In my view, whilst 1977 could be claimed with reason by the Pistols, The Clash, The Damned and The Stranglers, 1978 belonged to Buzzzcocks. Like the Banshees, whilst Pete and Co were in the vanguard of UK punk it took them a long time to get signed and get an album out. But once UA had their signatures there was no stopping them. Two albums were forthcoming in 1978, 'Another Music in a Different Kitchen' in March and 'Love Bites' in September. With product came gigs and Manchester's Fab Four were hardly off the road in 1978. In March they toured with The Slits, in October and November with Subway Sect and in between times they squeezed in the 'Entertaining friends' tour with friends Penetration. It is from that tour that this little gem comes from.
On record Buzzcocks were very polished, the band benefiting greatly from the presence of Martin Rushent in the producers chair, live they were equally impressive but just that bit more raw sounding.
The press were impressed too as evidened by this Record Mirror review of the band's appearance at Aylesbury Friars four days earlier.
BUZZCOCKSFriars Aylesbury
WHERE have all the hippies gone? Aylesbury you let me down. Whatever happened to your long haired community, I suppose they've swopped their flowing locks for greasy crew cuts. Still its not how you look it’s what you look at that counts. Anyone could look at The Buzzcocks and enjoy them.
The music they are now creating is Universal. Before you think that I am (quite rightly) going over the top, let me admit that this was the best gig I have been to this year .. It was also the first time, and certainly not the last time, I will see The Buzzcocks in '78.
Right then pop pickers, lets do a bit of analyzing for you.
'Another music in a different kitchen', a weird title for an album which established The Buzzcocks as one of the most thoughtful and certainly the most talented new wave bands to emerge. Yes they are a new wave band, simply because they are pioneering a form of music which is full of imagination and mechanical energy. You can pogo to them and of course some morons still persist in showing their appreciation by spitting.
It 's strange how on stage the band keep an incredibly low profile, but still succeed in holding your concentrated attention. Pete Shelley doesn't believe in pretentiou's theatricals, but only has to rely on his distinctive loping Mancunian vocals to gain unconditional acceptance with any audience.
The band all look so ordinary that it makes the sounds they produce seem even more effective. Simple pop songs all with sixties sounding guitar hooks helps to satisfy the spikey head boppers. However the set reaches its climax during the hypnotic 'Autonomy' which has so much sheer 'musikal' originality that it made me wonder why bands like Devo are getting so much publicity when we have true innovators from the far more accessible industrial wasteland of Manchester.
Anyway, never mind the superlatives, here's the Buzzcocks.
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