HUGH Cornwell has bared his soul in print these past few years.
His two two literary outings - Song By Song and A Multitude Of Sins - are among the most honest reads about rock 'n' roll you can find.
And this 31-date solo tour does much the same with music. For standing behind a lone microphone, armed with onl
y an acoustic guitar, there is nowhere to hide.The songs are stripped back to their bare minimum.
He's 58 now - no age for an old punk but, then again, he never fully embraced the spirit of 77. Indeed, Cornwell has always preferred a stance somewhere in the left field.
The Stranglers songs have seeped into his sets more and more with the passage of time. Now he practically alternates between solo tunes and those of his former band.
And he is plundering more obscure corners of his career - Tramp and Never Can Say Goodbye from group days, Henry Moore and The Big Sleep from time spent alone.
The Stranglers were often an education and Cornwell keeps this going. Who else would pen lyrics about Ned Kelly's father or the beauty of Spanish coastal regions?
In an age when rock reunions are all the rage, he could certainly watch the cash register ring by making a few phone calls. But that's not what Cornwell has come to stand for. He'll stand by artistic integrity, plough his own furrow and accept the smaller audiences.
Andrew FoleyThe full article contains 248 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
