13. The StranglersRattus Norvegicus
When I went on my first non parent holiday to Skegness with my mates, this was the soundtrack. We were in a nightclub and ‘Go Buddy Go’ came on and we were bouncing off the walls. I mean, the Stranglers sounded like the Doors; they were about as punk rock as Genesis, they jumped on the bandwagon. I saw pictures of them from six months before and they were wearing flares, for gods sake! But they were a great band, it didn’t matter. They outlived punk. They were making outrageously different music – sometimes limitations create great music. ‘Down In The Sewer’ – it was great, the bass sound was insane. It did the same thing to my heart as Ian Drury ‘New Boots and Panties’; it was just bloody brilliant. I loved it all. That Stranglers record is dark and exciting and weird. A lot of my choices here are a bit off kilter, actually. Indie movies as opposed to Hollywood blockbusters.
