Stiff Little Fingers (SLF), the legends from Northern Ireland, are presently on their final coast-to-coast tour of the United States. Barring any future festival or one-off appearances, this show at the iconic Metro may have been the farewell to Chicago. It was especially poignant as SLF founder and frontman and his wife, Shirley Sexton, called Chicago home for several years. The couple moved to rural West Virginia in 2023. In addition, the tour’s name comes from the “Hate Has No Home Here” campaign here in Chicago.
SLF brought along fellow Northern Ireland musician Ricky Warwick for a fun acoustic solo set.
Jake Burns recently spoke with Dying Scene about this coast-to-coast tour of the United States being the last the band will be doing. He left the door open for possible one-off shows and festival appearances.
And what a show this night at the Metro was. Look in one direction there were many friends from the Chicago punk scene, including members of Pegboy and Naked Raygun, as well as many other musicians. Look in another direction and you saw people representing Liar’s Club and other venues in which Burns, with SLF or with other musicians performed. The show also brought fans from across the country and the Pond. Right up front was Martin, a fan with a large SLF tattoo on his arm. Martin informed me he had just flown in from Belfast, the city in which Burns was born and raised.
Following some introductory music, the band – Jake Burns, Ali McMordie, Steve Grantley, and Ian McCallum – tore into one of its most famous songs, “Suspect Device.” The song is from the band’s landmark album Inflammable Material. Stiff Little Fingers’ roaring performance of the song set the mood for the night.
Burns also spoke of how special it was to be back in Chicago and the campaign that inspired both the title of the tour and the song they then launched into — “Hate Has No Home Here.” The song also indicates the powerful music the band is still capable of producing.
Stiff Little Fingers put in a solid 75 minutes. The set included the classics, “Wasted Life,” “Gotta Getaway,” and “Tin Soldiers.” Burns spoke of how Joe Strummer of The Clash inspired SLF as an introduction to “Strummerville.”
The band closed out the night with a fiery rendition of its most famous and greatest song, “Alternative Ulster.” With the crowd singing loudly along, there was no doubt this was a special night for the band, and for all those in attendance. I felt so fortunate to witness Stiff Little Fingers retiring from regular touring on such a high note. Stiff Little Fingers is one of the pioneering bands of punk music from the genre’s first generation. The band’s power never wavered.
Thank you gentlemen!
Ricky Warwick, from Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, kicked off the night with a blasting performance. Warwick has a long-time affiliation with Stiff Little Fingers, having performed with the legends in Glasgow in 1993. The performance appeared on the live record Pure Fingers in 1995. Warwick listed his favorite SLF songs in 2016. Warwick, also a member of The Almighty and Black Star Riders, among other bands, took the stage with just an acoustic guitar and his powerful voice.
Warwick ripped through a set including the Black Star Riders’ “Kingdom of the Lost,” and songs from his solo work, the rousing “The Arms of Belfast Town,” and “The Whiskey Song – Feckin Whiskey.”
Warwick performed a stirring rendition of Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak.” Ricky Warwick, in 2009, joined Thin Lizzy as its lead singer. In 2011, he toured with the band in Europe as it commemorated the 25 years since the death of lead singer Phil Lynott. Warwick was a charismatic and compelling presence and a great opener for Stiff Little Fingers.
What a memorable night. Stiff Little Fingers may be taking leave from the stage regularly. However, its music will never leave us.
