Maaike at www.bazwarne.com has just forwarded us the following Baz dates:

Thurs 6th June -- The Pheasant -- Sheffield
Fri 7th June -- The Serbian -- Leeds
Sat 8th June -- McDermotts -- Wakefield

As always, these dates are subject to change beyond the control of Baz or his agents. Please check with the venue prior to travelling.

A complete 1983 Stranglers concert will be broadcast on German satellite television station "WDR" on Sunday, April 28th 2002 at 4.39 a.m. CET, in the program "Rockpalast" (www.rockpalast.de/termine,html). The concert was at the Markthalle, Hamburg, on the 20th of February 1983. WDR television can be received via ASTRA 1 c, Transponder 39, 11.053 MHz (www.wdr.de/tv).

The folks at the official merchandise site have advised us of a new range of t-shirts based on the catalogue album designs. The first three in the series are now available at www.stranglers.co.uk.

Also currently available from the merchandise site (www.stranglers.co.uk) is the "unplugged" (well, "less loud" as JJ put it) album "Laid Black". This album was recorded in the studio following the successful convention in 2001. The track-listing is:

Walk on By; Let Me Down Easy; Southern Mountains; Cruel Garden; European Female; Still Life; Always the Sun; The Face; Strange Little Girl; Princess of the Streets; Golden Brown; Old Codger;Mony Mony; In the End.

We have just received word that the Stranglers will be playing the Studentski Centre in Zagreb, Croatia on April 13th. More information as we get it.

Apparently, a short excerpt of "Peaches" is being used in a new European Adidas commercial -- so far this has been spotted in France, Belgium and Germany. The ad starts with a girl in bikini, while Hugh is singing "Walking on the beaches, looking at the peaches"; it then goes to "strolling along minding my own business". The ad can be found at: www.adidas.com/kobe -- look under "campaigns", and then "sneakerfan".

Another Adidas commercial, featuring David Beckham, and also using "Peaches" has been spotted in the UK.

April sees the Stranglers making a short visit to the Channel Islands, with Stiff Little Fingers as support. The information we have at present is as follows:

For tickets and further information, go to: On Stage Events.

Today has seen a major overhaul of our links page, basically weeding out the dead links. All those on the page should now be current and operational. Please let us know of any problems or necessary additions.

Apparently, the soundtrack CD for the 2001 movie "Sexy Beast" (starring Ben Kingsley) features "Peaches" as the first track.

Next week, Baz will release a solo cd called "Common Thread". This will include the track "Dutch Moon", which was aired by the Stranglers as part of the "Chilled Out" semi-acoustic set during the 2001 Convention.

The full track-listing is: My Friend the Sun; Where've You Been; Rips in My Heart; Dutch Moon; Crime in the City; Only Women Bleed.

More information and (shortly) sound samples available from the official Baz Warne site: www.bazwarne.com.

On Saturday March 2nd 2002, The Stranglers presented "Two Shades of Black" at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London, UK. Billed as a "show in two parts" there were two sets by the band, one regular set and one "not so loud" set (and no support band). The play-lists were as follows:

Set One:
Walk on By; Still Life; Let Me Down Easy; Face; Southern Mountains; Santfe De Kuss; In the End; Cruel Garden; Old Codger; Tuckers Grave; Always the Sun; Golden Brown; Strange Little Girl.

Set Two:
The Raven; Threatened; 5 Minutes; Coup de Grace; Dead Ringer; Valley of the Birds; Skin Deep; Sinister; Mine All Mine; We Got to Get Out of this Place; Thrown Away; Something Better Change; Who Wants the World; Grip; Curfew; Tank. Encores: Hanging Around; No More Heroes.

By all accounts, this was a very well received gig. We are looking for review and picture submissions and will be posting a page on this show shortly.

The band would like to thank all those who donated to the Metropolitan Police Service's "Convoy 2000" appeal (see below). A grand total of £615 was raised for this worthy cause.

This just in from the Metropolitan Police:

"CONVOY 2000, the Metropolitan Police Service's charity for humanitarian aid to Romania is receiving support from one of Britain's best loved and most enduring pop-rock bands, the Stranglers.

The Stranglers agreed to become honorary patrons to help promote the Met's annual venture which conducts a number of building projects each year to improve the life of Romanians in need - particularly terminally ill children dying of AIDS, children in care and the aged. Met police cadets wearing Convoy 2000 t-shirts will be taking a collection at the Stranglers 'Two-Shades-of-Black' gig at Shepherd's Bush Empire on 2 March 2002.

Many police officers adopt charities in their own time and everyone involved with Convoy 2000 takes on this work at their own time and expense. Last year Convoy 2000 delivered over 300 tons of aid and building materials. The next trip leaves for Romania in May 2002."

For those who will not be at the concert, but who wish to contribute, the Convoy 2000 donation/help-line phone number is: 0207 230 4233. The Convoy 2000 web site is: www.convoy2000.co.uk.

Snapper Music (under licence from Eagle Rock) recently released the double-CD compilation "Lies and Deception" (catalogue no. SMDCD373). Featuring a cover photograph of a headless bride and groom, this release is somewhat unusual (hence our delay in posting, as we were awaiting the arrival of our own copy to confirm the contents). CD 1 is basically a re-issue of "Friday the Thirteenth", the recording of the Royal Albert Hall gig featuring the "Electra Strings" which took place on Friday 13th June 1997. Strangely enough, we could not find any mention of the pedigree of this recording anywhere in the sleeve notes. CD 2 features a selection of tracks from the albums "About Time", "Written in Red" and "Coup de Grace". The track- listing is as follows:

CD 1:
Waltzinblack; Valley of the Birds; Skin Deep; Always the Sun; Face; Daddy's Riding the Range; Strange Little Girl; Still Life; Let Me Down Easy; Golden Brown; Lies and Deception; European Female; All Day and All of the Night; Duchess; Down in the Sewer; 5 Minutes; No More Heroes.

CD 2:
Face; Coup de Grace (S-O-S); Blue Sky; Valley of the Birds; God is Good; Lies and Deception; Known Only Unto God; Golden Boy; In Heaven She Walks; In the End; Still Life; Miss You; Sinister; Summer in the City.

The Stranglers will play two gigs in Eire and one in Northern Ireland in March. The details we have are as follows:

"Clubbed to Death", an album of dance-mixed Stranglers' tracks should be available soon. More details as we get them.

The February 2002 issue of "Record Collector" magazine features a nine-page article on the Stranglers, covering the period from 1975-1982. Apparently, this includes a detailed history of the band and a two-page discography of all the releases from that period (including their value in sterling).

The official Baz Warne web site is currently running an interesting competition. The idea is that you send in questions you would like to ask Baz. The fan with the best questions will get to put them to Baz directly. The resulting mini interview will be recorded and put online after the "People's Tour" (see below) in March.

The closing date is March 15th, and the site can be found at: www.bazwarne.com

In what is becoming known as "The Peoples' Acoustic Faith Tour", Paul Roberts and Baz Warne are taking the music of Paul Roberts and The Faith Band around the UK in February and march. Paul and Baz are also planning to record an album of acoustic material in February, which should see the light of day during the tour. As of February 3rd, the confirmed dates for this tour are as follows:

Details of the gigs, and how to get tickets both online and via mail order can be obtained from The Official Paul Roberts Web Site at www.paul-roberts.co.uk

The Castle Music re-releases of "The Stranglers and Friends Live in Concert" (Catalogue no. CMRCD459) and "Death and Night and Blood" (CMRCD455) are now available (contrary to the previously reported release date of February 25th). Both of these will feature new artwork and sleeve notes, which we are informed are a considerable improvement over the original versions.

A "Web Shop" has now been added to the official Baz Warne site (www.bazwarne.com). The first Sundevils CD is currently available: sample MP3s of several of the tracks are provided on the site.