The Buzzcocks is a highly influential English punk rock band, formed in 1976 by Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto, hailing from Bolton, England, UK.
Having met at the Bolton Institute of Technology, Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto began playing music together in the hope of replicating the sounds of the Sex Pistols, the Stooges and the Velvet Underground. At a Sex Pistols show that Shelley and Devoto organised themselves in Manchester, England, the band met drummer John Maher, and in July 1976 opened for the Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall.
In October 1976 the band released their debut demo tape and joined the Sex Pistols on their Anarchy Tour. By the year’s end Manchester was established as punk rock’s second city behind London, and the Buzzcocks had generated a significant buzz of their own. Borrowing money from Shelley’s dad, the Buzzcocks recorded their debut EP “Spinal Scratch” in 1977, noted for being the first independently released punk record of all time. Shortly after Devoto departed the group and returned to college, later forming the art rock punk band Magazine.
Shelley moved to lead vocals, with Steve Diggle on guitar and Garth Smith became the band’s bassist. In September 1977, the Buzzcocks signed with major label United Artists Records, and tested the limits of their artistic licence with their debut single “Orgasm Addict” in October 1977. The explicit subject matter led to a lack of airplay on BBC radio but help develop a rabid fan base through word of mouth. The band’s second single “What Do I Get?” entered the chart in the Top 40, ahead of their debut album “Another Music In a Different Kitchen”.
The Buzzcocks’ second full length “Love Bites” was issued in 1978 to good reviews, however the constant touring and recording schedule took its toll on the group and resulted in a high consumption of drugs and alcohol. This was apparent on the band’s third album “A Different Kind of Tension”, which the Buzzcocks supported with a tour of the U.S. The tour turned out to be a bit of a flop, however back in the UK, the band enjoyed the height of their success. In 1979 the singles compilation “Singles Going Steady” was issued in the States, exposing them to a much wider audience.
In 1980 the Buzzcocks slowed their roll and limited their number of live performances to focus on the EP “Parts 1, 2, 3”, which had its release as three separate singles. United Artists was then bought out by EMI who didn’t afford the band the same luxuries or creative licence as UA and wanted to release the singles compilation ahead of the group’s fourth full-length. The Buzzcocks refused, which led to EMI refusing to pay the band an advance on their new album album, so instead of fighting the label Shelley broke up the band in 1981.
The band’s members pursued their own interests throughout the ‘80s, including a short-live solo career by Shelley, the band Flag of Convenience featuring John Maher and Steve Diggle, and Steve Garvey who played in the band Motivation.
With a new line-up of Shelley, Diggle, bassist Tony Barber, and drummer Phil Barker, the Buzzcocks returned with the album “Trade Test Transmissions” in 1993. The album was supported by an extensive tour, and followed in 1996 with the band’s fifth full-length “All Set. Modern”. The Buzzcocks subsequently released a self-titled album in 2003 on Merge Records, “Flat-Pack Philosophy” in 2006 on the Cooking Vinyl label, and an anniversary album titled “30” in 2008.
Bassist Barber and drummer Barker were replaced by Chris Remington and Danny Farrant, respectively, who recorded and released the Buzzcocks’ eighth studio album “The Way” in 2014.
Hannah Cohen
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