If St Patricks day is a tradition so is Stiff Little Fingers at the Barrowland on St. Patricks day, it is a date that goes in the calendar from fan around the UK planning their trip for the epic Stiff Little Fingers show. This year was no different as the fan rolled in to the venue for the first of two shows from the band. The sea of fans coming in early to catch the support no other than Slim Jim Phantom Trio.
The venue packed welcomed the Stray Cats drummer to the stage as he performed with his wife Jennie Vee on Bass and Rex Elle on Guitar. Delighted the Glasgow audience with set performing Stray Cats classics and 50’s songs reimagined by Slim Jim. He thanks the Glasgow audience for coming down early to see him as he looked back to when the Stray Cats played the Apollo many years ago. He delighted the audience with an excellent version of The Damned’s New Rose. It was excellent seeing Jim playing drums and singing as you it must be a hard job to do. This was a short set from Jim but he will be back in the UK touring late may / June well worth checking him out as he knows how to entertain.
AS the lights went up the stage crew was all go clearing the stage and setting up for Stiff Little Fingers. The backdrop in full view with the amps and drum kit in front wating for the band to take up their posts. The atmosphere in the venue was electric and the you could feel the excitement in the venue. Then the lights go down and the lights on the stage run in sequence to the sounds of SLF’s Go For It intro the venue is bouncing you could feel the bounce coming through the sprung floor and the energy level in the hall was through the roof. As the first sighting of the band appears on stage through the sequenced lights.
As the stage lights came up the band wasted no time and delighted the audience with the excellent Straw Dogs that had the venue bouncing and singing along, you could see on the faces of the band Ian, Ali and Jake they were delighted to be back in the Barrowland for a night of passion from the fans creating on big celebration of SLF Day as it is knowing to the fans that travel from all over to make the Barrowland Glasgow show on St. Patricks day. This was followed by the excellent Nobody’s Hero not giving the audience time to get their breath back it was straight in to Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae. It was the perfect start to the show.
Jake spoke about the disaster that happened in London and introduced a new song The Tower of London, the song was powerful and straight to the point and grabbed the attention of the fans. This was followed by Just Fade away before Jake Burns and SLF paid tribute to their Friend that passed away. This was for Terry Hall and Doesn’t Make It Alright, with the Barrowland Choir in full voice I am sure it brought a smile to Terry up there looking down.
The opening chords of the awesome Get A Life had the Barrowland crowd in full voice, before the classic Listen. A recent song that Jake dedicates to every man out there to speak to someone if they feel down etc This is My Dark Places, which is a personal song but a strong meaning to everyone out there. Now the party was about to go in to full swing with the epic Silver Lining before Ian delivers an acoustic guitar sound through his electric for the band to perform Each Dollar a Bullet and the brilliant Harp. The venue was rocking but it was getting close to taking the roof off the old venue. As the band played At The Edge, Wasted Life and the epic Gotta Gettaway before closing the set with the awesome Suspect Device. As the band finish the song they left the stage for a short break before returning to finish the show in true Stiff Little Fingers passion.
As the returned they took they spaces and thanked the audience and went straight in to Tin Soldiers that had the venue in full voice. You could see by the Jake, Ali, Ian and Stevie this was a special night and the only way to finish the night was with the awesome Alternative Ulster. As the crowd was going wild at the front the dancing and singing was happening all around taking in every chord and enjoying the moment.
This was the way to spend St. Patricks day the safe hands of Stiff Little Fingers in the best venue in the UK the Barrowland Glasgow, you could see this was the band took their bow to the fans this means a lot to both the fans and the band alike. To next St. Patricks day (SLF Day) we will see you up there!!
Review and Photographs by James Edmond
