Stiff Little Fingers – Raise Your Voice Tour // The Meffs // Live Review // Rock City // Nottingham

Stiff Little Fingers can rightfully be considered pioneers of the Northern Irish punk scene. Now in the 49^th year since their formation, they show no signs of slowing down or of dampening the enthusiasm they have for their craft. Tonight, on a balmy Friday in the East Midlands, they’re bringing the aptly named Raise Your Voice Tour to an adoring crowd.

First, it’s the turn of THE MEFFS, who have been given half an hour to get everybody in the mood for the main event. For the most part, they largely succeed. The Essex duo of Lily Hopkins and Lewis Copsey, on guitar/vocals and drums/vocals respectively, play their own riotously loud ‘Britpunk’. In a nutshell, this is punk stripped back to its purest form, but it also has elements of more complex things too. Slower, chugging riffs at times suggest an edge of sludge metal, and there are doomier touches. There’s even the slightest flourish of death metal vocals as they draw to a close. Razor-sharp guitar work, with a distinct EDM flavour, calls to mind their Essex forebears Prodigy and that’s even before they slip in a cover of Breathe halfway through the set. This is an accomplished performance from an act who are clearly going places.

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The crowd has grown throughout the opening act, and the room is positively packed when STIFF LITTLE FINGERS take to the stage. They immediately rip into Tin Soldiers, with the crowd more than prepared to sing along. Nobody’s Hero follows, with no real room to breathe between songs. This sort of thing is bread and butter to a band of SLF’s quality, and their experience and expertise are on show from the get-go. They sound as urgent and as righteously pissed off at the state of the world as they did when they emerged in 1977, at the height of The Troubles. Punk’s ethos has always been to be a voice of rebellion against oppression alongside being a clarion call for unity, qualities that it shares, in no small part, with reggae. SLF use this to their advantage and belt out punked-up covers of Bunny Wailer’s Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae and Bob Marley’s Johnny Was, the latter reserved for the encore. Ska too embraces similar stylings, as evidenced by their version of Doesn’t Make It Alright, originally released by The Specials.

The messaging throughout is clear. The world is a dark place right now, and we need to stick together and stand up to tyranny and discrimination if we’re going to survive this. Whilst punk is, and has always been, political, there are personal stories on show too. Walkin Dynamite is an homage to the boxer Sonny Liston. Bits of Kids is a portrait of child poverty seen through the lens of the band’s native Belfast. Indeed, the members’ upbringing during such a turbulent point in history informs much of their earlier work. State of Emergency and Suspect Device still hit with the same force whilst painting an image of a period of upheaval that still leaves long shadows across their part of the world. Frontman Jake Burns, the sole member to have been with the band since their formation, leads proceedings with consummate aplomb, joking with the crowd at points and taking time to explain the meanings behind some songs. The fact that they’re still so relevant in 2026 is testament to how things definitely haven’t changed for the better in recent years. In particular, Raise Your Heart is a defiant swipe at the divisive politics of the Trump administration, specifically as they pertain to immigration. Amongst the aggression, there are deeper feelings on display. Just Fade Away is an ode to lost love. Silver Lining bemoans wealth and social disparity. Written in the 80s, it still carries weight in our current decade.

Throughout the set, Stiff Little Fingers remind everyone of why they’re so important to this scene. They play songs about their roots and their history, but everything still sounds bang up to date, helped by the fact that they’re all fantastic musicians. Jake’s gruff delivery brings the songs to life, with his guitar flourishes entwining through everything as well as firing out belting solos. On drums, Steve Grantley is never still, a veritable dervish of percussion. Ian McCallum on rhythm guitar locks in perfectly between Jake’s fearsome lead riffs. Bassist Ali McMordie supplies the rumbling, tumultuous heartbeat underneath. They’re a close-knit unit and also clearly enjoying themselves. They’ve certainly got the crowd in the palms of their hands. In the quieter moments, when there are any, people are enraptured. The appeal of Stiff Little Fingers has yet to lessen and, in these most uncertain of times, the spirit of punk certainly never will. Music like this is a necessity. It all ends with a final urgent blast, as Alternative Ulster brings the curtain down and sends everyone out into the August night with their ears ringing, hearts pumping and heads held high. We’ve witnessed a masterclass in punk rock. Here’s to the next 49 years.

SLF.Rocks

Review: Aaron Bulley

Stiff Little Fingers Setlist

Tin Soldiers

Nobody’s Hero

Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae (Bunny Wailer cover)

Raise Your Voice

Back to Front

State of Emergency

Walkin’ Dynamite

Silver Lining

At the Edge