Stiff Little Fingers/Cherym - Kelvingrove Bandstand, 13th August 2025

Tuesday was the start of the heatwave the BBC news promised us. So, dressed in t-shirts, shorts and suncream, Big Al and I headed off to Kelvingrove Park to see Stiff Little Fingers.

Every year there is a series of concerts at the Bandstand in the Park. There is no theme running through these gigs and lots of different genres come to play. This year, amongst others, Elbow, Billy Ocean and PIL all made an appearance.

The venue itself is outdoors and uncovered and boasts a stage with a tiered area looking down towards the action. On Tuesday it was packed with punks enjoying a bit of sun, a few beers and some live music. It was a great venue, but it would have been a very different night in the rain.

Perhaps it was just me, but I really felt a happiness in the air. We usually see Fingers in Glasgow in March, the nights are cold and, whilst the Barrowlands is great, it doesn’t compare to a great night of outdoor music in the summer. There was a feeling of punk optimism all around the place.

So, first up Cherym an all woman three-piece from Derry. Whilst I enjoyed them, their 35 minutes were not without their challenges. Lead singer and guitarist, Hannah Richardson, seemed to be having some sound issues and twice left the stage causing unexpected absences for her bandmates to manage.

Those two bandmates, drummer Alannagh Docherty and bass player Emer McLaughlin did a lot of heavy lifting during those lengthy periods and were, I thought, an outstanding rhythm section who were more than able to roll with things. When Hannah re-appeared, the set was full of energy and some good tunes. I hope to see them again, and hope they are not beset by issues for the remainder of this run.

Next up, the concert backing music. Gone were the classic punk hits that preceded the arrival of Cherym. For the next 30 minutes punks sang along and danced to ABBA’s greatest hits in the sunshine, it was great to see.

As we approached 9 o’clock Big Al and I were bemoaning the state of the world and all the angst that is imploding on human beings around the globe. Before we could put the world, properly to rights, “Go For It” the instrumental title track from Fingers 1981 album starting blasting through the PA. Minutes later, into the warm August night, the band appeared.

First up the opening track from that same album, the Bunny O’Reily number “Roots, Radicles, Rockers and Reggae”, then, bang, straight into “At the Edge” from the 1980’s Nobody’s Heroes disc. The lyrics from both openers kind of pointed to what Al and I had been chatting about just a moment earlier.

You see, this is exactly why punk is not just a good listen, its needed. Fingers were one of the first band who, in the truest of senses, could claim to be punk. They had something to say about the world and were not afraid to say it. The next 70 minutes of my life were spent listening to a social conscious talking about the need for change in a world that is getting ever more polarised. ‘They take away your freedom in the name of liberty’; a line that could be applied in so many different places and circumstances now. There were songs about mental health, racism, ignorance and wee love song or two. Few bands boast that breadth; it was something the fans loved and engaged with throughout the show.

Tonight, we were getting to watch one of the Godfathers of the genre do what they do best, get pissed off at injustice and fight it with music. So back to that…

“Wasted Life” and “Won’t be Told” took Jake to a wee break where he dedicated the next couple of songs to their inspirations. “Stummerville” got the crowd singing along in praise of the Clash City Rocker that was Joe Strummer. The next dedication was funny, surprising and placed a needle on the nerve of the man it was all about. I am pretty certain Harry Belafonte would not have minded Fingers borrowing his song title with pride. “Mary’s Boy Child” was a great summation of the current US President and, good on Jake for making the point publicly. Just as the song came to an end, I received a news update saying the Smithsonian Museum was being instructed to review its exhibits to ensure they alighted with the Presidents historical views. Once again, bang on the money Jake.

My two favourites of the night came one after the other “Each Dollar an Bullet” and “Harp” both tell their own, different, stories of the perception and life of both 1970’s Ireland and the people who came from that island.

As “My Dark Places” got a well received outing, the sun was beginning to set. The venue looked stunning with the trees lit up, the stage lights doing their job and the temperature remaining high. It really was a great setting.

The final run in was fantastic – “Nobody’s Hero”, “Tin Soldiers”, “Suspect Device” and “Gotta Gettaway” took us to the moment Jake said Hanx and off they popped. These were four of the best punk songs to come out of any guitar and it was great to hear them together.

Whilst the band were off Big Al and I had a wee conflab. The energy from the band tonight was the highest either of us had seen for a while, this was certainly not a group of guys going through the motions or cashing a cheque. Rhythm man Ian McCallum was all over the stage, smiling and jumping high into the air when the muse came upon him. Ali McMordie threw his bass around all night, and, when his right hand wasn’t on the strings, it was in the air. Steve Grantly has been the drumming powerhouse of Stiff Little Fingers for the past 29 years, tonight he showed why, hulking over his drums, he punctuated every song with passion. As for Jake, it was great to see him smile and he clearly enjoyed the feedback and interaction from the crowd. One lucky punk must have impressed, as Jake awarded him his set list at the end of the show.

But we were not quite there yet.

After a couple of minutes, the band were back. Ali told us what most of us already knew, punks were all hippies at heart before blasting into “Barbed Wire Love”.  

There is never any doubt as to what finishes a Fingers show. Everyone knows what is coming next, they are expecting it and looking forward to it. Most of us have heard it many times before, but, as Jake said in an interview a while ago, if there is anyone in the room for which the closer is new song, then it needs done with passion. As always, that passion was right there as the opening riff of “Alternative Ulster” triggered the mosh pit for a final time.

As we wandered back to the car, the night was still warm, and we were in the afterglow of one of the best Fingers gigs, I think, I have seen. Outside, in the summertime, clearly works for the band, I’d love to see them come again when the weather is good.  

No matter when they come back, I hope they bring their guitars, drums anger and passion. Once again, the proved the world needs all four and plenty of it.