Well they had somewhat gone off for a while, but both factions are back. More or less.
Perhaps I was ignoring my younger days, but when I had the chance to see the Stranglers at the Alhambra Theatre in Dunfermline Scotland, I couldn't pass it up. The band were promoting their most recent album Giants
After a bus ride from St Andrew's to Dunfermline which seemed to take forever I found the pub that said "Stranglers Fans Welcome" (really) just down the street from the venue. The good folks at P.J Molloy & Sons knew a Stranglers crowd, were their type of people. You don't see Pubs that welcome Stranglers followers too often in North America. Well not since the Toronto Chapter of the "Down in the Sewer Drinking Club" ceased activities in the late 1980s.
That photo is my main pretty well all one needs to say. Well that and don't start talking about sectarian Scottish Football with Stranglers fans after a few pints. It was actually hard to avoid. Even the "I'm from Canada, what do I know about Hibs and Hearts, Celtic and Rangers and all that" didn't seem to work. I really should follow football so I know what I'm on about on that front, because ignorance is no excuse, unfortunately. I managed to escape almost unscathed.
On to the Show!
Last time I saw the Stranglers was in the first phase of the post Hugh Cornwall era. March 25th 1997. It seems like longer ago. That show seems in the very distant past, like the 87 Tour.
Well the big thing is, they were better in Dunfermline that night than they were in 1987. The new album "Giants" sounds like it should of been between The Raven and Black & White.
And as far as I know this was one of the last nights that Jet Black played a full set with the band. He played the next night in Glasgow, and one show after that.
Without Jet Black they played in New York at very crowded Highline Ballroom on June 3rd 2013. It was a good show, but They missed Jet more than this version of the band misses Hugh Cornwell .
Shows you how the heart of a rock band ( I can't think of a better term than rock, sorry Stranglers) is the drummer.
And as luck would have it, a few months later Hugh Cornwell played a far better show for a far less crowded Highline Ballroom.
Maybe if people knew the opening act "Ian Rubish" was actually Fred Armisen.
He Did the Rubish skit for a bit, but then it just degenerated into people yelling out accents and him doing the accents. He was doing a French guy, and I yelled out to "Do a French Canadian Guy" ( gotta represent my people ya know). Amazingly he was able to do an impressive French Canadian accent that didn't devolve into a Jean Chrétien impersonation.
And then the lost Strangler took the stage.
I'm not sure if people just don't know the name, or don't remember that he was the singer of the Stranglers. The crowd that was at the 2/4 Stranglers show should of been at this show. It was great.
I didn't think he played enough off the "Hoover Dam" album. You can download it for free from the link. ( Well worth it ha ha . I'd actually buy the vinyl, if it was available)
Both "Totem & Taboo" and "Hoover Dam" are great albums, I'd rather hear him play that stuff than old Stranglers songs.
And capping off the night Fred Armisen came out and played No More Heroes with the band.
Here is the set list, if you missed it, or if you need to label your tape ( do people still tape? )
And at the end of the night, Hugh was there signing merch and letting fans take selfies with him.
Well there you go, my more current experiences going to see Strangler related music all over the world.
If there were only cell phone cameras back in 83 or 80 when they were one big happy family and I saw them in Toronto.
all photos:Nicholas Marcilio
#nicholasmarcilio, #nickmarcilio, #nicholasmarsilia, #nicholasmarcilio
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