The Stranglers in concert at the 02 Academy, Liverpool. Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by L.S. Media. March 6th 2012.
L.S. Media Rating *****
The Stranglers took a well-deserved day off from their latest tour, the adrenalin no doubt still flowing strongly through their veins from a Glasgow gig that would take some beating for all who were fortunate to witness the gig.
The band arrived in the city the night before the o2 Academy, Liverpool gig to catch up with friends and partake in deep conversation. By the end of the gig, talk may have been on other things, events that rarely happen at concerts any more.
Coming on stage to the traditional Waltz in Black, the four men in black carried on from where they had left off in Glasgow and gave a scintillating and stunning performance that made the Academy hall shake with pure passion. Like Glasgow, the set list revolved around effectively with tracks from the terrific new album Giants, with songs such as Mercury Rising, sounding as though they will be songs that will appear on set lists for many years to come. There will always be time in a Stranglers set for the classics, for the tracks that took the band to the very top and that has in all honesty kept them there.
With the driving The Raven getting an early shout out, the excitable crowd were treated to tracks such as the fantastic Unbroken, the gentle refrain of Golden Brown, the iconic Something Better Change and Lost Control all being highlighted and played with much affection by the band. These songs are important to the history of the group but also to the legion of fans that, despite the age of some within the near capacity crowd, can still pogo round like Zebedee after being given a clean bill of health.
It does only take one idiot; one person who can get a gig cancelled and in all honesty spoil an excellent evening for the band and for every other fan in the building. How long will it take before the moronic few realise that you don’t go throwing water or any other liquid at the band. Think! You may feel as though you’re being funny, acting the ‘big I am’ in front of your mates but as lead guitarist Baz Warne explained afterwards, that water goes over the keyboards, the gig gets cancelled there and then as the machinery is useless. Chuck it at the bass player and you’re likely to get slapped around, and quite rightly so. Thankfully J.J. Burnel is above such things and the gentle art of music diplomacy won out and the perpetrator was politely pointed out to the error of his ways! It’s just a shame he wasn’t forced to clean up the mess!
There are many bands that would have refused to carry on there and then, The Stranglers though are a force that gives all to their audience and it was with huge amounts of credit that they came back on stage for two sets of encores. The evening warrants being one of the finest gigs ever performed by the band. The intensity of the music was spot on, the guys were immense and but for the actions of one stupid, reckless moment, the crowd enjoyed every single moment.
The encores included the much requested and image ridden No More Heroes and the amazing Relentless.
A night of high drama, excellent music and the chance to finally see a musician point out to a “fan” that their actions are completely and utterly insane. A thrilling night all round.
Ian D. Hall