Label: Shipwrecked

Reissued 10/17/2025

"The Sheer Action of Fini Tribe" is a colossal retrospective anthology curated and designed by the band. Compiled from the years 1982 to 1987, it includes a wealth of archival photographs, an essay by original member Andy McGregor, who also designed the sleeve, and essays by longtime friend Shirley Manson (Garbage, Goodbye Mr. MacKenzie) and author Alastair McKay, an early champion of the band. The release features the first legendary John Peel Session, produced by Dale Griffin and originally broadcast in May 1985. "This compilation was a long time in the making, a labour of love for the band, showcasing our most productive years as a six-piece. The compilation of tracks - from professional BBC recordings to live performance and rehearsal room demos - gives as broad a spectrum of the breadth of the band's creativity during those five important years from 1982 to 1987," says Chris Connelly. Fini Tribe was born into the cash-poor but culturally-wealthy environs of post-punk Edinburgh in the very early 80s - 1980 to be precise. A tiny three-piece with no drummer would soon swell into a muscular six-piece with inherited or cheaply-purchased instruments. Band members Chris Connelly, Simon McGlynn, Andy McGregor, Davie Miller, Philip Pinsky, and John Vick haunted the cold, damp warrens of the Niddry Street and Blair Street rehearsal rooms, just off the high street in Old Town Edinburgh. Drawing on the influences of everything from Throbbing Gristle, Wire, Can, Captain Beefheart, and numerous angular funk bands that were spewing out of the John Peel Show at the time, they also drew from the seemingly bottomless well of modern film, writing, and art that was abundant in the festival city. These works include the legendary John Peel session from 1985, the original 12" singles (including "Detestimony") and the WaxTrax! Singles, as well as unreleased live tracks. All tracks have been lovingly remastered and produced by the band's members. Tracks recorded in Edinburgh at Wilf's Planet, Pier House, Niddry Street Rehearsal Rooms, Pleasance Theatre, and Calton Studios, and in London at Southern Studios and at BBC Studios, Maida Vale. Available as a three-CD digipak with 24-page booklet. This abridged single LP version is packaged in a gatefold sleeve with insert and contains the legendary John Peel session from 1985, and an additional five tracks including two live versions.

Track listing:

Vinyl (The Sheer Action Of Fini Tribe)

1. Splash Care (Peel Session)
   
2. We’re Interested (Peel Session)
   
3. Goose Duplicates (Peel Session)
   
4. An Evening with Clavichords (Peel Session)
   
5. Detestimony
6. I Want More (7” Edit)
7. Me and My Shadow
8. Paperself (Live at Pleasance)
9. Do We Understand Each Other (Live at Calton Studios)

CD (The Sheer Action Of Fini Tribe 1982-1987)

1. Cathedral (2025 Remaster)
2. Backwards and Forwards We Lean (2025 Remaster)
3. Curling Theme (2025 Remaster)
4. All Fours (2025 Remaster)
5. Detestimony (2025 Remaster)
6. Throttlehearts (Rising Mix) (2025 Remaster)
7. Adults Absolved (2025 Remaster)
8. Monimail (2025 Remaster)
9. I Want More (Row Row Row the Mix) (2025 Remaster)
10. Idiot Strength (2025 Remaster)
11. Make It Internal (Here We Go Round the Mulberry Mix) (2025 Remaster)
12. Little Visitors (2025 Remaster)
13. All Fours (Remix) (2025 Remaster)
14. I Want More (7" Mix) (2025 Remaster)
15. Make It Internal (Integrity Mix) (2025 Remaster)
16. Splash Care (Peel Session)
17. Goose Duplicates (Peel Session)
18. An Evening with Clavichords (Peel Session)
19. We're Interested (Peel Session)
20. Paperself
21. Me and My Shadow
22. Goose Duplicates (Instrumental)
23. Splash Care
24. An Evening with Clavichords
25. Goose Duplicates (Vocal Mix)
26. We're Interested (Instrumental)
27. Big Jug / Wet Steel Rail
28. We're Interested (Vocal Mix)
29. Restless
30. Cure for Madness
31. Bye Bye to the October Sky
32. The Constant
33. Throttlehearts (Vocal version)
34. Dirty Harry (Live at Calton Studios, Edinburgh, 1987)
35. Do We Understand Each Other (Live at Calton Studios, Edinburgh, 1987)
36. I Want More (Live at Calton Studios, Edinburgh, 1987)
37. Idiot Strength (Live at Calton Studios, Edinburgh, 1987)
38. Bye Bye to the October Sky (Live at Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, 1983)
39. Backwards and Forwards We Lean (Live at Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, 1983) 
40. Cure for Madness (Live at Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, 1983)
41. Restless (Live at Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, 1983)
42. Paperself (Live at Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, 1983)
43. Backwards and Forwards We Lean (Instrumental)
44. Monimail II
45. City on a Fence
46. Torch/Distance
47. Choke