The Stranglers 1977 concert dates
The band's UK breakthrough year: near-constant touring including the Roxy Club residency, a full UK theatre tour, first European dates, and Hugh Cornwell's US trip to see US punk acts. 189 entries recorded (including cancelled/doubtful dates and non-performance appearances such as recording/TV sessions).
🎙️ = a recording of this show exists
- Early Jan 1977 (undated)TW Recording StudioFulham, LondonRecording session with Martin Rushent, for what became the Rattus Norvegicus album
- 02 Jan 1977RoundhouseLondonSupporting the Pink Fairies with Little Bob Story and The Gorillas
- 09 Jan 1977Fox at Skindles, Bath RoadMaidenheadSupport to Pink Fairies
- 16 Jan 1977Skindles HotelMaidenhead
- 20 Jan 1977Red DeerCroydon"On January 20, 1977, Tolhurst suggested a trip to Croydon to see The Stranglers at the Red Deer. Dempsey drove, Lol bought the tickets, Robert and Mary sat in the back seat. Punk, hitherto an exotic concept they'd only read about in the music press, was now made flesh. A month later, The Stranglers played Crawley College. Amid the drunken mayhem, Tolhurst found himself on-stage dancing with Jean-Jacques Burnel and went home missing a shoe. In Robert Smith's mind, blanks were filling in: "When I first saw The Stranglers, I thought, This is it. I saw the Buzzcocks the following week, and I thought, This is definitely it.""
- 21 Jan 1977Royal College of ArtLondonSupport to The Adverts; Unconfirmed
- 22 Jan 1977 🎙️The Roxy ClubLondon WC2Cortinas support; band robbed and the entire gig's proceeds taken. Covered in "Roxy London WC2" by Paul Marko. There's a 5 min video clip of this on the internet filmed by a French media company — JJ interview and band footage of Something Better Change and Peasant; independently corroborated 22 Jan date (a forum thread title giving 21 Jan for this same clip appears to be a 1-day error)
- 24 Jan 1977Toby JugTolworth
- 29 Jan 1977Salliscenny HallBrighton
- 30 Jan 1977RainbowLondonSupport to The Climax Blues Band; Hugh wore the famous 'Fuck' T-shirt (tickets £2.50)
- Feb 1977 (undated)Red Deer public houseCroydon"Red Deer public house in Croydon in about February 1977. There was only about 50 people in the audience and I felt really lucky to be so close to the band. Hugh hung out at the bar and was quite chatty."
- 01 Feb 1977MarkethalleHamburg, Germany
- 02 Feb 1977MarkethalleHamburg, GermanyPossibly
- 09 Feb 1977Central HallsWokingTragically, this was also the day Dagenham Dave committed suicide
- 10 Feb 1977CloudsEdinburghSupport from The Skids
- 11 Feb 1977Robert Gordon InstituteAberdeen
- 12 Feb 1977 🎙️Queen Margaret UniversityGlasgow
- 13 Feb 1977 🎙️Martiqui HallFalkirkDate and venue from a private recording archive; not independently corroborated
- 15 Feb 1977Alexandra ClubNewportVenue referred to as "The Alex", opposite the Odeon; tickets £1
- 18 Feb 1977Crawley Technical CollegeCrawleyVery doubtful
- 19 Feb 1977Priory HotelScunthorpe
- 21 Feb 1977Kent Keynes College, UniversityCanterburyBand paid £125
- 22 Feb 1977University of EssexColchesterSupported by The Damned and Count Bishops; tickets £1
- 23 Feb 1977Polytechnic Green BarNewcastle
- 24 Feb 1977 🎙️Rock GardenMiddlesbrough
- 25 Feb 1977PenthouseScarborough
- 26 Feb 1977Eric'sLiverpoolHolly Johnson meets Julian Cope in the audience
- 28 Feb 1977OutlooksDoncaster"I took some mates from Sheffield University to see this 'new band !' at Doncaster Outlook Club in the early part of the year. They had just released Grip/Peaches and I reckon they played to 30 people if that (and we were 4 or them). We showed up to the Top Rank (which was a big place) for this gig just a few months later to find it heaving with people."
- 01 Mar 1977BarbarellasBirminghamDoubtful; John Peel session recorded; tracks recorded: Hanging Around, I Feel Like A Wog, Goodbye Toulouse, Something Better Change
- 03 Mar 1977PolytechnicHuddersfield
- 04 Mar 1977LafayetteWolverhamptonDoubtful
- 05 Mar 1977Electric CircusManchester
- 06 Mar 1977Tow Bar InnNethertown, Egremont, Cleveland
- 07 Mar 1977Tower HotelHawick"Stranglers did play Hawick in March on that day but not in the town hall — they played in the tower hotel which ended in a fight with the bouncers who were bastards, was my first introduction to the Stranglers."
- 08 Mar 1977BarbarellasBirminghamWith Little Bob Story and possibly The Damned
- 09 Mar 1977Unity HallWakefield
- 10 Mar 1977(University)YorkDoubtful
- 11 Mar 1977Penny FarthingUlverston
- 12 Mar 1977C.F. Mott CollegeLiverpool
- 16 Mar 1977The AffairSwindon
- 17 Mar 1977Manor BallroomIpswichCancelled
- 18 Mar 1977Sussex CentreBrightonReplaced Egham Royal Holloway College (doubtful); this is not in Jet's diary
- 19 Mar 1977Thames PolyWoolwich
- 21 Mar 1977Top Of The WorldStafford"Just realised I have a GRIP poster advertising a gig at the TOP OF THE WORLD for Monday 21 March (I assume 1977). The price was £1 and this is scribbled out and reduced to 80p. Tickets from student union."
- 22 Mar 1977Drones ClubBridgend
- 23 Mar 1977Woods CentrePlymouth
- 24 Mar 1977Winter GardensPenzance
- 26 Mar 1977Pier BallroomHastingsSupport from Eater
- 27 Mar 1977GreyhoundCroydon
- 28 Mar 1977The Roxy ClubLondon
- 29 Mar 1977The Roxy ClubLondon
- 30 Mar 1977IncognitoDarlingtonDoubtful
- 01 Apr 1977Leeds PolyLeedsTickets £1; support from The Jam (mentioned in Rick Buckler's book)
- 02 Apr 1977Tow Bar InnNethertown, Egremont, CumbriaSituated next to a caravan site about 2 mins from the beach, 4 miles north of Sellafield Nuclear Power Station; it was sadly demolished over 10 years ago. Thanks for the tip-off, Billy1
- Apr 1977 (undated)Winter GardensCleethorpes
- 04 Apr 1977RoxyLondon
- 06 Apr 1977The RoundaboutNewport
- 07 Apr 1977 🎙️Paris TheatreLondonBBC recording; broadcast on Radio 1 In Concert on 23 Apr 1977
- 11 Apr 1977The BuccaneerBrighton
- 14 Apr 1977(venue unspecified)BristolCancelled; band attended a promotional launch party for Rattus at "The Water Rat", Kings Road SW10, 5.30–8pm
- 15 Apr 1977Bracknell Sports CentreBracknellCancelled
- 16 Apr 1977 🎙️The RoundhouseLondonRecording (Olympic); Celia and the Mutations also in concert
- 17 Apr 1977 🎙️The RoundhouseLondonCherry Vanilla, The Jam support (IFLAW and Heroes get their live debut)
- 20 Apr 1977Petit ThéâtreLe Havre, FranceVenue from a single web source, not independently corroborated. Per Jet's diary, an 18–30 Apr European tour of 9 gigs (including Paris, Helsinki and Geneva) was penciled in but all crossed out; dates found elsewhere for this window may not have happened
- 21 Apr 1977M.J.C.Dunkirk, FrancePer Jet's diary, this falls within the 18–30 Apr European tour that was penciled in but all crossed out; may not have happened
- 22 Apr 1977Bluebird DiscoGeneva, SwitzerlandPer Jet's diary, this falls within the 18–30 Apr European tour that was penciled in but all crossed out; may not have happened
- 23 Apr 1977Bluebird DiscoGeneva, SwitzerlandPer Jet's diary, this falls within the 18–30 Apr European tour that was penciled in but all crossed out; may not have happened
- 25 Apr 1977Palais des GlacesParis, FranceBilled as "Les nuits punk", supporting Tyla Gang. Per Jet's diary, this falls within the 18–30 Apr European tour that was penciled in but all crossed out; may not have happened
- 27 Apr 1977Daysur ChampsEpernay, FrancePer Jet's diary, this falls within the 18–30 Apr European tour that was penciled in but all crossed out; may not have happened
- Apr/May 1977 (undated)Roundabout Social ClubNewport, Wales
- 02 May 1977The NashvilleLondonStart of the "Rattus Tour"; per Jet's diary, sessions around this time were marked 'Capitol', 'Twickenham' and 'Sounds'
- 11 May 1977Winning PostTwickenham
- 13 May 1977Eric'sLiverpoolTickets £1.20
- 14 May 1977Herriot WattEdinburgh
- 14 May 1977TiffanysShrewsburyConflicting date with Herriot Watt entry (source lists both as 14/15 May)
- 15 May 1977Maxim'sBarrow
- 16 May 1977Town HallMiddlesbrough
- 19 May 1977TiffanysCoventryDoubtful
- 20 May 1977Brunel UniversityUxbridgeTicket 80p. Setlist: (Get A) Grip (On Yourself), Sometimes, I Feel Like A Wog, Dagenham Dave, Something Better Change, Peaches, No More Heroes, Hanging Around, London Lady, Down in the Sewer, Peasant in the Big Shitty, Straighten Out. Support from London — notable for being Simon Le Bon's first gig
- 21 May 1977Sports CentreBletchley
- 22 May 1977GreyhoundCroydonCancelled
- 23 May 1977BataclanParis, France
- 24 May 1977Top RankBrighton
- 25 May 1977University of EssexColchester
- 26 May 1977St. Andrews City HallNorwichTOTP appearance performing Go Buddy Go
- 27 May 1977Top RankCardiffSome listings give this as Brunel University with support from The Jam
- 28 May 1977OdeonCanterbury
- 29 May 1977Civic HallGuildford
- 30 May 1977Village BowlBournemouth
- 31 May 1977Civic HallWolverhampton
- 01 Jun 1977BarbarellasBirmingham
- 02 Jun 1977BarbarellasBirmingham
- 03 Jun 1977Corn ExchangeCambridge
- 04 Jun 1977CasinoWigan
- 05 Jun 1977 🎙️Electric CircusManchester
- 06 Jun 1977 🎙️Capital RadioLondonRadio session; date from a private recording archive
- 07 Jun 1977OdeonTauntonJubilee Day
- 08 Jun 1977CastawaysPlymouth
- 09 Jun 1977Town HallTorquayCancelled. "Top Rock Group Banned from Town Hall. 'A top rock group has been banned from Torquay Town Hall – and the man who was to promote the concert said that the decision by the council was due to "apathy and bloody-mindedness". The Stranglers were due to appear on June 9 as part of a national tour. Mr. Greg Van Dyke, the Plymouth promoter, said "I was told that the council were not willing to take the risk. But I was not told what the risk was… The council did not even do me the courtesy of ringing me. They clearly don't know a thing about the band." No one at the Town Hall was available for comment this morning.' Apparently, the problem was largely to do with the 'risk' that young people would hear the Stranglers swearing. Music fans were understandably angered: "For goodness sake, what are the council trying to do, bore us to death… Let us decide what's best for us… Plenty for OAPs and visitors… nothing for the youth of Torbay… Head in sand council…""
- 10 Jun 1977Grand PavilionLlandrindod Wells
- 11 Jun 1977California BallroomDunstableReplaced Southend Kursaal
- 12 Jun 1977Top RankSheffieldDrones support
- 13 Jun 1977St. Georges HallBradfordReplaced Leeds Town Hall after the venue's management deemed them undesirable
- 15 Jun 1977City HallNewcastleSupport from London
- 17 Jun 1977GaumontDoncasterSupport from London; tickets £1.75. JJ jumps off stage to sort a bouncer out; fans get onstage for Go Buddy Go
- 18 Jun 1977Imperial HotelBlackpoolCancelled; replaced Cheltenham Town Hall (also cancelled)
- 18 Jun 1977Town HallCheltenhamCancelled; replaced by the Blackpool Imperial Hotel date (also cancelled)
- 19 Jun 1977Eric'sLiverpool2 shows; band appear on BBC's "The People's Echo" programme
- 20 Jun 1977Top of the WorldStafford
- 21 Jun 1977Victoria HallHanleyTickets £1.25
- 22 Jun 1977City HallGlasgow(Jim Kerr in the audience) "The Stranglers' singer, Hugh Cornwell, had appealed to the fans to desist from their 'unhygienic' spitting. And during the first stage invasion, when fans took over the microphone, the bass guitarist Jean-Jacques Burnel 'appeared to be overcome by emotion' (the Glasgow Herald reported) 'and was seen thudding his head into his amplifier in time to the music before he left the stage in a series of leaps'." "The Stranglers' Glasgow ban did not, however, last long: councillors allowed the group to play the Apollo on October 16, 1977. Jan Tomasik, manager of the Apollo, had publicly appealed to the council to see reason. He, too, had been at the City Halls, back in June: 'These people should have seen a Bay City Rollers show,' he said. 'I'd rather have 12 Stranglers shows than one by the Rollers ... This new-wave music has to be given an airing, otherwise you can turn our entertainment centres into bingo halls.'"
- 23 Jun 1977Winter GardensCleethorpes"The Battle Of Cleethorpes" — replaced Bracknell Sports Centre. "Cold fuckin day a lot of shy punks around, well i lie four or five in the late afternoon! the Stranglers in Cleethorpes. a few beers in a local pub before the doors open. The crowd is a mixture of punks, hippies and local boys who are not interested in the band, a very nasty ambience that has every one on edge. The gig is a shambles I remember Grip, and maybe Burning up time and Bitching! Before the stage invasion and the violence I was under a table out of the way as bottles and glasses smashed and it got real nasty! Not long after at the Roundhouse no fuckers messed with us!" — Carl Greenwold
- 24 Jun 1977Winter GardensCleethorpesReplaces Bristol Exhibition Centre (cancelled)
- 25 Jun 1977Civic HallSt. AlbansCancelled
- 26 Jun 1977 🎙️RoundhouseLondonSupport from The Cortinas & London; played 2 sets, around 4.00pm & 8.00pm. A recording session was also booked for 27–30 Jun
- 23 Jul 1977The RoxyWest Hollywood, CA, USAHugh Cornwell attended show; checked out Nils Lofgren, found it "totally boring"
- 25 Jul 1977The StarwoodWest Hollywood, CA, USAHugh Cornwell attended show; checked out Devo
- 28 Jul 1977Mabuhay GardensSan Francisco, CA, USAHugh Cornwell attended show; checked out The Screamers
- 30 Jul 1977Winterland ArenaSan Francisco, CA, USAHugh Cornwell attended show; checked out Ramones and Dictators
- 01 Aug 1977Musso & FrankHollywood, CA, USAHugh Cornwell dined; 6667 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
- 02 Aug 1977The RoxyWest Hollywood, CA, USAHugh Cornwell attended show; checked out Garland Jeffreys. A US promo tour ran Fri 5 Aug – Sat 20 Aug
- Aug 1977 (undated) 🎙️Rotterdam FestivalStockholm, SwedenFree festival; venue/location conflict in the source (Rotterdam vs. Stockholm), unresolved and unverified. Around this time, JJ flew to Japan for 3 days to do promo for King Records, while Jet and Hugh went to America for promotional purposes
- 20 Aug 1977Capital RadioLondonSession and interview
- 27 Aug 1977Wilmot Youth CentreFinchley, LondonSpecial gig for the Finchley Boys — around 200 people present, stage was 3ft high! Held to raise money for Finchley's football gear. Venue no longer exists
- 30 Aug 1977 🎙️(BBC radio broadcast)LondonJohn Peel Show broadcast: Dead Ringer, No More Heroes, Burning Up Time, Bring on the Nubiles; the same session was rebroadcast on 13 Sep 1977
- 02 Sep 1977 🎙️Paradiso ClubAmsterdam, Netherlands
- 03 Sep 1977First Rider Open Air FestivalScheeßel, Germany
- Sep 1977 (undated)(venue unspecified)Klippan, SwedenWeek of 4 Sep 1977 per the band's official site; the show was disrupted by a local "Raggare" biker gang
- 07 Sep 1977Eksit ClubRotterdam, NetherlandsStart of the "No More Heroes" tour
- 08 Sep 1977 🎙️ParadisoAmsterdam, NetherlandsBand set fire to an American flag in the foyer of the Amsterdam branch of the United Artists office, "nearly burning down the building in the process"
- 09 Sep 1977VolksbildungsheimFrankfurt, Germany
- 11 Sep 1977Winterhuder FährhausHamburg, Germany
- 14 Sep 1977(University)Stockholm, Sweden3 more Swedish gigs were booked here but cancelled over the following 3 days
- 20 Sep 1977Capital RadioLondonHugh and Jet interviewed
- 22 Sep 1977(TV appearance – Top of the Pops)LondonBand appear on TOTP performing No More Heroes
- 23 Sep 1977Corn ExchangeCambridgeThe Only Ones support
- 24 Sep 1977Sports CentreBracknellThe Only Ones support
- 25 Sep 1977 🎙️OdeonCanterburyThe Only Ones support; fight after the gig — JJ avoids being stabbed
- 26 Sep 1977PolytechnicOxfordThe Only Ones support
- 27 Sep 1977St Andrews HallNorwichThe Only Ones support; thanks to Richard Raynor for confirming this one
- 28 Sep 1977GaumontIpswich
- 29 Sep 1977Sports CentreBrunelWire support, £1.80 on the door, 8.30pm start
- 30 Sep 1977Sports CentreCrawley
- 01 Oct 1977KursaalSouthendDoubtful
- 02 Oct 1977 🎙️Queensway HallDunstable
- 03 Oct 1977De MontfortLeicester
- 04 Oct 1977LocarnoCoventry
- 05 Oct 1977St Peters HallCarmarthen
- 06 Oct 1977Winter GardensMalvernDrones support
- 08 Oct 1977Bangor UniversityBangor
- 09 Oct 1977FiestaPlymouth
- 10 Oct 1977Exeter UniversityExeterDoubtful
- 12 Oct 1977City HallNewcastlePenetration support
- 13 Oct 1977ApolloManchester"Trust House Forte should concentrate on the food served up in their motorways cafes before they start worrying about punk"
- 14 Oct 1977 🎙️Mountford Hall, Liverpool UniversityLiverpoolThe Drones support
- 15 Oct 1977Queens HallLeedsThe Drones and The Saints in support (also mentioned: Penetration and The Automatics, who became The Specials, were supporting)
- 16 Oct 1977ApolloGlasgowRezillos support. "A number of Glaswegian councillors attend tonight's gig to check on the group's behaviour. Hugh Cornwell has spotlights shone on them in the stalls and dedicates 'Ugly' to them." Glasgow Councillor Bill Aitken, now a Conservative MSP, let them play at the Apollo providing he and his licensing committee could attend; they did, were booed by the crowd, but had a great night — this followed the Stranglers' ban from Glasgow after the 22 Jun 1977 City Hall show
- 17 Oct 1977The MarketCarlisleRezillos support
- 19 Oct 1977 🎙️Top RankSheffieldThe Drones & 2.3 support
- 20 Oct 1977Mayfair SuiteBirminghamSteel Pulse support. "It's late autumn 1977, and the Stranglers are headlining a show in the Midlands. The support comes from the roots reggae band Steel Pulse. They know what to expect from a punk crowd: gobbing, cans being thrown. Steel Pulse are barely into their first number when a huge wad of phlegm shoots from the audience and lands on the hand of bassist Ron 'Stepper' McQueen. The band's nickname for McQueen was 'Psycho' and they fully expected him to live up to his name. 'We all stared at Ronnie and we stopped playing,' remembers Steel Pulse's singer, Mykaell Riley. 'So there's this silence onstage, then eventually 4,000 punks went silent.' McQueen didn't react, however. Instead, Stranglers bassist, Jean-Jacques Burnel, stepped out of the wings, waded into the crowd, identified the culprit, and knocked him out cold. Then he turned to face the crowd. 'He just went, "You fucking wankers. You love reggae,"' laughs Riley."
- 21 Oct 1977Victoria HallHanleySteel Pulse support
- 22 Oct 1977Exhibition CentreBristolDictators support
- 23 Oct 1977Top RankCardiff"New York's Dictators join the Stranglers for the final part of their UK tour after being spotted by Hugh Cornwell on a promotional tour of the US earlier this year."
- 24 Oct 1977Top RankSwanseaThe Dictators support. "Anyone who has read the Swansea article might remember a paragraph called ˜The Round up". It described the collection of some of the lads prior to a frozen visit to a Stranglers gig in Swansea in October 1977. On that day my brother Steve and I collected some Finchley Boys from various addresses throughout East Finchley. When we pulled into Elmshust Crescent N.2. to collect Graham Hay, Leigh Bull, Phil Rawlings etc etc, a young lady called Emma Lee Bunton was probably sleeping very soundly in her cot in the adjoining road called Pulham Avenue. She was 9 months old. Her mother Pauline Davitt had eventually married the local milkman Keith Bunton but that does not tell the whole story. Pauline was a Davitt. The Davitt girls were well known in Finchley. Before she was married, Pauline had always had a massive thing for my cousin David Hillier who had lived in Pulham Avenue on the Elmhurst estate until he moved to the Isle of Man with his father and mother, my uncle Ken and aunty Florrie in 1968. In 1969 my mum and Dad organised a holiday to the Isle of Man. Pauline (baby Spices Mum) was really keen to visit David, so she begged my mum and dad to come with us. To say that David and I had a good time when she got there is probably enough. Pauline went on to produce one of the Spice girls and the rest of that story is history." — Al Hillier
- 26 Oct 1977Top RankBrightonThe Dictators support. In the early hours of the following morning, Jet and JJ are arrested by the Brighton constabulary; both made court appearances over this on 15 and 16 Nov 1977
- 27 Oct 1977Village BowlBournemouth
- 28 Oct 1977Surrey UniversityGuildfordThe Dictators support
- 29 Oct 1977 🎙️Pier Pavilion "Kings Hall"HastingsThe Dictators support. "By this time the whole world had caught on to punk and the gig was full - 800+ people bouncing up and down as one had the pier floor unnervingly bouncing too. I hated The Dictators, long-haired yank bull-hitters who rode on the coat-tails of punk. I gobbed on the guitarist's hand so he stood on my face, which I suppose I deserved under the circumstances."
- 30 Oct 1977Top RankReadingThe Dictators support
- 31 Oct 1977Top RankSouthamptonThe Dictators support
- 02 Nov 1977RoundhouseLondonThe Dictators support all 5 Roundhouse gigs
- 03 Nov 1977RoundhouseLondonDictators support
- 04 Nov 1977RoundhouseLondonDictators support
- 05 Nov 1977 🎙️RoundhouseLondonDictators & Pop Group support
- 06 Nov 1977 🎙️RoundhouseLondonBootlegged as 'London Ladies' and 'Rattus Brittanicus'
- 08 Nov 1977The RochesterStoke Newington, LondonThe Stranglers support Johnny Curious. Free gig
- 09 Nov 1977Ulster HallBelfast, Northern IrelandShow banned. Radio Stars support; banned at very short notice by the local council, who withdrew insurance cover. SLF's Jake Burns in attendance
- 10 Nov 1977University of UlsterColeraine, Northern IrelandRadio Stars support
- 11 Nov 1977Trinity College, The Exam HallDublin, IrelandRadio Stars support; £1.80 tickets
- 12 Nov 1977The StadiumDublin, IrelandCancelled
- 12 Nov 1977 🎙️Tivoli TheatreDublin, IrelandRadio Stars support; tickets £1.80 (venue closed in 2019)
- 13 Nov 1977City HallCork, IrelandRadio Stars support; tickets £2 or £2.50 on the door
- 14 Nov 1977Trinity CollegeDublin, IrelandDoubtful; Radio Stars support
- 20 Nov 1977Top RankSwansea
- 21 Nov 1977(unspecified)(unspecified)"PARTY must've been a good one to be marked in the diary" - thanks Ava
- 22 Nov 1977 🎙️Hope & AnchorIslington, London
- 24 Nov 1977(TV appearance)Stuttgart, Germany
- 25 Nov 1977(TV appearance)Stuttgart, Germany
- 27 Nov 1977 🎙️Paradiso ClubAmsterdam, Netherlands
- 28 Nov 1977Paradiso ClubAmsterdam, Netherlands
Source: themeninblack forums thread

