Who could have predicted that the crash ‘n’ burn philosophy of punk would prove so enduring? 30 years since they first formed, the Manchester punk-pop pioneers sound amazingly contemporary, relevant even.
With trademark buzz-saw guitars and memorable tunes, their back catalogue is an object lesson in the power of the sub-three-minute pop single, with the added appeal of the subject matter – sex, romance, love and guilt. But despite the “maturity” of the audience, there was an edgy atmosphere in the packed Village tonight – a smattering of postcard-punks with those gravity-defying Mohicans throwing their weight around. (A pint glass flew through the air at one point.)
But the Buzzcocks were always above such nonsense, and once onstage they got straight down to business, blazing through a set-list that included virtually everything we wanted to hear. Opening with material from the latest album Flat Pack Philosophy, both the title track and the single ‘Wish I’d Never Loved You’ are on a par with any of their earlier triumphs which included gems like ‘What Do I Get’, ‘I Don’t Mind’, ‘Fiction Romance’ and ‘Love You More’.
The blokey camaraderie between the two original members Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle was catching and the crowd responded, roaring in appreciation. But inevitably, it was their two biggest hits coming in the encore – ‘Orgasm Addict’ and ‘Ever Fallen In Love’ that sent the already wired-up crowd into a frenzy.
Never mind the imitators – the Buzzcocks are the real thing!