Rocker pens book about punk legends (From Worcester News)

Rocker pens book about punk legends

11:00pm Thursday 24th September 2009 in

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A WORCESTER musician turned author has penned a new book charting the first years of an influential punk rock band.

Roland Link, of Northwick, is releasing a book about Belfast rockers Stiff Little Fingers at a weekend launch at the Marrs bar, Pierpoint Street, Worcester.

The 41-year-old has spent six years working on the book Kicking Up A Racket – The Story of Stiff Little Fingers 1977 to 1983.

He travelled Britain tracking down band members, charting the band’s history from their first jam in June, 1977, to the split in 1983.

Mr Link was inspired to write the book after first seeing the band play a gig at the Birmingham Odeon in 1981. Famed for songs like Suspect Device and Alternative Ulster, the Fingers became synonymous with the punk era, staking a strong claim to the angst of the music movement merely by coming from the bomb-blasted streets of Belfast.

While many punk bands struggled to get past songs about being on the dole, the SLF were telling people about a divided community at war, telling of the daily grind of lethal paramilitary violence and bombings. Mr Link, who played with Worcester band Another Fine Mess, once supported Worcester and Malvern punk outfit The Samples aged just 16. He was a fan as soon as he discovered SLF’s music.

And at school, the band won him respect from fellow music-lovers.

“It was great, exciting times. I wasn’t old enough to see the Fingers on my own but we got somebody to take us to their gig at the Odeon,” he said. For the book, he tracked down band members including drummer Jim Reilly, who was driving a taxi in Belfast.

The launch event runs from 8pm until 11pm tomorrow night with The Clash covers band Take the 5th playing, together with support from Trivino Slaxx and Another Fine Mess. Tickets are £4 in advance and £5 on the door. For more information, visit marrsbar. co.uk.