The Stranglers reveal they spent the night in Glasgow police station

From spending the night in a Glasgow jail to being kicked out of one of the city’s most famous music venues the Apollo, the legends have found our glorious city memorable, to say the least.

The legends, who came on the scene in the early 1970s, shot to fame in the late 1970s and early 80s with hits Golden Brown and No More Heroes. The band have continued to release music throughout the 90s and 2000s with their latest album Dark Matters released in 2021. 

As part of their 50 Years in Black anniversary tour across the UK, the Surrey natives will be playing Glasgow’s SEC Armadillo on March 8 next year.

Ahead of the show, where fans can expect a two-set special of longer pieces and more dynamic work, bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel spoke exclusively with the Glasgow Times to reflect on his memories of the city.

The 71-year-old said: "I remember the old Apollo that was in Glasgow which was an incredible venue. We had some memorable evenings there.

"One time we had to be escorted out of the venue by the police, I think the bouncers wanted to tear us apart.

"I also remember the whole of Glasgow City Council coming along to check us out too, to see if we could play in Glasgow or if the whole new wave or punk bands could, which was a bit strange but something I found quite funny.

"I even remember one time Jet (former drummer) and I spent a night in Strathclyde Police Station in the jails. So, yeah, there are quite a few memorable things when we think about Glasgow.”

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However, for the band, the city is not only special for its memories but also for its crowds.

JJ said: "At a show in Glasgow, it is a celebration. It’s a form of communion.

"They (in Glasgow) are not just looking at a stage or at us as performers, they want to be part of it and that’s the Scottish way. No wonder bands from all over the world recognise that and the difference with a Scottish audience.

"It can be scary, that uncontrolled passion and energy, but I mean, anyone would like to play to that."

Looking forward to returning to the city, JJ spoke more about his excitement for being on tour again.

He added: "We are absolutely looking forward to coming out on tour.

"I think in recent years we’ve been trying to play less because it can be physically knackering, especially when you go around the world two or three times a year, but on the other hand we live for it, we’re sort of addicted to playing."

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As the show will celebrate 50 years, we asked JJ what the 'secret' is to still going strong after so much time. 

He said: "If I knew exactly I would bottle it and sell it because I'm sure a lot of bands would like to know.

“I think it's a combination of a few things. If and when you do get a bit of success, suddenly there's pressure on you to repeat it, which has never been really the way we've looked at things.

“Also, we've been lucky that we've been allowed to not really follow any particular musical direction, we've been allowed to be our own masters without succumbing to whether it's commercial pressures or fads, so we’ve been lucky in that respect.

“Also we always split everything evenly, though there are only two writers in the band, we share it and I think that's another reason we didn't fall out."

Tickets are still available for the upcoming Glasgow show and can be purchased HERE