Today, I will share BB2ME number 52: play your songs with all your heart. Specifically, I will describe my affinity for a little-known Irish Punk Rock band, Stiff Little Fingers.
I have liked SLF for decades
One of my favorite topics to talk about is rock music. I’ve been listening to rock and roll music for decades. Many rock fans have a band they like, but not many other people have heard. For me, that band is Stiff Little Fingers. I’ve liked them since high school.
SLF is an Irish punk rock band with a big heart.
In case you’ve never heard of Stiff Little Fingers, and that is probably most of you, they are an Irish punk rock band. They have been around for many, many years. Punk rock was born back in the late 1970s. In London, you had the Sex Pistols and the Clash. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, you had Stiff Little Fingers. I will warn you in case you’ve never heard their music it is an acquired taste. Not for the faint of heart.
SLF’s first album is full of heart and anger
Stiff Little Fingers has released many albums. Their most legendary is their first one, Inflammable Material. It captures a moment in time. This is Belfast the late70s. The troubles is going on all around them. Stiff Little Fingers goes into the studio for a few days and records a killer album full of many of their anthems such as Suspect Device, Barbwire Love, and Alternative Ulster. It is an album full of heart and anger.
I saw SLF in concert in 2019
For the 40th anniversary of Inflammable Material, Stiff Fingers did a special tour. I was lucky enough to catch them on this tour at the Black Cat in downtown Washington, DC. They played the album end to end except for the last song cuz they didn’t like that one. It was a killer concert. I had a blast listening to one of my favorite bands play one of my favorite albums. My heart was pumping the whole show.
BB2ME #52 — Play your songs with all your heart.
Why I wrote this BB2ME
I wrote this billboard for three reasons. Number one, during the concert, Stiff Little Fingers put everything they had into the show. All the energy, heart, sweat, and tears they could muster into playing this album. Number two, I bet if you asked this band 40 years ago if they would be playing these songs, they would have said, “Hell no, we’ll be old men by then.” And number three, you never know when you write something what’s going to stick. In their case, the song Alternative Ulster was a picture of a Northern Ireland that was free rid of the troubles that became a reality for this band. I doubt they had any idea when they wrote that song full of anger about the situation that they could imagine one day; their country would be much better than it was back then.
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
I incorporated this billboard into my life by playing with all my heart. What does that mean? For me, I create a fair amount of content, including blog posts and videos. I do my best to put my heart into it. It’s kind of funny what gets attention and what doesn’t. All I know is that I’m going to do my best because you never know what’s going to become your anthem song.
What about you?
What about you? Are you playing with all your heart? I hope you’re not out there faking it, just trying to get through the day. No, put your heart into it. I think people appreciate what you do, and the best art is created when people put their heart into it.
I am Doug Keating, and this is my letter to my sons.