PUNK'S MOST UNDER-RATED - THE STRANGLERS?

02-07-2006

Okay, here's an admission.

As a teenage punk rocker I saw most of the big names of the 76-77 era, but one band I religiously sidestepped was The Stranglers.

Having been switched onto the thrilling gust of musical halitosis that was the New Wave era by the mighty John Peel (RIP) I even bought their first single - a wonderful “double A” side lashing “Grip” to “London Lady”.

It was kinda wonky stuff even by the standards of the day - growly vocals for sure, but unpunky lyrics about shagging and rock n roll, and underpinned by distinctly Old Wave keyboards courtesy of Dave Greenfield, a geezer who looked like he wouldn't be out of place stamping books in your local library.

Whether it was that which turned me against them I don't know.

Possibly it was the seam of gratuitous sexism that permeated their lyrics and even saw them parading strippers on stage during one tour. Very uncool!

Probably, though, it was the fact that even the kids who hated punk at school bought Stranglers' albums cos they could “play”.

Yep they were proper musicians, and such was the inverted snobbery of the time, this actually counted against them - in my world at least.

Blimey, if the geeks who liked ELP and Genesis were into them, they couldn't be true punk could they.

So while I kept company with The Clash, pogod to the Buzzcocks, dug the Subway Sect and Prefects, admired the Jam, raved over the Pistols, The Stranglers were a no no.

Not that they suffered for it.

Apart from The Jam they were probably the most successful UK chart act to come out of the movement.

These days they still have a hugely loyal following as I found out on Friday night in the sweatbox of The Robin, a terrific venue in the Black Country town of Bilston.

I only turned up because a punk-mad mate persuaded me - but boy am I glad he did.

Although synth sorcerer Greenfield and drumming hulk Jet Black both look the wrong side of 50, they were in ferocious form; likewise pin-up bassist and vocalist JeanJacques Burnel.

The revelation though was their new slaphead vocalist.

Original front man Hugh Cornwell has long gone, and his replacment Paul Roberts recently split too leaving a bloke who used to play bass in a band called Toy Dolls to take over lead guitar and lead vocals.

Dunnohis name or anything else about him - except this.

He looks like the kinda you want by your side at closing time and he follows through with a fierce “beat em up delivery” that at the very least matches the snarl of the originals.

And what tunes they were - a few new tracks, plenty of big hits (Peaches, Duchess, a barnstorming encore of No more Heroes) and a couple of random delights from the back catalogue including their wondrous cover of Walk On By and a mean and dirty Princess Of The Streets.

I realised - thankfully not too late - what I've been missing all these days.

All in all a terrific gig - and proof that as graffiti used to say that “punk ain't dead.”

The Stirrer wants to know - are there any bands you missed out at the time but who now realise were fab? Let's have a big “Sorry” blog for the bands you foolishly dissed.

And are The Strangler's punk's most under-rated?