The Buzzcocks Will Take Over the Fonda on September 17

Jonny Whiteside

Inside the frantic vortex of 1977 British punk, Manchester’s Buzzcocks’ mixture of tight, bright pop-influenced ka-pow and deeply expressive, highly emotional messages immediately set them apart. As punk relied on a joyously aggressive disregard for any and all rules, spiced with a proclivity for civil disorder and nihilistic condemnations just for the hell of it, the Buzzcocks frequently looked inward, creating unusually melodic punk music with a very subjective, self-possessed tone and tenor.

The Buzzcocks surfed a warm tsunami of perfectly crafted love songs, which were somewhat of a rarity in late ’70s punk. Their examinations of failed romance, unrequited love, torrid passion and naked lust were as extraordinary as the band’s prolific output. Having made history by releasing the first independent punk disc Spiral Scratch in 1977, they next issued Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Love Bites and A Different Kind of Tension, three stunning albums that dramatically redefined punk’s lyrical content in 1978 and ’79.

With a minimalistic sound that remained true to form with stripped-down, high-velocity, taut simplicity, the Buzzcocks expanded and raised the creative standard. Lead singer Pete Shelley’s strangled, plaintive yelp may have had a very limited range but he managed to project volumes of psychic information, rampaging from aching vulnerability to snotty defiance with priceless ease. Shelley and Steve Diggle’s guitars were a majestically crafted blend of bubblegum-pogo brevity, creating sweet, savage and highly distinctive solos.

Of course, like punk rock itself, the band imploded in 1981 but reformed seven years after their breakup to tour internationally. Shelley and Diggle drafted a new rhythm section and kept the band going, releasing a series of well-regarded albums while also doing solo albums that range far from the Buzzcocks’ signature sound. Today’s Buzzcocks do marvelously live shows and have achieved two things that generally elude their punk contemporaries: they have maintained their dignity and enjoy a sustained longevity that transcends mere nostalgia.

The Buzzcocks will appear at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood on September 17.