Our top five ‘bands with balls’ list varies over the years, but will always include: The Stooges, MC5, The Slits, Renegade Soundwave, and The Stranglers. All punk, or with a punk ethos, but the Stranglers are unique in that list; they are still together, touring, and absolutely riveting live. A Stranglers gig is now one of your last opportunities to see original punk expression on a stage, and the band did not disappoint at their recent Brighton Dome gig.
Their pioneering creativity is extraordinary: imagine having enough guts to put classic keyboards into a punk band in 1977, the same year as releasing two classic punk albums (‘Rattus Norvegicus’ and ‘No More Heroes’). Add to that, amongst a host of other brilliant projects, the audacity of covering a Dionne Warwick single, superbly, and having a number two hit (‘Golden Brown’) with what is basically a chamber-music harpsichord arrangement, which everybody still thinks is as cool as hell.
And you forget they had so many hits: 23 UK top 40 singles and, amazingly, 17 UK top 40 albums: that is bloody good going when you think about it. ‘Golden Brown, ‘Something Better Change’, ‘No More Heroes’, ‘Peaches’, ‘Walk On By’, ‘Always The Sun’, ‘Hanging Around’ and ‘Nice And Sleazy’ only make a small dent in the list of belting punk anthems these lads have produced.
The band took to the stage in their usual black gear, looking as cool as ever. Founder member Jet Black (great name) wasn’t on the drum kit, due to ongoing health problems, but was ably replaced by Jim Macaulay. Jean-Jacques Burnel’s unique bass sound complimented Baz Warne’s superb lead and vocal. Baz replaced Hugh Cornwell some 30 years ago, and is every inch the capable frontman, with a cracking throaty vocal style. Proper troopers every one: Burnel and Warne never once looked at their instruments: their stage presence and professionalism tell you instantly that they’ve been doing this for ever.
However, for our money, it’s Dave Greenfield’s soaring keyboard riffs that put a unique stamp on The Strangler’s sound. Ten seconds into any Stranglers single and you know it’s them. Greenfield is actually a Brighton lad originally, celebrating his 68th birthday onstage at The Dome, and after a couple of false starts, the whole crowd gave him a great rendition ‘Happy Birthday To You’.
The mosh pit bounced joyfully around to 22 absolute classics, as well as excellent new material, but we would have paid the ticket price just to hear ‘No More Heroes’ again. The encore track is about as good as it gets for a straight-to-the-point three minutes of total inspiration. See this band; live music rarely gets better than this. Like we said, there won’t be many more chances to see energy and talent like this.
The Stranglers, Brighton Dome, Tuesday 28th March 2017
Words by Sam Moffett
Photos by Gili Dailes
