ShareStiff Little Fingers with special guest Glen Matlock, performing their Hate Has No Home Here Tour at Rock City Nottingham on Monday 12th March 2024.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Stiff Little Fingers brought their unique blend of protest and musicality to Rock City on Monday for the opening night of their Hate Has No Home Here tour and showed that they are still as relevant as ever.
Getting the crowd warmed up was the legendary Glen Matlock, the original bassist of the iconic Sex Pistols, who unleashed a torrent of sonic brilliance in support of his latest album Consequences Coming. Opening with Won’t Put The Brakes On Me, he delivered a set list that included his punk rock classics and deep cuts which spanned his illustrious career such as Pretty Vacant, as well as his solo endeavours.
But it was songs from his latest album that dominated, such as Magic Carpet Ride, Can’t Be Myself With You and a magnificent re-interpretation of K.D Lang’s Constant Craving. Matlock powered through with a rocking Consequences Coming and a foot tapping hard rocking and politically charged Head On A Stick.
With music that had captivated the crowd, Matlock had delivered some cracking songs from an enigmatic and long lasting icon in British music.
When the familiar strains of Go For It blasted out, SLF took to the stage and immediately set the tone for the evening with the machine gunned Suspect Device. Jake Burns’ voice was in fine form, even though the sound quality wasn’t at its best, and his guitar playing was on point and as distinctive as ever. With Ali McMordie and Steve Grantley laying down a thunderous rhythm and Ian McCallum adding guitar and backing vocals, they delivered all of the old fans favourites such as Tin Soldier, Fly The Flag and Get A Life.
Hit single At The Edge sounded as sharp as ever whilst Nobody’s Hero was played with just as much fire in the belly as it was way back in 1980. With SLF having put such a stamp on Roots, Radicals, Rockers And Reggae over the years it was easy to forget that it was originally by Bunny Wailer.
For the encore there was The Special’s Doesn’t Make It Alright before the obligatory Alternative Ulster brought the evening to an end showing that SLF still remain as relevant, vital and on point as they did when they formed in 1977.
