Interview by Kris Peters
The Stranglers are part of the final frontier of the true genesis of the punk era.
Not that the band can be called punk in the purest public sense of the word, but when it comes to attitude, swagger, and defiance there is no compromise.
Since forming in 1974 The Stranglers have epitomised the working class ethos and fuck you persona that many mimic or attempt to harness. But there's is the real deal. No posing. No pretensions. No faking.
From the beginning if you didn't like them or their music then The Stranglers quite simply couldn't care less.
With a career that has spawned such hits as Golden Brown, Always The Sun, No More Heroes, Strange Little Girl and Peaches, The Stranglers still carry the torch for punk and roll in all of its magnificent glory, and are set to bring those songs and more to Australia with a five date run of shows this April.
Guitarist Baz Warne sat down with HEAVY recently to discuss the tour and what life in the inner circle of The Stranglers is really like.
"The main thing that people are gonna notice immediately is that we've got a new keyboard player," he began. "Unfortunately. we lost the original keyboard player Dave Greenfield - who was in the band from 1975 to COVID in May 2020, which was a huge blow. But we managed to unbelievably find someone who was a student of Dave's - not literally - but somebody who loved The Stranglers and loved Dave's keyboard playing. We were lucky enough to find a guy called Toby Hounsham who plays with us now. He's been with us for two years, so we're looking forward to coming down and showing him off to everyone. We'll just be firing and rocking like we always are. It's such a blast to come to Australia. It always is and always has been."
In the full interview baz talks more about the tour and what to expect, coming up with a set list to please everybody, the effects age can have on touring and playing live, his early days in the band, bringing his own swagger to The Stranglers, the longevity of the band, his three commandments of punk and more.