Today is Tuesday, that time of the week when we share our playlists and chat about what bands have been on our minds that week.
Alternative Ulster - Stiff Little Fingers
I've been listening to some SLF recently and figured I would share a few tunes of theirs for today. The album Inflammable Material is great and is packed full of great songs, including this one.
For those outside of Ireland, Ulster is the the province of Northern Ireland, where these lads are from. They would be Ireland's biggest, and most recognised Punk band I'd say, and have been going since 1977.
Suspect Device - Stiff Little Fingers
This is the opening song of their album Inflammable Material, it's a great start to an album. It's well worth throwing on if you've never heard it before, and listening to it in its entirety.
I saw them live for the first time in 2018 when they supported Metallica at Slaine Castle. It was really good, but for their sound, I don't think it was the best place to see them. So, a few months later I saw they were playing in the Academy and bought my mum a ticket for her birthday and we all headed up for the night, and it was much better seeing them in a smaller venue.
Wasted Life - Stiff Little Fingers
This was always one of my favourite songs from that album and thought it had a great message. "Stop the fuckin' army, killing isn't my idea of fun."
It's interesting listening to music of the same genre but from different parts of the world, where you can hear a sharp difference between the lyrics of one band in one part of the world, compared to another.
Punk in a way gives a voice to the voiceless, and to a certain extent there's no frills with it, it's just a chance for people to get up and play some music and say what they want to say. Whether it's about dating, daily life, the government, or getting drunk with friends. It can be a window into people's minds in a way, especially when it's raw and isn't overly produced or manufactured with the incentive of earning money.