GOLDEN DAYS FOR LEGENDS

THE Stranglers, one of the most iconic and influential bands in British music history, are celebrating their 50th anniversary by going back on the road.

Their uncompromising attitude was embraced by the punk movement of the late ‘70s, but their musicianship and menace transcended the genre. They created a unique sound and achieved over 25 top 40 singles and 18 top 40 albums, with most recent release Dark Matters reaching number four, their highest UK chart position since Feline in the early ‘80s.

Founder member and bassist JJ Burnel and guitarist Baz Warne, who has been in the band a mere 24 years (pictued above) are looking forward to the tour. “We’re all in fine fettle,” says Baz, “and raring to go.”

“We’re playing two sets,” reveals JJ. ‘‘One will be the more arranged and longer pieces, like Down In The

Sewer, and will be about an hour and a half. The second will be completely different.” Baz continues: “There’s an awful lot of songs to choose from and we make sure the set list is interesting. We have enjoyed playing songs we’ve never done before; it’s always a challenge. But there will also be the hits. After all, it’s a celebratory tour!”

JJ is delighted by the success of Dark Matters: ‘‘We had world-wide good reviews. It sort of bucked the trend because once you’ve peaked, that’s usually it. But we’ve proved that that’s not necessarily the case.

And there might also be a new album before long. JJ said: “I’ve got over 400 ideas and I’m not intending to release another solo album, I’m concentrating on The Stranglers.”

The Stranglers will be at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on March 16.

Author of On Track: The Stranglers – Every Album, Every Song, published by

Sonicbond on May 30.