Buzzcocks at Rock City Main Hall
Saturday 17th November 2012
Doors open: at 6:30pm
There are hardly any bands performing today that
genuinely deserve the adjective ‘legendary’. Buzzcocks are one of those very
few. Their achievements are staggering: one of the original holy trinity of
British punk (with the Sex Pistols and the Clash), innovators of the
independent record scene and genuine punk rock superstars who have been cited
as inspirational by bands as diverse as REM, Nirvana and Green Day. Eight
studio albums, over twenty singles and EPs, a constellation of compilations,
covers by other bands and songs on film soundtracks and advertisements have put
Buzzcocks among the top echelons of British recording artists. A Mojo
Inspiration award in 2006 is just one of the many accolades they have received
for their work.
Buzzcocks have been thrilling audiences for over
thirty years. Once called ‘the Beatles of punk’, their music blends high-octane
guitar, bass and drum power with heartrending personal statements of love won
and lost or dismay at the modern world to create a unique catalogue of
unforgettable and immortal music – music they continue to deliver to fans old
and new around the world with undiminished passion and energy.
Buzzcocks have forged a unique relationship with
their public and are deeply loved and revered by a global audience. They are
simultaneously true to their original ideals and open to new ideas – a happy
result of their own uncompromising and individual standing.
Over the years, generations of musicians have tried
the Buzzcocks methodology and have made their own variations of it. Most are
generous in their thanks to the band that started it all. Those impressed by
the recent waves of 'punk' bands would do well to spend an afternoon with
Buzzcocks' seminal pop treasure Singles Going Steady, consistently the band’s
biggest seller and a masterclass in genre-busting songcraft. This compilation
of their first UK Top 40 hits is a classic album in every sense, an astounding
collection of stunning moments such as ‘Orgasm Addict’, ‘What Do I Get?’ the
anthemic ‘Harmony In My Head’ and, of course, the song that has become their
calling card: ‘Ever Fallen In Love With Someone (You Shouldn’t’ve Fallen In
Love With?)’. These songs have been covered by dozens of groups in many styles,
a testament to the originals' strengths not as slices of punk rock history but
as examples of songwriting craft.
Buzzcocks are the true godfathers of punk-pop, having
laid down that infinitely superior archetype. They are also a band with a past,
present, and future. It is a history the group's members could never have
imagined back in the hot punk rock summer of '76. Says Pete Shelley:
"Looking back on it now, what's going on is like echoes of the Big Bang.
You look around you in society and the culture; so many things would not have
been the same if there never was punk rock. It's strange; it's like a science
fiction novel. But to us at the time, it just sprung naturally."
They're still doing it, better than anyone. Sometimes
the archetype is clearly the best. Buzzcocks – no. 1 in people’s hearts. Icons,
superstars, legends.
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