Stiff Little Fingers – at The Lemon Tree – Aberdeen, UK

You know it’s going to be a good night when the bar runs out of draft lager half an hour before the main band. The venue was packed out with Punk rockers, mainly of the middle aged variety but still full of bounce.

 

SLF arrived on stage to cheers and whistles. They might have been going for over 35 years but still manage to give it their all. Each band member exuded energy and had the audience pogo-ing from the offset. They blasted out the first three songs, ‘At the Edge’, ‘Wasted Life’ & ‘Roots’, in quick succession.

 

After many years SLF have finally been writing a new album and we were treated to three of their new songs. They were as topical and political as ever. ‘Liars Club’ was written about Bush and Blair but it could have been just easily written about modern day politics as well. ‘My Dark Places’, inspired by Jake’s personal struggle with depression, was the best of the three. It was shame a lot of people took the ‘new song cue’ to go to the bar and missed the poignant lyrics, but I’m sure that many people will hear this song and be touched by its words.

 

Despite the heat in the venue the energy grew stronger with each song. The crowd sung along to classics such as ‘Strummerville’, ‘Suspect Device, and ‘Doesn’t make it Alright’.

We were treated to two encores, the first consisting of ‘Rude Boys’ (by the Ruts) and ‘Tin Soldiers’. For the second we were treated to ‘Alternative Ulster’. There were big smiles from the crowd, and it was nice to see them mirrored by the band. Stiff Little Fingers have once again proved themselves to be masters of Punk, and they’ve lost none of their shine.

 

            More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Sally Morrison-
Big Wheel Overseas Correspondent

 

 

 

 

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