The BUZZCOCKS
Corner Hotel - Melbourne
6th February 2002

FEEL and PBS present ...

A big night out.

Or so the posters say. The Old Melbourne institution, known as The Corner Hotel last night blessed us with the presence of the highly esteemed BUZZCOCKS of Manchester England. Entry = $(AU)38.00 ....

'I recall that the lads were a seminal influence on the fledgling RESERVES', said the man at the public bar as The Homewreckers and Mach Pelican wreaked their noise in the Band Room. 'Thank god we've been spared the full brunt of that din', muttered a man at the bar as he chatted to The Barmy Army.

The Buzzcocks had much to live up to on this tour. Their last sortie in Melbourne saw a jaded band play a sludgy set at The Central Club Hotel further up the road when the original lineup was in it's death throes. Attendance on this occasion was on the basis of a forgiving nature coupled with the enthusiasm of a visiting mate from Hobart and on the strength of repeated listens to the excellent long player MODERN.

The band drew a diverse crowd, from your average office joe after illicit sonic thrills to your überkool mohawked punk to somewhere inbetween. The size of the crowd well and truly vindicated the effort of touring in the face of some stiff competition this summer.

The band pummelled their way through a set that opened with Boredom off the Spiral Scratch E.P. followed by a substantial slab of numbers from Music from a different Kitchen plus a stack of material from Singles Going Steady. A smattering of new and recent material topped a show which highlighted the bands magnificent back catalogue. The best number was Autonomy which was dedicated to the recently departed Joe Strummer. If Fiction Romance had been substituted for the dreadful Oh Shit the set would have been perfect. It was suggested that a version of Shot by Both Sides would have made the night legendary.

The cynical amongst us may have expected to have heard a band cashing in on what remains of their 'career' in an attempt to redeem themselves for a below par performance at The Central Club last Australian Tour. However the brilliant new rhythm section of Philip Barker on drums and Tony Barber on bass gave founding members Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle endless space for their fine interplay of guitars and harmony.

There were the dissapointed jaded part time punks who spat and probably expected a rehash of a 1977 fantasia of snarls, safety pins and attitude ('They just don't get it', a man was heard to say). Stickers on guitars simply didn't cut it for some. Perhaps the festoon of Anglo Americana on Diggle's instrument sent mixed signals. Everything aside The Buzzcocks were still fresh. This was a musical style that had very little debt to the past and had given much to the contemporary scene.

The enjoyment that the band derived from playing was infectious. It was smiles all around. The music was fast and loose and rock solid all at the same time. For me the combination of cheeriness, wit and intelligence was an inspiration - for others it was intimidating. I swear the band walked off in disgust towards the end but were lured back by the cheers of the vast majority of punters who could appreciate the brilliance that had unfolded before them. Those who hung out for the signature tune What do I Get? got their reward.

Their shambolic departure from the stage was not quite up to the standard of their departure at The Palace a tad over a decade ago but it left you thinking that they had given all they had to give in a performance that seemed almost exactly the right length. Intense is a good description. Upon leaving the venue just in time for the last tram/train home some considerate person had left the used concert tickets out for punters to souvenier. Cheers.

The following day was characterised by by harmonies in my head, ringing ears and the body seemed to tingle with electricity. The ears had got a huge battering and as much as a thrill it is to hear loud music it is distressing to have ones ears pop due to over amplified high pitch sounds. About 20db less volume next time please Mr Mixer.

RATING ****1/2

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