Stranglers star goes it alone in Leamington

Now their original guitarist, singer and main songwriter Hugh Cornwell has forged a solo career in his own right and is coming to Leamington this month.

Cornwell has released eight solo albums, most recently Hooverdam, which has received critical acclaim, along with a limited edition live CD New Songs for King Kong.

He will be playing songs from these, as well as his biggest hit solo album Guilty in its entirety and some Stranglers classics.

He said: “I may have played in Leamington before, but not for a while. The venue looks good from what I have seen.

“Most of the songs on Guilty I have played before in concert, but I have never performed the album in its entirety.

“I’m lucky to have the original rhythm section of Steve and Chris with me, so it will be a matter of re-arranging the keyboard presence, as I do with re-arrangements of any Stranglers’ material that I play.

“It’s a nice idea to revisit old works in their entirety for the first time, especially as younger people now tend not to listen to more than a few songs in a row by the same artist.”

It has been over 40 years since The Stranglers arrived on the rock scene with their aggressive, no compromise attitude but Cornwell says he still loves being involved as much as ever.

“Of course I still get excited about it. The day it becomes a bore, I will quit,” he added.

“I get the inspiration for my songs from the tragic-comedy we call life. The thing I love about music is the fact that you can’t hold it.”

His first novel Window on the World will be published in May, and in the autumn he will be busy recording his next album Totem and Taboo, but first he has his solo tour which will play at the Leamington Assembly on April 13.

Tickets cost £18, for more information call 523001 or click on the link in the top right corner.