BRISTOL - 17th March

[HamsterInBlack]

My god, they were good tonight. I fucking love those guys.

Missed Jet, of course (great to hear via Ava on Facebook that he's on the mend ), but Ian was excellent. Jet's done well with him. Strange to think the lad wasn't even born when I first saw them play ...

[Blackbeered]

Just got in after the extended post-gig shenanigans, having dropped a sleeping Gizz off on the way

Top night as usual in Bristol with a similar - if not identical - setlist to the others....started with BUT, ended with Tank, four from Giants along the way and one or two other well known numbers mixed in.

Song of the night goes to the new and very fresh sounding Mercury Rising - in the same way we knew that they were going to play DLA last year when Baz pulled on the bass, we now know that MR is next when Baz gets his 'other' guitar. A great song, probably my favourite from the album at the moment, tonight confirmed that fact with a superb performance.

The O2 was sold out tonight, and there wasn't a spare foot of space to be had - we were late(ish) getting in due to the alcoholic goings-on at the Hatchet - but even so, it was surprisingly cool in there, the aircon must have been on 11 - unlike the venue's PA, I thought it could have been a bit louder, but just a minor moan.

What did annoy were the people camped on the barrier that didn't seem to realise that it gets a bit 'energetic' down the front at a Stranglers gig. If you don't want to be knocked into, then FUCK OFF to the back, or better still go to the ballet
Still, fair play to the two ladies on the barrier in front of us who didn't mind at all and understood that it all gets a bit 'squashed' when things kick off

Another top song mention for Lost Control - have to disagree with those who think it's a bit "cheesey", always a great one live, we were treated to some nice hurricane-force winds from the speakers tonight during this, and also in Tank during the explosions - great stuff

Heroes worked well in the set and the crowd went suitably wild for it, and Robots and Shut Up both got a lively reception too.

The band enjoyed it, plenty of smiles all round, and it gets said every year that JJ looks better and better - he's 60 now FFS and he looks 20 years younger - some good legwork from the bass-man tonight, he was in top form

Plenty out to play for this one and loads of us in the pub before and afterwards - as mentioned earlier, a bit of a disco had started up and Gizz showed us his "moves like Jagger"

We even went for a kebab afterwards and someone had to have a sit-down before getting back into the car

Another good one in Bristol - day off tomorrow (or should that be today), then Leamington on Monday for my second, and final, gig of the tour.

[Rodney Blackstaff]

Old smiler!



I am sure he has a few far worse ones on his camera!

Rodders!

[beebop]

A little medley from last night and my lofty vantage point ... Apologies about missing the end of relentless my memory card exploded !


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QImKO7VP ... ture=share

[Alias]

Just got in after the extended post-gig shenanigans, having dropped a sleeping Gizz off on the way

Top night as usual in Bristol with a similar - if not identical - setlist to the others....started with BUT, ended with Tank, four from Giants along the way and one or two other well known numbers mixed in.

Song of the night goes to the new and very fresh sounding Mercury Rising - in the same way we knew that they were going to play DLA last year when Baz pulled on the bass, we now know that MR is next when Baz gets his 'other' guitar. A great song, probably my favourite from the album at the moment, tonight confirmed that fact with a superb performance.

The O2 was sold out tonight, and there wasn't a spare foot of space to be had - we were late(ish) getting in due to the alcoholic goings-on at the Hatchet - but even so, it was surprisingly cool in there, the aircon must have been on 11 - unlike the venue's PA, I thought it could have been a bit louder, but just a minor moan.

What did annoy were the people camped on the barrier that didn't seem to realise that it gets a bit 'energetic' down the front at a Stranglers gig. If you don't want to be knocked into, then FUCK OFF to the back, or better still go to the ballet
Still, fair play to the two ladies on the barrier in front of us who didn't mind at all and understood that it all gets a bit 'squashed' when things kick off

Another top song mention for Lost Control - have to disagree with those who think it's a bit "cheesey", always a great one live, we were treated to some nice hurricane-force winds from the speakers tonight during this, and also in Tank during the explosions - great stuff

Heroes worked well in the set and the crowd went suitably wild for it, and Robots and Shut Up both got a lively reception too.

The band enjoyed it, plenty of smiles all round, and it gets said every year that JJ looks better and better - he's 60 now FFS and he looks 20 years younger - some good legwork from the bass-man tonight, he was in top form

Plenty out to play for this one and loads of us in the pub before and afterwards - as mentioned earlier, a bit of a disco had started up and Gizz showed us his "moves like Jagger"

We even went for a kebab afterwards and someone had to have a sit-down before getting back into the car

Another good one in Bristol - day off tomorrow (or should that be today), then Leamington on Monday for my second, and final, gig of the tour.

Nice one, cheers Mike.

[NMH1965]

Old smiler!



I am sure he has a few far worse ones on his camera!

Rodders!

F*ck me, he is pissed

Great gig last night, Ian always does a splendid job when he stands in for Jet.....and I had NMH 1994 with me as well

[gizzard]

[gizzard]

[MULLY]

Great pics and reviews (as always).

[saminblack]

Brilliant pix! Sorry I missed the pre-drinks but I was a bit late (as Mike will know this is not unusual). Great gig though (my review is on the 'other' Bristol thread) and a great audience reaction. Bought my partner Lin for the first time and she really enjoyed it. I have schooled her a bit on all things Stranglers but when she siad 'why didn't they do that one about the sunshine?' (ATS?) I knew there was still work to do.

Anyway, just seen this review from the guide2bristol site. Bet JJ will love the comment highlighted in bold..

O2 Academy Bristol gig review: The Stranglers
Vivienne Kennedy reviews The Stranglers gig at O2 Academy in Bristol


On Saturday 17 March I visited the O2 Academy in Bristol to see the Stranglers, the UK Punk band that emerged in the 1970s and is still going strong today.
In my mid 40s I was probably near the middle of the age range of the crowd packed into the O2 Academy last night, the mix of old fans and new bearing testament to just how well the Stranglers and their music have stood the test of time. One fifty-something fan had re-scheduled a visit back to England from his current home in New York so that he could arrive a day early and travel to Bristol for the gig.
Last night’s line-up included original band member Jean-Jacques Burnel on bass and almost-original band member Dave Greenfield on keyboards; Dave joined the band within their first year, replacing Hans Warmling. They were joined by guitarist and vocalist Baz Warne, who has been with the band for more than a decade, and drummer Ian Barnard, standing in for original band member Jet Black, now aged 73, who fell ill with a severe chest infection a week or so ago but who hopes to rejoin the band later in the tour.
The set list included several numbers from their new album Giants with songs like Lowlands and Time Was Once On My Side, my personal favourite of the new tracks, fitting in well with their earlier music and getting a good reception from the crowd. Maybe not quite as good a reception as the classics though, along with everyone else I was thrilled to hear Golden Brown; Strange Little Girl; Peaches; Hanging Around; Walk On By; Tank; Duchess and All Of The Day And All Of The Night – it’s hard to pick a favourite but No More Heroes definitely stood out as a highlight for me and my colleague, a die-hard Stranglers fan from the very early days, chose Five Minutes as his ‘best bit’.
The band’s musicianship is incredible and their lyrics clever, their performance had more energy than that of many showmen half their age (although JJ Burnel in particular did look like he was ready for a lie down by the end) and they look as if they’re still enjoying themselves. My colleague had been disappointed earlier in the day when I broke the news to him that Jet Black wouldn’t be playing but as we left the gig he was full of praise for stand-in drummer Ian Barnard.
It was a great night, made even better by superb performances by the two support acts, Mike Marlin and the Popes, both of whom I could quite happily have listened to for much longer.
The Stranglers are going to be busy for the next few weeks, by the end of this month they will have played Leamington Spa; Guildford; Newcastle; Sheffield and Manchester and in April they travel to Belguim; France; Switzerland; Italy; Austria; Czech Republic; Germany and Holland on the European leg of their tour – fans in those places are in for a treat.

[Blackbeered]

Some nice photos there - the camera worked well, considering it's operator had drunk more cider in the previous three hours than he had in the whole of the previous three months

[Blackbeered]

I was a bit late (as Mike will know this is not unusual).....

You're right there Sam, good to see you, as brief as it was

Anyway, just seen this review from the guide2bristol site. Bet JJ will love the comment highlighted in bold..

....although JJ Burnel in particular did look like he was ready for a lie down by the end......

I bet he will As I said earlier, I thought JJ looked full of energy and in fine form - more like a man of my age should......