- Interview with:
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- All questions were answered by Jake Burns.
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- Q: Punk scene, Belfast 1977-78, SLF?
A: In
Belfast in '77-'78 there were about three bands playing the kind of stuff we wanted to do.
The Outcasts, were probably the most straight ahead "punk" band, Rudi, who were
a bit more "glam" (Very New York Dolls) and S.L.F. who were always knocked for
being too "heavy metal"!?! It was impossible to get gigs in the established
venues as they all had resident bands or wanted you to play "Freebird". So,
along with the other bands mentioned we had to hire halls and promote ourselves. Having
said that it was a lot of fun and you did get the feeling that you were part of something
"different".
- Q: After all these years how do
you feel about music and people around it?
A: I
assume by this you mean "punk" music. I think that what started out as a genuine
desire to change the music industry and shake it up a bit has become another form of
entertainment. Most new "punk" bands are doing nothing new, and are deriding the
older bands for changing while slavishly copying everything they did 20 years ago, yet
they still consider themselves young new and dangerous. Nothing could be further from the
truth. They are more cartoons.
- Q: Did YOU have any problems with some of the
sides in Irish "civil war"?
- A: Yes,
but it's not a thing I want to talk about.
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- Q: Please explain us that ogilvie-fingers
"cooperation", who is Ogilvie? Did you stop making songs with him?
A:(Gordon) Ogilvie, was the band's first manager and my flat-mate.
Although he looked after the group, his first love was song-writing and he & I wrote
the majority of S.L.F.'s material. However, as we didn't like to split the individual
song-writing credits among the band we credited everything I or Henry wrote as
"Fingers". The problem with this was that Gordon wasn't a member of the band as
such so we had to credit him seperately, hence "Fingers/Ogilvie". He often
claimed that we were Stiff Little Fingers and he was the Stiff Little Thumb!
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- Q: About new album and line-up?
- A: The
new album is called: "Hope St." and will be released on EMI Records on Feb 15th
1999. The band's line-up is: Jake Burns: Guitar/Vocals, Bruce Foxton: Bass/Vocals, Steve
Grantley: Drums/Vocals and Ian McCallum: Guitar/Vocals. This is the same line-up as
recorded "Tinderbox" and seems to have settled down to being the best S.L.F.
line-up ever. (In my opinion, anyway!)
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- Q: A lot of bands did some SLF cover, which
are your favourites and why?
A: I haven't heard that many covers of our material so I'm probably not the best
person to answer that question!
Q: How much do you know about Yugoslavia, our
situation now? Would you like to come and play here?- A: I
only know that the situation in Yugoslavia is very sad. It seems to me to be similar to
Ireland but even more ferocious. It is a terrible thing when human beings feel the need to
kill one another because they cannot live together. I hope your land can heal itself as
soon as possible. When that happens, we would love to play there.
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- Q: I think you had a period off SLF? What
were you doing then? What were you doing before SLF?
A: When I
had time off from S.L.F. I had another band called: "Jake Burns & The Big
Wheel" (an obvious steal from "Elvis Costello & The Attractions!") who
recorded three singles but nothing happened. I also spent a year working as a producer for
BBC Radio 1, which is the main pop music station in the U.K.
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- Q:You've played with all
"important" punk bands from all periods of punk-rock. What bands were "most
pleasant" experience? Have you ever played with some mainstream rock-stars?
A: The Tom
Robinson Band was without doubt the "most pleasant" experience. They gave us a
big break when we really needed it and although we were only the support band, they went
out of their way to try to help us and make life easy for us. Yeah, we've played with
many, "Main stream" stars, probably the most "mainstream" being Bob
Dylan!
Q: Why did you stop making reggae/dub songs,(maybe
I am wrong, I didn't listen "tinderbox"cd)
A: That wasn't a conscious decision, we just didn't have any at the time. There is a
reggae-style song on "Hope St." ("Last Train from the Wasteland.") and
a cover of an old Jimmy Cliff song: "You Can Get It if you Really Want."
Q: Do you still live in Belfast? Are you family people now?
A: No, I left Belfast 20 years ago. Bruce, Steve and myself are all married but none
of us have any kids. Ian is still available. (All short-sighted ladies should form an
orderly queue at the stage door!)
Q: What is "johnny 7" song about? What is your fave SLF song of all
times?
A: A "Johnny 7" was a toy gun available when we were kids. Henry wrote the
song about wanting to escape back to his childhood, when things were a lot simpler.
Q: Message to Yugoslav audience (and S.C.A.B. readers in whole).
A: I think my answer to question 7 sums up everything I would like to say to our
Yugoslavian audience, except to say that it will get better. These things have to. As soon
as we can we would love to come see you.
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