A few years back it looked as if The Stranglers were reaching the end of what had been a very long road. What was billed as the final full UK tour took place in early 2022, guitarist / vocalist Baz Warne was part of a new project, Wingmen, and the band were still reeling from the loss of Dave Greenfield. And yet here we are in 2025 with the Stranglers still firing on all cylinders, and delighting a packed out St Nicholas Park as part of the Warwick Sessions concert series that has also featured headline performances from Train and Elbow.
Although they have continued to release quality new music over the past twenty years, it is notable that half of tonight’s show was made up of songs from the first three albums, 1977’s Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes, and Black and White from the following year. But it is hard to argue that any of the likes of ‘Hanging Around’, ‘Peaches’, ‘Tank’ or the show opening ‘Toiler on the Sea’ should be left out of any Stranglers gig. That is not to say that the band are simply relying on past glories; the older numbers still retain their impact but the two cuts from 2021’s Dark Matters, ‘Breathe’ and ‘White Stallion’, more than hold their own in such illustrious company.
Musically, the show was still propelled forwards by JJ Burnel’s huge bass sound, with both he and Baz making for a dynamic on stage partnership, grinning and gurning at each other throughout. Relative newcomer Toby Hounsham’s keyboards are well balanced in the mix, allowing for the more melodic strains of ‘Strange Little Girl’, ‘Always the Sun’ and ‘Golden Brown’ to shine through loud and clear. The breakneck encore of ‘Go Buddy Go’ and ‘No More Heroes’ rounded off what was an excellent ninety minutes, with the Stranglers proving that even after clocking up half a century they still have plenty left in the tank.
Setlist:-
Toiler on the Sea
Duchess
(Get a) Grip (on Yourself)
English Towns
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy
Midnight Summer Dream
Skin Deep
Strange Little Girl
Always the Sun
Breathe
5 Minutes
Peaches
Golden Brown
Genetix
White Stallion
Hanging Around
Something Better Change
Tank
Go Buddy Go
No More Heroes
