Hangin' Around

 "Hope I die before I get old"

My Generation -The Who

They didn't did they ? Neither did all manner of bands from my youth. They continued playing for thirty forty and in some cases fifty years.

Not very rock and roll  ? Heritage acts you say ? Maybe.

Last night I went to see the Stranglers, supported by Ruts DC. I first saw The Stranglers in 1979 and have seen them many times since. That's forty odd years.

I know you're meant to say it was better in the old days, in the first flush of youth, but I enjoyed that last night every bit as much.

The Ruts came on stage, three old blokes in hats. Old blokes until the first chords of "Babylon's Burning" blast out and suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck are standing up and you, and they, are ageless. They play the oldies, plus some new stuff that's not"alright"or "quite good", but excellent. A brilliant set.

We get a drink and then the lights dim and the entrance music of "The Meninblack" starts. A few minutes later The Stranglers walk on and immediately blast out three rowdy classics on the bounce.

I look at JJ, the man with surely the most recognisable bass guitar sound in rock and at a scarcely believable seventy years old,  still at it. Frontman Baz, the "new bloke" of twenty five years standing,  the ring master and crowd baiter.

After keyboardist Dave Greenfield's death last year it looked like the band would fold. He was irreplaceable.

Somehow they found Toby and hats off to him, he pulls it off. It's still The Stranglers.

Encore. Last song. Yes, same as always. JJ goes to top of the stage bangs the bass with his fist and then suddenly the intro to " No More Heroes" starts . The place erupts, the grey heads, bald heads, all going crazy like it's 1979. I'm in the mosh pit with other oldies jumping, laughing, singing. It's good natured and unlike the old days, you're unlikely to get your head kicked in.

Then it's all over. They line up, bow to the crowd and are gone.

A bloody brilliant evening.

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