In May 1978, I was invited by the weekly journal Sounds to take part in the press launch for the band’s third album “Black and White”.
The two-day trip to Iceland was certainly one of the most unusual press junkets I’ve ever attended. On May 2nd around 50 of us left Heathrow Airport on a chartered plane heading for Reykjavik’s Keflavik Airport. Over the next 48 hours, the party seemed to be constantly on the move in our designated Stranglers bus. There was a press conference where the gathered Icelandic journalists failed to ask a single question, a play-back of the new album at an out of season, snow-starved ski resort, visits to volcanic springs, pony trekking and photo shoots with the band in a bleak but striking landscape comprising of solidified lava and glaciers. Pennie Smith (my esteemed colleague from the NME) and I managed to get the band to ourselves for a short period and many of the images featured here are from that time away from the press pack.
Finally, one of our party made the error of challenging Jean-Jacques Burnel to a drinking competition. While Burnel’s bottle of VAT 69 whisky contained water, the journalist’s did not. The result was the comatose loser being confined to a wheelchair and despite the band wheeling him to check-in, boarding the return flight to London was refused. He was left behind to sober up – yet another journalist falling victim to gentle retribution from the The Stranglers.
All in all, a truly bizarre but unique 48 hours captured and brought together for the first time in this collection. I hope you enjoy it.
Jill Furmanovsky
“THERE GOES THE CHARABANG : THE STRANGLERS IN ICELAND” (HA028)
Photography by JILL FURMANOVSKY
© 2019 Jill Furmanovsky & Hanging Around Books
A limited edition of 250 copies.
Digitally printed A5 paperback photozine. 36 pages.
