Stiff Little Fingers

Stiff Little Fingers were formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1977. Originally known as Highway Star, they performed Deep Purple covers, but changed their style to acidic, gritty, fast-paced punk with highly political lyrics. Their career initially lasted only six years: signing to a major label (Chrysalis) diluted their sound and by the time Now Then... came out in 1983, their pop-like leanings had alienated their hardcore fans, and they split, only to reform in 1987. In 1991, they were joined by Bruce Foxton, previously bassist with the Jam. They still record and perform to this date. Guitarist and vocalist Jake Burns is the only member to have remained with the band throughout their entire career.

Their first single, Suspect Device, was packaged in the form of a cassette bomb (causing one record company to accidentally throw it in a bucket of water, thinking it was real). It was locally released on the Rigid Digits label (this being a wordplay on their name) and Peel was sent a copy, playing it repeatedly (in later years, he would state that the cold ending was the finest in recorded music). It was analogous to his heavy rotation of Teenage Kicks, although SLF and the Undertones were frequently at loggerheads. The exposure gained the band a distribution deal with Rough Trade and their first LP, Inflammable Material, came out in 1979. It contained a heavy bias toward lyrics based on the Troubles, such as Alternative Ulster (the second single), Barbed Wire Love, a re-recorded version of Device , and Johnny Was (a Bob Marley cover which John did not warm to but was a Festive Fifty favourite).

Sessions

 * Five sessions, the first four available on The Complete John Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit).

1. Recorded: unknown. First broadcast: 13 April 1978. Repeated: 16 May 1978. 2. Recorded: 1978-09-12. First broadcast: 18 September 1978. Repeated: 27 October 1978. 3. Recorded: 1979-09-03. First broadcast: 17 September 1979. Repeated: 10 October 1979, 26 December 1979. 4. Recorded: 1980-02-12. First broadcast: 25 February 1980. Repeated: 19 March 1980. 5. Recorded: 1981-03-11. First broadcast: 18 March 1981. Repeated: 06 April 1981.
 * Alternative Ulster / Wasted Life / Johnny Was / State Of Emergency
 * Johnny Was / Law And Order / Barbed Wire Love / Suspect Device
 * Wait And See / At The Edge / Nobody's Hero / Straw Dogs
 * No Change / I Don't Like You / Fly The Flag / Doesn't Make It Alright
 * Piccadilly Circus / Just Fade Away / The Only One / Roots Radics

Other Shows Played

 * 02 August 1978: 'Suspect Device (7")' (Rigid Digits)
 * 05 June 1979: 'Gotta Get Away (7")' (Rough Trade)
 * 10 September 1979: 'Straw Dogs (7")' (Chrysalis)
 * 09 October 1979: 'Straw Dogs (7")' (Chrysalis)
 * 16 October 1979: 'Straw Dogs (7")' (Chrysalis)
 * 19 November 1979: '78 Revolutions Per Minute (7"-Alternative Ulster)' (Rough Trade)
 * 27 December 1979: 'Wasted Life (7"-Suspect Device)' (Rigid Digits) (1979 Festive Fifty #18)
 * 27 December 1979: 'Johnny Was (LP-Inflammable Material)' (Rough Trade) (1979 Festive Fifty #15)
 * 26 February 1980: 'Wait And See / Tin Soldier / I Don't Like You / Fly The Flag / Nobody's Hero (all from LP-Nobody's Heroes)' (Chrysalis)
 * 27 February 1980: 'No Change / Doesn't Make It Alright / Bloody Dub (all from LP-Nobody's Heroes)' (Chrysalis)
 * 09 July 1980: 'Back To Front / Mr. Fire Coal-Man (both sides of 7")' (Chrysalis)
 * 01 September 1980: 'Nobody's Hero (LP-Hanx!)' (Chrysalis)
 * 02 September 1980: 'Gotta Get Away / Wait And See (both from LP-Hanx!)' (Chrysalis)
 * 24 December 1980: 'Wasted Life (7"-Suspect Device)' (Rigid Digits) (1980 Festive Fifty #27)
 * 24 December 1980: 'Suspect Device (7")' (Rigid Digits) (1980 Festive Fifty #24)
 * 30 April 1981: 'Hits And Misses (LP-Go For It!)' (Chrysalis)
 * 28 December 1981: 'Johnny Was (LP-Inflammable Material)' (Rough Trade) (1981 Festive Fifty #24) (JP: 'Always actually surprised about this, I must say, never one of me favourite tracks by the band.')
 * 20 September 1982: 'Welcome To The Whole Week (LP-Now Then...)' (Chrysalis)
 * 22 December 1982: 'Johnny Was (LP-Inflammable Material)' (Rough Trade) (1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #29) (JP: 'As I say, I never really cared for that. I like Stiff Little Fingers, never cared for that track at all, but you did and it's your chart.')
 * 28 November 1983: 'Wasted Life'