Stranglers had an off day
This March week in 1985, the Post's Stuart Lawrence went to the Showering Pavilion in Shepton Mallet to see The Stranglers.
"As this was The Strangler's Aural Sculpture tour, we were treated to a stark, white stage setting and an over-the-top production, which would have done credit to Emerson, Lake and Palmer," he wrote the next day.
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"The Men in Black then wandered on stage and stormed into a rousing version of an early anthem, Something Better Change.
"The Aural Sculpture album contains some of the best Strangler's music in years but, for some mysterious reason, much of it failed to work live.
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"The new, three-piece horn section, recruited from the local Bristol and Bath music scene, worked hard alongside Dave Greenfield's swirling keyboards and the distinctive backing of Jet Black and JJ Burnel, but it was hard to create any kind of atmosphere in the cavernous hall.
"The band ran through Let Me Down Easy, Nice And Sleazy and, after a couple of false starts, Golden Brown. But it was only on No Mercy, the classic, Peaches, and a stunning performance of Punch and Judy from the new album, that the show rose out of a rut.
"Hugh Cornwell has a fine, under-used voice, but his between-tunes patter leaves a lot to be desired. The band encored once, with a tired version of Toiler On The Sea. This was not one of the band's best nights."
After gaining a degree in biochemistry at Bristol University in the late 1960s, Hugh Cornwell got together with Jet Black in a band called Johnny Sox.
In 1974, that name was dropped in favour of The Guildford Stranglers, eventually becoming just The Stranglers.
As well as being lead guitarist, Cornwell also sang the majority of the band's songs.
In 1977, after securing a contract with United Artists, The Stranglers emerged victorious from the UK punk scene, with numerous hit singles and albums. As the punk scene faded, however, Cornwell decided on a solo career, recording his first solo album in 1979.
In 1990, after deciding that the band could go no further artistically, he left. After 23 Top 40 singles and 17 best-selling albums, The Stranglers – still touring today – remain the UK's longest-surviving punk band. Their hits also include No More Heroes, Always The Sun and Skin Deep.
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