Notes: This concert was one of several sponsored by Levi Strauss to celebrate the Rainbow Theatre's 50th
birthday.
The Stranglers had been booked for two concerts in the series but Hugh Cornwell was serving a short prison sentence
for posession of a small quanitity of drugs at the time.
With Cornwell unavailable the Stranglers called on their friends to help out and the result was an all star line
up with Ian Dury, Toyah Wilcox, Hazel O'Connor, Nicky Tesco, Phil Daniels, Peter Hammill, Jake Burns and Richard
Jobson on vocals ... |
Wilko Johnson, Robert Fripp, Robert Smith, Steve Hillage,
Basil Gabbidon, Larry Wallace and John Turnball on guitar.
Matthieu Hartley from The Cure on keyboards.
Nick Turner (Hawkwind) and Davey Payne (Blockheads) on sax
.. and Steel Pulse providing the rythm section.
This must have been one amazing night out - so if you were there let us know!
Read the full story
on the Skippy's Cage web site ...
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Joy Division: were one of the support bands that night:
During their final number Ian Curtis had an epileptic fit brought on by the strobe lights and collapsed backwards
into the drum kit. The audience thought this was the grande finale to the show and Ian was carried off stage. He
recovered quickly and the band set off for the Moonlight Club concert - see listing below ...
The Joy Division set is rumoured to exist on tape, but we've never found a copy - and we've been looking for years! |
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"I was at the stranglers gig at the Rainbow on 4th April 1980. It
was an amazing gig. Apart from thinking Ian's epileptic set was part of the act, I was also amazed at the site
of just one persons dancing, a woman right at the front. By the way Fashion also played at the gig". - Dave
 
Thanks to Dave for the scans of the Stranglers And Friends info sheet above
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