Following the announcement of their brand-new album, Dark Matters, due for release on 10th September 2021, The Stranglers have released the music video for first single And If You Should See Dave…’ – watch here. The song is an honest tribute to their much-missed keyboard player Dave Greenfield, who tragically passed away last year from Covid-19.
The video takes us on a journey through LA, including stops at significant Stranglers venues such as Whisky a-go-go where the band played four nights in 1980, and the Regent Theatre where The Stranglers played their last ever US show with Dave Greenfield. Throughout the film, hints of Dave are glimpsed around the streets.
JJ Burnel says: “We wanted to create a feeling of space, after all one of us was missing. Dave was a bit of a petrol head, he loved fast cars. The only time we made a video with a car was when we were in L.A and with the help of a Hollywood cameraman and a Stranglers’ friend, Dave Stump, we drove around the city in a 1964 Ford Mustang. That was the video for ‘All Roads Lead to Rome’. It felt appropriate to use that west coast psychedelic feel of the music to convey the mystery of Dave.”
Director Vadim Lasca adds: “I was 8 years old when I first heard The Stranglers, on a cassette with a mix of punk-rock music that defined my musical tastes. Having the fortune of working with The Stranglers has made me reconnect with my roots, not to mention the honour and responsibility of doing it with a song as personal as is this tribute to the great Dave Greenfield. I couldn’t be more honoured to be a part of this project for The Stranglers and Dave.”
One of the great British bands, surviving Stranglers band members, JJ Burnel and Baz Warne completed Dark Matters remotely during lockdowns, making it their first album since 2012. Greenfield himself features on 8 of the 11 tracks, which were made over the course of two years at the band’s studios in the rural idylls of Somerset, and in Southern France, produced by long-time collaborator Louie Nicastro.
First formed in 1974, The Stranglers no bull***t attitude was embraced by the punk movement of the late 70s. But their musicianship and menace transcended the genre, creating a sound unique to themselves. With their first three albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes and Black and White) being released within an astonishing 13 months of each other, scoring hit singles with ‘Peaches’, ‘No More Heroes’ and ‘Walk On By’. Further success was to follow with ‘Always The Sun’, ‘Strange Little Girl’ and the mercurial ‘Golden Brown’, amongst many others, earning the group 24 Top 40 singles and 18 Top 40 albums in a career spanning six different decades.
Dark Matters is out on 10th September 2021 on the band’s own Coursegood imprint, via Absolute, and is available to pre-order from all good record stores. The Stranglers official store hosts a variety of special items from a limited-edition cassette album to ‘red/black smoke’ coloured limited edition heavy-weight vinyl.
In addition, all pre-orders for the album (on any format) will receive a special bonus CD titled ‘Dave Greenfield – A Tribute’ through the official store. This bonus CD, featuring 8 unreleased live recordings, was selected by the surviving members with a view to celebrating Dave’s unique talent. It includes two of the new tracks performed by Dave, live versions of four Stranglers songs that Dave is famous for having performed vocals on, and one of the last ever recordings of the band from their 2019 Japanese tour. Pre-order now at www.thestranglers.co.uk.
Dark Matters – Album Track listing
- Water
- This Song
- And If You Should See Dave…
- If Something’s Gonna Kill Me (It Might As Well Be Love)
- No Man’s Land
- The Lines
- Payday
- Down
- The Last Men On The Moon
- White Stallion
- Breathe
The Stranglers announced their ‘full final tour’ of the UK and Europe and have decided to proceed with the 47-date run which includes two sold out performances at Brixton Academy, in Dave’s memory.
Full Final Tour UK 2022 *dates added*
25 Jan Engine Shed, Lincoln
27 Jan Music Hall, Aberdeen
28 Jan O2 Academy, Glasgow
29 Jan O2 Academy, Glasgow – SOLD OUT
31 Jan Victoria Hall, Stoke
1 Feb UEA Nick Rayns, Norwich
3 Feb G Live, Guildford – SOLD OUT
4 Feb O2 Academy, Brixton
5 Feb O2 Academy, Brixton – SOLD OUT
7 Feb Parr Hall, Warrington
8 Feb Rock City, Nottingham
10 Feb Uni Great Hall, Cardiff
11 Feb O2 Apollo, Manchester
12 Feb O2 Academy, Leeds
14 Feb Guildhall, Portsmouth
15 Feb Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
17 Feb Dome, Brighton
18 Feb O2 City Hall, Newcastle
19 Feb O2 Academy, Birmingham
21 Feb O2 Academy, Bristol – SOLD OUT
22 Feb Hexagon, Reading
24 Feb City Hall, Sheffield
25 Feb De Montfort Hall, Leicester
26 Feb Corn Exchange, Cambridge – SOLD OUT
– ENDS –
For full tour details and more information visit www.thestranglers.co.uk
