A circus of an indie label, with sublime "Pure Pop for Now People" (early Elvis Costello, Rachel Sweet - ah!, Kirsty McColl), circus geeks (Tenpole Tudor, King Carrasco, The Plasmatics), and anything in between. They released the "first punk 45" (The Damned's "New Rose"), the first songs of Clive Gregson (his old band Any Trouble), and the first joyful noises from Tracey Ullman. Stiff flew by the seat of its pants, refreshing - then and now - in an age of calculated careerism.