When stiff little fingers formed in Belfast in the late 70s, the idea of them playing an outdoor gig for thousands beside the High Court would have been beyond a surreal joke.
But the veteran punks are back at Custom House Square in the city centre after their 2017 and 2018 show at the same place were incendiary bombs.
SLF never really had the boyish charm and pop hooks of The Undertones, but unlike the Derry lads, they tackled the Troubles head on, trying to make sense of the horror, with escapist punk classics like Alternative Ulster, Suspect Device and Wasted Life forming their teenage kicks.
Decades later, they’re still working under the banner of, “putting the fast in Belfast”, and they’ll be knocking it out for years to come.
- Stiff Little Fingers play The Academy in Dublin tonight (Friday) and Custom House Square in Belfast tomorrow
Moo Kid 