THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

Drummer and founding member of The Stranglers has died after a long illness. I saw them play many times and it was sad to see one of his last gigs in 2015, where he was wheeled on in his wheelchair to play on one song.

RIP Brian.

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.

I only ever got to see The Stranglers once. Two of the Banshees fucked off mid-tour, and rather than get a refund we exchanged our tickets for Stranglers. Glasgow Apollo. Must've been 1979.

I remember Hugh Cornwell being really aggressive, but much to my shame I can't really recall Jet Black at all.

They were a great singles band, most of which I still have on 7".

I'm not sure if this is apocryphal, but the story of him running a chain of hairdressers before joing the band, and wondering if he should throw his lot in with Cornwall and co', or continue to style the ladies of Guilford, is one that's stuck with me.

In all honesty I'm amazed he lasted as long as he did. Been very ill for years apparently. He must've been 40 when I saw them back in the late 70's.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

Yup. Saw that just now.

Saw him once with The Stranglers on the Men In Black tour. 81? That album is gawd awful but the other stuff they played - esp from Black and White - was excellent and he was 'the distinctive drive' behind it all. 'Genetix' (which IIRC is from 'The Raven') had/has a particularly odd rhythm that the new chap (Jim McCauley) I don't think can quite replicate.

Indeed Cornwell was an aggressive ar*e and constantly slagged off the audience.

I think you may be right about the hairdressers Mr G - and didn't he run a chain of ice cream vans too? I think the band travelled around in one in the early days.

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

Now you say ice-cream vans I think it was that rather than hairdressers.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

I saw the Stranglers at Woughton campus. Anyone else there for that?

No. I've been here since 1983. Must have missed that gig assuming it was early/post '83.
At Woughton (sorry to deviate ish) I've seen:
Dr Feelgood (With Brilleaux) - excellent. Steve Walwyn had not long joined and was superb on guitar.
Wilko - v good. (As posted elsewhere)
The Damned twice. Around 2000. Brilliant. Utterly brilliant. Sensible blew a huge bubble with his bubble gum that burst and stuck on his glasses so he couldn't see (by his own admission he's blind as a bat without them) and a roadie had to hastily bring another pair while he flailed around.
Think Floyd - v good. Line up has since changed and it was early days for them but I was astounded how good the keyboard player was with basically two keyboards: a synth of some sort and a Hammond (?) compared to all Wright's clobber.
New Model Army - sh*te and I walked out.

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

I just looked it up - looks like it was 91

https://www.themeninblack.co.uk/forums/ ... php?t=4138

It was indeed ice cream vans.

And when Cornwall phoned him to resign (it was, effectively, Jet's band), he just said "sure, OK" and went and got a replacement (from the Vibrators, iirc).

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.

Never the most flamboyant of drummers, but provided the solid backbone while the others in the band showed off around him.

Three of his best, imho:
Down in the Sewer
In the Shadows
Walk on By

RIP.

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Yes at the gig I saw on the dreadful MIB tour (above) the best part was the encore when they did: Duchess, Hanging Around, and finally 'Sewer'. The latter was delivered at massive speed (possibly WITH massive speed - although Cornwell was into smack wasn't he?) and JB drove it all along no question. ALMOST made (most of) the rest of the gig bearable.

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment