LAST ORDERS....

We are living in unprecedented times: the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every corner of the world, and every walk of life, including the world of music. I was saddened to hear about the passing of Dave Greenfield, keyboardist for The Stranglers, who died on Sunday 3rd of May after contracting the virus during a hospital stay for a heart complaint. He was 71. Dave's arpeggiated, Doors-esque keyboard sound made The Stranglers sound stand out from the punk crowd they were associated with, adding a melodic brightness to the gruff and thuggish themes of their early albums: hits like Peaches, No More Heroes and Something Better Change elevated the band above the 3 chord thrash of their contemporaries. He developed his style further as the band moved into more experimental waters, from the synthesizer meltdown solo on Top 20 single Nice 'n' Sleazy and its parent album Black And White, through their most accomplished album The Raven - which featured the keyboard-heavy hit Duchess - and culminating in the concept album The Gospel According To The Men In Black, which opened with one of Daves most recognised works, the instrumental Waltzinblack, which was still used to open the bands recent shows. After a commercial lull, it was his harpsichord driven contribution to Golden Brown that provided them with the biggest hit of their career, and helped point the way forward to a softer, more poppy sound in the rest of the 1980s. Dave remained with The Stranglers throughout line up changes and waning fortunes in the 1990s, before they had something of a renaissance in the new millennium as a sellout live act.

Dave Greenfield 29 March 1949 – 3 May 2020.