ShareThe Stranglers performing their Definitive Tour at Rock City Nottingham on Monday 12th March 2018.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
It’s March and that can only mean one thing, The Stranglers were back at Rock City last night to perform their Definitive Tour to a generation of passionate fans who haven’t lost their ability to pogo.
With seventeen top forty albums to their name, they were spoilt for choice when it came to making up their set list. But when they strode on to the stage to a cacophony of whistling and cheering to open with Curfew, they immediately got the crowd bopping along on the spot.
With the drums now in the very capable hands of Jim Macauley following Jet Blacks retirement from touring, Baz Warne, Jean-Jacques Burnel and Dave Greenfield perched behind his fortress of keyboards, ignited the crowd with the likes of 15 Steps, Bear Cage, Norfolk Coast and the rarely heard Don’t Bring Harry.
(Get A) Grip (On Yourself) and Nuclear Device (The Wizard Of Auz) had the crowd singing along but it was the first chords of Golden Brown that almost raised the roof. Other golden oldies included Peaches, Always The Sun, Something Better Change and Duchess and their classic cover of Dionne Warwick’s Walk On By which saw Greenfield deliver a sublime keyboard solo.
Not known for having much to say, JJ left the banter to the affable Warne and when they went into the home straight with Hanging Around, I feel Like A Wog with its brilliant bass lines and thought provoking lyrics, and London Lady, their fans were delighted. Finishing with Tank, they came back on for an encore of Go Buddy Go and when JJ kicked in with the opening notes of No More Heroes the crowd went wild.
Anticipating another encore for the much missed Strange Little Girl, Skin Deep and All Day And All Of The Night, it wasn’t to be, leaving the fans wanting more. But there is always next year.
