Fiery combo bring back the power of punk rock
STIFF Little Fingers brought their unique blend of protest and musicality to Rock City on Monday for the opening night of their Hate Has No Home Here tour – and showed that they are still as relevant as ever.
Getting the crowd warmed up was the legendary Glen Matlock, original bassist of the Sex Pistols, who unleashed a torrent of sonic brilliance in support of his latest album Consequences Coming.
Opening with Won’t Put The Brakes On Me, he delivered a set that included punk classics and deep cuts which spanned his illustrious career – ranging from Pretty Vacant to his solo endeavours.
But it was songs from his latest album, such as Magic Carpet Ride, Can’t Be Myself With You and a magnificent reinterpretation of kd lang’s Constant Craving, that dominated.
Matlock powered through with a rocking Consequences Coming and a hard-rocking and politically charged Head On A Stick. With music that had captivated the crowd, this was a series of cracking songs from an enigmatic and longlasting figure in British music.
As the familiar strains of Go For It blasted out, Stiff Little Fingers took to the stage and immediately set the tone for the evening with the machine-gunned Suspect Device.
Jake Burns’ voice was in fine form, even though the sound quality wasn’t the best, with his guitar playing as on point and distinctive as ever.
With Ali Mcmordie and Steve Grantley laying down a thunderous rhythm and Ian Mccallum adding guitar and backing vocals, the band delivered all the old favourites, including Tin Soldier, Fly The Flag and Get A Life.
Hit single At The Edge was sharp as ever while Nobody’s Hero had just as much fire in the belly as it had in 1980.
With SLF having put such a stamp on Roots, Radicals, Rockers And Reggae, it was easy to forget that it was originally by Bunny Wailer.
For the encore there was The Specials’ Doesn’t Make It Alright before the obligatory Alternative Ulster brought the evening to an end showing that this band still remain as relevant, vital and on point as they did in 1977.