Oh yes, this is one of the best bands ever. For me anyway, since i saw them in Hamburg on my 16th birthday (boy, am i old). I guess everybody by now knows about their history and the struggles of punk in Northern Ireland. As such i waste no time and just make it firm that this is most likely one of the best and most influential punk seven inches.
The verdict:
1977 – actually 1978 for the initial issue, indeed punk as punk could be
published by a cool lable – 1978 by Rigit Digit DIY, re-issue 1981 by Rough Trade.
found in a cool shop – Membran (the Rough Trade one for sure)!
catching sound – any dispute? Go fuck yourself!
the lyrics – focusing on the B side this is the best ever reflection on the Northern Ireland situation back then, what a waste it was!
And that takes us straight into “Wasted Life”:
I could be a soldier Go out there and fight to save this land Be a people's soldier Paramilitary gun in hand I won't be no soldier I won't take no orders from no-one Stuff their fucking armies Killing isn't my idea of fun (Chorus) They wanna waste my life They wanna waste my time They wanna waste my life And they've stolen it away I could be a hero Live and die for their 'important' cause A united nation Or an independant state with laws And rules and regulations That merely cause disturbances and wars That is what I've got now All thanks to the freedom-seeking hordes (Chorus) I'm not gonna be taken in They said if I don't join them I just can't win I've heard that story many times before And every time I threw it out the door Still they come up to me With a different name but same old face I can see the connection With another time and different place They ain't blonde haired or blue eyed But they think that they're the master race They're nothing but blind facists Brought up to hate and given lives to waste (Chorus:repeat) (c) 1978 Fingers
And without further ado be blown away many times:
Live on the Rough Trade tour 1979
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVUcN-6hOdk
Live Belfast 1981
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10EAYxodV9E
Live unknown, i’d say mid 80s – a rather dull one with odd guitar work…the reason they folded initially i’d say and proof that great bands can also screw up! Good to see that Jake Burns did a turn around and is still going strong!
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