Buzzcocks
Originally formed in Manchester in January 1976, the group consisted of Pete Shelley (b. Peter McNeish, 17 April 1955; vocals/guitar), Howard Devoto (b. Howard Trafford; vocals), Steve Diggle (bass) and John Maher (drums). A support spot on the Sex Pistols’ infamous Anarchy tour prefaced their debut recording, the EP SPIRAL SCRATCH. The quartet's undeveloped promise was momentarily short-circuited when Devoto sensationally left in March 1977, only to resurface later that year with Magazine. A reshuffled Buzzcocks, with Shelley taking lead vocal and Garth Smith (later replaced by Steve Garvey) on bass, won a major deal with United Artists. During the next three years, they recorded some of the finest pop-punk singles of their era, including the Devoto/Shelley song Orgasm Addict and, after the split, Shelley's What Do I Get?, Love You More, the classic Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Should't've), Promises (with Diggle), Everybody's Happy Nowadays and Diggle's Harmony In My Head. After three albums and nearly five years on the road, the group fell victim to disillusionment and Shelley quit for a solo career. Steve Diggle re-emerged with Flag Of Convenience, but neither party could reproduce the best of the Buzzcocks. With hindsight, the Buzzcocks’ influence upon British ‘indie-pop’ of the late '80s ranks alongside that of the Ramones or the Velvet Underground. The group reformed in 1990 with former Smiths’ drummer Mike Joyce added to their ranks. They continue to be feted by the cognoscenti, support tours with Nirvana and a genuinely riveting comeback LP ( TRADE TEST TRANSMISSIONS) only adding to their legacy.