Never mind punk rock, here’s the Buzzcocks

NOV 10 — I did not cry although I wanted to. I know it probably means nothing to many of you out there but it was a memorable night for me. Sunday night, I saw the Buzzcocks; alive and well, in the flesh, in Kuala Lumpur.

It was worth the 30 years of waiting. It was in 1979 when I first heard of the Manchester band; the songs “Noise Annoys”, “Boredom”, “Orgasm Addict” and “Breakdown” were played over and over again on the Penang-based Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) radio station.

And whatever new singles they released, the late John Peel would play them on his BBC show which I could access on my old shortwave radio; despite the horrible crackling sound.

Punk exploded in the UK in 1976 but in the years before mobile phones and the Internet, it took a while before news of The Sex Pistols and The Clash reached the shores of Malaysia. Even then, boys in my school were either into Scorpions or John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John; and also Uji Rashid, Hail Amir, Carefree and Black Dog Bone, on the local front.

I was virtually alone listening to these “pop” songs that I later discovered were termed as “punk.” As opposed to today’s “punk”, it was never meant to be a specific musical genre. Punk was all about attitude, about angst, about being different. For me, it was those catchy tunes of The Clash, The Jam, The Stranglers, The Damned, and of course, Buzzcocks (as well as their American counterparts The Ramones, Blondie, Devo, Johnny Thunders and Television) that got me hooked.

It was much later when I met, or rather corresponded by snail mail with a fellow punk rocker from Kuala Terengganu, that my world of punk rock widened. Thanks to Encik ZZ or better known to the global underground music scene as Joe Kidd, Buzzcocks and gang became part of my life. Joe Kidd even pursued a musical career and is still well-known today.

So, it was indeed a satisfying and fulfilling night for me, and Joe too. I know it may sound clichéd to some but seeing Buzzcocks with original members Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle was an experience of a lifetime. Never mind that Pete Shelley is twice the size he was now, he sang like he was that young man during the hey-day of punk rock explosion.

What more can you ask for when guitarist Steve Diggle is still rocking hard as if 1979 was just a few months ago?

It was the night that I didn’t feel old. I guess I was just an “orang tua buang tabiat” for a night, jumping up and down with young kids, and I really mean, young, adolescent boys and girls. There was even a feeling of pride there (no, not the jumping part) because I could sing along with the band; I could still remember some of the lyrics!

But then again it was literally the case of “the spirit is willing but the body is weak.” I was exhausted immediately after the one-hour set. Still, it was worth it. It’s still that old spirit, mate.

For those who think Buzzcocks are great on records and CDs, you won’t believe it till you see them live. Even slower songs such as “Why Can’t I Touch It” generated the pogo and mosh among some few hundred young and old punks in the crowd.

It was the smartest of move for the band to play their classic songs, including those I’d heard on the RAAF radio those days, as well as great tunes “Fast Cars”, “Love You More”, “Sixteen Again” and of course “What Do I Get” and “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)”. Old farts like me simply remembered the songs while the young ones who may have done their homework before the show also knew the songs well.

No rock star attitude, no snobbish behaviour, Buzzcocks are a legend indeed. If you missed the KL gig (they are still around the region this month and will be playing in Singapore and Bangkok on Nov 27 and 28, respectively) but have some extra dough to spend, get their classic first three albums – “Another Music In A Different Kitchen”, “Love Bites” and “A Different Kind Of Tension” (originally released between 1978 and 1979) at your local music store now. Each is a double-CD set containing original songs, demos and live sets, a total of 123 tracks.

Who knows, after the Buzzcocks, (and thanks to our local promoters) we can always hope for the chance to see punk legends such as Stiff Little Fingers, UK Subs and, who knows, The Sex Pistols, who are still working hard plying their trade globally.