Buzzcocks Still Got It 50 Years Later
— by Carrie Zukoski
At any other time, the jumping up and down, swaying, and frequent squeals of delight of the two teens next to me on the rail might have sent me over the edge. But their unabashed excitement and abundant energy on Sunday night at Delmar Hall in St. Louis for the Buzzcocks concert with opener Mind’s Eye had the opposite effect. No, I didn’t join in, but it made me happy at just how full of joyous life they were.
During Mind Eye’s 30-minute set, the teens espoused their undying love a multitude of times, which garnered them each a set list and a selfie with two band members. The 5-piece indie-rock band out of L.A. that’s been making the rounds for about 10 years now played to the growing crowd their textured layers of moody rock with songs that make you sway as on “wasted affairs” and “clevergirl” and bop as on “running to find you” to flail as on “CUT YOU OUT.” They ended on the dreamy, fuzzy “Modern Fear,” which they amped up with a harder edge for the live performance.
The room filled up only slightly more by the time Buzzcocks took to the stage just after 9 p.m., with the teens still on the rail. After I moved to take more photos from different angles, I could still see them, through the crowd, jumping up and down, relishing their night out throughout the impressive 90+ minute concert Buzzcocks performed. The English punk rock band is on tour celebrating their 50th year and a new album released in January.
They began with several of their early classics such as “What Do I Get?,” “Fast Cars,” and “I Don’t Mind.” At 71, frontman Steve Diggle still makes his guitar sing, as showcased during “Bad Dreams,” and his voice is as strong as ever. Midway through, Diggle stated, “50 years ago in Manchester I asked myself what am I going to do with my life, and I’m still asking,” as the band slid into “Manchester Rain,” which Diggle would interchange the lyrics to “St. Louis rain” at points during the song. About an hour into their set, they took a short break and came back for an extensive encore that was more like a second act. They began with the harmonic “All Gone to War” and a driving, yet lighter, peppy “Poetic Machine Gun,” two songs from Attitude Adjustment. While less jangly/punk than some of their earlier work, it just proves that some people still got it, and the Buzzcocks still do.
PS – Buzzcocks will be back in the States in November for another leg of their 2026 tour. Our recommendation is to go. Relive your punk days, or take your kids (or grandkids) to see this iteration of the band that influenced multitudes of American punk, hardcore, and indie rock acts.
See more photos: https://bit.ly/Buzzcocks26cz
