RAH

[cassini]

Great concert - and amazing setlist - there must have been at least 5 songs I have never heard performed live before.

The sheer energy of the band is outstanding. - literally as soon as the last note of one song was played the next song begins - almost no gaps between songs at all.

There did seem to be one or two minor sound issues in the second set, but that aside the quality was spot on. The Japanese drummers in WWTW was a nice surprise.

I do wish the band, especially Baz, varied their repartee a bit - the jokes about being up in the cheap seats with our cucumber sandwiches are boring and formulaic now.

All in all I can’t believe just how many songs they packed into both sets and how much energy they put into playing especially as both Baz and JJ seemed to be recovering from throat infections.

One final thought - this was very much a produced show. It would be great for a future tour to see them get down and dirty just playing the music in smaller, sweaty venues - like they did in some of those electrifying tours of the 90s!

[stuartinblack]

The gig was fantastic from start to finish great to here those album tracks from the 1st set love it.all especially ships that pass on the nite and Relentless was awesome

[Ruby]

Baz really does need some new material.He's been doing the posh seats and cucumber sandwiches routine for years.It's old hat.

[theraven1979]

I think he thinks every venue has a different audience

Jim

[jason]

Apparently there wasn't any cameras so it wasn't recorded for a DVD which is a bit disappointing.

[evonx]

DVD

Cant imagine much interest for dvds in 2024 but a decent recording would have been nice yes

[droopsnoot]

Apparently there wasn't any cameras so it wasn't recorded for a DVD which is a bit disappointing.

I have read elsewhere that the Royal Albert Hall charge a lot of money for filming at their venue, so perhaps that's why. It's a pity they didn't film one of the gigs, even if the cost at the Albert Hall meant it couldn't have been there - David Boni was "spotted" filming in Glasgow, presumably to update the movie, so at least there will be some. Plus, last time they filmed a gig it didn't go so well, so they ended up releasing one that had already been broadcast online with a few of the "new" snippets as DVD extras.

[markorbit]

Yes I get the feeling the RAH know their worth - or overstate their worth - and insist on big fees for filming. It put off The Damned a few years back. In fact the venues wanting a big cut of this and that (despite the band filling the venue and subsequent drink sales) is abhorrent.

[twatinblack]

Plus, last time they filmed a gig it didn't go so well, so they ended up releasing one that had already been broadcast online with a few of the "new" snippets as DVD extras.

When was this?

[theraven1979]

They shoulda filmed a gig for TV - There's so many bands now getting airplay on BBC for live performances and documentaries. BBC have the Microdisney doc on there at the moment. Nothing against Microdisney (excellent doc BTW) but surely "the Stranglers" are a bigger catch?

Jim

[jonimac]

Great setlist and expert playing - I was in the “cheap seats” (gallery standing actually) and had a Birds Eye view of Toby’s keyboard playing in particular.

However!
It was the culmination of the 50th anniversary tour, at the Royal Albert Hall.
Japanese drums aside, there was little to mark the occasion, and very little genuine chat.

I was quite underwhelmed by the whole experience. I hope they can devise a proper one off event around September to recognise it properly, especially for the many die hards in the audience.
While I really enjoy the venues being full of newly appreciating fans, it would be nice to have a one off show for the many die hards I could see from my eyrie, who were clearly loving the obscure songs resurrected after many years.

And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, all past members should be invited.

[droopsnoot]

Plus, last time they filmed a gig it didn't go so well, so they ended up releasing one that had already been broadcast online with a few of the "new" snippets as DVD extras.

When was this?

It was the Ruby tour in 2014, they filmed in Manchester but had all sorts of technical problems with it and ended up releasing the Paris gig that had been streamed live. DVD still available:

https://stranglers.tmstor.es/product/19755