51) Stiff Little Fingers Inflammable Material

July 1996, I saw the reformed Sex Pistols on their Filthy Lucre tour at the SECC in Glasgow.

SLF supported. Our main talking point from the back of the hall was that the bass player moved like Bruce Foxton from The Jam. Yes, to diehard fans I know it’s a basic error he had been in the band for six years by then, apologies.

SLF had fell off my radar, but they were excellent that night and their compilation All the Best was resurrected and reintroduced to my CD player.

I bought Inflammable Material years later, it’s a great debut album, punk was about dissatisfaction, SLF were from Northern Ireland, and they were living through the troubles as reflected in the lyrics. This made for an intense album. Jake Burns has the perfect punk voice, although it sounds as if he has a permanent sore throat, an Irish Joe Strummer, which he would take as a compliment, I am sure.

The singles Wasted Life, Suspect Device and Alternative Ulster would appear on any punk best of, and their debut is up there with The Clash and the Pistols for quality.

There is not a bad song on this debut, but I will give special mention to No More of That, Barbed Wire Love, and their cover of Marley’s Johnny Was.

If you like your music fast paced with meaning give it a go.

They are still going strong to this day, even without Bruce.

8.5/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: No More of That