The Stranglers are an English rock band that have become known as the most long lasting and successful bands to have originated in the 70s punk rock scene, with their aggressive and uncompromising style becoming one of the defining trends of the genre. In the 80s the group went on to play with a variety of styles from pop and new wave to gothic rock, creating a strong and loyal fan base.
Rock City became a hub for these fans on Monday night, the majority of whom seemed to have been going to The Stranglers’ gigs since the 70s. With such a large and passionate crowd present the atmosphere was buzzing long before the band began their set.
The night was kicked off by the strong vocals and 80s hairstyles of The Alarm, who played some of their defining tracks like ’68 Guns’ and ‘Spirit of ’76’ much to the audience’s appreciation. Mike, who has been fighting leukaemia since 2005, encouraged fans to register on the donor list at the gig or through the lovehopestrength.co.uk website.
As a first timer at a Stranglers gig I was more than impressed by the band’s faultless performance, opening with ‘Tank’ and ‘Sleazy’. The packed Rock City crowd didn’t stop moving throughout the entire gig from the opening line to the second encore ending with the energetic ‘No More Heroes’. The majority of the set came from their Black and White album although they were mixed in with elements from Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes.
There is no doubt that although these rockers may be ageing, they still play with the energy and enthusiasm of 20 year olds.
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