Buzzcocks - Alexandra Park Manchester 15th July 1978
Wow! This is a really, really long time ago...
Up until 1978, I had been a devout follower of Prog and Glam. My sources of influence had been limited though. Back then, you had weird TV kiddie programmes like Marc (Bolan), and Lift Off with Ayesha (Brough), Top Of The Pops, Old Grey Whistle Test, then Radio 1, and... no, that was pretty much about it. My friend, Phil Kilner, had turned me on to King Crimson's USA album and he introduced me to a lot of 'Alternative' music that was coming around, Television, Radiators From Space, X-Ray Specs, XTC, The Stranglers, and so on. Our Holy Grail was the Hope and Anchor double live album. He played me Orgasm Addict off The Buzzcocks Spiral Scratch EP one day. I didn't even know what the word 'orgasm' meant (in spite of the fact I was well-acquainted with the manual aspects of the procedure) but there was something about the music that was really different and as addictive as the act it described.
So, when Phil told me about the Anti-Nazi League/Rock Against Racism rally, which ended up with a march through Manchester and a concert featuring The Buzzcocks at Alexandra Park, I was most definitely in!
Although I have always hated prejudice and bigotry, I am not a political animal and never was, there is just too much bollocks around politics for it to even remotely interest me. Then again, Fascism (and all the other '-isms') cannot be allowed to go unchallenged either. So, for me, it was worth it to go along, because I really wanted to see The Buzzcocks. I had seen The Stranglers and XTC and this music just appealed to me.
Up until 1978, I had been a devout follower of Prog and Glam. My sources of influence had been limited though. Back then, you had weird TV kiddie programmes like Marc (Bolan), and Lift Off with Ayesha (Brough), Top Of The Pops, Old Grey Whistle Test, then Radio 1, and... no, that was pretty much about it. My friend, Phil Kilner, had turned me on to King Crimson's USA album and he introduced me to a lot of 'Alternative' music that was coming around, Television, Radiators From Space, X-Ray Specs, XTC, The Stranglers, and so on. Our Holy Grail was the Hope and Anchor double live album. He played me Orgasm Addict off The Buzzcocks Spiral Scratch EP one day. I didn't even know what the word 'orgasm' meant (in spite of the fact I was well-acquainted with the manual aspects of the procedure) but there was something about the music that was really different and as addictive as the act it described.
So, when Phil told me about the Anti-Nazi League/Rock Against Racism rally, which ended up with a march through Manchester and a concert featuring The Buzzcocks at Alexandra Park, I was most definitely in!
Although I have always hated prejudice and bigotry, I am not a political animal and never was, there is just too much bollocks around politics for it to even remotely interest me. Then again, Fascism (and all the other '-isms') cannot be allowed to go unchallenged either. So, for me, it was worth it to go along, because I really wanted to see The Buzzcocks. I had seen The Stranglers and XTC and this music just appealed to me.
Buzzcocks - Alexandra Park 15th July 1978
As I remember it, it was a very tiring day. Coach across The Pennines, march, gig, coach home again. Long day. The Buzzcocks were very good indeed and all that I'd hoped they would be. What did they play? No idea, to be honest. It would have been composed of material from Spiral Scratch and Another Music and that's about all I can say.
For more info on this particular event, visit www.ukrockfestivals.com/rock-against-racism-1978.html and enjoy this marvellous repository of information and recollections of the UK music festivals of the past.
This photo is the property of Chris Hewitt and is used here with much appreciation. © Chris Hewitt
For more info on this particular event, visit www.ukrockfestivals.com/rock-against-racism-1978.html and enjoy this marvellous repository of information and recollections of the UK music festivals of the past.
This photo is the property of Chris Hewitt and is used here with much appreciation. © Chris Hewitt