Stiff Little Fingers, Crash Gallery and Flesh Lights at Emo's [Show Preview]

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Stiff Little Fingers, Crash Gallery and Flesh Lights
Friday, August 19
Emos (603 Red River St)
$18, doors at 9pm
[info] | [tickets]

While they may not have the same immediate recognition as their punk-rock contemporaries The Ramones, The Sex Pistols and The Buzzcocks, Northern Ireland's Stiff Little Fingers were similarly influential in the hook-filled, politically conscious punk movement simultaneously blooming in the U.S. and the U.K. in the mid 1970s. The band was formed by guitarist and vocalist Jake Burns in 1977, legend has it, after seeing a Clash show in his hometown of Belfast. A couple of singles quickly followed, and after one of them garnered repeated radio play by influential DJ John Peel, the band penned a distribution deal with Rough Trade Records. One of the label's first-ever releases was "Alternative Ulster", which became a huge hit for Stiff Little Fingers, and an instant punk rock classic; it remains possibly their most well known song. Its catchy guitar melody and Burns's scratchy voice and lyrics about societal control are emblematic of Stiff Little Fingers' sound.

Several lineup changes and temporary breakups never could totally stop the band, and they'll play Emo's tonight with a lineup that features reunited bassist Ali McMordie, from the band's late '70s heyday. At a Glasgow gig in March, the band hinted that a new album was in the works, which we'll hopefully hear before the end of the year.