the colour black. If I'm not wrong, only Dave and Jet wore all black, with JJ reprising his Albert Hall suit for the occasion.

Paul appeared to have certain problems with his mike's tuning, but he gave it his all, and it came out quite well mostly.

What surprised me was the lack of new material played. Written In Red was represented with "Valley..." and "Here" only. Still, despite only a lukewarm reception at encore time, the crowd seemed to enjoy it, particularly Golden Brown and No More Heroes. There was a huge crowd gathering at the front, ranging from under 10 year olds to fifty somethings, who were really getting into it.

The gig had various features to make it more interesting. Namely a roadie jumping into the crowd, a six year old pogoing on stage and the announcement of the competition winner ("Friday the Thirteenth" promotional competition -- ed.). The band gave it their all, and they had enough energy, charisma and talent to make the gig an absolutely brilliant one, if rather short...

Strange place, the Wetlands Preserve. Situated towards the southwest end of Manhattan Island, a handful of blocks from the World Trade Center and Liberty Island, it doubles up as both a music venue/bar and an Environmental and Social Justice Action Center. Imagine a long, thin, room with a tiny stage along the end of one of the long walls, with the bar at the opposite end of the other long wall. This layout makes for a fun time reaching the bar, or seeing the band, depending on which end you happen to be at. On the wall directly behind the stage is a mural depicting a wetlands scene, complete with suitable wildlife. Elsewhere, socially-aware slogans are splashed on the wall. A VW campervan, painted hippy-style, sits in the lobby.

Local band "Furniture" provided a solid support act. These guys are heavily influenced by the Stranglers and have a similar set-up (bass, guitar, drums and keyboards), Jon Steele's deep vocals adding emphasis to their driving sound. The songs played were mostly off their current CD, available through their home page. Comments from the crowd indicate that they went down very well indeed.

Shortly after Furniture's equipment had been removed, the club resonated to the sounds of flocks of wild birds. This heralded the entry of the Stranglers, diving straight into "Valley of the Birds". By this time, the club was packed, with a heaving mosh-pit forming; very different to some North American Stranglers audiences. Things were also heating up on stage -- Paul was throwing himself into each number with such vigor he looked in danger of blowing a blood vessel (he even managed to get in some crowd-surfing); JJ was getting frequent wipe-downs from a road crew member; at one point, JJ's attention to the auto-tuner suggested that the heat was beginning to do a number on his bass's tuning. The stage at the Wetlands is so small and low that the audience seemed in danger of crashing into the band and those at JJ's side of the stage came periously close to becoming intimate with the head of his bass as he turned around.

Tracks old and new were given a driving live treatment and were greeted with great enthsiasm. On some (such as "Thrown Away" and "I Feel Like a Wog") the crowd went nuts. All too soon, we were being treated to an encore of "Hanging Around" and "No More Heroes". A second encore consisting of the wonderfully experimental reworking of "Summer in the City" finished things off. The crowd were left hot and sweaty, and (a large portion of them) clammering at the dressing-room door.

The tracks played were: "Valley of the Birds"; "Golden Boy"; "Straighten Out"; "Money"; "In Heaven She Walks"; "Nice 'n' Sleazy"; "Always the Sun"; "Daddy's Riding the Range"; "Golden Brown"; "Sinister"; "Miss You"; "I Feel Like a Wog"; "Silver Into Blue"; "Thrown Away"; "Bring on the Nubiles"; "Let Me Introduce You to the Family"; "Duchess"; "Hanging Around"; "No More Heroes"; "Summer in the City".