Buzzcocks
Live at Elm Street Rock Cafe, Oslo
24/04/06

Oh, what a night!

Buzzcocks have been playing since 1976. That makes this their 30th year. Imagine how many people
they have played in front of over all these years, and how many kids they have inspired to start bands
of their own after seing them. Green Day being one of the most successful. They have on more than
one occation stated that Buzzcocks have been a great inspiration. Buzzcocks on the other hand,
hates Green Day and does not want to be associated with them..

The band was formed right after Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto vent to see the Sex Pistols in Manchester. Their first gig was as a warm-up act for the very same band, only six months later.
Now that’s what I call a good start.

Their ongoing tour is supporting their recent release ”Flat-pack philosophy”, their eight studio album, and their first release on Cooking Vinyl. The bands website has this to say about the new album:

”In true punk rock fashion, taking an urban guerilla stance against the evils of the modern world,
from Tesco self-service tills to the cult of Ikea, flat-pack philosophy proves that when you put the right
creative personalities together, the magic manifests.”

This is slightly exagerated, but the new album is good. Although not as good as their previous records. Some people will tell you that bands should know when to quit. That making this kind of music for 30 years, squeezing everything they possibly can out of their old hits and fame is wrong. Well, as long as you do it
like Buzzcocks do it, you can do it for 30 more years for all I care. Just listen to ”Wish I never loved you”,
and then try to convince me they should call it a day. 

The audience this night, however, came to hear the old hits. And there were plenty of them, amongst them
”What do I get”, ”Ever fallen in love”, ”Why can’t I touch it”, ”Fast Cars”, ”Harmony in my head”,
and my personal favourite; ”Noise annoys”.

The band didn’t talk much, and they almost didn’t move at all. But the crowd did! There is something very popwerful in their music, when they can get the audience moving like this without even trying to
interact with them. From front row all the way to the door, people were dancing and singing.
Elm Street was completely sold out, I met several people standing outside without tickets.
Poor bastards, you missed out on an excellent show!

 Oh, and props to Elm Street for letting in underage kids with guardians. Not many places do that any more. You’re raising the next generation of rock’n’rollers, and they’ll remember you for it!