New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Legendary British band The
Stranglers have today presented a 400-year-old local pub in Surrey, the Star Inn, with the prestigious PRS for
Music Heritage Award. The accolade is given to those live music venues across the UK that have played a crucial role in helping to create music history, by giving now-famous acts their first ever gig and helping them on their way to success.
Originally from Guildford, The
Stranglers first performed at their local hometown pub, the Star Inn, on 21 December 1974, just three months after forming (initially as The Guildford Stranglers), in
September that same year. This early act of generosity marked a turning point for the band which would see them become vital instigators of the UK punk rock movement, and release 23 Top 40 singles, 18 Top 40 albums, and a slew of now-iconic hits including Golden Brown, Peaches, No More Heroes, and Hanging Around, in the years that followed.
A lucky opportunity to play at their local music venue, saw the band attract a dedicated following from the very start, cementing a special relationship between band and venue.
PRS for Music, which protects the rights of more than 135,000 songwriters and composers, ensures music creators are represented whenever their music is used or performed in public. The organisation established the PRS for
Music Heritage Award in 2009 to celebrate the important role that music venues play in supporting songwriters at the start of their careers, giving them a platform to perform in front of a live audience for the very first time.
Grassroot music venues like the Star Inn provide a crucial environment for new and emerging acts to harness and develop their talent, try out new songs, experiment with creative identity, and build the foundations for a long-lasting fan base.
These venues have witnessed the birth of some of the nation's most loved music legends. Previous PRS for
Music Heritage Awards have been given to venues that have helped the likes of Queen, Madness, Pulp, Spandau Ballet, UB40, Status Quo, Soul II Soul, Sir
Elton John CBE, Blur and many more at the start of their musical careers.
This year's PRS for
Music Heritage Award plaque was unveiled by The
Stranglers at a special red carpet ceremony today at the Star Inn, Guildford.
The unveiling of the plaque sees the start of what's sure to be a hectic year for the revitalised band as they embark on their upcoming UK tour, Back on the Tracks, spanning 19 dates, 28 February - 30 March 2019.
The Stranglers, said: "The space that the Star Inn has created here is incredibly valuable to British music culture, they've played a huge role in giving emerging acts, like us at the time, a stage, helping them to thrive. They definitely deserve to be acknowledged with the PRS for
Music Heritage Award to mark this pivotal moment in British music history."
Georgina 'George' Baker, Owner of the Star Inn, said: "We feel very much part of the fabric of The Stranglers' history and so it's an honour to receive this award. We pride ourselves on investing in emerging talent and giving them the platform they deserve and plan to do so for a very long time to come."
Nigel Elderton, Chairman, PRS for Music, said: "Ten years ago, we established the PRS for
Music Heritage Award, to recognise live music venues that have given some of the UK's most beloved and iconic acts their start. These small, local venues are where artists can earn their first bit of money from making music and often play a life-changing role at the very beginning of their careers, leaving an indelible mark on culture. Those artists go on to bigger stages, and bigger audiences, across the UK and indeed the world. I am delighted that we are honouring the Star Inn that has served as a music venue for more than 400 years - and continues to be a local hub for creatives and music fans alike."
2009 Blur - East Anglian Railway Museum, 1989
2009
Dire Straits - Farrer House, Deptford, 1977
2010 Jethro Tull - Blackpool Holy
Trinity Family Church, 1964
2010
Squeeze - Greenwich Dance Agency, 1975
2010 Sir
Elton John - The Northwood Hills Hotel, 1962
2010
Snow Patrol - The Duke of York, Belfast, 1998
2010
Status Quo - Welcome Inn, Eltham, 1967
2011 UB40 - Hare & Hounds,
Kings Heath, 1979
2011
James - Fac 51 Haçienda, Manchester, 1982
2012 Soul II Soul - Electric Brixton, 1991
2012
Faithless - Jazz Café, Camden, 1996
2012
Supergrass - The Jericho Tavern, Oxford, 1994
2013
Queen - Imperial College London, 1970
2013
Orbital - The Garage, Highbury, 1990
2014
Spandau Ballet - The Blitz Club, Covent Garden, 1979
2015 Pulp - The Leadmill, Sheffield, 1980
2017
Madness - The Dublin Castle, Camden, 1979
2019 The Stranglers, Star Inn, 1974
PRS for
Music represents the rights of songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK and around the world. As a membership organisation it works to ensure that creators are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. With over 100 representation agreements in place globally, PRS for Music's network represents over two million music creators worldwide. In 2017, 6.6 trillion performances of music were reported to PRS for
Music with £717m collected on behalf of its members, making it one of the world's leading music collective management organisations.
PRS for Music's public performance licensing is now carried out on PRS for Music's behalf by PPL PRS Ltd, the new joint venture between PPL and PRS for Music. www.prsformusic.com
Masters of their own highly original sound, that combines a brilliant melodic touch with dark aggression and effortless cool, The
Stranglers are now recognised as one of the most credible and influential bands to have emerged from the punk era.
With record-breaking, sell-out shows and festival appearances in the UK and throughout the world, demand to see and hear the band is at an all-time high, testament surely to their considerable musical talent and enduring quality of their songs.
During a hectic year of touring the Southern Hemisphere,
Europe and the UK, The
Stranglers have also been busy writing and rehearsing new material; audiences can expect to experience some of these new cuts, alongside classic favourites and lesser performed numbers drawn from their eloquent and extensive catalogue spanning over forty years. www.thestranglers.co.uk
The
Stranglers UK & Ireland Tour Dates 2019:
28-Feb Ireland, Belfast, Ulster Hall
01-Mar Ireland, Dublin Olympia
03-Mar UK, Scunthorpe Pre production
04-Mar UK, Scunthorpe Pre production
05-Mar UK, Scunthorpe Baths Hall
07-Mar UK, Aberdeen Beach Ballroom
08-Mar UK, Dunfermline Alhambra
09-Mar UK, Glasgow, O2 Academy
11-Mar UK, Nottingham, Rock City
12-Mar UK, Reading, Hexagon
14-Mar UK, Newcastle, O2 Academy
15-Mar UK, Leeds, O2 Academy
16-Mar UK, Birmingham, O2 Academy 1
19-Mar UK, Guildford, G Live
21-Mar UK, Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
22-Mar UK, London, O2 Brixton Academy
23-Mar UK, Cambridge, Corn Exchange
25-Mar UK, Bournemouth Academy
26-Mar UK, Brighton Dome
28-Mar UK, Bristol, O2 Academy 1
30-Mar UK, Manchester, O2 Apollo
www.thestranglers.co.uk
