The Burning Up Times - Strangled.co.uk

Burning Up Times Issue 3
The Stranglers 1975 set list
(not in order)
Goodbye Toulouse
Strange Little Girl
Peaches
Promises
Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie
Tomorrow Was The Hereafter
Money
Princess Of The Streets
Go Buddy Go
Walk On By
Mean To Me
Fun, Fun, Fun
I‛ve Got Myself To Blame
Choosey Suzie
I Saw Her Standing There
“Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, may the Force
be with you” rather than “Bring me a Piece
of My Mummy”!
In those early days, did you envisage the
band’s longevity or success?
Yes, absolutely
On occasion, you helped on the mixing
desk. Did you ever consider doing it full
time?
No, because I didn’t have a clue what I
was doing!
Why did you drift away from the band
on the brink of them hitting the big time
signing to UA?
I didn’t actually drift away, I decided to
stop working for the group so I could
pursue a career in photography. I realised
that when you work for a band, you
become a part of their life. In effect, your
life revolves around theirs and whilst I was
probably quite good at aspects of my job,
particularly when I worked the lights at
the Nashville, it was never going to be a
full-time career for me. I always thought
that it was a wise decision, although I clearly
missed out on a lot of fun when they
became really big, but it would never have
been the same as it was in the summer
of 1976, when we were all packed into
Jet’s ice cream van. I loved that time and I
loved them, but my time and my moment
had come to a close. It stopped when it
was still good and it also meant that I
never fell out with them.
What are your overriding memories of
that period of your life?
They were the happiest days of my life. I
feel genuinely blessed to have known the
band at that time both as a close friend
and, most importantly, their fi rst real fan.
Jet told me once that I was the fi rst person
who believed in them that they didn’t
already know. I was the fi rst one from
outside to say ‘you’re great’ and go to all
the gigs. I think I got the best treatment
any fan could get from a band. They used
to pick me up from Turnham Green tube
station in the Ice Cream van and take
me to the gigs, and then after the show
they would drive me home! No wonder I
thought they were great! Of course there is
also the music, and I loved the songs and
the way they performed them. I just loved
everything about them.
Do you still see the band now? Have they
changed at all?
I have seen them from time to time since
I left in late 1976. They have always
given me tickets or got me backstage
passes if I ask for them. I did some work
for Strangled magazine in the eighties,
notably interviewing my old friend from
the Vibrators, John Ellis, who went on to
join the group. It was odd John joining,
because I always thought he would be
good in the band and I knew he was
a big fan of the group even in 1976.
Of course Hugh leaving was a massive
The Stranglers 1976
(By 1976, there were some
new songs added, roughly in
this order)
School Mam
Bitching
Down In The Sewer – fi rst
section
Down In The Sewer – end
section added
Get A Grip On Yourself
Peasant In The Big Shitty
Highway
Sometimes
Hanging Around
Something Better Change
Ugly
Straighten Out
London Lady
blow and whilst Paul Roberts was great
and a very nice chap – he came from
Chiswick too – I have always felt that
the band have never been right without
Hugh. Equally, I think Hugh has never
been right without the rest of the group,
but I guess I would think that wouldn’t
I? They always seemed so close to me
and they had been through so much. I
remember going to see them rehearse at
Jet’s house just after La Folie came out
and before the release of Golden Brown.
We got together to go through my old
pictures for an article in Strangled about
the old days and on the way to the pub
I made a remark about Hugh’s quirky
guitar style, which would have been
quite normal in ’76. The response was
deathly silence. They had become so
bonded through their experiences that
they were a completely tight unit.
In terms of relationships, Dave hasn’t
changed at all and is still as friendly as
ever. In fact the last time I saw him he
invited me to spend a weekend at his place
in Cambridge. Jet hasn’t changed either
and Jean always says hello, it’s always great
to see them. I haven’t seen Hugh since the
split and I would love to put that right.
And fi nally; what happened to that fi rst
set of shots from the Nashville?
It breaks my heart but I don’t have them.
They weren’t very good shots. That’s how I
came to photograph the band again. I rang
Hugh, explained that the pictures were not
as good as they should be and we agreed
that I would shoot them again at their
next gig. Again that was at the Nashville a
few weeks later, so the pictures were just
the same. The portrait of Hugh was taken
on that second session in the backstage
corridor. That was really the start of my
involvement with them.
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