LIVE REVIEW
THE STRANGLERS
O2 CITY HALL NEWCASTLE - 21ST OCTOBER 2025
It is hard to believe that The Stranglers have spent over 50 years making music together, but here we are, 51 years in. Incredible. To celebrate that achievement, the legends of New Wave have hit the road on a UK tour, and we were lucky enough to go along to their Newcastle show. O2 City Hall Newcastle was crammed with dedicated fans, and despite the tour marking over half a century of the band, the fanbase stretched across the ages. The crowd, both young and old, were eager to witness the band's performance.
There was a real buzz in the air as special guests Buzzcocks took to the stage. Vocalist Steve Diggle had a grin across his face that showed just how much he loves what he does. Changing the lyrics of Manchester Rain to "Manchester Rain, Newcastle Rain" was a nice touch. Of course, their mega hit "Ever Fallen In Love" went down a treat with the crowd, and marking the end of the set, Steve introduced the last song by saying, "Let's blow the f###ing roof off this gaff," before breaking into the heaviest song from their set, "Harmony In My Head". Anyone lacking energy at the start of the night was definitely fully energised after that.
There was a real buzz in the air as special guests Buzzcocks took to the stage. Vocalist Steve Diggle had a grin across his face that showed just how much he loves what he does. Changing the lyrics of Manchester Rain to "Manchester Rain, Newcastle Rain" was a nice touch. Of course, their mega hit "Ever Fallen In Love" went down a treat with the crowd, and marking the end of the set, Steve introduced the last song by saying, "Let's blow the f###ing roof off this gaff," before breaking into the heaviest song from their set, "Harmony In My Head". Anyone lacking energy at the start of the night was definitely fully energised after that.
The stage was a spectacle of light and sound that created an electric atmosphere. There is a long history of The Stranglers gigs in Newcastle and the North East, not least because Baz Warne hails from Sunderland. This fact may well have influenced his reaction to the Newcastle United football score throughout the night.
Having been on the road for as long as The Stranglers have, it is little wonder that their show feels like a well-oiled machine. I don't mean over polished, just that everyone knows what they need to do and when. From the crew to the band, it is all about the music, fans and having a good time. Their show was exactly that, a good time. The fans who have followed the band for decades had a real blast. They sang along with the band from start to finish, in fact, their participation during 'Always the Sun' in the encore was simply stunning to hear.
Having been on the road for as long as The Stranglers have, it is little wonder that their show feels like a well-oiled machine. I don't mean over polished, just that everyone knows what they need to do and when. From the crew to the band, it is all about the music, fans and having a good time. Their show was exactly that, a good time. The fans who have followed the band for decades had a real blast. They sang along with the band from start to finish, in fact, their participation during 'Always the Sun' in the encore was simply stunning to hear.
The set was what you would expect; they included a tonne of hits, including 'Strange Little Girl', 'Golden Brown' and 'Peaches'. Jean-Jacques Burnel and co. set out to put on a great night for the fans, and they certainly achieved that and more.
The final song of the night saw the band giving the toon one last blast of that energy which has kept people coming back for more all these years. As 'No More Heroes' ended, the band gave a bow to rapturous applause before Baz took to the microphone to say, "See you in another 51 f###ing years."
The crowd loved it, and the band looked like they were having a good time and that's all you can ask for. A cracking gig from a legendary band.
The final song of the night saw the band giving the toon one last blast of that energy which has kept people coming back for more all these years. As 'No More Heroes' ended, the band gave a bow to rapturous applause before Baz took to the microphone to say, "See you in another 51 f###ing years."
The crowd loved it, and the band looked like they were having a good time and that's all you can ask for. A cracking gig from a legendary band.
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