Photos by Cliff Howarth and Ian Grant:
Crowd photo courtesy of STAR Radio North Somerset

A small festival, near an English sea-side town, would probably not be the obvious choice for an historic Stranglers gig. However, this was to be the unlikely venue for band's first outing as a four-piece, following the departure of lead singer Paul Roberts.

The Midsummer Buzz attracted a fair-sized crowd, probably split about 50/50 between general festival-goers and Stranglers fans. With a set finish-time of midnight, the familiar tones of "WaltzinBlack" rang out to a darkened field at about 10.30. The opening track, "The Raven", provided a song that would conceivably see Paul off-stage in the past, as JJ provided the vocals. However, as the band ran into "Big Thing Coming" with JJ still at the mike, it was clear that one era of the band's history had passed and another was beginning. A quick announcement between songs by Baz along the lines of "now we are four" provided the final confirmation.

The volley of tracks that followed were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd, with songs spanning the band's extensive catalogue. It was definitely a treat to hear such tracks as "Death and Night and Blood" and a particulalry aggressive "Toiler on the Sea" pounding out in the still June air. "Something Owt of Nothing" provided a taste of the new material. The band were certainly on top form, with Baz and JJ doing an outstanding job on vocals, particularly given the short period in which to prepare. All too soon, we were into the encore and the end of a unique show.

With the 2006 festival season upon us, the new studio album due in September and a tour to follow, the new look Stranglers are in for a busy year.

The set-list for this gig was: