Monday 7 May 2012

Steve Diggle

In November 1979 I sat backstage at the Lyceum Ballroom in London and helped to interview Buzzcocks (no definite article) for a friend's fanzine. My pals and I had shambolic conversations after the show with Steve Diggle and, less enthusiastically, Pete Shelley that were somehow stretched over two issues of said journal.


Shelley may be the songwriting genius, but I've long considered Diggle to be the engine room of the band - pushing, driving and cajoling - not to mention throwing a few shapes for all he's worth! That being said, over the years Steve Diggle has come up with a fair few little nuggets of his own.

Today is Diggle's 57th birthday and it's (unbelievably) 33 years since he was good enough to give some of his time to a bunch of ne'er-do-wells with a cheap cassette player and access to a photo-copier.

Happy birthday Steve - here's one of your nuggets.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Saw Buzzcocks about a month before you spoke to them. Joy Division were support. Amazing.

C said...

A 57-year-old Buzzcock?!! Oh it all seems a bit surreal!

Must've been a great experience for you. Do you still have the complete 'Strange Ways' fanzine?! Would love a little peek at some of the articles if you ever feel so inclined to share! (Also I knew someone from a band called the Straps for a while around that time, wonder if it was the same band?)

The Swede said...

After further research (ie opening the fanzine & actually having a look at the dates!) I note that it was November 1980, not 1979, when I saw Buzzcocks at the Lyceum, which explains my memories of them performing later tunes, 'Why She's a Girl From a Chainstore' & the marvelous 'Are Everything' and of course why I have no memory of Joy Division supporting! Apologies for the poor research!

'Articles' is probably too structured a concept for what you'll find within Strange Ways stapled pages C, but i'll certainly try to get some images over to SDS Towers asap!

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