One of the many advantages of having friends with excellent taste in music is that every now and again they hand you a free ticket to a gig you hadn’t even realised you wanted to attend. In this case, my thanks go to Mike McGregor, who kindly provided the opportunity to see Hugh Cornwell in Edinburgh.

For those who only know him as the former frontman of The Stranglers, it’s easy to overlook just how substantial Hugh Cornwell’s career has been outside the band. While The Stranglers produced some of the most distinctive and influential records of the punk and new wave era, Cornwell has continued to write, record and perform long after leaving the group. Seeing him live offers the chance to hear not only the songs people know and love, but also the work of an artist who has never stopped moving forward.

One of the things I’ve always admired about Hugh Cornwell is his refusal to become a nostalgia act. Many musicians from his generation are content to spend their careers replaying the same greatest hits. Cornwell has consistently balanced the old and the new, respecting his past without becoming trapped by it. That approach was evident throughout the evening.

The audience, of course, were delighted whenever familiar material appeared. Songs associated with The Stranglers still possess a unique energy and intelligence that helps explain why they have endured for so many decades. Yet what impressed me most was how naturally the newer songs sat alongside them. Rather than feeling like interruptions between the classics, they felt like part of the same continuing story.

As enjoyable as the concert was, the evening wasn’t quite over when the music stopped. Another old friend, Noel, happened to be in Edinburgh visiting his brother, so after the show I arranged to meet up with him. One of the nice things about travelling to gigs is that they often become the centrepiece of a wider evening rather than a standalone event. A good concert followed by catching up with friends is a difficult combination to beat.

Looking back, this was one of those occasions where everything fell into place. A free ticket, a strong performance from a legendary musician and the chance to spend time with friends afterwards. Not every memorable evening requires months of planning. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call from the right person and a willingness to say yes.

The full concert can be viewed below. Whether you know Hugh Cornwell through The Stranglers or his solo work, it serves as a reminder that some artists continue to evolve long after many of their contemporaries have stopped trying.

Cheers!