Stiff Little Fingers were formed in 1977, just as the
punk movement was rising in the UK. Frontman
Jake Burns' previous band, named Highway Star (which also included SLF members
Henry Cluney and
Brian Faloon), had been a rock covers band. However, as the band discovered punk they reoriented, renaming themselves to Stiff Little Fingers and altering their line-up. In a 2019 interview, Burns said he 'loved the visceral power of [punk]' and the '[Middle] fingers up to the rock establishment aspect.' He was particularly inspired by
the Clash 'writing about their lives in a way that really hit home', highlighting their song
Career Opportunities as a prime example. Another event which caused SLF to reorient towards punk rock was the 'Battle of Bedford Street', a riot outside of
Ulster Hall in October 1977 which erupted due to the cancellation of a Clash performance. In terms of the band realising they were 'not alone' in the
Ulster punk scene, the aborted Clash show was 'huge'. The album was recorded in 1978, mostly at Spaceward Studios in
Cambridge, except for '
Alternative Ulster', which was recorded at
Island Studios in
London. The process was described by Burns as being done 'very quickly' and 'as if we were playing a live gig', due to the band's lack of knowledge in studio recording. ==Reception==