Interview with The Stranglers bassist JJ Burnel

After a three-year COVID-imposed break that delivered a devastating blow to the band, The Stranglers are heading back to Australia for a five-date tour in April.

SCENEzine’s Mel Taylor got to sit down with their legendary bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel (JJ) to talk about the tour, the new line-up, the band’s latest chart-smashing album Dark Matters, and their expanding Family in Black fan base.

Following three dates across the ditch, the Australian tour kicks off at The Gov in Adelaide on April 18^th. This is followed by Northcote Theatre Melbourne (19^th), The Tivoli Brisbane (21^st) – an upgraded venue following a sell-out of the initial one, The Metro Sydney (22^nd) and a surprise addition, Newcastle, which will see the English band rounding off the tour at The Cambridge Hotel on St George’s Day, 23^rd April. Much to the disappointment of fans on the west coast, Perth is missing from the list this time, having been a stop on the band’s last three Aussie tours in 2016, 2018, and 2020.

Returning to play Newcastle will be memorable for JJ, the last original member of the band in their current line-up. He recalls that the band last played Newcastle back in 1979 on “a very controversial tour”. That tour, at the height of the punk era, saw the band behaving badly – as was the spirit of the time – resulting in media bans, punch-ups, and an outraged Molly Meldrum banning them from a planned slot on Countdown. This time ‘round we’re guaranteed a cracking great evening of hits spanning the five decades of their music; from the early punchy, guttural, late 70’s hits ‘Hanging Around’, ‘No More Heroes’, ‘Nice ‘n Sleazy‘, and ‘Peaches‘, their calmer, melodic timeless classics from the 80’s ‘Golden Brown‘, ‘Always the Sun‘, and ‘Skin Deep‘, and new tracks from their latest, 2021 album Dark Matters.

Dark Matters, the band’s eighteenth studio album coming nine years after the last one, rocketed to #4 in the UK album charts, their most successful album since Feline in 1983, some 40 years ago. The album has won critical acclaim and includes an eclectic mix of tracks reflecting the varied styles of the band over the years and the seamless evolution of their changing line-up.

Despite their resurgence, spurred on partly by the commercial success of Dark Matters and partly by their tireless schedule of live performances, the last few years have been tough for the band, and especially JJ. In December 2022 the band’s original drummer, Jet Black, passed away aged 84. Jet had struggled with ill-health for a while and hadn’t played with the band for more than seven years, passing the drumsticks over to Jim Macaulay in 2015. However, the unexpected death of their celebrated keyboard player Dave Greenfield in May 2020, due to COVID, at aged 71, hit the band hard. As well as being active in their line-up at the time and an original band member of 45 years standing, Dave’s technical, note-filled, prog-rock inspired keyboard was one of the most distinctive elements of The Stranglers’ sound, setting them apart from punk, and other bands in the early days and carrying them through five decades of popularity. “Dave and I only had three rows in 45 years”, JJ recalls, along with other characteristics that made Dave a ‘special’ bloke.

Most fans of the band at the time thought that the loss of Dave would mark the end of the band, little did we know that the other band members, including Baz Warne, lead guitarist and vocalist for nearly 30 years, would complete the studio album that Dave had been contributing to and launch the band into a Full Final Tour as a tribute to Dave. The good news continued for the fans and the band, when a new keyboard player, Toby Hounsham, was discovered. “I don’t know if God is a Strangler’s fan, but he must be close to it” says JJ. “…we’ve got his clone, Toby”. It turns out that JJ had worked with Toby 20 years previously, but they had no further contact, “…then I saw his tribute to Dave on YouTube, and the guys were saying ‘you’ve got to check this guy out’…he’s been a disciple of Dave for 35 years”. Toby’s arrival returned the band to their full complement of four, and he has been welcomed by the band and fans with open hearts. Toby has already completed nearly 50 live performances with the band, and by all accounts we’re in for a treat with his perfection of Dave’s runs and soaring arpeggios, but the final test -whether he can down a pint of beer at the same time (a regular stage trick of Dave’s) – will remain to be seen!

Despite the passage of time since Dave’s passing and the long list of gigs played by the band, for Australian fans this will be our first chance to catch the new line up, and even with Toby’s brilliance Dave’s absence is going to be confronting. No doubt, there will be a few emotional moments during their Australian sets.

Finishing off the discussion with JJ, talking about the band’s longevity and their long-time loyal fans – the Family in Black, JJ notes that “The Stranglers is a big family affair… it definitely covers two generations, if not three… people have grown up with us”. He follows on with earnest, “What a complement that is. People have grown up with us and have grown older with us”. The original fans are bringing along their now grown-up kids, and grandkids to gigs. JJ attributes the ability of the band to transcend generations partly to their bad boy antics in the early days and not doing ‘corny shit’, enabling them to maintain a cool and “culty, underground vibe”. Certainly, along with the creaking of bones of the older fans at their shows there is an increasing swathe of younger, energetic new fans discovering the sensory tsunami of a live Stranglers’ gig.

As for the future, I asked, “If this is your Last Final Tour does that mean it’s the last time we’ll see you in Australia?” JJ explained how punishing large tours had been, with 25 or more gigs crammed into a British Tour, and the band’s desire to do shorter runs of shows. He went on, “I want to stay dynamic on stage and dynamic creatively. I want to pace myself and be enthused still”. He ends with optimism “Hopefully, this will give us a few more years”. Music indeed, to the ears of Australian fans. Hopeful the 2023 tour could still be just an ‘au revoir’ rather than a ‘fond adieu’.