Stiff Little Fingers // The Waterfront - 26.03.14
Jake explained featured lyrics written in 1983 after a night on the town with Phil Lynott! Oh to have been a fly on the wall that night…
Walking into The Waterfront, I was greeted by The Godfathers just starting their support set. Primarily known for their ‘Birth School Work Death’ song and accompanying album from 1988 they were a band I was vaguely into around that time and was looking forward to seeing how they would come across so many years after their commercial peak. They played well and did an excellent job of warming up the crowd with their 45 minute set. I didn’t get the sense that there were many rabid fans of the band in attendance but plenty of people seemed to know the key songs they played. Lead singer Peter Coyne was great – a mix of genial affable host and slightly threatening sweary East End gangster.
I can’t claim to be the world’s biggest SLF fan. I love their classic 1979 debut ‘Inflammable Material’ album, know most of the hits that followed and saw them live about 20 years ago but I’m afraid time has dulled that particular gig memory. As soon as the lights dimmed and the intro tape kicked in I realised that I was surrounded by many people who were massive fans of the band. It felt a bit like attending a party where you sort of know the host and none of the guests. Still, opening up with early single Straw Dogs before Wasted Life off the debut and Just Fade Away off their third album really set the tone for the next 90 minutes. The sound was loud and clear and the enthusiastic response from the crowd (despite the venue being two-thirds full) clearly pleased the band. Jake Burns’ voice was in fine form, far less raw than in the early days but more suited to their pop sensibilities. Drummer Steve Grantley was a gum-chewing, muscular, smiling presence at the back, a real powerhouse who propelled the set with some heavyweight hitting.
SLF have just released No Going Back, their first new album in 11 years. It has been funded by their fans through PledgeMusic, which gives an idea of just how passionate their fanbase is. They played a bunch of songs off this new album and all sounded great. ‘My Dark Places’ was probably the pick, and Jake spoke openly about how the song dealt with his struggle with depression. A serious song, delivered with a killer chorus which had everyone singing along even if it was their first time hearing it. Guitarist Ian McCallum sang lead vocal on ‘Throwing It All Away’ and another new song that impressed was ‘When We Were Young’, which Jake explained featured lyrics written in 1983 after a night on the town with Phil Lynott! Oh to have been a fly on the wall that night…
A run through of The Specials’ ‘Doesn’t Make It All Right’ heralded the start of the hit-laden run to the end of the show. This is when I realised just how many SLF songs I knew. ‘Barbed Wire Love’ featured some amusing doo wop backing vocals from excellent bassist Ali McMordie, who returned to the band in 2006 after a 15 year absence. He was a skilled, enthusiastic musician throughout the whole gig. Suspect Device brought the main set to a rousing end – it was the most exercise many audience members would have had since the last time the band were in town! Their classic cover of Bob Marley’s ‘Johnny Was’ was the first encore before ‘At The Edge’ (killer chorus ahoy) and of course, ‘Alternative Ulster’ ended the gig on a massive high.
I honestly had modest expectations of this gig, and could have easily given it a miss, but I’m so glad I didn’t. The band delivered 90 mins of perfectly executed punk pop, with a set filled with highlights. The fact that in the days following the gig I am still exclusively listening to their back catalogue says it all really. Roll on their next visit!
Stuart Preston
