THE BUZZCOCKS
Formed in Manchester, England, in 1975, the Buzzcocks were one
of the most influential bands to emerge in the initial wave of
punk rock. The Buzzcocks were inspired by the Sex Pistols' energy,
yet they didn't copy the Pistols' angry political stance. Shelly's
alternately funny and anguished lyrics about adolescence and love
were some of the best and smartest of his era; similarly, the
Buzzcocks' melodies and hooks were concise and memorable. Over
the years, their powerful punk-pop has proven enormously influential,
with echoes of their music being apparent in everyone from H_sker
D_ to Nirvana.
The Buzzcocks began rehearsing, picking up a local drummer and
bassist Garth Smith. Shortly after their formation, Shelley and
Devoto booked a local club, the Lesser Free Trade Hall, with the
intent of persuading the Sex Pistols to play in Manchester. They
succeeded in bringing the Pistols to Manchester, but the Buzzcocks
had to pull out of their own gig when both the bassist and drummer
left the group before the concert. Within a few months, the band
played their first concert, opening for the second Sex Pistols
show at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in July of 1976.
At the end of 1976, the group joined the Sex Pistols on their
"Anarchy Tour." After the tour was completed, Shelley
borrowed a couple hundred pounds from his father and the band
used the money to record their debut EP, Spiral Scratch. Following
Devoto's departure, Pete Shelley assumed the role as lead vocalist,
Steve Diggle moved to guitar and Garth Smith became the band's
bassist. By June of 1977, the Buzzcocks were attracting the attention
of major record labels. By September, they had signed with United
Artists Records, who gave the band complete artistic control.
The Buzzcocks' second single, "What Do I Get?," became
their first charting single, scraping the bottom of the Top 40.
In March, the band released their first album, Another Music in
a Different Kitchen. In September of 1978 the Buzzcocks released
their second full-length record, Love Bites.
Early in 1979 they recorded their third album, A Different Kind
of Tension, which displayed some signs of wear and tear. Following
the album's release in August, they embarked on their first American
tour, which wasn't successful. Nevertheless, the band was enjoying
the peak of their popularity at home in Britain.
During 1980, United Artists was bought out by EMI, who cut back
support of the Buzzcocks. The group began working on their fourth
album in early 1981, but were prevented from recording by EMI.
The label wanted to release Singles Going Steady in the U.K. before
the band delivered their fourth album. The Buzzcocks refused.
Consequently, EMI didn't give the band an advance to cover the
recording costs of the fourth album. Pete Shelley decided to break
up the band instead of fight the label. The Buzzcocks broke up
in 1981.
Immediately after the split, Shelley pursued a solo career that
initially produced the hit single "Homosapien," but
soon went dry. Steve Diggle formed Flag of Convenience with John
Maher, who quit the band shortly after its formation. Steve Garvey
moved to New York, where he played with Motivation for a few years.
In 1989, the group re-formed and toured the United States. The
following year, Maher left the band and former Smiths drummer
Mike Joyce joined the band on tour. By 1990, the reunion had become
permanent; after Joyce's brief tenure with the band, the final
lineup of the reunited Buzzcocks featured Shelley, Diggle, bassist
Tony Barber, and drummer Phil Barker. The new version of the band
released their first album, Trade Test Transmission, in 1993.
After its release, the band toured frequently. In spring of 1996,
the Buzzcocks released their fifth studio album, All Set.
