Kicking Up A Racket...again!
Any Stiff Little Fingers gig is something of an occasion but there's a special atmosphere in Manchester Ritz venue tonight. With new album Not Going Back hot off the press there is an extra edge to both band and audience that is evident from the start. SLF were at the forefront of melodic punk in the late 70s and early 80s and are frequently name checked as an influence by everyone from Green Day to The Wildhearts.
The familiar strains of intro music Go For It give way to a trio of classics in Straw Dogs, Wasted Life and Fade Away. Not that they needed much help but that certainly got the crowd into fine voice before the first of the new album tracks makes an appearance. My Dark Places has featured in the live set before but is yet to cement itself amongst the old favourites. It sounds great live and alongside the rest of the new album proves that SLF still have much to offer and haven't lost their ability to pull out a catchy riff and chorus.
As the set progresses the more the energy builds and whilst every SLF gig sees the majority of the crowd singing along, the buzz coming from them tonight, coupled with a superb performance from the band is making this a really stand out performance. The slower but ridiculously catchy Listen is a definite highlight with pretty much everyone joining in on the chorus. Jake Burns might not favour his old trademark acrobatic leaps anymore but that doesn't mean he has become static, far from it, and along with bassist Ali McMordie he constantly moves about the stage displaying the passion that keeps the crowd coming back year on year.
Much of the set is the same as last year (albeit in a different order) with the addition of a few of the new songs mixed in. Of these the highlight is probably When We Were Young, which gets a huge roar when it features a line from old song At The Edge in the middle section. After the last of the new songs Throwing It All Away, it really is a master class in songwriting and delivery. You really couldn't fault the last eight songs in any way whatsoever from Barbed Wire Love through the best loved song from Guitar and Drum in Strummerville to an immense trio of Fly The Flag, Tin Soldier and Suspect Device that bring the set to a close.
Due to the venue having a 10pm curfew before it turns into a club night, the encore comes swiftly with Johnny Was, At The Edge and Alternative Ulster. I really have lost count of how many times I've seen this band now but aside from the original reunion gigs back in 1987, tonight's performance has to be up there with the best I've seen from SLF. No doubt the new album and the opportunity to air some of those songs live provided some of the impetus but it was just one of those special nights where everything came together at the right time. Superb, no other word for it.