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Catch the Buzz
By Megan Carneal
mcarneal@mscd.edu

We're so buzzed right now. The Buzzcocks are from left: Tony Barber, Pete Shelley, Danny Farrant and Steve Diggle.

Never mind the Sex Pistol bollocks, The Buzzcocks brought more than just an attitude to punk by backing their swagger with genuine musical talent.

The Buzzcocks formed in 1975 during the birth of punk in England. As with most early punk bands, they were highly influenced by The Sex Pistols. Their initial goal was to capture the success The Pistols had in London and bring that spirit to their hometown of Manchester.

In July 1976, The Buzzcocks played their first show, opening for their inspiration The Sex Pistols. Within the year they played numerous shows, reaching their goal of securing Manchester as one of the premier punk rock cities in England.

Although they formed out of the Pistols’ phenomenon, their music was much more stylistic. Meshing dreamy guitar melodies with rebellious and lucid lyrics delivered in a classic brit-punk sneer, The Buzzcocks proved that punks could play more than three chords and had more to preach than “Anarchy in the U.K.” Their music may have been more intellectual, but they were definitely not above being offensive, and in true punk fashion, the BBC banned their first single, “Orgasm Addict,” for its obvious salacious content. However, controversy creates interest and by their second single, “What Do I Get,” The Buzzcocks secured a spot on the UK Top 40.

The band became a huge influence in punk, but it was the first EP that gave them the most precedence. Spiral Scratch, released in January 1977, started the long-standing do-it-yourself punk tradition. Independently recorded, produced and released on their own label, New Hormone Records, Spiral Scratch showed other bands of the era that a D.I.Y. ethic would take them further than any major label ever could.

After 30 years and seven studio albums, the band is currently playing a slew of dates on the Van’s Warped Tour. After that they embark on a North American tour in support of their new album Flat-Black Philosophy, which was released in March.