IT is almost 25 years since Get a Grip on Yourself introduced Britain to the Stranglers and just over a decade since Hugh Cornwell walked out.

Cornwell struck out on his own and now says The Stranglers "underachieved", promising to put his side of the story in a book next year.

But he is looking forward as well as back, with a new three-album deal, a recent release in the shape of Hi-Fi last October and a British tour with Sumyounguise to occupy his thoughts.

On Thursday, June 28, Cornwell will be back in Worcester for a gig at the Huntingdon Hall, mixing some old Stranglers numbers with new material.

Inventive and controversial, The Stranglers produced a string of hit singles and albums from their 1977 debut.

Their success continued into the 80s, The Meninblack album was followed by their most successful single Golden Brown, which reached No 2 in the charts. Someone even decided to release a long single, La Folie, entirely in French, which Cornwell now shakes his head about.

"We introduced a lot of new ideas into music. The Stranglers had the first rap record, Peaches. Everyone thinks its Blondie with Rapture but Peaches pre-dated Rapture," he said.

Despite all of this he says they did not achieve what they should and the split in 1990 was not friendly.

"I just wanted a change but they didn't take it very well," he said.

Since then Cornwell has released a string of solo albums, toured extensively and has started to break into the North American market, which he is enthusiastic about.

The Worcester show is at 8pm. Tickets are £12.50 (£11 concs) from 01905 611427.