It's a crisp, September evening outside of the Variety Playhouse, a throwback theater in Atlanta's Little Five Points district. The Buzzcocks, one of the few remaining punk rock originals, are on the first stop of their 2024 North American tour. With a career spanning over five decades, fans of the Buzzcocks tend to skew older. However, today, there are a surprising number of younger faces. Perhaps the Buzzcocks' trademark themes of alienation, romantic frustration, and the search for meaning resonate with today's youth who face the same challenges, if only modernized.
With the all-ages audience in place, the Buzzcocks led by original member, Steve Diggle, stroll onto the stage. After the passing of vocalist and founding member, Pete Shelley in 2018, Diggle has transitioned from lead guitarist to lead singer. With Danny Farrant on drums since 2006 and Chris Remington on bass since 2008, the current incarnation of the Buzzcocks has proven remarkably durable. As the members man their instruments, Diggle joins his bandmates, not with a guitar, but rather, a tambourine.
The audience is in a state of confusion as the members trade sly smiles. Suddenly, Diggle tosses the tambourine to the floor with a snotty sneer. There's no tambourine in punk music! The rowdy crowd scoffs in approval and cheers wildly as the Buzzcocks kick off their set with the iconic, "What Do I Get". The guitars are fast and frightening. The drums and bass are loud and booming.
The members, all in their 50s and 60s, play with a rebellious edge and youthful abandon that defy age and time. They race through the song, immediately segueing into another classic, "I Don't Mind" and following that up with the infectious, "Everybody's Happy Nowadays".
The Buzzcocks' catalog of songs are marked by anthemic backing vocals and the crowd joins in the chant every chance they get. The setlist is a well-crafted blend of classic hits such as "Fast Cars" and "Autonomy" and new material such as "Bad Dreams" and "Manchester Rain", ensuring that both long-time fans and relative newcomers are equally satisfied.
The Buzzcocks end their set with perhaps their two most popular songs, "Ever Fallen in Love" and "Harmony in My Head". The crowd response is overwhelmingly passionate and slightly nostalgic.
As the final note rings through the loudspeakers, Steve Diggle takes a moment to absorb the energy radiating from the crowd. Not quite ready to walk off stage, he and bassist Chris Remington stick their hands out to the audience and the fans rush the stage to shake their hands.
It's been a long career, and if this is the Buzzcocks’ final tour, it was one hell of a send off.
Walking away from the venue, I take a final glance back, only to see the fans still desperately holding on to their heroes' hands, as if, by sheer will, they could somehow postpone the inevitable.
Setlist: What Do I Get / I Don't Mind / Everybody's Happy Nowadays / Promises / Senses Out of Control / Fast Cars / Sick City / Autonomy / Bad Dreams / Why Can't I Touch It / Nothingless World / Destination Zero / Isolation / Orgasm Addict / Manchester Rain / Love is Lies / Chasing Rainbows / Ever Fallen In Love / Harmony in My Head
BUZZCOCKS @reallyrallyjames
