17-04-2014 The Stranglers

Venue: Hedon, Zwolle (Netherlands)
By: Sabine van Gameren

A special anniversary is scheduled, 40 years of existence is something that does not pass by each band, so quite an accomplishment on its own.

The band got 17 albums released. Sure… the last years the band has become less active but yet in 2012 the release “Giants” came out of their hands. In Hedon, Zwolle (NL) you find a variety of fans waiting for them. Young and old, from British to German and of course a lot of Dutch. The intro starts playing and some screaming takes place, you would almost expect a boyband to enter the stage as the whole sounds so Nintendo-sweet that it could almost be chiptune. But don’t be fooled, the band starts playing and the whole shifts a bit. “Toiler On The See” is the first song and after that the hits keeps coming. The fabulous “No More Heroes” is a played early in the set which sets the atmosphere right away.

What comes to notice is the way the band is performing, with a smile in their eyes they show that they are truly enjoying the fact that they can tour around with this anniversary. Some joking in between when vocalist Jean-Jacques Burnel dramatically calls out ‘Oh no… Disco’ followed by some cheeky dancing. Also some technical issues can’t bring these guys down. ‘It’s live people’ they tell us while smiling and trying to solve it.

With about 25 songs on their set the guys hit almost two hours on the clock, giving the audience plenty worth their money. The nights gets closed with “All Day And All Of The Night” and “Tank” and they leave the venue satisfied. If this is how a party is celebrated by the British we can’t wait for a next celebration!