Hugh Cornwell Grend Essen 28th October 2006

 

Here's for your listening pleasure is a nice sounding full band recording from one of Hugh's many gigs in Germany. This one comes from Essen in 2006 and comes courtesy of Peter... thanks again! 

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-WJyrZwbnBQbbopA3

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-e1nNUb4Lho04r95v

Acoustic Festival Of Britain Nantwich 30th July 2006

 

As festivals go this one had a fairly decent line up, enough on the bill on each day to keep me entertained at least... and with 'posh loos' to boot!

Here is a full set, authored DVD of The Stranglers who closed the event as Sunday's headliners. I have to say that the handful of acoustic gigs that I saw the band play I really rather enjoyed.

DVD image: https://we.tl/t-KqkOCEfZIJ

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-gm8qvpwJxt

Newtown Neurotics Wasted Festival Blackpool 12th August 2006

 

From early in the reformation (of the Neurotics, not the Protestant Reformation... they have been around for a long time, but that is pushing it!) here are the Neurotics. This post is prompted by the delivery this afternoon of new Newtown Neurotics material on vinyl (see earlier post). I don't need a more substantial excuse than that to be honest.

Thanks to Peter for this one.... always appreciated!

The keen eyed amongst you may have noted an error in the artwork. It is stated that it took place in Morecambe, but in fact the then 'Wasted' had decamped to the Wintergardens in Blackpool by this point.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-Fpxzm6F6PV

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-UPaPHw1tpX

Badge of the Week #11

 

Bringing things more up to date (a bit!) :). Suite XVI 25mm.

Musique En Stock Festival Cluses 8th July 2006 DVD

 

I've said it on here before, but when Baz took to the stage at Weston-Super-Mare on 3rd June 2006 and announced 'And then there were four' the game completely changed again for me. But this was summer, a time for far flung festival appearances, so it was several weeks before I went along to Guilfest on 10th July in the company of Paul Cooklin for my first fix of The Stranglers Revitalised. A few days prior to that the band were in Cluses on the French/Swiss border for the 'Music En Stock' Festival. This is an incomplete audience shot record of that gig. It's not the greatest, but it is a record of a gig from a band on the verge of great change, if not in fortune, in credibility. The audio of the full set can be found here.

DVD image: https://we.tl/t-9ubWhIeCsN

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-u3RnH7YK2Q

The Rezillos ABC Glasgow 14th December 2006

 

Well from the comments that I have read, yesterday's Glaswegian day out seems to have gone off well, despite some showers. Here's another one from one of yesterday's celabrants, The Rezillos, again in Glasgow back in 2006. Good recording in a rather echoey ABC.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-4RgTfEMgMM

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-fPkqV28TqN

The Scala Kings Cross London 26th October 2006

 

Here's young Hugh in London on this Day in 2006. Somewhere between 'Beyong Elysian Fields' and 'Hoover Dam', Hugh was again experimenting with set construction. At this time it was a case of Stranglers's material alternating with solo songs. Around this time, I recall Hugh saying that by ordering the set in this way, the contingent of his audiences who were only there to see him as an ex-Strangler would only ever have three minutes to wait until the next Stranglers installment. 

Having seen Hugh play on many occasions it's sometimes difficult not to feel for the guy. It is almost as if he has a love/hate relationship with his Stranglers back catalogue. Since stepping out as a solo artist outside of The Stranglers in 1991 I am sure that above all else he wants to be admired for what ever new music he was making, but try as he might (and he did in the early shows) to get away from his musical past, it has been next to impossible. He either gives the audience what they want i.e. a heavy dose of Stranglers' material or accept that if he doesn't he will have to endure constant calls from the audience for 'Hanging Around' or 'Peaches'! I am sure that he would rather be in the position whereby he could have a set of 90% of solo material with just a few songs thrown as treats for the fans. Paul Weller does this very well.... if you wanna hear The Jam, go and see Bruce's band!

On the other hand, to cull the Stranglers material would run the risk of significantly reducing the audience. It is interesting that Hugh tends to your in the autumn whereas The Stranglers tend to tour the UK in March (or at least have done for a number of years now). Maybe this is deliberate... avoid touring clashes and maximise your potential audience that to a large extent is one and the same as that who are seeing The Stranglers.

At the end of the day, as Hugh has stated himself, it is right and proper that he has a sence of pride in the songs that the band put together and long may he continue to play them.

The surprise track on this recording is 'Bear Cage'!

WAV: https://we.tl/t-rg2QC8ZrNF

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-Qp1BRuPqHt (artwork splits discs after Black Hair, Black Eyes, Black Suit).

01. Duchess
02. Leave Me Alone
03. Nice ‘N’ Sleazy
04. First Bus To Babylon
05. Goodbye Toulouse
06. Picked Up By The Wind
07. Hanging Around
08. Hot Cat On A Tin Roof
09. Bear Cage
10. Black Hair, Black Eyes, Black Suit
11. Always The Sun
12. Nerves Of Steel
13. Nuclear Device
14. Putting You In The Shade
15. Walk On By
16. No More Heroes
17. Dark Side Of The Room
18. Down In The Sewer

Manchester Academy 13th October 2006

Here's a good sounding recording from Manchester in 2006, great set and a really exiting time in which to be into the band... Da Capo as The Ruts would say!

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-vj4RgzS0Q8

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-vGVRml69J0

01. 5 Minutes

02. (Get A) Grip (on Yourself)

03. Spectre Of Love

04. Nice 'N' Sleazy

05. Death & Night & Blood

06. Unbroken

07. Peaches

08. Always The Sun

09. Golden Brown

10. I Hate You

11. Lost Control

12. Summat Outanowt

01. Walk On By

02. Relentless

03. Threatened

04. Burning Up Time

05. All Day & All Of The Night

06. Thrown Away

07. Duchess

08. London Lady

09. Nuclear Device

10. Dagenham Dave

11. Hanging Around

12. No More Heroes

999 On TV And On Film

 

Here's a DVD compilation that I put together some years ago that features a collection of TV and live appearances from 1978 to 2007. Quality varies, but it's a nice collection. Anyone recall where 'Bomb You' came from or is it another of those tracks like 'People Who Died' and 'White Trash', songs that saw the light of day for the briefest of times?

DVD image: https://go.wetransfer.com/t-F3bWP0s7pr

Artwork: https://go.wetransfer.com/t-OFKLnGXJ5h

The Corporation Sheffield 7th October 2006 (DVD)

 

I guess I am not alone in having a pile of poorly labelled CD and DVD discs that I have been meaning to sort for years now. Many are duplicates, some not. Dipping into the pile, I came across this DVD recording of the band in Sheffield from back in 2006. Unfortunately, I have no idea where this came from so I have no one that I can credit for this one, which is a shame because it is really nicely authored! Thanks anyway, whoever you may be.

DVD disc image: https://we.tl/t-edwZdaQTkm

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-AJWFKlFngh

The Lemon Tree Aberdeen 20th September 2006

 

With the release of the deluxe edition of Suite XVI almost upon us now seems to be as good a time as any to offer up a recording from that tour back in 2006.

For me personally, this was a great time for the band. Unshackled from the internal wranglings that seemingly dogged the band in the latter days of the Paul Roberts' era the revamped four-piece approached the gigs on this tour like they were their last. To anyone in the audience the pleasure that the renewed four piece dynamic gave JJ, Jet, Dave and Baz was palpable. JJ's willingness to jump back on the mike after several years of abstinence was an undoubled highlight. Opening a set with the primal roar of '5 Minutes' is always gonna be a winner! It was clear that the good times were back. The new material from Suite XVI slotted very well into the set, which with the exceptions of 'Norfolk Coast', 'Lost Control' and material from the new album had been purged such that there was not a trace of the recently departed singer. Of the new songs most notable were 'Spectre Of Love', the eyebrow-raising 'Unbroken' and the majestic tale of survival against the odds, 'Relentless', a song surely up there with the best of the Mk I material.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-EZK9dNMtiP

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-br1CBgWypU

01. Intro

02. 5 Minutes

03. Norfolk Coast

04. Spectre Of Love

05. Nice N’ Sleazy

06. Unbroken

07. Death & Night & Blood

08. Peaches

09. Always The Sun

10. Golden Brown

11. I Hate You

12. Summat Outanowt

13. Walk On By

14. Relentless

15. Threatened

16. Never To Look Back

17. All Day & All Of The Night

18. Lost Control

19. Thrown Away

20. Duchess

21. London Lady

01. Burning Up Time

02. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)

03. Encore Break

04. No More Heroes

Metropolitan University Leeds 12th October 2006

 

On this day 14 years ago The Stranglers played Leeds. Great set and great times from a year of new possibilities and the year that I came back to the band!

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-jSMacQSkah

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-7Sfin6YD7L

01. 5 Minutes
02. (Get A) Grip (on Yourself)
03. Spectre Of Love
04. Nice n Sleazy
05. Death & Night & Blood
06. Unbroken
07. Peaches
08. Always The Sun
09. Golden Brown
10. I Hate You
11. Lost Control
12. Summat Outanow

01. Walk On By
02. Relentless
03. Threatened
04. Burning Up Time
05. All Day & All Of The Night
06. Thrown Away
07. Duchess
08. London Lady
09. Nuclear Device
10. Dagenham Dave
11. No More Heroes

Suite XVI Radio Promos 2006

Here's a handful of radio promos that the band did to promote the Suite XVI album back in 2006.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-hVkam88Lt9

01. Radio Wales 14th August 2006
02. The Album Show 25th September 2006
03. Talk Sport 27th September 2006
04. The Janice Long Show 8th September 2006

Loopallu Festival Ullapool 22nd September 2006

Here's an anniversary gig from north of the border when the band played the Loopallu Festival in Ullapool which was then in its second year.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-cNX4KXN1lY

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-hwmh7WBJDq

01. 5 Minutes
02. Norfolk Coast
03. Spectre of Love
04. Nice n Sleazy
05. Death & Night & Blood
06. Peaches
07. Always the Sun
08. Golden Brown
09. I Hate You
10. Walk On By
11. Relentless
12. Threatened
13. Never to Look Back
14. All Day & All of the Night
15. Thrown Away
16. Duchess
17. London Lady
18. No More Heroes

The Robin Bilston 30th June 2006

Here's a boot courtesy of The Rat Zone from the 'Suite XVI' tour.

WMA (As received): https://we.tl/jgzWjxzedn

Mick Jagger Centre 27th July 2006

An almost anniversary gig and an acoustic one at that. From the Mick Jagger Centre in Dartford.

FLAC: https://we.tl/56mhBO33qN

01. Instead Of This
02. Long Black Veil
03. Dutch Moon
04. European Female
05. Princess Of The Streets
06. Strange Little Girl
07. Always The Sun
08. In The End
09. English Towns
10. Southern Mountains
11. Golden Brown
12. Don’t Bring Harry/Cruel Garden
13. Never Too Look Back
14. No More Heroes
15. I Hate You
16. Sanfte Kuss
17. Walk On By

Music En Stock Festival Cluses France 8th July 2008

Here's another anniversary gig. One of the first to be played post Paul.

FLAC: https://we.tl/f2LcgKaPJW

Artwork: https://we.tl/Yd3FfK1mdc

01. The Raven
02. Big Thing Coming
03. All Day & All Of The Night
04. Peaches
05. Long Black Veil
06. Death & Night & Blood
07. Toiler On The Sea
08. Golden Brown
09. Always The Sun
10. Never To Look Back
11. Goodbye Toulouse
12. Sommat Outta Nothing
13. Walk On By
14. I’ve Been Wild
15. Lost Control
16. Duchess
17. Burning Up Time
18. London Lady

01. 5 Minutes
02. JJ Speaks
03. Dagenham Dave
04. No More Heroes

Hugh Cornwell Vanguard Newtown Sydney 6th January 2006

Finding anniversary gigs for the month of January is often a tall order as post-Christmas fund deficits, crap weather, not to mention planned engineering works all serve to thin out paying audiences. In this climate it seems that musicians take the month off too. That is unless you can haul your arse off to Australia as Hugh did in 2006.

Here he is doing his solo thing around the time of 'Beyond Elysian Fields'.

FLAC: https://we.tl/DfbOQDuB5H

01. Intro
02. Duchess
03. Beauty On The Beach
04. Nice & Sleazy
05. Picked Up By The Wind
06. Hanging Around
07. Tuning
08. Cadiz
09. Always The Sun
10. Black Hair, Black Eyes, Black Suit
11. All Quiet On The Eastern Front
12. Break Of Dawn
13. Hot Cat On A Tin Roof
14. No More Heroes


01. Henry Moore
02. Strange Little Girl
03. Nerves Of Steel
04. Midnight Summer Night Dream
05. Decadence
06. Shakin' Like A Leaf
07. The Story Harry Power
08. Tramp
09. The Story Of He & She
10. Straighten Out
11. 24/7
12. Golden Brown
13. Encore Break
14. Peaches
15. Do Right Bayou
16. Goodbye Toulouse

Bristol Academy 1st October 2006

And a proper anniversary with this one from Bristol on the 'Suite XVI' tour.

FLAC: https://we.tl/m0M4hO1hvR

Artwork: https://we.tl/WYnx2Sh7q5

01. 5 Minutes
02. (Get A) Grip (on Yourself)
03. Spectre Of Love
04. Nice 'n' Sleazy
05. Death & Night & Blood
06. Unbroken
07. Peaches
08. Always The Sun
09. Golden Brown
10. I Hate You
11. Lost Control
12. Summat Outanowt
13. Walk On By

01. Relentless
02. Threatened
03. Burning Up Time
04. All Day & All Of The Night
05. Thrown Away
06. Duchess
07. London Lady
08. Nuclear Device
09. Dagenham Dave
10. No More Heroes

B.I.C. Pavilion Bournemouth 9th October 2006

Ten years today this one. A four piece once more, The Stranglers woke up sleepy Bournemouth on the 'Suite XVI Tour'.

FLAC: https://we.tl/OYAu6Qkfaw

Artwork: https://we.tl/NwkcMOYxgS

01. 5 Minutes
02. (Get A) Grip (on Yourself)
03. Spectre Of Love
04. Nice n Sleazy
05. Death & Night & Blood
06. Unbroken
07. Peaches
08. Always The Sun
09. Golden Brown
10. I Hate You
11. Lost Control
12. Summat Outanowt
13. Walk On By
14. Relentless
15. Threatened
16. Burning Up Time
17. All Day & All Of The Night
18. Thrown Away
19. Duchess
20. London Lady
21. Nuclear Device
22. No More Heroes