The Stranglers – Powerstation: March 13, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)
As the band embarks on their ‘final and last-ever tour’, no, wait, that was in 2023, this is the Fifty Years In Black Anniversary Tour! But sarcasm aside, fans gathered once again to hear not just crowd-pleasers but also the echoes of their shared musical history.
This The Stranglers show was promised to be a celebration of enduring favourites and timeless hits, reminding everyone of the band’s rich (and dark) legacy.
With the passing of Jet Black in 2022, only JJ Burnel remains from the original formation (Hugh Cornwell hasn’t been in the band for decades), and though the line-up has shifted over the years, tonight’s performance is likely also to be a poignant reminder of The Stranglers evolution and the lasting impact they have made across generations.
Merryn Jeann
Is from Mullumbimby (NSW), a previous band was called Potato Potato (!!!)though she spent her 20’s in Paris, France and has two albums, 2024’s Dog Beach and 2019’s self titled debut. It’s just a duo tonight, herself (with guitar, keyboards and tamborine) and a fellow with multiple techno gadgets. Finding out late in the piece means I am not preloaded with expectations, though a friend suggests she might have a side-hustle as a mime artist.
Her years in Paris have surely influenced her creative spirit, her waif stature and garish attire shouts ‘European Ideal!’. I grow in appreciation of her music, their music, as she switches between guitar, keyboards and tamborine, together they deliver a synthesis of post punk, sophisticated pop and fused-folk. Are we in Haight-Ashbury? Is she channelling Cat Power, Bjork, Patti Smith? Possibly. Merryn Jeann‘s vocal range is impressive, as is her punk-rock tamborining prowess.
Many in the almost full room are appreciative, I suspect the crowd with a mean age of 50+ are a little more cultured, worldly, and I suspect are taken by this modern Piafish figurine. Tonight’s performance is enough for me to wish to delve into her catalogue on bandcamp, and certainly see Merryn Jeann again if she graces our shores once more.
The Stranglers
The wait feels too long, as usual, it isn’t, but time creeps slowly. The auditory-appearance of an Edith Piaf tune is welcome, a talking point, a pleasure. Then as expected, as known, as always, the opening to Waltz In Black elicits cheers from the room, as The Stranglers (Jean-Jacques Burnel (bass/vocals), Baz Warne (guitar/vocals), Jim Macaulay (drums/vocals), and Toby Hounsham (keyboards/vocals) encamp onstage.
It’s a clinical warm up, the four are skilled musicians, and the setlist tonight is the same as the one they’ve toured elsewhere with. Perhaps it’s the jetlag, (Tamaki Makaurau is the opening show of their Australasian Tour) but hearing Toiler On The Sea spotlights my attention, such a magnitude song. Toby Hounsham has a hard job on keyboards, Dave Greenfield’s Keyboards always had a proteus effect on Stranglers songs, Hounsham does it well, it’s believable.
Tonight’s show is dominated by four albums : 1977’s Rattus Norvegicus, 1978’s Black and White, 1979’s The Raven and 2021’s Dark Matters, 15 of the 22 songs played tonight. As constant visitors, many in the audience have heard the hits a multitude of times. It’s odd sods that leap out, the likes of Raven (dedicated to Dave and Jet) , Sweden (All Quiet on the Eastern Front), Just Like Nothing on Earth, and Genetix (featuring keysman Toby Hounsham on vocals) that made tonight’s set a little special, unique, worth the mahi of attending tonight.
Of course the bangers are in attendance, the singalong for Always The Sun is class, is an exemplar in crowd participation, creating a communal atmosphere. Whilst the anthem, Walk On By, the colossus it is, seems bigger in the room tonight, and then the dulcet, gentle melodies of Strange Little Girl brings contrast, and shows the softer, less peppery side of the group. In contrast, of the songs played from Dark Matters, it’s really only White Stallion that connects, with its post-punk Spandau Ballet vibe.
Baz Warne is efficacious in his enjoyment as he delivered his part, and drummer Jim Macaulay is certain a powerhouse, but it’s when Burnel hits those classic Strangler basslines, evocative memories of youth rippled through the room, and the gentle not-moshpit upfront. Words are few, there is a dedication to Dave Greenfield and Jet Black, a quip about Brit expat, a reference to 50 years of The Stranglers before the first encore song Go Buddy Go (bside of Peaches 7” 1977) the first song they ever wrote. They finish on No More Heroes, once again, a last high, maybe it will be this time.
Footnote: Due to illness, the 13TH Floor photographer was unable to attend. Rubbish photos by Simon Coffey on a Samsung 21.
Simon Coffey
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