Originally formed in Manchester at the end of 1975 by Pete Shelley (b. Peter McNeish, 17 April 1955, Leigh, Lancashire, England; vocals/guitar), Howard Devoto (b. Howard Trafford, 1955, Manchester, England; vocals), Steve Diggle (b. Manchester, England; bass) and John Maher (b. England; drums). Taking their name from a Time Out review of the ITV television show Rock Follies, a support spot on the Sex Pistols' infamous "Anarchy' tour prefaced the Buzzcocks" debut recording, the EP Spiral Scratch, which included one of punk's most enduring anthems, "Boredom". The quartet's undeveloped promise was momentarily short-circuited when Devoto sensationally left in February 1977, a month after the release of the EP, only to resurface later that year with Magazine. A reshuffled Buzzcocks, with Shelley taking lead vocals and Diggle switching to guitar to accomodate Garth Smith (quickly replaced by Steve Garvey) on bass, won a major recording contract with United Artists Records. 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 Shouldn't've)", "Promises" (with Diggle), "Everybody's Happy Nowadays" and Diggle's "Harmony In My Head". After three albums (two of which, Another Music In A Different Kitchen and A Different Kind Of Tension, were classics) and nearly five years on the road, the band 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. Following the release of the excellent Product box set in 1989, Shelley, Diggle, Garvey and Maher re-formed the band for a reunion tour. They kept going with former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce added to their ranks, with Maher unable to commit because of his devotion to motor racing. For their first major tour since the break-up, 1993's 35-date itinerary, Shelley and Diggle were joined by Tony Barber (bass) and Phil Barker (drums). The Buzzcocks continue to be fêted by the rock cognoscenti, and support tours with Nirvana and a genuinely riveting comeback album (Trade Test Transmissions) added to their legacy. Further studio recordings, All Set (1996) and Modern (1999, originally issued with a limited edition bonus CD of classic tracks) and Flat-Pack Philosophy (2006) confirmed the Buzzcocks' latter-day renaissance.
