"If it wasn't for your stiff little fingers
  nobody would know you were dead."
So go the lyrics to "Stiff Little Fingers" by the Vibrators,
released in '77 as the b-side to their "London Girls" single.

The Stiff Little Fingers have changed so much and have been going for so long that the whole band has almost totally changed. In '77, Jake Burns -vocals and guitar, Henry Cluney -guitar, Gordon Blair-bass and Brian Faloon -drums, were in a cover band called Highway Star, in Belfast. Blair was soon replaced by Ali McMordie. Early in the year they saw the Clash play in Belfast, and were inspired to cut their hair and rename themselves. They started out playing covers of punk songs.

Left to right: Jake Burns, Henry Cluney, Brian Faloon, Ali McMordie

Gordon Ogilvie, a local journalist, encouraged them to write their own songs about life in Belfast. Jake came back twelve days later with "Suspect Device" and "Wasted Life". Soon they released those two songs on their own Rigid Digits label, with an initial pressing of only 350. Ogilvie sent a copy to BBC Radio One DJ John Peel (he's been going a long time eh!), who started playing it every night.

A local mgazine called Alternative Ulster asked the band to write a song specially for a giveaway flexi-disc(?). The deal fell through but, "Alternative Ulster" became a single released in October of '78. it became a classic.In the autumn of '78, SLF toured the UK and gathered a solid following. That resulted in their first album, the now legendary Inflammable Material LP, debuting in the UK charts at #14. The album sings about the band's anger and frustration at "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland, and calls on young to create their own Ireland.

That was the beggining of SLF and that was alot I am only going to talk about SLF in there first few years-the punk years! As said above Inflammable material was there best LP and these are the songs I know and love.

The Band

 

Jake Burns


Jake Burns is the only original member in the current line-up. The primary songwriter and vocalist throughout, he's the heart and soul of SLF. After SLF split in '83, he formed a group called Jake Burns and The Big Wheel, and later worked as a producer at BBC Radio One. His musical influences include The Clash, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Dr. Feelgood, and Bob Marley. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he now lives in Newcastle, England.

 

 

 

 

Henry Cluney

Henry Cluney was one of the original members of SLF, and was in all of the groups until '93. Always a fan of heavy metal as well as punk, (and a huge T-rex fan) Henry established himself as a rock dj in Belfast, and had a regular show there for several years. Henry moved to the States in '97, to live with his new wife Carol, in Rochester, Minnesota.

 

Ali McMordie

Ali McMordie played bass from the beginning of SLF untilthe break up in '83. Ali played on the first few years of reunion tours, but decided not to stay with the band permanently. He now lives in New York City and is bass player and tour manager for the "technopunk" artist Richard Hall, aka Moby.

 

Thanks to the SLF Website for the info and pics of SLF any comments please email me at [email protected] .