Art born of social and political turmoil often burns bright, but brief. Stiff Little Fingers are proof that this trend can be bucked, and songs tied to seismic events and composed in the wake of the punk explosion can still sound fresh and vital on a Friday night in Cardiff in 2023.

Emerging in 1977, Belfast’s Stiff Little Fingers used the backdrop of violence and upheaval in their city to pen debut album Inflammable Material. Since then, the songwriting of frontman and founding member Jake Burns has navigated the Troubles of Northern Ireland, as well as wider political and personal pathways, and it is all on show in bombastic form. Kicking off with the spiky urgency of Straw Dogs and Nobody’s Hero, original compositions give way to Bunny Wailer’s Roots, Radicals, Rockers & Reggae, which is lapped up by a packed, and well-oiled Tramshed. 

Before we are treated to timeless cuts from the band’s debut album, there is evidence that treatment of more recent events isn’t so deft. Tower In London looks at the Grenfell Tower fire with a rather heavy-handed, sixth-form touch, but things really pick up with the second cover of the evening.

Originally made great by the Specials, Doesn’t Make It Alright serves as a heartfelt tribute to Terry Hall, triggering a singalong, and showcasing Burns’ rich and soulful voice. Similarly deep and meaningful is My Dark Places, a reflection on depression – deftly finding that emotive sweet spot. As with many bands of this vintage, the best is saved for last. Wasted Life still sounds as fresh as it did in 1977, with its amphetamine buzz and anti-war sentiment, while the basketcase brilliance of Suspect Device precedes the inevitable encore – where Johnny Was, originally by Bob Marley, tames the pace and cools the sea of sweaty bald heads.

Four decades on, Burns’ youthful rasp has more of a crooned timbre as he urges us to “grab it and change it, it’s yours!” amid a blast of the classic Alternative Ulster. Far from the barbed wire-lined strife of 1970s Belfast, this buzzsaw quartet still burns brightly, with folk tales of the past that remain righteous, and absolutely rocking.        

Stiff Little Fingers, Cardiff Tramshed, Fri 10 Mar

words JAMES W ROBERTS photos ASHLEA BEA