STIFF LITTLE FINGERS announce HULL – Welly show taking place on Friday 26th August 2022!

Stiff Little Fingers are pleased to announce a run of UK shows for 2022 around their festival appearances and Ireland dates this summer and early autumn.

Stiff Little Fingers were formed in 1977 in Belfast, Ireland. Along with the likes of the Clash, Sex Pistols, The Jam, Buzzcocks, Undertones, Sham 69, Stranglers, et al – Stiff Little Fingers were at the forefront of the punk movement. They wrote initially about their own lives, growing up at the height of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, in songs like “Suspect Device” and “Wasted Life”. In November of ’77, they released those two songs on their own Rigid Digits label, and sent a copy to BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, who started playing it every night.

These were the first of what became SLF’s signature style: lyrics that meld the personal and political, music that combines the energy of punk with infectious hooks, and delivery that rings of honesty and commitment. In 1979 they became the first band ever to hit the UK top 20 album charts on an independent label with their debut Inflammable Material. The album chronicles the band’s anger and frustration at “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland, and calls on youth to create their own reality.

Over the years, their live shows continued to be special events of energy and power. Their studio albums demonstrate their passion and anger, each in its own way. In ’94 they released the Get a Life LP. The album helped renew interest in SLF just as newer bands that sited them as a major influence, such as Bad Religion, Sugar, Rancid and Therapy, were coming to prominence. In August 2003, Stiff Little Fingers released their ninth studio album, Guitar and Drum, which includes a moving tribute to Joe Strummer, entitled “Strummerville”.

After many studio albums and countless tours, Stiff Little Fingers find themselves more in demand than ever. They are currently working on a new album, and many of the new songs have been debuted at live gigs, with tremendous response from fans. With song titles like Trail of Tears, My Dark Places and Liar’s Club covering topics such as the recent economic collapse, Jake’s personal struggle with depression, and continuing racism in the west. Jake has said, “You’ve probably worked out by now, I don’t do “comedy” songs !!” But the songs continue to inspire fans old and new. Countless people have already contacted Jake to say that “My Dark Places” gave them the strength to tell others about their own bouts with depression.

Though focused on their new material, they always play the old favourites at gigs. Jake said, “You have to strike a balance. The difficulty with a band like ourselves is to try not make it sound like a cabaret band. Obviously, it’d be very easy to go, ‘Hey, here’s another old one you may remember.’ A lot of the old songs the audience greet like old friends. I suppose it’s the same as any band that’s been around for any length of time. And yes, there are nights that we don’t particularly want to play “Alternative Ulster” or “Suspect Device” because we’ve heard them ‘til they’re coming out our ears. But there’s always the possibility that somebody out there has never seen the band before, never heard them.”

Using the band’s rich musical foundation as a building block, the time has come to bring the newest chapter of the band’s music to the world. The new songs, penned over the last decade, show a definite musical growth in the band. The result is the band’s latest release – No Going Back was released in March 2014.

Stiff Little Fingers under the banner “In Your Backyard – Summer 2022 Tour” includes the following dates:

Sat, 4^th June Hertfordshire, Stone Valley South Festival

Sun, 5^th June Bedford, Esquires

Tue, 7^th June Southend, Chinnerys

Thu, 9^th June Norwich, Waterfront

Fri, 10^th June Northampton, Roadmenders

Sat, 11^th June Merthyr, Merthyr Rising Festival

Mon, 11^th July Frome, Cheese & Grain

Tue, 12^th July Gloucester, Guildhall

Thu, 14^th July Wolverhampton, KK’s Steelmill

Fri, 15^th July Warrington, Parr Hall

Sat, 16^th July County Durham, Kubix Festival

Thu, 28^th July Edinburgh, O2 Academy

Fri, 29^th July Inverness, Belladrum Festival

Sat, 30^th July Aberdeen, Lemon Tree

Mon, 1^st Aug Carlisle, Brickyard

Tue, 2^nd Aug Lincoln, Engine Shed

Wed, 3^rd Aug Buckley, Tivoli

Fri, 5^th Aug Stoke, Sugarmill

Sat, 6^th Aug Coventry, HMV Empire

Sun, 7^th Aug Blackpool, Rebellion Festival

Thu, 18^th Aug Cork, Cyprus Avenue

Fri, 19^th Aug Dublin, Academy

Sat, 20^th Aug Belfast, Custom House Square

Fri, 26^th Aug Hull, Welly

Sat, 27^th Aug Newark, Stone Valley Festival

Thu, 29^th Sep Holmfirth, Picturedrome

Fri, 20^th Sep Blackburn, King George’s Hall

Sat, 1^st Oct Sheffield, HRH Punk Festival

Jake Burns comments “After our March tour we couldn’t wait to be back for the summer, so decided to put in some headline dates in towns we don’t often get the chance to visit – hence the “In Your Backyard” tour title … see you all shortly!”

Tickets for all shows go on-sale @ 10.00am on Friday 29^th April (except Festivals, Southend, Norwich, Northampton, Gloucester, Buckley Warrington, Cork, Dublin, Belfast which are on sale now).

The shows in Norwich & Northampton are re-scheduled dates from the March tour.

Guests for the tour to be announced.