Date:

Saturday, August 28, 1976

Venue:

The Tower Hotel Ballroom

Location:

Hawick, Scotland, United Kingdom

Notes:

The Stranglers, who at the time were not widely known outside their London orbit, appeared as a replacement act for Meal Ticket who cancelled due to illness. I didn't attend this event, but persistent stories about The Stranglers playing in Hawick have cascaded ever since without anyone being able to provide confirmation of when and where it took place. But it did.

Knowing that I had bought The Stranglers first single in February 1977, my younger brother asked me about an appearance by the band in our home town of Hawick in the Scottish Borders. I set about investigating the circumstances and for a while found little to suggest precisely when The Stranglers played in Hawick. Eventually, I found an advert published in the local paper, 'Hawick News' on Friday August 27th, 1976 notifying patrons who had purchased tickets to see Meal Ticket at the Tower Hotel Ballroom that owing to illness, they would be seeing The Stranglers instead. And that's what happened. On Saturday 28th August 1976, The Stranglers stood in for Meal Ticket at the Tower Hotel Ballroom in Hawick. Unless someone can provide evidence to the contrary, I believe this was the first time The Stranglers ever played in Scotland.

Alternative Rock, Art Rock, Baroque Pop, Glam Rock, New Romantic, New Wave, Pop Rock, Post-Punk, Pub Rock, Punk, Punk Rock, Rock, Ska, Zolo, Synthpop, Protopunk, and New Wave Pop.

Seen By:

John Give It A Go