Stiff Little Fingers – the band at the vanguard of angry, gritty, overtly political music in this country. Alongside The Clash (who incidentally were the catalyst for their formation like many other bands) they told us exactly what the problems were and it usually came back to social class and imperialism. Their name came from a 1977 Vibrators lyric “If it wasn’t for your stiff little fingers nobody would know you were dead”…. Emanating from Belfast, at that time up to its neck in hostility and mistrust, the band captured the times as well as anyone. Sitting right in the heart of the punk moment they were able to articulate the anger and frustrations and become a mouthpiece for the many.
Songs such as Alternative Ulster; Tin Soldiers; Gotta Getaway; Bloody Sunday; At the Edge and many more with their memorable riffs and biting lyrics. The anthems for the ignored was how I experienced them when growing up. You do not have to be from Belfast or Gaza to know that people feel disempowered especially as a teenage youth. ‘Johnny Was’ is just glorious and encapsulates many a moment of living and dying. More history.
Jake who now lives in Chicago, Illinois, is still at the helm and following the departure of Bruce Foxton (bassist with The Jam) in 2006 he was rejoined by original member Ali McMordie. About a month ago before the band hit the road for this current tour Jake agreed to answer questions from local fans.
Q1. What have you been doing with yourself during your exodus from the performing scene?
JB: Well, SLF is a full time pursuit. I’ve been writing songs for the new album. Also, I’ve been the band’s manager for the last 12 years and that’s really time consuming. As we’re all hoping to dedicate more time to SLF in the immediate future, we’ve asked some professional managers to take over the day to day running of the band. That should leave me more time to concentrate on what we do best: writing and performing.
Q2 You were the ‘gorgeous one’ of the punk era, did it ever upset you then? Is it different now?
JB: I was ? LOL ! No-one told me !! So, as I was unaware of that “status” it certainly didn’t affect me, then or now.
Q3 Was it fun playing with Bruce Foxton?
JB: Bruce is a great player and harmony singer. He has his own style and is really easy to spot via his playing. Also, he’d been a pal since before he joined the band, so that made things easy. It was a lot of fun playing together and we’re still friends today. In fact, I’m hoping to meet up with him when I’m next over in the U.K. for a beer or two.
Q4 We loved the tour with Pauline Black (The Selector). Is there any chance of more gigs with her in the future?
JB: I also really enjoyed those “3 Men & Black” tours. It’s always interesting to play with other musicians, to see their approach and to work with their material. It was also fun to try and adapt electric songs into an acoustic setting. Some had to altered radically (“Wasted Life” for example) whereas others, like “Alternative Ulster” worked just fine as a “sing-along”.
Q5 Are you still a rabid supporter of Newcastle United? Are you for or against Mike Ashley (their current owner)?
JB: Sadly, yes. I’m afraid I’m stuck with them for life. (I’m currently nursing a hangover after yesterday’s derby game against Sunderland ! LOL.) Mike Ashley is an interesting dichotomy. He bailed us out of a huge financial difficulty, then he re-names the stadium in his own image. He backs our manager by giving him an eight year contract, thus ending any instability but won’t agree to pay our top striker the wages he wants to remain at the club. He has the stadium properly re-named St. James’ Park but at the cost of a sponsorship deal with a rapacious loan company. We’re an odd club !
Tony Gudge; Southampton
Q6. What was the impact of Punk in N Ireland in 76/77?
JB: It seems to have had a bigger impact looking back than it did at the time. I guess because there weren’t that many of us into the music at the time. It seemed like everyone knew everyone else. Much like the Sex Pistols gig at the 100 club, if everyone who said they saw us, or Rudi or The Outcasts at the Pound Club were actually there, then the Pound would have to have been as big as Wembley Stadium ! (It’s not!) People make bigger claims for it than are really justified, but it did galvanise kids to do something positive with their lives and their time, which was nothing but a good thing.
Q.7 There was quite a healthy music scene in Ireland at the time. Do you consider that the background of the troubles made the punk scene in Ireland more relevant?
JB: I don’t know about that. For all that people say we were the only ones singing about it, other bands had songs that reflected the heavy handedness of the security forces there. (Rudi’s “S.S. R.U.C.” and The Outcasts’ “The Cops are Coming” are examples that spring to mind.) I think outsiders saw it as being more important to the province, but I’m not sure that we did.
Q8. Punk seems to have influenced culture more than politics. Do you believe this is a fair assessment?
JB: Undoubtedly. I’m afraid that as much as I can rail against the world in a three minute song, more people buy Ramones t-shirts these days than ever bought an album. Punk has become just another part of the entertainment business. That doesn’t mean that you have to accept that, of course. I will continue to write songs about injustices as I see them and hopefully people will listen and take note.
Q9. Do you still enjoy playing songs from the first album?
A: Like everything, there are nights when I could live without them, but equally there are nights when you can’t wait to wheel out “Suspect Device”. It all depends on the audience to be honest. But, those songs still reflect how we felt at the time and, as such, are an important part of our story.
Nathan Hart; Weymouth
Q10. What was your proudest moment with SLF?
JB: I’m not sure I’ve ever had a “proudest” moment. I’ve had emotional ones. The first album being the highest new entry on the chart on my 21stbirthday would take some beating ! Others were: just how much affection the band has engendered in audiences throughout the world. I’m always amazed that people we’ve never met regard us as old friends. And finally, I was hugely pleased to receive the “Legends” award at the Northern Irish Music Awards. Coming from “our own folks” that meant a lot.
Q11. How did the political situation in NI affect the musical development of SLF?
JB: Well, insomuch as there was nowhere to go to in the evening, I stayed home and learnt to play guitar a lot quicker than if I’d been going out every night ! But, obviously, the situation there gave us a voice that was unique in the country at the time. We had a situation on our doorstep that everyone had an opinion on and we were in the right place to put forward our thoughts.
Q12. Was Bruce Foxton’s replacement of Ali McMordie a signal that you no longer considered SLF to be an Irish band?
JB: No. Not at all. After all, Dolphin had been in the band for a few years before Bruce joined and we weren’t considered any different then. It’s not something I’ve ever given much thought to.
Q13. Do you regret the original break-up of SLF?
JB: No. It was the right thing to do at that time. Maybe we could have taken a “sabbatical” rather than split up, but we were all pulling in different directions and we all had to explore those and find out our strengths and weaknesses. I guess looking back on it, we did just “take a break”. Just about 3 and a half years longer than we might have originally done !
Q16. Do musicians have a duty to engage in charity gigs?
JB: That’s down to the individual. If you believe in a cause and want to support it, then you should do so. In the past we have always made ourselves available for causes like: “Rock Against Racism” and every year here in Chicago, I take part in a Toy Drive for a local children’s hospital at Christmas time. I believe on this upcoming tour we are hoping to bring some attention to the “Integrated Education Fund” in N. Ireland which funds schools who bring together kids from both sides of the religious divide.
Q17. Aside from SLF, which was your favourite project?
JB: The “3 Men” project was probably the most interesting. I was very proud of some of the “Big Wheel” material but felt we never got the chance to fully bring that to fruition. My stint as a producer at Radio 1 was cool as well. Having said that, the most fun I had outside of SLF was definitely doing the music for a couple of computer games !
Q18. Would you like to do more acting?
JB: Although I was DREADFUL in that BBC “Play for Today” all those years ago, it’s not something I’d rule out. It’s always interested me, but this time I’d definitely get a few “pointers” from the pros !
Ian Sedwell; Weymouth
Q19. Do you remember supporting TRB at Liverpool Empire in ’78 and the police surrounding the theatre after the gig with police horses & dogs?
JB: I remember the Empire gig, mainly because we pulled some kid in through the dressing room window. He was rapping on the glass and we opened the window. This lad said: “I couldn’t get a ticket. Pull us in, will you?” We then realised we were on the fourth floor !! Don’t remember the police dogs etc. Maybe they weren’t at the stage door.
(Berny, Portland & exiled Scouser)
Q20. Wondering when new SLF album will be out? Looking forward to it!
JB: Well, the songs are nearly all written and we’re hoping to record early next year. So, “soon” is the answer to that one !
Beau Nafyde; Buckland Newton (& Lancaster University)
Thank you to Jake Burns for answering our questions.
Stiff Little Fingers supported by Spear of Destiny appear at The Electric Palace, Briport this Sunday 25th November.
