Stranglers superfan Sam Holliday has followed his musical heroes to concert venues and stadiums around Europe – now he's tracked them down closer to home in the West Country

T here are not many bands that would be almost indignant if it were suggested to them they were not a West Country group – even though none of them originally hail from this area.

And there are also not many bands who, to justify their local roots, would use the argument that "we have made love to hundreds of West Country women – and drank a skinful of ciders in pubs around here".

But, then again, there are not many bands like The Stranglers.

Now, proudly about to embark on a tour to mark their fifth decade as an exciting live act, the famed bad boys of pop believe that their long love affair with the West Country is one of the most unshakeable aspects of their fascinating history.

Even though the four-piece band features two Londoners (one of whom is half-French), one member from Brighton and another from Sunderland, it is the West Country which is the glue which holds them altogether. As the band's iconic bass guitarist, JJ Burnel, explains, the band's connection with this area runs very deep indeed.

"Hugh (the group's former lead singer/guitarist) and Jet (the band's irrepressible 71-year-old-drummer) have had houses in this area for years," he said.

"In addition, we record and rehearse in the West Country, our management is based down here, our crew is from this area and we've been writing new material in Bath over the winter.

"Our association here is very strong."

So clearly it is sex (see above), drugs (in this case cider) and indeed rock 'n' roll that ties The Stranglers to their adopted home. And all sides seem very happy with the relationship.

The band's connection to the West Country actually goes back more than 30 years. Their main tie is that they now base all their activities at the farm and studio near Norton St Philip, in Somerset, owned by their charismatic manager, Sil Wilcox.

Sil has been working with the band since the early 1980s and his proud West Country credentials simply couldn't be stronger – he does, after all, also look after The Wurzels.

In addition to this, drummer Jet Black lives in a small Gloucestershire village, singer/guitarist Baz Warne lived in Frome, in Somerset, for years, and (as JJ Burnel explained) all the band's management, crew and agents are based in and around the Bath area.

And if that is not all, they even wrote a song named after their beloved "local" when they are rehearsing in Somerset, Tucker's Grave, which featured on their excellent 2004 album Norfolk Coast.

It is therefore no surprise that on their forthcoming 16-date UK tour, there is a mandatory West Country date included – in this case, the Bristol Academy, which is pencilled in for Monday, March 8.

The mere fact that The Stranglers are still alive and (very much) kicking, despite being around since 1974, is remarkable considering the many obstacles they have encountered over the years.

The band have a long and somewhat bloody history of things going wrong – they once nearly went bankrupt after having all their uninsured equipment stolen in America, they spent a terrifying period of time in a French jail and in the 1970s, their reputation saw them banned from more cities than The Exorcist.

But nothing has stopped them following their passion for music. And the loyalty of their unswerving, hardcore following has certainly helped, too...

"People have been very loyal to us over the years because they see that despite all the critics that we have had in the past, we're still here – and we're still strong," said JJ.

"I would also like to think the public now regard us with a mixture of affection and esteem. I think many people can appreciate that despite having been vilified, censored and banned over the years, The Stranglers are still one of the most genuine and creative bands around." Many of those critics JJ referred to thought that the band would collapse in 1990 when former singer/guitarist Hugh Cornwell, who lives in Box, in Wiltshire, decided to leave to pursue a solo career.

For many groups, to lose such an iconic member of their original line-up could have spelt the death knell – but for The Stranglers, the mere suggestion of this spurred them on with fresh and dogged determination.

Now nearly 20 years since Hugh departed, they seem as committed, passionate and industrious as ever.

To prove the point, their latest tour is to support a new download-only single and a high-profile compilation album, Decades Apart.

The album, due for release on March 1, is a career-spanning overview of their achievements and includes two brand new tracks, one of which will be a single. Both were written in Bath and recorded at the Somerset farm.

For JJ, the Decades Apart compilation is obviously an important way of reminding people of the depth of the band's back catalogue – but it is those new songs that really get the group excited.

"I think compilations serve a purpose for those people who want to discover the band but for us it is about new material and stretching ourselves.

"We have been writing a lot of new songs recently but at this stage of our career, quality control is crucial so many of them may not see the light of day."

One of the new tracks, Retro Rockets, is being released via download only from February 22.

Such is the enthusiasm amongst the band's supporters that there is an active Facebook group trying to make Retro Rockets another hit single in the tradition of such well-known chart favourites as Golden Brown, No More Heroes, Walk On By and Peaches.

JJ says that although he's fascinated by the whole download process, he's still something of a traditionalist and he harked back to the days of buying music on vinyl and the attractions it offered.

"The thing about downloading a song is if you like a track, that's fair enough, but you don't get in under the skin of the whole thing and the band that produced it by just downloading one song. I'm a big fan of having something to hold on to and I also love reading the liner notes of CDs and albums.

"As a musician, you want to see where something was recorded, what instruments were used, what the studio was, who produced it, who was the engineer, all that stuff, and downloading doesn't give you that benefit."

But, despite that, the band are still going to try this new route to potential chart success – and JJ believes the song they have chosen is one that can help their cause.

"I'm very pleased with the new single, it's a good Stranglers rocker. The trouble is we're living in a time where it seems everything's got to be a bit karaoke and X Factor, so I think Radio2 have rejected it as it's a bit too rough for them".

As for the future, the West Country's adopted sons still don't see a "stop" sign in the road.

Even though they are all somewhat in the older age bracket for the youth-obsessed rock market – their average age is 58, and Baz Warne is the "baby" of the band at a mere 45 – they are already thinking about their next studio album. However, local fans may have to wait until next year to hear it.

"I don't think there will be a new studio album out in 2010 because it's very important now that everything we release is of a high quality.

"When you get to this stage of your career you can take your time to get it right, so we've got this tour, the single, a few other things planned, and then hopefully we can release a new album in 2011," said JJ.

One thing's for certain, any future new album will almost certainly have the West Country stamped all over it, as the band is clearly so embedded here now.

And that is very good for local pubs and restaurants – and the local women…