Buzzcocks are not just one of the great punk bands, they are one of the best British singles bands of all time. The Manchester quartet had a searing run of indelible hits during an initial phase that stopped with their split in 1981, an era covered in the brilliant new book by co-founder and guitarist Steve Diggle, Autonomy: Portrait Of A Buzzcock.
In a two-part, career-spanning interview with Substack music publication The New Cue, Diggle delves into the formation of the band, being present at the Sex Pistols’ iconic Free Trade Hall gig (and then opening for them) as well as reflecting on their reunion and Pete Shelley’s sudden death. But perhaps the most shocking moment in the interview is as Diggle is looking back to his youth growing up in Manchester and reveals he grew up in the same neighbourhood as Moors Murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.
