On This Day 17/09/1978 The Stranglers

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 17 September 1978, punk/rock band The Stranglers played Cardiff’s Top Rank. The support band that evening were The Skids.

Formed as the Guildford Stranglers in Guildford, Surrey, in early 1974, they originally built a following within the mid-1970s pub rock scene. While their aggressive, no-compromise attitude had them identified by the media with the emerging UK punk rock scene that followed, their idiosyncratic approach rarely followed any single musical genre, and the group went on to explore a variety of musical styles, from new wave, art rock and gothic rock through the sophisti-pop of some of their 1980s output.

The band had recently released their third studio album Black and White. As with the Stranglers' first two albums, Black and White was produced by Martin Rushent. The album sees the Stranglers adopting a more experimental approach to song structures and time signatures (for example, "Curfew" features 7/4 time).

The band recorded a version of "Sweden" sung in Swedish, called "Sverige", and released it in Sweden. The song was partly inspired by Cornwell's PhD placement at Lund University in the early-1970s. In an anecdote related in the Swedish online magazine Blaskan, it is stated that the song was inspired by a disastrous visit to Sweden during a European tour, when a gig was violently interrupted by a gang of "raggare" (greasers).[4]

The song title "Death and Night and Blood" is taken from a line from Yukio Mishima's novel Confessions of a Mask.

The song "In the Shadows" had previously been released as the B-side to the band's 1977 single "No More Heroes".

On This Day 12/08/1995 Hugh Cornwall

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 12 August 1995, former Stranglers vocalist/guitarist played Cardiff’s Big Weekend.

Cornwell grew up in Tufnell Park and Kentish Town and attended William Ellis School in Highgate, where he played bass in a band with Richard Thompson, later a member of folk rock band Fairport Convention. In the late 1960s, after earning a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of Bristol, he embarked on post-graduate research at Lund University in Sweden. Not long after his arrival he formed the band Johnny Sox.

Cornwell returned to the UK in 1974 with Johnny Sox (minus Hans Wärmling). Drummer Jet Black then joined the band. At one stage it was just Cornwell and Black, who were then joined by bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel. Guitarist, keyboardist and saxophonist Hans Wärmling, on holiday from Sweden, joined the line-up towards the end of 1974. The Johnny Sox name was dropped, with the band adopting the name the Guildford Stranglers before settling on the Stranglers.

Wärmling was soon replaced by Dave Greenfield, who joined in 1975 after answering an advertisement placed in the Melody Maker magazine.

After leaving the Stranglers, Cornwell worked with Roger Cook and Andy West as CCW. Their self-titled studio album was released in 1992, with five of the ten tracks co-produced by Neil Davidge. Wired (1993), produced by Gary Langan (Art of Noise) with the exception of "Ain't It Strange", which was produced by Cornwell; Guilty (1997); Hi Fi (2000) (both produced by Laurie Latham). HiFi was released on 180g vinyl in 2020 through HIS Records Ltd with a new remix by Hugh Cornwell and a remaster. Footprints in the Desert released in 2002 is Cornwell's second "lost album" and compiles rare and unreleased tracks from the mid-1990s, that were not part of a record deal. It was recorded in Bath with James Kadsky, who engineered the album Wired (1993).

Beyond Elysian Fields (2004) was produced by Tony Visconti. MusicOMH described it as "something like a cross between [Bob] Dylan and Dire Straits at their best...with a dash of Travelling Wilburys for good measure". Beyond Elysian Fields was released on 180g vinyl in 2020 on HIS Records Ltd.

On This Day 27/05/1977 The Stranglers

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 27 May 1977, Punk/New wave legends The Stranglers played Cardiff’s Top Rank on the band’s Rattus tour. The had just released their single Peaches, taken from their debut album Rattus, issued the previous month. Support was provided by punk band London.

The Stranglers' early sound was driven by Jean-Jacques Burnel's melodic bass, but also gave prominence to Dave Greenfield's keyboards. Their early music was also characterised by the growling vocals and sometimes misanthropic lyrics of both Burnel and Hugh Cornwell.

Over time, their output gradually grew more refined and sophisticated. Summing up their contribution to popular music, critic Dave Thompson later wrote: "From bad-mannered yobs to purveyors of supreme pop delicacies, the group was responsible for music that may have been ugly and might have been crude – but it was never, ever boring."

From 1976 the Stranglers became associated with the burgeoning punk rock movement, due in part to their opening for the first British tours of American punks the Ramones and Patti Smith. Notwithstanding this association, some of the movement's champions in the British musical press viewed the band with suspicion on account of their age and musical virtuosity and the intellectual bent of some of their lyrics. However, Burnel was quoted saying, "I thought of myself as part of punk at the time because we were inhabiting the same flora and fauna ... I would like to think the Stranglers were more punk plus and then some.

During their appearance at the University of Surrey on the BBC TV programme Rock Goes to College, on 11 October 1978, and aired on the 19 October, the group walked off stage because an agreement to make tickets available to non-university students had not been honoured.

On This Day 31/10/1979 The Stranglers

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 31 October 1979, punk icons The Stranglers played Cardiff’s Top Rank on their Raven tour. The band spent part of the afternoon signing copies of the recently released Raven album at Spillers Records, the world’s oldest surviving record store.

The Raven was the fourth studio album released by the band on the 15 September by their label United Artists reaching #4 in the UK charts.

The album was originally released with a limited-edition 3D cover. Another limited edition had to be created when the band was forced to remove an image of Joh Bjelke-Petersen from the inner sleeve artwork. Bjelke-Petersen was the subject of the album's sixth track, "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)".

"Duchess" was the first and most successful single from the album, released on 10 August 1979 and reaching No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart. "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)" was the second single released; this reached No. 36 on the same chart.

A four-track EP, "Don't Bring Harry", was released in November. In addition to the title track and a live version of "In the Shadows", it also included "Wired" (taken from Cornwell and Robert Williams' forthcoming album Nosferatu) and a live version of "Crabs" (a track from Burnel's solo album, Euroman Cometh). IIt reached No. 41.

The Stranglers

Hugh Cornwell – guitar, vocals, second bass ("Dead Loss Angeles")

Jean-Jacques Burnel – bass, vocals

Dave Greenfield – keyboards, vocals

Jet Black – drums

On This Day 12/08/1995 Hugh Cornwall

On this day 12 August 1995, former Strangler Hugh Cornwall played Cardiff’s Big Weekend.

Also playing that day were, Chumbawamba, The Dharmas. The Underdogs, Fat Barry's Soul Band and Galaxy 101 Showcase feat Danii Minogue + The Spice Girls.

The English musician, singer-songwriter and writer is best known for being the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for the punk rock and new wave band the Stranglers from 1974 to 1990. Since leaving the Stranglers, Cornwell has gone on to record a further ten solo studio albums and continues to record and perform live.

A cricket fan, Cornwell appeared on the Jamie Theakston Cricket Show on BBC Radio 5 Live in 2001. He played a live acoustic version of "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" with the then England batsman and guitarist Mark Butcher. Cornwell subsequently became a player with Bunbury Cricket Club, and has been a guest on "A View from the Boundary" on BBC Radio 4's Test Match Special and BBC Radio 5 Live's Yes It's the Ashes.

On this day 16/11/1981 The Stranglers

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 16 November 1981, punk new wavers The Stranglers played Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on the band’s La Folie tour in support of their recently released La Folie album, their sixth studio album. Support was provided by Taxi Girl.

La folie was a conscious attempt to deliver a more commercial product. The band's record company, EMI, sent them into the studio with the record producer, Tony Visconti, giving him a brief to produce each song as a potential single.

Upon its release, La folie looked set to be the band's lowest-charting album, but, buoyed by the success of the album's second single, "Golden Brown", released 10 January 1982 and reaching No. 2 in the singles chart, the album eventually peaked at No. 11 in the UK Albums Chart, spending eighteen weeks in the chart.

The single would go on to become EMI's highest-selling single for many years.

16th November Cardiff Sophia Gardens - Fan site tour diary

Myself, Dean and Chris have booked the week off work as we’re travelling gig to gig. We set off nice and early. The venue’s a short walk from the centre, unfortunately we miss the band at the soundcheck. It might sound a bit cheeky but we try to get on the guest list whenever we can. If we can save money that way, it might mean we can make another gig. Luckily I manage to see JJ just before the gig and he gets the tour manager–Rob I think his name is, to get us in.

It’s a big hall and there’s a lot there, but the atmosphere isn’t like the night before. Nevertheless it’s still a good show. We walk back to the station, it’s a bit lively as there’s quite a few characters about but we make it safely. Catch the train to Bristol Temple Meads and spend the night in a waiting room that over the years becomes a regular bedroom for us.

Setlist

Intro (Waltzinblack)

Non Stop

Threatened

Just Like Nothing on Earth

Second Coming

Meninblack

Who Wants the World?

Baroque Bordello

Golden Brown

Tramp

Thrown Away

Tank

I Feel Like a Wog

The Man They Love to Hate

Let Me Introduce You to the Family

Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)

Genetix

Bring On the Nubiles

(cocktail version)

The Raven

Song played from tape

Outro (La Folie)

On this day 23/10/1977 The Stranglers

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day 23- October 1977, New wave/Punk band The Stranglers played Cardiff’s Top Rank with support from American punk band The Dictators on the band’s No More Heroes tour.

The band had just released their second album No More Heroes. five months after their debut album, Rattus Norvegicus. The album peaked at no 2 in the UK album charts.

Formed as the Guildford Stranglers in Guildford, Surrey, in early 1974, they originally built a following within the mid-1970s pub rock scene.

While their aggressive, no-compromise attitude had them identified by the media with the emerging UK punk rock scene that followed, their idiosyncratic approach rarely followed any single musical genre, and the group went on to explore a variety of musical styles, from new wave, art rock and gothic rock through the sophisti-pop of some of their 1980s output.

Setlist

No More Heroes

Ugly

Bring On the Nubiles

Sometimes

Dagenham Dave

Dead Ringer

Hanging Around

5 Minutes

Something Better Change

I Feel Like a Wog

Straighten Out

Burning Up Time

London Lady

Peaches

(Get a) Grip (on Yourself)