Stiff Little Fingers is a Northern Irish punk rock band from Belfast. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the Deep Purple song), doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They were the first punk band in Belfast to release a record – the "Suspect Device" single came out on their own independent label, Rigid Digits. Their album Inflammable Material, released in partnership with Rough Trade, became the first independent LP to enter the UK top 20.

After six years and four albums, they split up. They re-formed five years later, in 1987. Despite major personnel changes, they are still touring and recording. In 2014, the band released their tenth studio album and a world tour followed its release. Jake Burns, the lead singer, is the only member to have been with the band during all its incarnations, but in March 2006, original bass guitarist Ali McMordie rejoined them following the departure of bass player Bruce Foxton after fifteen years.

History

Early years

Prior to becoming Stiff Little Fingers, Jake Burns, vocals and guitar, Henry Cluney, guitar, Gordon Blair, bass, and Brian Faloon, drums, were playing in a rock music cover band, Highway Star, in Belfast. Upon the departure of Blair (who went on to play with another Belfast group, Rudi), According to Burns, "what [The Clash] did more than anything else was give me the confidence, through its lyrical subject matter, to realise it was OK to write about my own life and experiences." The group started to write songs about growing up in the Troubles in late 1970s Northern Ireland. Among the first Stiff Little Fingers songs were "State of Emergency" and "Breakout".

It was while doing a gig at the Glenmachan Hotel, Belfast, that they first met Gordon Ogilvie, who had been invited along for the evening by Colin McClelland, a journalist whom Burns had been corresponding with.

"Suspect Device" was released in February 1978. A copy of the single was sent to John Peel.

SLF's decision to write songs about the experiences of young people growing up in The Troubles proved controversial. Some Northern Ireland punk bands felt songs about the Troubles were exploiting the sectarian conflict. There was also criticism and suspicion over the involvement and influence the management team, especially Gordon Ogilivie, was having on the band. The political differences were reinforced by musical differences as SLF's rockier punk sound contrasted with the more melodic pop punk of The Undertones and Rudi. Some of the criticism was simply down to band rivalries and jealousy.

There were a number of well-publicised arguments; The Undertones accused Stiff Little Fingers of sensationalising the Northern Ireland conflict, while they retorted that The Undertones ignored it. Michael Bradley, The Undertones bassist, tells of a confrontation in 1979 between The Undertones’ John O’Neill and SLF's Jake Burns: "He launched into Jake, not physically but verbally. Slagging his records, slagging the journalist writing the songs and slagging the band." Michael Bradley now describes ‘Suspect Device’ as "a great record, although at the time we weren't impressed, probably because they'd made a record before us".

SLF built up a big following among young people in Belfast: "As a 14 or 15-year-old schoolboy back in the late Seventies, I wasn't at all concerned with who had written (or contributed to) the lyrics of their songs. To me, it was crystal clear that the band meant what they were singing and even better, they were singing about my life and offering me alternative points of view. Their initial burst of raw energy on the Ulster Punk scene was captivating and as soon as they transferred that energy to vinyl they were truly off and running." (Sean O’Neill, co-author of It Makes You Want To Spit - The Definitive Guide to Punk in N.Ireland)

Alternative Ulster

John Peel arranged for the group to record a session for his Radio One show. The songs broadcast on 13 April 1978 were "Wasted Life", "Johnny Was", "Alternative Ulster" and "State of Emergency". Another John Peel session was recorded in September – "Law And Order", "Barbed Wire Love", "Suspect Device" and a new longer version of "Johnny Was" were broadcast on 18 September 1978.

In the second half of 1978, SLF toured as the support band to the Tom Robinson Band.

Their second single, "Alternative Ulster", was released on Rough Trade in October 1978. It was originally intended to be given away free with the fanzine of the same name. SLF performing "Alternative Ulster" at a gig in Belfast at the end of October 1978 can be seen in Shellshock Rock, an independent documentary on punk in Northern Ireland, released in 1979.

By the end of 1978, SLF's growing popularity was reflected in "Suspect Device" reaching No. 4 and "Alternative Ulster" being voted No. 11 in the annual Festive Fifty broadcast on the John Peel show.

Inflammable Material

In February 1979, SLF released their first album on the Rough Trade label, Inflammable Material.

The album received critical acclaim in the music press. Paul Morley, in a contemporary review for NME, stated that "Inflammable Material is the classic punk rock record. A crushing contemporary commentary, brutally inspired by blatant bitter rebellion and frustration". Morley would go on to state that "Stiff Little Fingers are the best rock'n'roll band in my world... By the end of 1978 [they] were the most popular new group in Britain."

Gotta Gettaway

The new interest in the band inspired their move to London, which led to the departure of Brian Faloon and Colin McClelland (who along with Gordon Ogilvie had been joint manager of the band up until that point).

Nobody's Heroes and Go for It

In mid-1979, Stiff Little Fingers signed their Rigid Digits label to Chrysalis Records, and in 1980 released their second album, Nobody's Heroes.

The Nobody's Heroes era brought some success in media terms, with the single "Straw Dogs" narrowly missing the cut for Top of the Pops; they eventually got on the show twice, with "At the Edge" and "Nobody's Hero". However, after their appearance with "At The Edge" the band were told they would never be invited on again as they did not take it seriously as they were not playing live; it was to be one of the most infamous Top of the Popss performances. They subsequently appeared on Top of the Pops for "Nobody's Hero", "Just Fade Away" and "Listen".

In 1981 the band released their third studio album Go for It which was to be Jim Reilly's last involvement with the band. Burns stated in a 1989 interview that they "couldn't stand the sight of each other".

Reformation

After Burns had moved on from Stiff Little Fingers, he had a short stint at a band with former The Jam bassist Bruce Foxton. They made a couple of demos, but Foxton received an invitation to make a solo album which ended their collaboration.

In 1987 the band reformed. Despite some critics who had said "Nobody would be interested in coming to see you" the band had a successful tour including Germany with shows selling out night after night. The band changed their plan of it just being a temporary re-union and decided it was to be permanent.

Flags and Emblems

Ali McMordie decided he could not commit the time to tour full-time or record and so left, being replaced by Bruce Foxton in time to record 1991's Flags and Emblems. allegedly because it criticised the government for not acting to free hostage John McCarthy, who had been held in Lebanon.

In 1993, Henry Cluney was asked to leave the band, McCallum has since rejoined the band and has toured with them ever since.

No Going Back

On 9 March 2007, Burns announced that Stiff Little Fingers would record a new album, to be released later that year. A new song, "Liars Club", was added to their set lists that year. The track was named after a bar Burns drove past while listening to a press report about Tony Blair, George W. Bush and the Iraq War. At the Glasgow Barrowlands gig on 17 March 2011 Burns announced that the new album was being recorded – hopefully for a 2011 release – before launching into a new song, "Full Steam Backwards", about the banking crisis in the UK.

thumb|right|upright|Stiff Little Fingers 11 November 2012, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

On 16 October 2013, the band launched a project on Pledgemusic to raise funds for the album to be released in March 2014. The project reached its funding goal within 5 hours. Recording was completed in January 2014 and the album, titled No Going Back was released through PledgeMusic on 15 March 2014 and to the general public on 11 August 2014. A tour in support of the album kicked off in early 2014 and included dates in the US on the Summer Nationals tour with The Offspring, Bad Religion, The Vandals, Pennywise and Naked Raygun. The album was the band's first UK chart success since 1983's "All The Best" and their first number 1 record on the BBC Rock Album Chart.

Personnel

Current line-up

  • Jake Burns – lead vocals, guitar (1977–1982, 1987–present)
  • Ali McMordie – bass, backing vocals (1977–1982, 1987–1991, 2006–present)
  • Ian McCallum – guitar, backing vocals (1993–present)
  • Steve Grantley – drums, backing vocals (1996–present)

Former members

  • Henry Cluney – guitar, vocals (1977–1982, 1987–1993)
  • Bruce Foxton – bass, vocals (1991–2006)
  • Brian Faloon – drums (1977–1979)
  • Jim Reilly – drums (1979–1981)
  • Dolphin Taylor – drums, backing vocals (1981–1982, 1987–1996)

Timeline

Discography

  • Inflammable Material (1979)
  • Nobody's Heroes (1980)
  • Go for It (1981)
  • Now Then... (1982)
  • Flags and Emblems (1991)
  • Get a Life (1994)
  • Tinderbox (1997)
  • Hope Street (1999)
  • Guitar and Drum (2003)
  • No Going Back (2014)

Books on Stiff Little Fingers

References

  • Stiff Little Fingers @ PlegeMusic.com
  • Official web site for the book Kicking Up A Racket – The Story of Stiff Little Fingers 1977–1983
  • Interview
  • Cluney
  • Stiff Little Fingers on Discogs