Reviewer | Glenn Forsyth Photography | Robert Carbone
Audio | Harry Williams Video | Various
Wonderful Melbourne modsters Little Murders warmed up a brave audience who had come in from the cold on Friday night at Max Watts in support of Hugh Cornwell.
In typical Melbourne fashion, the majority of people don’t arrive until after they had finished their short but scintillating set of power pop gems. It was a trip done memory lane for this early bird.
Here’s a great little fan video by Robert Carbone:
Things Will Be Different | Take Me I’m Yours…
https://www.facebook.com/RobertCarboneAKACarbieWarbie/videos/839195629749254/?t=0
The audience had swelled to a fairly acceptable level by the time ex- Strangler Hugh Cornwell had taken the stage and you have to give him full kudos for his professionalism – he doesn’t muck around. He has a three-piece band, very little lighting, no backdrops and his first set is just three guys churning out a good selection of songs from his current album “Monster” and a number of choice tracks from his previous 8 solo albums.
It’s 40 years since Hugh Cornwell first toured Australia on the infamous Stranglers tour of February /March 1979 and this is his 3rd visit down under as a solo artist having left the band way back in 1990. The Stranglers are gearing up for their 7th return visit later this year. Demand to be ‘strangled’ musically is high!
Hugh arrives on our shores to promote his new concept album “Monster” and the very knowledgeable and well read Hugh Cornwell takes us on a musical journey based on some rather notorious historical figures and the odd hero or two…
He begins the set with his ode to dubious motorcycle legend and showman Evel Kneivel titled “Pure Evel” ( Ed: he wasn’t a nice chap at all in real life) and along the way taking in the likes of special effects wizard and creator of “Dynamation” Ray Harryhausen (the subject of the title track ‘Monster’), the man who did all the special effects on those Sinbad movies and Jason & the Argonauts etc ).
We also get a nod to 1950’s TV icon Phil Silvers (Bilko) Mussolini (Duce Coochie Man ) and Hedy Lamarr (The Most Beautiful Girl in Hollywood).
Hedy Lamarr was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars during the golden age of cinema, starring in over 35 films alongside the likes of Clark Gable, Judy Garland and Bob Hope. Most of her fame comes from the fact that she gave us one of cinema’s first sex scenes, and surprisingly little attention is given to the fact that she was a genius and basically invented the modern Wi-Fi and mobile phone network. She invented a torpedo guidance system that would actually go on to become the basis of all our wireless communications today… but it’s a sad state of affairs when she’s most remembered for her ‘tits’. She was the world’s sexiest mad scientist!
Not quite an Old Codger just yet, Hugh Cornwell ( turning an unbelievable 70 this in August!!!) delivers a cracking set and at the end acknowledges the audience patience and and acceptance of his new material, vowing to reward us by returning after a short break with more familiar material and a ‘Death by Stranglers’.
Set 1 ~ Solo Material
Pure Evel (from ‘Monster’)
Leave Me Alone (from ‘Hi Fi’)
I Want One Of Those (from ‘Totem & Taboo’)
Monster (from ‘Monster’)
Stuck In Daily Mail Land (from ‘Totem & Taboo’)
Getting Involved (from ‘Wolf’)
The Most Beautiful Girl In Hollywood (from ‘Monster’)
The Prison’s Going Down (from ‘Hi Fi’)
Bilko (from ‘Monster’)
Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit (from ‘Guilty’)
Mothra (from ‘Nosferatu’)
Duce Coochie Man (from ‘Monster’)
Returning as promised, he churns his way through a bevy of old Stranglers classics to a hugely enthusiastic response.
It was a delight to hear these great songs sung by one of the most iconic voices in British rock history.
Golden Brown is a difficult one to get across (he has no keyboard player in his band) and maybe could be performed just as an acoustic piece?
https://www.facebook.com/RobertCarboneAKACarbieWarbie/videos/839757009693116/?t=0
Second Set ~ Stranglers Material
Always The Sun (from ‘Dreamtime’)
Sweden (All Quiet on the Eastern Front) (from ‘Black And White’)
Duchess (from ‘Raven’)
Strange Little Girl (single)
Golden Brown (From ‘La Folie’)
Peaches (from ‘Rattus Norvegicus’)
No More Heroes (from ‘No More Heroes’)
Thrown Away (from ‘The Gospel according to the Meninblack’)
(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)(from ‘Rattus Norvegicus’)
Tank (from ‘Black And White’)
Nuclear Device (from ‘Raven’)
5 Minutes (single)
Always the Sun | Sweden (All quiet on the Eastern Front) Duchess | Strange Little Girl | Golden Brown | Peaches
(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)
https://www.facebook.com/RobertCarboneAKACarbieWarbie/videos/839320869736730
Hugh Cornwell is an eclectic musician, who appears quite content to leave the controversies of his old band behind him and genuinely enjoys playing live. May he do so for long time to come! A thoroughly enjoyable night!
