LIVE REVIEW: Stiff Little Fingers, The Meffs, O2 Academy Bristol, 19/03/2026

Photo Credit: Andy Davies

You must’ve been living under a rock if you’ve not crossed paths with Colchester’s The Meffs by now. The punk two piece have grafted non stop over the past few years, popping up everywhere from sweaty little rooms to some of the UK’s biggest festivals. They wasted no time getting stuck in, grabbing the Bristol crowd straight away with their usual no nonsense garage and indie-punk. Abrasive, fast, and in your face, exactly what you want. The crowd were also treated to a couple of cheeky covers, Breathe by The Prodigy and Identity by X Ray Spex, which pulled in anyone who wasn’t already on board.

The band are loud and proud with their support for the trans community and their disdain for the far right, and Bristol was fully with them. By the time the band had pummelled through forty-five minutes of punk chaos, the Academy floor had properly kicked off, with a huge mosh pit tearing across the dancefloor. Great stuff.

Then onto the main event. Stiff Little Fingers kicked things off, as ever, with Go For It, and the front rows were already bouncing before things had properly got going. The second they launched into Tin Soldiers, the place erupted. Full room singing, proper chaos in the best way.

For a venue that’s known for having, let’s be honest, a pretty muddy sound, tonight was the complete opposite. Everything came through clear, sharp, and loud as it should be. Half the time though, you could barely hear the band over the crowd, especially on tracks like Nobody’s Hero, which felt more like a mass singalong than anything else.

We’ve seen SLF more times than we can count, but this felt like one of those nights where everything just clicked. Jake Burns sounded on top form, and you could tell he was loving it, especially when he dropped in a newer track before tearing straight into Back to Front and State of Emergency, both hitting just as hard as ever.

Bristol got a proper show here, one of those gigs that reminds you why these bands still matter. There are very few from that era still packing out rooms like this year after year, and with SLF sounding as sharp as this, there’s no sign of it slowing down.

From there it was classic after classic. Just Fade Away, Wasted Life, Gotta Getaway, each one lifting the energy again. Watching it all unfold from the balcony, pure chaos down below, was something else. By the time Suspect Device started ringing out, you’d think Bristol had nothing left, but it somehow kicked up another level. And really, how could it not?

A short breather for those crammed onto the dancefloor, then the band were back out for the band’s classic cover of Johnny Was before the moment everyone had been waiting for. Alternative Ulster is up there with the absolute punk classics, and hearing it tonight hits just like it did back when you first found it. The whole place was bouncing, not a single person keeping quiet, as SLF delivered it exactly how you’d want. Sheer class.

Next year marks fifty years of Stiff Little Fingers, and judging by tonight’s confident, faultless performance, you’d back them to be back in Bristol for what would be some party. We’re already looking forward to it!