Punk was never really my thing ... I mean at the height of the punk explosion in the middle 70s I was just getting into the NWOBHM* and the likes of Motorhead**, Saxon, Judas Priest et .al.
I was growing my hair long, getting a leather jacket. The thought of a mohican, bondage trousers, make-up and a safety pin in the nose just seemed ... well so ridiculous!!  | | Bruce Foxton | | | Weblinks | SLF - News, articles pictures and more ... The Brickyard - live music venue in the heart of Carlisle. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. |
But now, some 20 odd years later, the idea of music being so divisive seems quite strange. With Tony Christie at the top of the charts and been hailed as a cult icon by people of all ages, it's perhaps time to look at music for what it is, not punk or metal or reggae, but just good music or bad music!But enough of the soapbox philosophy ... what was the concert like? Can a band that was one of the main-stays of the punk movement in the 70s still cut it today? Or did the crowd at The Brickyard just come out to see four old blokes make complete and utter ****s of them-selves?Just after 11:30pm a huge cheer came up from the crowd at The Brickyard as 'Go For It' played the SLF boys onto the stage and - out they came: Jake Burns, Bruce Foxton, Ian McCallum and Steve Grantley ... And of course some one in the audience who had to try a stage dive!
This didn't go down too well with either SLF or the bouncers, who stopped and ejected said diver from the venue (hope he thought it was worth missing the gig for!) Then before starting/resuming Jake gave the audience a 'wee talking to': "Anyone throws anything or try's that again - we're f*****g right off out of here!". Then they played .... With big meaty bass riffs coming from Foxton and the frantic machine gun playing of Burns this was going to be a fast and furious night. Starting with 'Nobody's Hero' SLF powered their way through all their classics, and a few new tunes too, for some 70 minutes, before been called back on stage for two encores. SLF's St. Patrix's tour dates for 2005 | March 16 - Aberdeen: Lemon Tree
March 17 - Glasgow: Barrowland
March 18 - Carlisle: Brickyard
March 19 - Newcastle: Newcastle University
March 21 - Liverpool: Carling Academy
March 22 - Leeds: Met University
March 24 - Newport: N. City Live Arena
March 25 - London: The Forum
March 26 - Brighton: Concorde 2
March 27 - Cambridge: The Junction
March 29 - Northampton: Roadmender
March 30 - Stoke on Trent: The Sugarmill
March 31 - Bristol: Carling Academy |
With a full 90 minutes of music behind them SLF left the stage smiling and waving, to an audience who would have been happy if they'd played on all night ... though whether the audience had as much stamina as the band might just be called into question!For a band whose peak of fame was 20+ years ago SLF have a dedicated and growing following. In the audience were kids who weren't alive during Punk's first heyday to dedicated followers, who go where ever SLF go! (Dego from Glasgow had been at the first three night's of this tour). So is SLF's current popularity a transient thing? Who knows? But they do play some damned fine music! See exclusive photos of the gig » *NWOBHM = new wave of British heavy metal.
** There are some schools of thought that say there isn't a difference between Motorhead and the Punk Rock movement.
Your Comments: Had a top night and I would just like to say that "what a good inspiration for my own band." Kevin Irwin how can u class yourself in the same leauge as jake burn. the man is a man who after 30 yrs,old bloke!!!!!, he is great, his music is his life. were will u be in 30 yr ............ john haswell | 
