J.J. Burnel in Glasgow 2012. Picture by Ian D. Hall

Originally published by L.S. Media. March 4th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

Nobody should ever believe that The Stranglers ever give two performances that are the same. The set list may undergo little tweaks and the odd track be removed in favour of a song that the dedicated fans at that night’s venue would appreciate more but that aside, the only things that remain constant are the intensity of the music and the passion of the crowd.

There are so few bands that are still playing sold out gigs to audiences that are quite frankly some of the best in the music world; that has encompassed five different decades and remained true to their core beliefs and loyal fans and picked up thousands of new ones along the way while remaining a constant force of nature, unhindered by modern wayward and fickle tastes and still utterly outstanding to catch live.

Three nights into their latest tour, that sees the band not only travel the length and breadth of England but also finds them in France, Scotland, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. The crowd at the o2 Academy, Glasgow were treated, rather specially to the sight of a lone man in black, resplendent in finest Scottish attire, stride across the stage and to gasps of amazement play the band’s traditional entrance music Waltz in Black on an accordion. It never happens but perhaps, judging by the crowd’s reaction it should become a permanent fixture.

The Stranglers opened the heat-generating, pulsating and sweat busting gig with Burning up Time from No More Heroes, perhaps the only phrase in existence that get bandied around with sickening frequency that also is irrelevant as a cliché ridden love story, and quickly followed it up with the outrageous Raven.

Guitarist Baz Warne acknowledged the crowd’s intense feeling towards the excellent music with a nod that he always enjoys playing in Glasgow. Other bands, singers seem to say this as a matter of fact but you know Baz, J.J. Burnel, Dave Greenfield and Jet Black take prisoners of fools and won’t suffer their fans being subjected to the same inglorious platitudes. When they tell you they love you as an audience, it’s meant and to be taken as a badge of honour.

The tour is built around the release of the new album Giants. To play a venue and expect a crowd to react in any way positively to new songs before the album has been released can be commercial suicide but with tracks such as Lowlands, Mercury Rising and Time Was Once on My Side incorporated into the evening’s sweaty entertainment, there was no stopping the audience pogoing around all night.

With J.J. Burnel on particular fine form as he strode in time to the music in the fashion a renegade gunslinger, the evening was one of those nights where people knew it was worth travelling far and wide to take part in.

Of course there will always be heroes and with the Stranglers blasting out the lyrics that have stood the test of time to that incredible song and the incredible Relentless making up the encore, it seems there will be people that matter, musicians that thrill the soul, always. You just need to know where to look and be open to thought that something better had change.

An absolute stormer of a night, this wasn’t just a Stranglers gig, this was the Stranglers in full-post punk mode, incredible.

Ian D. Hall