I lost my glasses at one of their gigs at Brixton Academy back in the 80s - SLF brought so much energy to the house - everybody just jumped up and down - ah happy days...
In 1980 I went to an SLF gig and the drummer was throwing out sticks....I said to my mate 'if I catch one i'm buying a set of drums at the weekend'....The most influential band EVER. Brave, bold, when saying it as it was would get you kneecapped....Cheers Jake and guys, you changed the direction of my life....and the drumstick has pride of place still.
So did you buy the drum kit back in 1980? I actually thought it was Russ Abbot on the drums when I first saw this video. Sorry, I love SLF, but I couldn't resist saying that.
@@wednesdayk.7156 HA..'What an Atmosphere' !!!..yes I did buy it...here it is in all its glory ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j-OLatN0yig.html
My band opened for them in '98 when Bruce Foxton was still on bass. Bloody fine gentlemen. Great show. 20+min "Johnny Was" and a good 80-90min set. After the show Jake and Bruce were drinking champagne out of champagne flutes...we lightheartedly took the piss out of them about the flutes, they gave us some very good feedback about our set and, were extremely generous with the champagne. They told me that they were listening to our set and they agreed that they would need to "step it up a notch or two" because we were a class support act and, had set the bar reasonably high. Truth? After show banter? Who knows, but I saw them in 1980...which was a GAMECHANGER, but the 1998 Toronto set was damn fine. It's a lot of work playing night after night and, it's physically and mentally draining too. You feel a bit beat up after a week or two on the road - especially when you're 40+ I'm 54. I started doing tours at 16.5. Sleeping on someone's floor if you're lucky. Last tour of more than 2 weeks in '99. Five people in one motel room or, 4 if someone had to sleep with the gear (bands get ripped off so much nowadays). So, be happy you get to see these shows or, videos and, cut them a little bit of slack. Lay off the fat shaming and badmouthing. If you don't like it...just click on another video and, don't go see SLF when they hit your town. I'd go see them myself - I think Jake had a messed up throat for around 18 months. Should be good now Oh, my band was Bitter Grin. I played with them from '97-'99 then I moved back to Vancouver Cheers
@@dougsmith7083 Tough but fun being in a band. Most definitely easier when you’re young. Weird times to write during too. I’ve seen plenty of pals go on to do it at medium to huge levels. They still experience loads of shit on the way. Divorces, band infighting. The money when it appears often is a small consolation. A couple took time off living properly in their homes and came back better. I’d love to go out and see the ‘finger next week if I could! 2022 will be a big year for tours!!! I’ll dial up on Bitter Grin now.
Shame Jake doesn't/can't sing with the same rasping vocals that he used to. I remember the day I first heard the Inflammable Material album....life changing.
He was beat/sick for this show. He still sings crisp, clear and high pitched like he has since the early 90's. No one can sing like how he did for the first 5 years of SLF, it ruins your throat and it's impossible to keep it up.
Tate Thompson Which is really the point I was making of course. It was an observation, not a criticism. Without him singing the way he used to, it really isn't the same.
Saw them live 3 times, Friars Aylesbury in 79, Guildford Civic Hall in 1980 and the Guildford Civic hall in 1981. I remember in Guildford half way through some skins started giving it the big one, Jake stopped, snapped his fingers and several man mountains appeared and you can guess the rest. The concert then carried on after.
These guys were punk, they lived through a very dark period in time and witnessed brutally daily. Don't think the English bands could say that! Up the Stiffs!
@@christophercurtis2893 Yes, I don't think a punk band from London could say that they had the same reason as a punk band from Belfast for rebelling against the system, especially in the late 70s and early 80s.
@@christophercurtis2893 Any chance of those cultures planting a bomb at the venue or machine gunning the band on their way home from the gig? What were the London bands rebelling against? The unarmed police or the standard of council housing? The price of safety pins?
They should come back to the island bloody awesome band, , , we need a punk weekend like they do in Skegness, . and get some great bands to play, ie slf the damned, buzzcocks, sexpistols, gbh,,ect ect, id pay for a ticket as long as its not over a tenner. lol.
+XTSY Jake Burns & Ali McMordie are originals from the band's heyday... Ian on guitar & Steve on drums are later additions. Since Jake wrote & sang almost all the songs anyway, any band with him in it has the right to call itself SLF.