Over the years everything has conspired against me seeing Hugh Cornwall live: weddings, weather and once many years ago a breakdown on the way to Sheffield that saw me arrive ten minutes after he’d departed the stage. So tonight in Perth it’s a first, too young to see The Stranglers in their prime (though I’ve seen the ‘Hugh-less’ band a few times) and just bad luck and poor planning preventing me catching him before now.
Cornwall of course is an enigma and our Editor tells me is a rather enjoyable interview, and you can imagine that with his stage banter, something I wish there was more of actually. Tonight as a three piece, with just Hugh, bassist and drummer there’s a certain rawness and honesty at play. Great songs of course stand on their own, whatever the adornments and tonight that’s exactly what we get: great songs.
As with a lot of bands or artists of a certain era the age of the crowd dates tonight, It’s actually bloody wonderful to get to see so many 60+ year olds out and rocking on a Saturday night. I’m sure they would have rather a large number of gig going recollections if we could only bottle them! But it’s refreshing to that there are youngsters too drawn in by the legend.
Hugh has now released as many solo records as he did with The Stranglers so its only fitting that he plays a set that is about two thirds Cornwall solo material. And I always love an artist who is prepared to bac their latest opening with ‘Coming Out of the Wilderness’ and ‘Too Much Trash’ from 2022’s Moments of Madness, they’re great songs from a great record – the third installment of the triptych that began with ‘Totem and Taboo’ and ‘Monster’ – albums that also get a look in later in the set.
It’s all rather neatly constructed for a setlist – two solo tracks followed by a Stranglers ‘nugget’ – a word Hugh seems to relish in tonight. The first of those classics and deep cuts comes in the form of ‘Skin Deep’ and it is met with a huge wave of appreciation from the crowd after the newer fare that opened.
Being as it is His Sardonic Majesty’s first trip Down Under for a few years there are those in the room that you feel have been waiting that long to let what remains of their hair down and the Scottish gentleman stood at the barrier by me is certainly enjoying himself. I can understand 90% of what he is saying at teh start of Hugh’s set, but after several successful forays to the bar by the end when he beams and claps an arm around me I understand nothing at all! I just hope he remembers what a great night he had!
The crowd loves the Hendrixy ‘Wrong Side of The Tracks’ but The Stranglers ‘Strange Little Girl’, even the more bleak in this trio format, is lapped up by the entire room. And whilst the duo from Taboo and Totem see Hugh get his guitar chops on, my favourite Stranglers song ‘Who Wants The World’ comes next. It’s time to dance if you’re not already!
Whilst I’ll wager a few in the crowd would have preferred more Stranglers material based on the huge singalong for ‘Who Wants the World?’ it’s hard to deny the quality of the solo material and the joy of the craftsmanship of Hugh’s poignant lyrics. My favouites from the latest album are paired together – the reggae rocker and title track ‘Moments of Madness’ and ‘When I Was a Young Man’ before we hear about two of Hugh’s heroes with ‘Evel’ (about the king of stunt men himself) and ‘Mr. Leather’ that celebrates the iconic Lou Reed.
The main set closes with a flourish – first ‘Another Kind of Love’ which opened Hugh’s first solo venture ‘Wolf’ way back in the heady days of 1978. That is followed by ‘Out of My Mind’ from The Stranglers album ’10’, his final with the band that came a couple of years later and we close with ‘Live It and Breathe It’, the CD bonus track from the compilation ‘The Fall & Rise of Hugh Cornwell’ that is available here tonight in its vinyl form (sadly missing that very track).
The banging and calls from the packed room for more come quickly and it’s not long till we are obliged. First and fast comes the classic 1978 single ‘Nice ‘n’ Sleazy’ before the glorious ‘Big Bug’ from the record Hugh recorded with Robert Williams (well worth checking out). Biggest surprise of the night though might just be the three-piece’s take on the classic ‘Golden Brown’ which has a life of it’s own without keys and is wonderfully Jazzy.
As it’s the last night down under though we close with ‘Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)’ sadly the only track from ‘The Raven’ (I had hoped for the Cornwall panned ‘Duchess’ too) it’s a fitting way to end the show. There’s no one in the room tonight that could have left less than satisfied. Like everyone else who has waited so long for Hugh’s return there’s no denying hearing the songs sung by the man himself have made this Downunder visit more than memorable. It was great that just after the show finished Hugh walked out through the crowd to spend the best part of an hour chatting to and signing items for fans. Now that’s class.
Let’s hope the next visit is to promote the imminent new record. For more details on that check out our Editor’s pre-tour interview…
A magic night in a wintry Western Australia,
Full Gallery to Follow
We have to also say that support act ‘Radio Radio’ who played a set of classics from 1978-1979 were very enjoyable and pitched the setlist perfectly – well worth checking out if you get the chance. Highlights for me had to be the classic ‘Another Girl Another Planet’ but every tune had you marveling at what a wonderful era the late eighties were…
HUGH CORNWALL SETLIST