Music: Stiff Little Fingers – The Singles 1978-1983
Punk's perpetually indignant older brothers crash-landed out of late-70s Belfast like a Molotov cocktail wrapped in a catchy tune
Is there any scene more frightening than a band bombarding your senses with the truth? Northern Island’s Stiff Little Fingers have done that and more. Birthed during The Troubles, shown the ropes during the infant days of punk, and to this day, still “putting the fast in Belfast,” the group are collected in a 2CD compilation simply entitled The Singles 1978–1983.
What has kept the band relevant since the beginning of the seminal movement known as punk is clearly manifested through the lyrics bursting forth through a barrage of chunky chords, anger, and frustration. As noted, their emergence during the violent and confusing times in Northern Ireland paved the way for lead vocalist Jake Burns to spew forth on their debut single “Suspect Device” in a manner that consumed, spat out, and served up words that speak volumes: “They take away our freedom/In the name of liberty/Why can't they all just clear off/Why can't they let us be?”
Stiff Little Fingers – Suspect Device/℗© Rigid Digits Music/YouTube
While they musically coerced their brethren to unite, it was not always a harmonious gathering of vibes. This manifestation was on display through most of their early career; some with the audience, some with other bands. That uneasiness was couched in the move towards record-buying acceptance and Top of the Pops: it flew in the face of the Belfast community, causing friction and for good measure, ended in a pissing match with Derry boys The Undertones.
Stiff Little Fingers – Nobody’s Hero/℗© Rigid Digits Music/YouTube
However, it was precisely these set of circumstances that could propel them and their message beyond the political climate of the times. Paradoxically, these circumstances also signaled a shift in the band’s dynamics. As Burns became more focused on darker tones in the songs and the sound shifted to rock, sales and attendance were noticeably shrinking. By the time of 1982’s Now Then LP and the single “Price of Admission,” Stiff Little Fingers were at odds with themselves and disbanded.
The band reformed in 1987 and from 1991–2006 employed bassist Bruce Foxton (The Jam). The current incarnation of Stiff Little Fingers — Burns, Ali McMordie, Ian McCallum and Steve Grantley — are intact and still causing a thundering ruckus. All forthcoming tour dates can be found on their official ‘home base’ here.
Stiff Little Fingers: The Singles 1978–1983 will be released May 9 as a 2CD 30-track digipack with an accompanying booklet containing detailed liner notes on each single plus illustrations of all relevant sleeves. From Captain Oi!, a division of Cherry Red Records. You can pre-order here, at Rough Trade, and in the UK at Nuclear Blast.
Saw them at the Russell Cub/Factory in ‘78 or ‘79 and they were terrific. But they especially enamoured themselves to me when they dedicated Barbed Wire Love to Buzzcocks, which, on reflection, was a no-brainer for any band playing in Manchester at that time!
And Suspect Device still burns with a passion undimmed or diminished by the passing years.