Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
It is possible to let the music-driven mind deliver itself to a conclusion that nothing can ever truly stop The Stranglers, not even silence.
The sound of the stirring anthem, the call to arms that resides in the heart of the band’s much loved intro, Waltz In Black, came to pass with anticipation and delight; it was palpable, the arena in Leeds matching the expectant buzz to come from the main performance of Alice Cooper and arguably the same sense of passion that older fans of the city’s football team once wrapped themselves in as they pushed on their support to the eventual top flight league title at the start of the 1990s.
Silence but in the end a bass guitar played by the immaculate J.J. Burnel will always find itself back in the land of merciless and beautifully held and in action for the rest of the gig. Toiler On The Sea being played with such gusto, and the resulting early conversation by the impeccable Baz Warne, that for anyone taking umbrage at the fallen instrument would have been in the minority; for in the end, even in the silence, the sound will always be relentless and passionate.
If Alice Cooper can bring theatre to the arena, then for The Stranglers the cinematic has always beckoned and been acknowledged. A sense of scope, of the lens grasping at the epic, across their entire career, it has always seen as if the group unquestionably are the heroes in a film where the outlaws are seen running scared off into the distance and where tracks such as (Get A) Grip (On Yourself), Nice ‘N’ Sleazy, 5 Minutes and Golden Brown are the themes in which the battle will be seen to hinge upon, to be victorious.
With a short set to contend with, and a whole host of history to pack onto their support set for Alice Cooper, not every track could, understandably, be delved into but alongside the aforementioned songs, the band performed Peaches, the classic cover of Dionne Warwick’s unforgettable hit, Walk On By, Freedom Is Insane, Relentless, Hanging Around and the unmistakeable finale of No More Heroes to the devoted and the musically hungry.
It was a set that had everything, fire, brimstone, the pulse of the band’s signature tune, and a moment of silence, and in silence comes the biggest beat of them all, the heart of one of Britain’s ever bands taking a stand and giving the crowd a thrill to last a life time.
Ian D. Hall