It was my turn again to continue what seems like a RGM residency at Halifax’s Piece Hall this summertime as the 2nd leg of dates were in full swing and the weather is was for once being kind to me, there was a chill in the air but no clouds so my fingers were well and truly crossed to have a dry one for a change.
The courtyard was crawling in abundance with old punks which considering it was Rebellion Festival in Blackpool the same weekend I did wonder if some had caught the train back over to make the night to see a pair of some of the biggest names in the punk scene, the almighty Buzzcocks and legendary The Stranglers who are celebrating 50 years in the business this year and here at The Piece Hall was one for the few tour dates in the UK.
Buzzcocks gigs can be a bit hit or miss and thankfully the signs from the off were pretty positive, the band were on form and the sound was pretty decent for a support slot. The set list consisted mainly of the late 70’s era from the openers What Do I Get? and I Don’t Mind along with Orgasm Addict and obviously the song that even non punks know, Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve).
As the band are still writing and releasing albums we had a few newer tracks such as Manchester Rain and Senses Out of Control in the mix as well just to remind the crowd that they’re not fossils from a previous generation. All in, a very enjoyable 50 mins.
The Stranglers fans are often quite the obsessive type who typically follow them around whenever they tour and tonight’s crowd were no different as there were hundreds walking around already in their 50th Anniversary Tour Tees. This wasn’t my 1st time seeing them perform either but it must be well over a decade since I last had but I’m pretty sure it was with the current band lineup when I did.
Talking of band lineups, the Stranglers have had quite a few changes over the years and only Jean – Jacques Burnel remains from the original line up but the majority playing tonight have probably played in the band together for the longest period of time throughout the past 50 years.
Another thing about The Stranglers is how many of their hit songs the non fan would know that doesn’t know its by the band, a similar situation like the recent band I covered for RGM, James. The Stranglers have a lot in their arsenal and many of which were played tonight starting with Toiler On The Sea to warm up the fans as everyone enters the stage followed by Duchess, The Raven and Relentless.
By the time Nice ‘n’ Sleazy came along the light had begun to fade and the stage complete with 3 chandeliers no less was beginning to look resplendent bathed in purple lighting. Like The Buzzcocks before, The Stranglers are still recording and it was time for the 1st of 2 covers, this one being a Disciples Of Spess track.
This Song. 5 Minutes tooks it back to originals and the 1st mass crowd sing along is delivered, the timeless classic Always The Sun, I swear this song has never aged and still sounds as fresh as it did way back in1986, I still to this day am mystified by how little the track troubled the UK charts bank then and I suspect I’m not alone.
After Skin Deep and Breathe we were blasted with a double punch knockout of Peaches, the track that pretty much launched the band and their most successful song to date, Golden Brown – the naivety of the record buying public who failed to realise the duality within the lyrics eh? At this point I was slightly concerned that the band were winding up for an early finish and banging the hits in but Ships That Pass In The Night continued the set followed with debut single (Get a) Grip (On Yourself).
Genetix was a blast from the past I’d forgotten about and White Stallion was one I’d not heard before as it’s from the 2021 album Dark Matters that completely passed me by during that crazy time, one to check out. No need to check out what came next as it was their cover of the wonderful Burt Bacharach song, Walk On By and then onto another crowd pleaser Hanging Around. Something Better Change and the again wonderful, Tank – another song you’re unlikely to recognise even by its title but upon hearing if you’re of a certain age you will know finished off the set.
So was that it folk were wandering, some heading towards the exits, no it wasn’t as the band returned and told the crowd “let’s go back to when it all kicked off” and we were treated to the other double A side to Peaches, Go Buddy Go and to end the night it couldn’t be anything else really other than No More Heroes, a fitting tune considering the times we’re currently living in.
And that was that, another near 2 hours gone in a flash from a band that’s sounding as good as it ever has done over the past 50 years, quite some achievement! Sure I was disappointed not to hear Strange Little Girl and 96 Tears as that was more my era of The Stranglers but with a portfolio of tracks spanning five decades there was something that had to give so I’ll forgive them.
Oh and yes, I remained dry all night – the weather held off for once, a rare moment at any outdoor gig this summer – amazing…
PHOTO CREDIT – SIMON LEE
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