What Do I Get?
Although originally from up the road in Bolton, there's an air of anticipation in The Ritz tonight as the large crowd await the return of one of their adopted sons. The Buzzcocks rode the first wave of punk back in 1976 when they supported The Sex Pistols at the now infamous Free Trade Hall gig in Manchester. They went on to release a host of melodic punk singles and despite the odd break up and line up change they continue to release new albums much to the delight of their hardcore fanbase.
Original members Steve Diggle and Pete Shelley still man the helm and get a rapturous reception as they take the stage and launch into Boredom. The crowd at the front go nuts and the scene is set for the evening. Diggle can't stop grinning throughout the set and displays as much energy as he ever did. It's a joy to watch him attack each song with never ending enthusiasm and with old favourites Fast Cars and I Don't Mind following the opener, the crowd are well and truly warmed up. The first of a handful of new songs from their forthcoming album follows and despite it retaining the energy and verve of the back catalogue, the crowd predictably slows to a standstill. The same could be said of Shelley and bass player Chris Remmington, the latter barely moving throughout the set.
The new songs slot in comfortably and are well received, as are some lesser known tracks from the back catalogue such as 2003's Sick City Sometimes. When they return to the classics though it's a timely reminder of just how many great songs The Buzzcocks have written. The sound isn't great unfortunately and some of the guitar interplay between Shelley and Diggle is lost in the mix but the pace is kept high and the finale reads like a fans wish list! Promises, Love You More and What Do I Get? finish the initial set before the predictable encore. There aren't many that can resist singing along to Harmony In My Head, Ever Fallen In Love and Orgasm Addict, which still sounds just as urgent and immediate as it did thirty plus years ago.
What's really refreshing about tonight is that at no point did it feel like a nostalgia show or a band just going through the motions. The Buzzcocks still have much to offer and on the evidence of tonight there are clearly plenty of fans waiting to hear it.