The Stranglers, with support from The Alarm, at the Ironworks Inverness, 4/3/2016. Review.
In May 1978 I bought Black and White, the new album by the Stranglers, and played it and played it till it was ingrained and stuck in my head for the rest of my life. I was 17, I wasn’t a big Stranglers fan but that’s what you did in those days.
You didn’t press a button or app on any device available in 1978 which allowed you to choose any song by any band in the world at any time. Even if you were into music, like I was , you couldn’t consume and discard it then move on to the next trend or whim unless you were loaded. I liked the single ‘Nice n’ Sleazy’ so I bought the album. I then played it a lot.
So move on to 2016 and here are the Stranglers supported by The Alarm. The Alarm although they were a bit punky back in the day and did a bit of posturing around that camp came across here as a bit like a mainstream rock band. Some good songs and ones I clearly remember but they didn’t really do it for me tonight.
The Stranglers are in the Ironworks to play the whole Black and White album , in order from start to finish. I find I remember it all.I’m 54 now and I remember every bit of it even though I haven’t listened to it in more than 10 years or more. That’s the difference between music now and back then.
overall effect was like watching a live art installation
Starting with Tank and going through to Enough Time the band who were dressed in black played on a meticulously designed Black and White stage. The lighting was stark and the overall effect was like watching a live art installation. The sound was brilliant, though Baz Warne’s guitar could have sometimes come a bit further up in the mix.
It’s difficult to watch the Stranglers without your attention focussing on Jean-Jacques Burnel he dominates the stage and the sound. While watching him I am struck by just how much Nicky Wire of the Manics copies JJ Burnel . Maybe that’s just my niggle ?
Once the album is completed we also get a magnificent rendition of Walk on By which was the free single which came with the album in 1978.
The only other original Strangler on stage is keyboard player Dave Greenfield. He occasionally takes lead vocal on more avant-garde songs such as “Do You Wanna?” He comes across like a sort of clean shaven Salvador Dali character maniacally playing away on a bank of Snow White keyboards.
To end the gig we are treated to a selection of other choice moments from the Stranglers catalogue including the anti racist Jet Black song “I feel like a Wog” .
A rare lighthearted moment from an otherwise fairly serious band.
JJ Burnel had to change Bass during the last third of the show as the strings were soaked in sweat . He complained he had lost half his body weight in sweat pointing out the fact that the hall was jam packed and we were all roasting up the place. His roadie who’d been drying up the guitars was then enticed back on stage to treat us all to a view of his arse which sports a large Rattus Norvegicus tattoo. A rare lighthearted moment from an otherwise fairly serious band.
Finishing up with Something Better Change the band went off but then gave us two encores. First Go Buddy Go then off they go.Then returned again for a stonking No More Heroes.
A real fans gig and one which I certainly enjoyed. Some of my crowd of companions would have preferred more of the familiar hits I think. I did hear a few disappointed voices complaining they never played Golden Brown.
For myself and the majority of the crowd this was a band on form, presenting a complete package. Designed to stimulate the senses and make you think about just how well live music can look as well as sound.
A splendid array of photos of the evening can be found here.
