Saturday 11/12/04 Buzzcocks @ Academy 2, Manchester

Onstage come The Buzzcocks to an ecstatic welcome; you want them to be your uncles. Even with silly haircuts and beer guts they still hold their appeal. From kids with their parents, and the parents who would have seen them on their initial toilet tours, to kids by themselves and everyone in between, we’re all trying to keep up with the relentless pace. There is hardly a pause of breath in-between each thundering three minutes. Fat, shirtless, hairy-backed 40 year olds are encouraged to crowd surf by their peers, rather than being rejected for fear of breaking something or someone. The simplicity of 'Oh Shit' and slightly off harmonies of 'Why She’s The Girl From The Chainstore' really get people dancing.

But it is after they finish the set, having played the gem that is 'Ever Fallen In Love', and return for a long and raucous encore, they really shine. They seem to be at their most comfortable now they’ve warmed up and are rattling through the proper classics; 'Noise Annoys', 'Orgasm Addict', 'Boredom' (did no one else see the Sooty and Sweep where they sang this? no?) These are as good as anything that is released today. But you could still close your eyes and be back in the late seventies, a feeling i’m sure half the crowd would subscribe to.

The old favourites get the best reception, they still sound as raw as they did twenty years past, although the boundaries of popular (and unpopular) have moved considerably since songs such as 'Oh Shit' were first unleashed on the public  - i’m discounting Eamon’s '**** It' - a living history lesson should be compulsory to anyone with even a passing interest in music. The only thing that could’ve made this gig more perfect is if they had persuaded Magazine to support.