Artist Spotlight: The Stranglers

From deep cuts to fan favourites, we can’t wait to celebrate 51 Years of The Stranglers live at Edinburgh Corn Exchange and Aberdeen Music Hall. What can fans expect on the night?

Well, we always take pride in the set list for starters. There’s so much to choose from the back catalogue, and it can take a while before we all agree. We usually start making suggestions to eachother three or four months before a tour. Obviously, there are the songs that we feel we need to play…the ones that folk expect to hear, but we also have to keep ourselves interested. There’s always going to be a nostalgic element to the evening, but we don’t just stick to the old stuff. There are a lot of ‘modern day’ gems that we like to play too. It keeps us and the audience on our toes. We always like to throw in an often ‘forgotten’ tune or two too…something that hasn’t been played for years - if at all. It’s always fun to see people look at each other and go “wow, haven’t hear this before…or for 40 years”!

It’s a huge cliché…but expect the unexpected.

What’s a story behind one of your biggest tracks that fans may not know?

Golden Brown was born one afternoon, I believe, when the band were all staying together in a remote house somewhere. This is the story I heard anyway. Dave Greenfield had this piece of off kilter waltz time baroque music that he’d been messing with for ages. JJ and Hugh Cornwell had gone out somewhere, and Dave was sitting alone in the living room just playing around with it. The bit that’s become famous now, the main intro riff, it was a part of a bigger piece. As he played it through, over and over again, he didn’t realise that Jet Black, the drummer, was in the next room listening. Apparently, Jet popped his head round the door and said something like “that bit in the middle…we should use that” …something along those lines. When JJ and Hugh came back, Jet and Dave played this to them, and instantly they were away…all on the same page. That’s how it very often happens. It only takes one kernel of a piece, one small nugget, and you can run with it. The song came very quickly after that I’m told.
We all know what happened next.

Where do you usually find inspiration for your songs?

Life. Walking the dog…putting the bins out…driving…anywhere. The news, books, articles. Just …life.

If you could collaborate with an artist, dead or alive - who would it be and why?

Oh man…there’s a question. Personally, I’ve always had a soft spot for Neil Young. I love how strange, contrary and off the wall he can be one minute, and how beautiful he can be the next...and yet always sounding like himself. A bit like The Stranglers in a way…no matter what we do, it always sounds like us. That’s rare.

Best thing about playing in Scotland?

I’ve got to watch what I say here…my wife is a Scot! Ha…the crowds are fantastic in Scotland…always have been. The vibe and feel of the place, and the whole connection with music that Scots have…when they’re with you, they’re with you for life. Our fans are amazingly loyal, everywhere we go. There seems to be that little bit extra when we come north of the border. It’s not just us either. I know a lot of bands who love to play up there. Coming from the North East of England as I do, we holidayed in Scotland at least once a year all throughout my young life too, so I’ve always felt a real bond with the place. Marrying a lassie from the lowlands brought the thing full circle. Lovely. 

What’s one unforgettable “behind the scenes” story or tour memory that sticks with you as a band?

Ah…that would be telling…there are so many…a lot of which are unrepeatable, unprintable…or just plain boring…haha!

I suppose my earliest one would be the very first gigs I did with the band in 2000. We went to Kosovo to play for the UN peacekeeping forces that were there. I’d only been in the band for two weeks. Didn’t know anyone…the band, the crew…anyone. We played three shows, and they were riotous. There was a lot of steam being let off in those halls I can tell you - the tension was palpable. The British army were fabulous, and I learned a lot about their way of life in the short time we were there. They looked after us amazingly. We drove tanks, flew in helicopters, fired captured automatic weapons…proper Boys Own stuff.

When it was over, I managed to hitch a ride on a chartered commercial airliner back to Newcastle that the army had rustled up. The plane was full to the brim with servicemen, all going home on leave…and smoking! Every single one of them…for the whole flight…

Have you ever been on a smoking flight? You can’t escape it…horrendous! Funny the things that stick in your mind.
 

Tickets for The Stranglers at Aberdeen Music Hall are sold out, but there's still time to grab tickets for their show on 23 October at Edinburgh Corn Exchange. Find tickets on their artist page.