Stiff Little Fingers, Glen Matlock – The Roundhouse – 23rd March 2024

Punk veterans SLF return to London before embarking on a tour of the States – we visited to see if they were as sharp as ever…

This is the last date on the UK leg of the ‘Hate Has No Home Here’ tour, which has seen Stiff Little Fingers visiting selected locations around the UK before heading off for an extensive tour of the US. and arriving early at the Roundhouse I’m struck by how cavernous the place is, especially when sparsely filled and the lights are up.

Glen Matlock

There is a steady stream of folks filing in though to see the support this evening which comes from none other than Glen Matlock of Sex Pistols fame. Glen has been in a good few bands since the heady days of the late 70’s and has been persuing a solo career for quite a while now and knocking out some interesting material so I was keen on seeing how this translated to a live environment.

By the time the lights went down and Glen and his band take to the stage venue has filled considerably and we’ve been listening to some classic rock and roll over the PA to get us in the mood. And the material fits into this vibe quite nicely, certainly not the snarling attitude of the Pistols but something gentler and more accessible, more rock and roll from the 50’s and 60’s if anything. That’s not to say it is bad, just different and if the audience this evening were hoping to hear a medley of Pistols numbers, they’d be sadly disappointed.

Matlock looks very happy to be playing, commenting that he’s never played at the Roundhouse before. He starts the proceedings with several “are you ready for some rock and roll?” shoutouts to the crowd which get a positive response! Quite a few of the songs this evening are from the current album, Consequences Coming, along with a few from the Matlock back catalogue.

The title track from Consequences Coming is a catchy number that highlights Matlocks pop sensibilities and song writing ability. Magic Carpet Ride has some nifty slide guitar (from the 2nd guitarist, only introduced as “Chris“!) and gives more than a nod of influence to Slade and Bolan circa 70’s.

Constant Craving is a re-working of the KD Lang track and it sounds pretty good for it too. Blank Generation is introduced as the song that influenced the writing of the Pistols classic, Pretty Vacant and the crowd sing along with the infectious chorus. Can’t Be Myself With You rocks along at a good pace, glued together nicely by the drums of Chris Musto and the bass of Jim Lowe.

We knew it was coming and eventually we get to Pretty Vacant, although without the rasping vocals of John Lydon and given the more relaxed Matlock treatment it sounds almost like a different song. The crowd still embrace it like an old friend and sing along with that ever so familiar chorus, urged on by Matlock who is clearly enjoying himself.

The set is completed by Head On A Stick which once again showcases impressive song writing abilities. A very enjoyable set and I’d definitely be keen to see Matlock again, perhaps in a more intimate venue where I think the material and atmosphere would really be spot on.

So the lights come up and the stage is prepared for Stiff Little Fingers. The stage dressing is minimal, just a (very nice) large banner and subtle drapes on the amps. There is definitely an air of expectation as the clock ticks round. I think back to the time when I first heard Inflammable Material back in 1979! Thinking how it was so raw, angry and real, quite a juxtaposition to some of the art school type punk that had come before.

Stiff Little Fingers

Interestingly, the music on the PA while we’re waiting is a medley of Abba songs, Jake Burns tell us later in the evening we can thank drummer Steve Grantley for this nice addition! The crowd don’t have to wait too long before the intro tape of Go For It blasts from the PA and SLF take to the stage to a massive cheer and cries of “Fingers!“

No messing and straight into Suspect Device followed by State Of Emergency, a pair of absolute classic songs, the crowd lap them up, singing along, fists in the air. Fly The Flag from Nobody’s Heroes continues in the same vein, if there were any doubts as to whether SLF could still cut it live, they have already been dispelled.

Hate Has No Home Here (also the tour title) is introduced as a song about how political discussion seems to always be about hating this and that rather than anything positive. It’s a new song but clearly from the crowd reaction it could well end up being a favourite. Silver Lining keeps things moving along, Jake Burns voice sounding as good as ever.

Last Train from the Wasteland slows things down and gives the audience some space to dance. Burns comments that he vowed not to write any more songs about Ireland but broke the vow to write this one when he started to see was people walking around in Ireland with smiles on their faces. Some nice positivity. The Bunny Waller cover, Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae keeps the vibe flowing.

SLF in their youth were firecrackers on stage with lots of jumping and activity, the SLF of today is a more measured affair. Ali McMordie on bass bounces around his side of the stage while Ian McCallum on guitar plays it low key. Jake Burns rarely strays far from the mic. Steve Grantley on drums proves that he is no slouch and still able to keep up the pace. None of these guys are young anymore and this obviously impacts their stage presence but you cannot complain about the music. As a unit they sound as good as ever, the individual performances are spotless, the songs are (sadly) still relevant in many cases and they all have infectious killer choruses. What more could you ask for?

Empty Sky picks up the pace and Burns comments that whenever drummer Steve Grantley writes a song, as in this one, it ends up sounding like Motorhead. Not a bad thing methinks! Wasted Life is familiar as soon as the initial guitar refrain rings out around the venue and it is another opportunity for a good sing-a-long.

Strummerville is introduced by an anecdote about Joe Strummer, Burns saying how Joe Strummer was an outstanding live performer and a major influence on him. You can clearly hear this in many of the SLF songs. Then we’re into the closing part of the set that sees three great songs in quick succession – Nobody’s Hero, Tin Soldiers & Gotta Getaway. Each one sees the crowd singling along in good voice, for me “Tin Soldiers” is a particular highlight, such a good song.

So the set ends and SLF leave the stage, only to return a couple of minutes later to blast through the Specials cover Doesn’t Make It Alright which sounds as good as the day it was released. The last song of the evening is predictably Alternative Ulster, which once again is immediately recognisable from the first guitar refrain. One last opportunity to join the band singing along with one of the best songs they’ve ever written.

This brings the night to a suitable close and as people file out of the venue, the PA blasts out the Morecambe and Wise classic Bring Me Sunshine, no doubt another choice from the band. A cracking evening all round.

Stiff Little Fingers will now go on to tour the USA throughout May 2024.

All concert photography by Graham Hilling. You can check out more of his work on his website, here.

Stiff Little Fingers online: Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube

Glen Matlock online: Website / Facebook / X – formerly Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

Keep up with At The Barrier: Facebook / X (formerly Twitter) / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube