Brighton Coalition, 25th July

Back in 1994, I had a ticket to see Nirvana at Brixton Academy, with Buzzcocks in support. Back then they were already confirmed as a legendary product of the mid-seventies English punk movement, so for them to play Brighton Coalition, expectation of a classic performance was high.

They made us wait for it though, and it wasn’t until about 11pm before we finally got a glimpse. Without much faffing about Buzzcocks launched into ‘Boredom’, which pleased the audience no end. It was funny though, because they now look like a punk rock version of Status Quo! Luckily for them they had the songs to remove that image from your head. The songs were played with a hit-and-run mentality; one after the other, Buzzcocks played their hits – from ‘Whatever Happened To?’, ‘Oh Shit’ and ‘You Say You Don’t Love Me’ to ‘Noise Annoys’. I could go on.

I stood there watching the band and audience going absolutely mental and thought that all bands should play in venues of this size. When you read about Led Zeppelin reforming and playing sterile venues like the O2 Arena, how shit would a gig be in a venue of that size? If Buzzcocks played at a venue even as (relatively) big as Concorde2, I don’t think this gig would have been half as enjoyable. This was definitely a show where the fans played a part; saluting a band who has influenced an ocean of musical ventures.

But, in all honesty this wasn’t a classic performance. At times it was sloppy, but I think I’d be completely missing the point if I judged the show solely on that. There was an atmosphere and vibe stemming from something so simple and primitive that many, many bands forget about: passion. To quote a dead rock star: “Punk rock should mean freedom. Liking and accepting everything that you like. Playing whatever you want. As sloppy as you want. As long as it’s good and has passion.” I couldn’t have put it better myself. 

Words by Mo Mostowfi

Photographs by David Tatnell