“Alternative Ulster” by Stiff Little Fingers

"Alternative Ulster" was Stiff Little Fingers' second single, out in October 1978 and later folded into their 1979 debut, Inflammable Material, and it's Belfast punk at full snarl. It exists because a local fanzine called Alternative Ulster wanted "Suspect Device" for a flexi disc; that one was already spoken for as the band's first single, so Jake Burns offered to write a fresh song instead, and it took the fanzine's name.

What he and Gordon Ogilvie came up with is about the grinding boredom of being young in Belfast, with no place to go and nothing waiting when you arrived. Burns barks it over his and Henry Cluney's slashing guitars, with Ali McMordie's bass and Brian Faloon's drums charging behind. Ed Hollis, who managed Eddie and the Hot Rods, helped them cut demos at Island Studios in London; Island passed, and the band went to Rough Trade.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.