some things change...
no Howard Devoto in this incarnation of the Buzzcocks but we do have Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle, both providing vocals and guitars. they are supported by long-time bassist Tony Barber and former Alarm drummer Danny Farrant, who just signed on.
they came straight out of Manchester to join the british punk movement, opening for the Pistols back in the summer of '76. after a couple of rebirths they are still using up their 'cat-lives' and are back in the midst of a recent brit-pop-punk revival that has seen the Charlatans UK and 999 back on the road.
shelley hasn't gotten any taller, just a little wider...but haven't we all.
diggle looks like a blown-up version of peewee herman in his polka-dot shirt, white vest with busting buttons and white pants. from the balcony the tops of their heads throw off a nice glow. i say that lovingly 'cause they both had playful smiles on throughout the night, perhaps enjoying the experience more than they did 30 years ago.
some things don't...
who needs more than a 3 minute, power-pop song? they showcased their new release, flat-pack philosophy, in a machine-gun, take-no-breaths, 60 minute set. diggle provides the hard-core edge; shelley the melodic pop hooks. think of it like a collaboration between lennon/mccartney or richards/jagger or white/benson if you must.
the show was the debut of the their North American leg, a showcase spot in the North-by-North-East festival. they continue of from here to headline 13 Warped Tour dates and add a dozen or so solo shows. check out the tour schedule at their website... that would be www.buzzcocks.com for the google challenged.
they were well received at the croweded, sold-out Phoenix. as appreciative as the crowd was I don't think anyone was happier than Diggle who spent the night throwing out sizzling guitar flourishes and trying his best not to damage his knees with assorted jumps. shelley stayed earthbound but didn't give any ground when it came to cutting some nice solo's of his own. Diggle spent a couple minutes glad-handing with the front row, reluctant to leave the stage as the feedback faded and the rest of the band hit the post-show spread.
the new songs are as good as the old songs. there are three mp3 samples in each of these files. sample one contains: wish i never loved you, soul survivor and why can't i touch it? sample two contains: ever fallen in love with someone (you shouldn't have fallen in love with),noise annoys and orgasm addict
Sample 1
Sample 2
1 comment:
Thanks for the write-up, Marcel. Stiff Little Fingers played here last night, Buzzcocks hit here this Wednesday - life's good for the "blank generation"!
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