{"id":787,"date":"2019-05-10T12:16:15","date_gmt":"2019-05-10T02:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greatgigs.com.au\/?p=787"},"modified":"2024-05-30T12:30:52","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T02:30:52","slug":"hugh-cornwell-max-watts-house-of-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greatgigs.com.au\/index.php\/2019\/05\/10\/hugh-cornwell-max-watts-house-of-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Hugh Cornwell @ Max Watts House of Music"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reviewer | Glenn Forsyth<\/strong><\/em> Photography | Robert Carbone<\/em><\/strong>
Audio | Harry Williams<\/em><\/strong> Video | Various<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wonderful Melbourne modsters Little Murders<\/strong> warmed up a brave audience who had come in from the cold on Friday night at Max Watts<\/strong> in support of Hugh Cornwell<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In typical Melbourne fashion, the majority of people don\u2019t 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a great little fan video by Robert Carbone:
Things Will Be Different | Take Me I’m Yours…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RobertCarboneAKACarbieWarbie\/videos\/839195629749254\/?t=0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2013 he doesn\u2019t 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 \u201cMonster\u201d<\/em> and a number of choice tracks from his previous 8 solo albums. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s 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! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hugh arrives on our shores to promote his new concept album \u201cMonster\u201d 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\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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He begins the set with his ode to dubious motorcycle legend and showman Evel Kneivel<\/strong> titled \u201cPure Evel”<\/em> ( Ed: he wasn\u2019t 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<\/strong> (the subject of the title track ‘Monster’<\/em>), the man who did all the special effects on those Sinbad<\/em> movies and Jason & the Argonauts<\/em> etc ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We also get a nod to 1950\u2019s TV icon Phil Silvers<\/strong> (Bilko) Mussolini <\/strong>(Duce Coochie Man<\/em> ) and Hedy Lamarr <\/strong>(The Most Beautiful Girl in Hollywood<\/em>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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 <\/strong>and Bob Hope<\/strong>. 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\u2026 but it’s a sad state of affairs when she’s most remembered for her ‘tits’. She was the world’s sexiest mad scientist! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not quite an Old Codger<\/em> 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’<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Set 1 ~ Solo Material<\/strong>
Pure Evel (from ‘Monster’)<\/em>
Leave Me Alone (from ‘Hi Fi’)<\/em>
I Want One Of Those (from ‘Totem & Taboo’)<\/em>
Monster (from ‘Monster’)<\/em>
Stuck In Daily Mail Land (from ‘Totem & Taboo’)<\/em>
Getting Involved (from ‘Wolf’)<\/em>
The Most Beautiful Girl In Hollywood (from ‘Monster’)<\/em>
The Prison’s Going Down (from ‘Hi Fi’)<\/em>
Bilko (from ‘Monster’)<\/em>
Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit (from ‘Guilty’)<\/em>
Mothra (from ‘Nosferatu’)<\/em>
Duce Coochie Man (from ‘Monster’)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Returning as promised, he churns his way through a bevy of old Stranglers classics to a hugely enthusiastic response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a delight to hear these great songs sung by one of the most iconic voices in British rock history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RobertCarboneAKACarbieWarbie\/videos\/839757009693116\/?t=0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second Set ~ Stranglers Material<\/strong>
Always The Sun (from ‘Dreamtime’)<\/em>
Sweden (All Quiet on the Eastern Front) (from ‘Black And White’)<\/em>
Duchess (from ‘Raven’)<\/em>
Strange Little Girl (single)<\/em>
Golden Brown (From ‘La Folie’)<\/em>
Peaches (from ‘Rattus Norvegicus’)<\/em>
No More Heroes (from ‘No More Heroes’)<\/em>
Thrown Away (from ‘The Gospel according to the Meninblack’)<\/em>
(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)(from ‘Rattus Norvegicus’)<\/em>
Tank (from ‘Black And White’)<\/em>
Nuclear Device (from ‘Raven’)<\/em>
5 Minutes (single)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always the Sun | Sweden (All quiet on the Eastern Front) Duchess | Strange Little Girl | Golden Brown | Peaches<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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