I first saw The Stranglers live in 1982 at Poole Arts Centre. It was the La Folie tour, and it changed the direction of my musical tastes. Up to that point, I was into rock music. Bands like AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead. To be fair, I probably needed something more sophisticated, and thanks to a friend I was introduced to Rattus Norvegicus and Raven. I found a new home. I went on to see Hugh, JJ, Jet, and Dave multiple times after this up until Hugh left in 1990.
Having arrived at punk fairly late, I then devoured The Clash, The Damned, The Sex Pistols, The Buzzcocks, Patti Smith… and then did the same with the New Wave and Indie movements that followed. However, The Stranglers were the catalyst and remain in my top 5 bands of all time.
What made them special to me was that they were more than the infamous three chords that were synonymous with punk. Their influences were from an age of musicianship and literature. The Doors (another of my top 5 bands); The Velvet Underground; The Stooges; Captain Beefheart; The Kinks; Jean Paul Sartre; William S. Burroughs, and others revealed their depth. They were extremely articulate and aware, as the clip below reveals.
At the time, as a teenager, I did not know where life would take me. As it happened, I then spent many decades teaching philosophy, politics and sociology, and thus a band such as The Stranglers was a sort of hand in glove for what was to come. Rattus is still one of my favourite albums of all time. It was raw and edgy but melodic and inspiring.
Labelling the Stranglers is not easy, but that also adds to their attraction. The Stranglers have always been a bit of a political enigma, and trying to pin down their exact views is like herding cats. They’ve never fit neatly into any one political box, which is kind of the point; they’ve always been more about stirring the pot than picking a side. Their music and attitude scream anti-establishment, with a healthy dose of rebellion against authority, government, and societal norms. This punk ethos of questioning everything and sticking it to “the man” (due to patriarchy it is usually a man) has been a constant thread throughout their career. But when it comes to specifics, they’ve kept things pretty murky, often leaving fans and critics to debate what they really stand for.
That said, they’ve never shied away from controversy, and some of their lyrics and actions have sparked heated discussions about their politics. For instance, songs like “I Feel Like a Wog” and “Bring On the Nubiles” landed them in hot water, with accusations of racism and inappropriate themes. The band defended these as purposeful misunderstanding or provocative art, but it definitely made people question their intentions. On the flip side, they’ve also taken aim at political figures, like Margaret Thatcher in “Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus),” and tackled heavy topics like the Troubles in Northern Ireland with “5 Minutes.” So, while they’ve been critical of the system, they’ve also been hard to pin down as emblematic of a particular political persona.
Part of the confusion comes from the fact that the band members themselves haven’t always been on the same page politically. Hugh Cornwell, their original frontman, has leaned more libertarian in interviews, emphasising personal freedom and skepticism of government. Meanwhile, other members have had their own takes, such as Jet’s leaning towards economic Marxism, in the video above, making the band’s overall political identity a bit of a patchwork. Over time, their focus has shifted away from overtly political themes, leaning more into personal and existential musings. But that rebellious, anti-authority spirit has always been there, keeping them firmly rooted in the punk tradition of challenging the status quo, whatever that might mean.
Although, hugely disappointed when Hugh left the band, it has now become an opportunity to hear him play the Stranglers songs differently. Check out his own live albums and listen to how he reimagines tracks like Nice N’ Sleazy; No More Heroes and Walk On By, for example. A new idiosyncratic texture is born.
We have now lost Dave and Jet. Dave died of complications from Covid in 2020 and Jet died in 2022. JJ is still touring with the Stranglers with a different line up.
For those who have only had a cursory glance at The Stranglers’ music then the standout must be Golden Brown and even this track came with its own mystique. Was it about heroin or romance? Whatever, this is the track to play us out.
Go listen to their catalogue. There is something for most within it.
