STIFF Little Fingers will be playing in Warrington on June 11.

The Irish band formed in Belfast in 1977 at the height of the punk movement alongside the likes of the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam, Buzzcocks, Undertones, Sham 69 and The Stranglers.

They initially wrote about their own lives, growing up at the height of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, but now sing about everything from the economic collapse to depression.

Stiff Little Fingers had their big break when legendary DJ John Peel started playing their music every night and in 1979 they became the first band to hit the UK top 20 album charts on an independent label with their debut Inflammable Material.

Interest was renewed in the band when Stiff Little Fingers released Get A Life in 1994 when a new generation of punk rock bands like Green Day, Rancid, The Offspring and Bad Religion were coming to prominence.

In 2003 they released their ninth album, Guitar and Drum, which featured Strummerville, a tribute to Joe Strummer.

But then the quartet took a decade-long break from the studio before releasing Not Going Back last year. They are currently working on the follow-up.

Though focused on their new material, they always play the old favourites at gigs.

"You have to strike a balance," said frontman Jake Burns.

"The difficulty with a band like ourselves is to try not make it sound like a cabaret band.

"Obviously, it’d be very easy to go: 'Here’s another old one you may remember'. A lot of the old songs the audience greet like old friends.

"I suppose it’s the same with any band that’s been around for any length of time.

"There are nights that we don’t particularly want to play Alternative Ulster or Suspect Device because we’ve heard them until they’re coming out our ears.

"But there’s always the possibility that somebody out there has never seen the band before and never heard them."

- Stiff Little Fingers perform at Parr Hall on June 11. Tickets are £20. Call 442345 or visit pyramidparrhall.com

DAVID MORGAN