Concert Review - The Stranglers - Auckland - 13th March 2025

Presented By Metropolis Touring

The Stranglers Live at the Powerstation - Photo credit Megan Moss

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL STRANGLERS GALLERY BY MEGAN MOSS

Review By: Leeza E

Artist/Band: The Stranglers SUP by Merryn Jeann

Venue/City: Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand

Date of Event: Thursday 13th March 2025

The Stranglers played their 50th Anniversary gig; ‘50 years in Black’; to a full capacity crowd at the renowned and legendary venue The Powerstation in Auckland city, with its upstairs, downstairs view of the stage, easy access to the bars and a view of the stage nearly everywhere you are in the joint.

The support act was an interesting choice of sound that somehow awkwardly fitted into the scene and was delivered to us by Merryn Jeann, an Australian artist whose raw, passionate and expressive music tells us about her dreams, reflections and the human experience. At one stage she roughhoused her tambourine so hard during a cool little number it's surprising the thing didn't fly to bits and that's just before she dumped it straight down on the floor. Good stuff! Merryn was backed by a bloke on keyboard/synth who she introduced to us simply as Lauren.

As expected, The Stranglers absolutely rocked. They were so bloody good and yes, the crowd obviously utterly loved it; The Stranglers caught the crowd's attention and kept it, evident by the way they sang, cheered and whistled all the way through, while The Stranglers played all our fav tunes.

It was pure exhilaration that permeated our ears and filled our senses.
Housnsham pounded that keyboard like his goddamn life depended on it; Burnel hammered that solid familiar Stranglers bass sound that we know and love as he keenly sang familiar lyrics we love (sometimes with a lift and a sidekick-out with his leg). Warne was right there flogging his guitar like there's no tomorrow, whilst belting out most of the vocal tunes. Macaulay assaulted those drums with precision timing. All joined on backing vocals, and the odd harmonies here and there.

They dedicated a song of theirs; ‘The Raven’, to past members of the band, Jet Black and David Greenfield.
All the numbers we know, and love were played and more, including ‘Hanging around’, ‘Peaches’, ‘Golden Brown’, ‘No more heroes’ and ‘Skin deep’. Simply fantastic stuff live. The Stranglers are just a bloody great band!

No wonder at all how and why this lot has survived for so long, spanning 5 decades. They've just got it, and we get it, and we love it! To think, the Auckland city council banned the Stranglers in 1979, because they were ‘too dangerous for New Zealand’ (which Burnel did mention).

Because this is their 50th Anniversary Tour; I want to mention a few historic things besides their show; Then Stranglers produced many albums, all are more than good; and that will always be subjective so take a listen to their back catalogue if you’ve never done so!

A English punk-rock band formed in 1974 and one of the longest-surviving bands coming out of the UK punk scene; after forming, The Stranglers initially became associated with the ‘punk rock’ movement in Britain. Their ‘no-compromise’, aggressive attitude identified them as a punk band, however, their quote ‘peculiar approach’ to music rarely followed any one musical genre. So, the band went on to traverse many musical styles.

I gotta also mention here; former member of the band, Mr. Jet Black, drummer and founding member of the Stranglers; whom played even during illness right up until he just could not play anymore, due to his poor health. Black last officially retired in 2018 at the age of 79 years old.

Current and sensational member; Baz Warne; met the band in 1995 and joined them in 2000 (on guitar/vocals songs that had been (originally sung by Hugh Cornwall1990-2006)). Amongst other things he’s done; in 2022 Baz featured as the narrator for the short film, Passing Ships, to raise awareness of mental health issues and male suicide.

Keyboardist Toby Hounsham has been a massive fan of The Stranglers for a long time and was honoured to join the band after the death of Greenfield, who had been a huge influence on Toby. Toby continues to use Daves rig, this keeps the ‘sound’ that the Stranglers have. Outside of The Stranglers, Toby works at a specialist school with non-verbal or limited verbal students in music therapy, helping people to express, manage and process their feelings through music, without being able to do it verbally.

They lost long time member David Paul Greenfield - keyboard, synthesizer, vocals, song writer; in 2020 due to COVID-19. (Greenfield joined the Stranglers after answering an advert in 1975, played with the Stranglers for a further 45 years until his death at age 71).

These guys, The Stranglers, just wow!
Brilliant!

SETLIST
Toiler
Grip
Duchess
Raven
Sleazy
Sweden
JLNO Earth
Water
Harry
Skin Deep
Breathe
Peaches
S-L-G
GB
Sun
Genetix
Stallion
Walk on by
Hanging
Tank
Buddy/heroes

The Stranglers AUS NZ 2025 Tour Poster

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