STIFF LITTLE FINGERS | LIVE REVIEW
Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union, Sun 28 Feb
There’s not actually much to say about the Stiff Little Fingers gig at Cardiff Students’ Union, but it was, in many ways, awful. The evening’s opening band provided an unappealing start: Ricky Warwick And The Fighting Hearts, whoever they are. Ricky looked like a Billy Idol wannabe with dark hair, thrashing his overly loud guitar; the whole performance felt juvenile to the point where it was hard to believe these were grown men on stage. Fast and loud seemed to be the operative words but they were taken to extreme. I wanted to turn the PA down so I could appreciate the guitar riffs and hear the lyrics.
Stiff Little Fingers were a contrast to Ricky and his Hearts: more melodic and slightly less distorted. The band are a polished outfit, probably due to their years of touring. In 2014, they released their 10th studio album, No Going Back. The name could be a portent for the future because SLF don’t seem ready to hang up their instruments just yet.
Neither do they rely on old material – alongside fan favourites such as Barbed Wire Love, At The Edge, Alternative Ulster and Tin Soldiers, there was newer, as yet unreleased, songs. There was a fair amount of ‘name dropping’ too, from their early punk days, and tributes were played for Joe Strummer (Strummerville), and Specials drummer John Bradbury (Doesn’t Make It Alright).
The crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves, though, reliving their youth, pogoing, pushing and getting pulled over the barrier by the bouncers. Burns can’t bounce around the stage like he once did, but his voice is on better form now than it’s ever been; his powerful vocals have an infectious energy and the songs have taken on a new life.
Throughout the gig, I had tissue paper in my ears that I took out occasionally to test the sound quality but it didn’t improve; by the end of the evening, it became so uncomfortable I couldn’t leave quick enough. On a positive note, for fans of punk and heavy rock, Stiff Little Fingers are on a UK tour at the moment and are worth checking out. I’d certainly go and see them again – but not at this venue.
words LYNDA NASH