Baz Warne of The Stranglers at the Newcastle o2 Academy, March 2016. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Not everything in life is Black and White but it must be safe to say that for many who have grown up, grown alongside and grown older disgracefully with The Stranglers, you either love them or you haven’t had your electricity switched on for the past forty years; for how else can you explain not having a soul in which to celebrate one of Britain’s finest bands, the longevity and the love that comes out of the Punk Rock wash whenever the Stranglers come to town.
The yearly sojourn out onto the road, the demon like pace of city after city, venue after sweat driven but electrified venue, the pulse of over 40 years still creating news fans and obliging old ones with the constant and rightful refusal to bow out, it may turn over the miles, it might deprive the band of sleep but they would not have it any other way. The road, the studio and the fans, that is what The Stranglers are, a juggernaut carrying the hopes and dreams of a generation that refuses to be silenced and that rejects the notion that comes from certain quarters that Time is anything but a dedicated follower who attends every gig and can be found beating its chest with pride at the thought of the Waltz in Black being played as one of the great entrances.
The o2 Academy in Newcastle, the nearest stop on the latest tour for the band to Baz Warne’s stomping ground, a place where the hearty stock of the country know how to take everything thrown at them and return it with honour, return it with passion and a mark of respect as long as that respect is first shown to them. Like the people of Liverpool, in and around Newcastle the heart is worn on the sleeve, it beats in time to principle and belief and as The Stranglers thrust the memories of their Black and White album out into the open, that sense of principle was felt keenly, this was a night in working till every drop of sweat was clawed from the band’s individual temples, every note of songs from the album and old firm favourites was spent and collected like someone gathering the most beautiful of butterflies from the air; this was a night in which honour was asked for and received.
With songs such as Nice ‘N’ Sleazy, Toiler of the Sea, (Hey) Rise of the Robots, Curfew and Threatened trampling over the years as if they were giants beating down sand, the decades since the group’s third studio album was to be realised as but a blink of the eye. This was The Stranglers reliving Time and with Time’s grateful permission. Other songs such as No More Heroes, Walk On By, Feel Like A W*g, Relentless and Something Better Change stamped the authority of the night down with calm and brutal beauty strapped to a guitar that howled with pleasure throughout the night.
Not everything on life is Black and White, however nearly forty years since its release, the album, the band still sound as awesome as ever; a great night in the warm heart of Newcastle.
Ian D. Hall