Stiff Little Fingers

Stiff Little Fingers were formed in 1977 in Belfast, Ireland. Along with the likes of the Clash, Sex Pistols,The Jam, Buzzcocks, Undertones, Sham 69, Stranglers, et al – Stiff Little Fingers were at the forefront ofthe punk movement. They wrote initially about their own lives, growing up at the height of The Troubles inNorthern Ireland, in songs like “Suspect Device” and “Wasted Life”. In November of ’77, they releasedthose two songs on their own Rigid Digits label, and sent a copy to BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, whostarted playing it every night.These were the first of what became SLF’s signature style: lyrics that meld the personal and political,music that combines the energy of punk with infectious hooks, and delivery that rings of honesty andcommitment. In 1979 they became the first band ever to hit the UK top 20 album charts on an independentlabel with their debut Inflammable Material. The album chronicles the band’s anger and frustration at “theTroubles” in Northern Ireland, and calls on youth to create their own reality.Over the years, their live shows continued to be special events of energy and power. Their studio albumsdemonstrate their passion and anger, each in its own way. In ’94 they released the Get a Life LP. Thealbum helped renew interest in SLF just as newer bands that sited them as a major influence, such as BadReligion, Sugar, Rancid and Therapy, were coming to prominence. In August 2003, Stiff Little Fingersreleased their ninth studio album, Guitar and Drum, which includes a moving tribute to Joe Strummer,entitled “Strummerville”.After many studio albums and countless tours, Stiff Little Fingers find themselves more in demand thanever. They are currently working on a new album, and many of the new songs have been debuted at livegigs, with tremendous response from fans. With song titles like Trail of Tears, My Dark Places and Liar’sClub covering topics such as the recent economic collapse, Jake’s personal struggle with depression, andcontinuing racism in the west. Jake has said, “You’ve probably worked out by now, I don’t do “comedy”songs !!” But the songs continue to inspire fans old and new. Countless people have already contacted Jaketo say that “My Dark Places” gave them the strength to tell others about their own bouts with depression.Though focused on their new material, they always play the old favorites at gigs. Jake said, "You have tostrike a balance. The difficulty with a band like ourselves is to try not make it sound like a cabaret band.Obviously, it’d be very easy to go, ‘Hey, here’s another old one you may remember.’ A lot of the old songsthe audience greet like old friends. I suppose it’s the same as any band that’s been around for any length oftime. And yes, there are nights that we don’t particularly want to play “Alternative Ulster” or “SuspectDevice” because we’ve heard them ‘til they’re coming out our ears. But there’s always the possibility thatsomebody out there has never seen the band before, never heard them."Using the band’s rich musical foundation as a building block, the time has come to bring the newest chapterof the band’s music to the world. The new songs, penned over the last decade, show a definite musicalgrowth in the band. The result is the band’s latest release – No Going Back was released in March 2014.

Historic venue hosting a variety of live music acts, with a bar.