Line-up

Venue

The Observatory

3503 S. Harbor Blvd., 92704, Santa Ana, CA, US

www.observatoryoc.com/

Capacity: 1,000

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Additional details

Doors open: 18:00

Concert in your area for Rock, Indie & Alt, and Pop.

Find out more about Rock and Pop.

Buzzcocks biography

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.

Live reviews

The legendary punk-pop band The Buzzcocks seemed to exist in three phases. First there was the art-rock take on punk with singer-songwriters Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley rather inventing the Manchester postpunk sound. Then there was the era of Buzzcocks ascendancy. Devoto had left, and Shelley and guitarist Steve Diggle wrote anthem after anthem that bathed classic melodic hooks in snarls of loud punk rock.

This era was the blueprint for bands like Offspring, Green Day, and so many others who would follow through the years.The third phase is the Buzzcocks as they exist today. Still cranking out worthwhile albums of clever, loud, brash spikey pop, the band manage to combine all three of their existences into a thrilling live set.

In concert, they'll start off their lengthy set by running through material from their latest records. That this new material sounds every bit as exciting and vital as some of the songs the band did in its heyday 30 years ago is a testament to the eternally youthful stage presence of Diggle and the sardonic songcraft of Shelley.Eventually, a Buzzcocks show gets to the heart of the matter. Ripping through their well-known singles from “Love You More” to “Everybody's Happy Nowadays” to a joyous “Ever Fallen In Love”, the band seem fully in their element here.

Well into middle age, the group still gives a good look at what all the excitement was about back in the day. For their part, the audience responds with near delirium, singing the numerous “whoah-ohs” to songs like “I Don't Mind” in a way that suggests an almost religious experience.

Finally, if you're lucky enough to catch them in the UK, you might get a final chunk of tunes towards the end of the set. That's when the often cranky, but frequently hilarious and acerbic Howard Devoto joins his former bandmates for a trip through their earliest tunes. Things can occasionally get a bit loose here, as Devoto is nothing if not still an unpredictable sort...but that's something of the point to all that punk noise, right?

Anonymous

Modern English provides all the sounds that you could ask for in a New Wave band. They are still as energetic as ever when they take the stage, providing the heavily layered soundscapes and jagged hooks that they have perfected.
They are masters at combining their guitars to create large, orchestral sounds. The lead guitarist always has an interesting and catchy riff to play in the song, which is usually saturated in heavy flanging and chorus effects that give the sound a shimmering quality. The bass playing is always driving the songs in an aggressive tone that draws comparison to Joy Division’s style. Modern English also incorporates more poppy elements to their songs through the use of synthesizers that create nice atmospheric soundscapes as well as very catchy leads.
Modern English still stays true to the style of the ‘80s, often wearing skinny jeans and suave black jackets. The lead singer, Robbie Grey, often sports sunglasses and struts around stage inciting the audience to participate in the fun. Modern English’s performances also usually consist of a fun light show with bright colorful lights beaming across the stage to the tempo of the music. The venue turns into a party with all members of the audience dancing and singing when songs like “Ink and Paper” are played.
Modern English plays an exciting setlist that consists of most of their hits and draws heavily from the After Snow album, which contains classic songs like “I Melt With You” and “Someone’s Calling”. Their live performances are absolutely enthralling and fun, and the delivery of their music live is still top notch.

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