LIFE on the road with The Stranglers is more ‘hot baths and vitamins’ than sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll these days.

But after 50 years in the industry, the punk icons aren’t slowing down. “I remember people saying ‘I won’t be doing this in my 40s’ - and look at the number of bands still going,” says frontman and guitarist Baz Warne. “We’re still 21 in our heads, though the bodies are protesting more. Hot baths, vitamins and not-too-much to drink...that’s what keeps bands of our vintage going.”

The influential punk pioneers - whose hits include Golden Brown, Peaches, Always The Sun and No More Heroes - will celebrate their half century at Halifax’s historic Piece Hall next week. The Stranglers are the latest headliner in the TK Maxx presents Live At The Piece Hall summer of music. And for Baz, who joined The Stranglers in 2000, Halifax is where his heart is. Baz, who got married in Halifax in 2018, says: “I’ll aways have a thing for Halifax because of that day. We had a wander around the town and went into Piece Hall and I remember thinking ‘Wow, this is amazing’. So to go back in our 50th anniversary year is fantastic.”

The Stranglers show no sign of slowing down The Stranglers show no sign of slowing down (Image: Cuffe and Taylor/The Piece Hall)

Coming on the back of their anniversary tour, the gig is expected to be a highlight in their celebratory calendar. “There’s been a lot of talk about Piece Hall the past few years,” says Baz. “We’ve got mates in various bands who’ve played there and we’ve never heard a bad report - and looking at the events this summer, what a line-up! There’s something special about outdoor gigs. The sun, the sunset, the sights, smells, and on a clear night the stars come out. It’s brilliant.”

The Stranglers will be joined by special guests Buzzcocks, making for a ‘festival’ feel. “We’ve done a lot with Buzzcocks over the years,” says Baz. “People won’t necessarily come to see The Stranglers; one of the joys of these nights is going into a song and seeing faces as they realise ‘I didn’t know this was by them’.”

He adds: “Joining The Stranglers was something I never thought would happen. I was 36, struggling as a musician in the North East. I turned 60 this year, in the middle of our 50th anniversary tour. If anyone had told me that would be happening, I’d have never believed them.”

There’s a poignancy to the landmark anniversary, with the deaths in 2020 of keyboardist Dave Greenfield then drummer and founder member Jet Black in 2022. Says Baz: “This year is a celebration of The Stranglers, but it’s natural to be nostalgic. Things have changed a lot but we still write, and had a successful album in 2022, which hit the top five for the first time in 40 years, so we still feel we’ve got value and something to say. After Dave’s passing things were tremendously shaky. We just didn’t think the band would exist. How do you replace someone like that? His style, his sound, his personality - a true British eccentric. And we found Toby, and he is Dave reincarnated! He’s every bit as extraordinary and wonderful as both a keyboard player and a band member. He’s managed to take Dave’s iconic sound and style and make it his own.

“Jet hadn’t been with the band so much for a while, but we were in touch with him. I spoke to him about 10 days before and he was laughing, joking, carrying on as ever. To reach your mid-80s and be surrounded by your loved ones in the Welsh countryside, that’s the way to go, isn’t it?”

Right now, Baz is very much living the live music dream, with no plans of slipping into quiet retirement.

The Stranglers are at Piece Hall on Saturday, August 3. Visit ticketmaster.co.uk