Hugh Cornwell, the Box-based former lead singer of legendary punkband The Stranglers, brings his highly respected solo show back toSomerset this weekend as he prepares for what he hopes will be oneof his best years ever.
Hugh, will be appearing at the Weston-super-Mare PlayhouseTheatre on Sunday night, from 7.30pm, where he will be playing anacoustic selection of songs from his rich back catalogue under thetitle of "The Stranglers and Beyond".
The audience can therefore expect to hear a number of Stranglers' hits such as Peaches, Golden Brown, No More Heroes andAlways The Sun but also a selection of his impressive solo material -including a new song which puts Trowbridge firmly in thespotlight. The Wiltshire town is not traditionally known as a placethat inspires great songwriters so why did Hugh chose to write theintriguingly-titled Please Don't Put Me On A Slow Boat ToTrowbridge?
"I've always liked to write about places that I find interestingand Trowbridge is certainly that," said Hugh.
"I have been there many times and every time that I've been thereI've managed to get myself lost. I've also known many people wholive and work there who struggle to find any good things to sayabout it.
"I hope my song will therefore stir up a debate - either frompeople who love Trowbridge and want to defend it or others who seemto agree that, unlike most of the towns around here, it isn't aplace with a lot going for it."
Although such solo numbers certainly capture the imagination,Hugh readily admits that he is probably still best known for hiswork with The Stranglers who notched up 21 top 40 singles and 10 top20 albums in the 17 years he fronted the band.
Although this was commercially the most successful period of hiscareer, Hugh still says that the freedom of being a solo artist issomething which he prefers and indeed relishes.
He said: "When I was in the band, obviously I wasn't able tohave control over everything that we were doing but now I knowexactly what I want and how to get to it.
"I feel I have so much more freedom as a solo artist and Ibelieve that my time as a member of The Stranglers was more of anelongated apprenticeship for where I am now.
"I obviously learnt a lot about music as a member of TheStranglers but since I have left the band, I feel I've developed agreat deal and I know, for instance, that I'm now a far betterguitar player than I was previously."
Hugh has just returned from a successful tour of America where heplayed alongside From The Jam, a group who consist of two of the original members of The Jam and who have been creating quite a stiron both sides of the Atlantic.
With his old band still going strong and many other groups fromthe punk era very active, Hugh can see no reason why the artistsfrom the new wave movement should not be around for some time tocome.
"I think it is great that The Sex Pistols have got back togetherand in many ways I think they could be seen as a big culturalinfluence on young people worldwide as The Beatles," says Hugh.
"People will say 'The Beatles had 300 great songs so that mustmake them more important', but the truth is The Sex Pistols were allabout rebellion and that is why young people of all generations lovethem.
"I can fully understand why bands like that are still around andin many ways the renewed interest in them means they are now gettingtheir just desserts."
And Hugh himself has also got no intention of retiring - in facthe thinks he's about to unleash his own best ever album. The album,Hoover Dam, is due to be released at the end of April and he unashamedly thinks it is a very special record indeed.
He said: "I think it is great and all the people around me havealso been really positive about it and said it sounds like nothingelse they can compare it to.
"One thing it definitely is though is a very powerful electricalbum - it's heavier than an elephant".
Hugh has promised to unveil one or two tracks from his new"Magnus Opus" on Sunday alongside other solo tracks and thoseStranglers hits that propelled him to fame and fortune at the end ofthe '70s.
Sam Holliday
Tickets cost pounds15 and are available on the door. For moreinformation visit www.hughcornwell.com.
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