1,212 STIFF LITTLE FINGERS, The Professionals, TV Smith, Bristol O2 Academy, Thursday 10th March 2022

 

Following a back pain-induced pause, I can finally get gigging again! And a couple of additional auspicious occasions tonight; firstly, another landmark gig number, this of course being the “roadie” number (1-2, 1-2, geddit? No? Oh well…), and secondly, the return to my “Spring Dance Card” of the traditional “Mad March to Bristol” to see original 70’s political punks Stiff Little Fingers! Their last “Mad March” date, just before the initial 2020 Covid lockdown, had clashed with my Nada Surf Electric Ballroom gig (gig. 1,180), and obviously 2021 didn’t happen, so for me this was 2 years away from this traditional date. So I was glad to make this “MMTB” no. 15 out of 18 years in the noughties thus far, and my 20^th time overall for SLF. And, given the current horrendous world events, a much-needed night out. One wonders what Fingers frontman Jake Burns will have to say about the state of the world…

 Rich and Ady joined us for the usual Lauda-esque hammer down the M4, hitting the venue midway through opener TV Smith, the former vocalist of 70’s punk rabble The Adverts. Rakishly thin and sporting Dennis The Menace punk attire, he wasn’t remaining silent about current events, introducing “The Immortal Rich” with the diatribe, “who’s gonna pay for [their wars]? It’s not the immortal rich!” Full of nervous tension, punk attitude and righteous indignation, he and his road-worn acoustic fired up the crowd perfectly with a great rendition of The Adverts’ classic “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” (preceded by a story of their first visit to Belfast; “a local band called Stiff Little Fingers supported us and they blew us off the stage!”), and a fine finale of “One Chord Wonders”, Smith belying his age with some energetic high-kicking. Good start!

A merch stand visit then back in for main support The Professionals. Formed in the late 70’s by former Sex Pistols guitar/ drum duo Steve Jones and Paul Cook, I confess they passed me by back then, as I delved more into the post-punk slew of bands, but tonight they played some tough, tight and strong-armed street punk with occasionally surprisingly good vocal harmonies and choral hooks, propelled by the pounding drums of sole remaining Pistol Cook. “Silly Thing” was an inevitable mid-set highlight, “Kick Down The Doors” shared a similarly fine descending guitar riff, and if some of the set veered too much into worthy but samey pub rock territory, they finished strongly with “a cover of a cover” of the Monkees’ via Pistols’ “Stepping Stone”. Plus, Paul Cook is Punk Rock Royalty of the highest order, so there!

 

We kept our usual floor spot, house left, as the DJ saw fit to regale us with assorted 70’s TV theme tunes! Finally, the Finest Entrance Music In Rock, the rousing instrumental “Go For It”, kicked in, the usual “diddly-do!” mass singalong resonating around the venue as SLF took the stage, vocalist Jake Burns now strikingly bald (a legacy of getting too tired to wrestle with his ongoing alopecia problem, apparently!) and, between his tiny guitarist Ian McCallum and preying mantis bassist Ali McMordie, looking more monolithic than usual! “Let’s try that again,” Burns wryly muttered before ripping into an incendiary “Suspect Device”, followed in breathless short order by “At The Edge” and “Fly The Flag”, an astounding opening triple-salvo, all played with vim and righteous venom. They can’t keep this up, surely?

 Inevitably, the answer was no… “Welcome to 19/20/20!” Burns confusingly announced before “Hope Street”, with an undulating “Just Fade Away” and fist-punching “Bits Of Kids” next up. “When We Were Young” was good too (Burns commenting on the irony of introducing this song after recently reaching his “Beatles” birthday – 64!) and the angular skank of “Roots Radicals Rockers And Reggae” fired the crowd up; however for me much of the mid-set song selection was wanting, and the band, Burns’ voice particularly, were showing notable ring-rust, inevitable after a couple of years away (and this being the opening date of this tour!), and entirely excusable in all honesty. “Barbed Wire Love” (preceded by McMordie asking us to, “spare a thought for the people of Ukraine”) was however a set highlight, and they nonetheless finished the set strongly with a powerful “Wasted Life” and superb run through the rarely played “Gotta Getaway”.

 And as for what Jake had to say? Well, actions spoke louder than words, as he emerged for the encore sporting a yellow Ukraine football shirt to cheers from this crowd, leading the band through a splendid “Tin Soldiers” and final number “Alternative Ulster”, dedicated to Gavin Martin, his old mate and editor of the 70’s fanzine of the same name, who sadly passed earlier today. An easy list then home promptly. Not their best, but understandable given the circumstances. And no matter; we’ll still be back again next March!