Great to see all the gang, a brilliant, brilliant, evening and I must reiterate your point Sid, it really was a great shame that the turnout was so poor…….and a lot of people missed out on something very special last night……..BUT
If you would have told me 35 years ago that I would have been standing in the basement of the Hope and Anchor on an evening in June 2011 listening to a Strangler’s tribute band I would have thought that impossible beyond anybody’s wildest dreams, but last night I was and I have to say that it was truly amazing. When I initially thought about going I had some reservations, but any doubt about the quality of this band were ‘blown away’ in seconds as they launched into their set. Straighten Out are simply brilliant. They are the first ‘Tribute’ band I have ever seen, ever, and the word ‘Tribute’ suddenly takes on a new resonance with me because that’s exactly what they did, they paid tribute to some of the greatest British songs that, in my opinion, have ever been written and played them with consummate skill, style and passion. The level of their musicianship was astonishing as they brought these incredible songs ‘back to life’ in a venue that holds so many memories for me personally and I want to take this opportunity to thank Shaggy and all the boys for a memorable step back in time, evoking some fantastic recollections.
For any Stranglers fan this band are simply unmissable and I wholeheartedly endorse them without reservation and can’t wait to see them in action again.
I had not been to see a band play at the Hope and Anchor (Although I have been in the bar upstairs a few times) since the Front row festival in 77, and walking down the stair case to enter the gig I must admit to having more than a few ‘flashbacks’. I needed a few minutes to re-orientate myself and quickly realised that the original stage had been moved and would have been on my left as I faced the band. The room seemed smaller than I remembered and as I looked around, images of 1977 flickered into my mind, the smells, the faces, powerful images of the Front Row Festival flooding my mind in black and white and sometimes sepia and of course, visions of The Stranglers. I watched, I listened and occasionally I closed my eyes. Straighten out ‘delivered’ last night and once again all I can add is……………….
Thank you
P.S .If someone can remember the set list and post it, that would be great, because it really was a great set.
Al
Extracted from: (Burning Up Times forum)
[Webmaster - Thanks Alan! As a lifelong Stranglers fan, your kind and honest comments are greatly appreciated by the band. We're pleased to hear that they exceeded your expectations! We look forward to seeing you at a future gig...]