This is a perfect example of a great show almost being ruined by a bad venue. The venue in question, the Uptown Nightclub in downtown Oakland, is a nice place, but a horribly designed one. This would become apparent as the club filled with patrons for this jam packed show.
The headliner is the legendary punk band The Buzzcocks, a Manchester-based group formed in 1975 who were there for the birth of the punk movement in the UK. They are punk royalty, the architects and pioneers of punk-pop, influencing everyone from Husker Du to Green Day to Weezer to Blink-182.
Their legacy rests on the peerless run of singles they released from 1977 to 1979. Many of these were released on the classic compilation 'Singles Going Steady' in 1979, an essential artifact of the era.They carried on having serious chart hits in England until the early 80's. Their hot streak ended in about 1980, not helped by the fact that their label United Artists had been purchased by EMI, a label that didn't seem that interested in them. They broke up in 1981, but band leaders Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle reformed in 1989 and have been together ever since, touring and releasing respectable studio records.
While the punk movement in the UK was filled with rage and social commentary, the Buzzcocks lyrics tended to look inward and deal with the kind of emotional terrain that is universal and eternal. While other acts were calling for "Anarchy in the UK" or a "White Riot" or even to "Smash it Up", the songs of Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle asked questions like "What Do I Get?", "Ever Fallen In Love (with Someone You Shouldn't ve?)" and "Why Can't I Touch It?" (in the existential sense,not the physical, you pervs out there). These were songs of yearning, vulnerability and frustration. It is obvious that fellow Mancunian, Stephen Patrick Morrisey, was taking notes for his future band the Smiths. And I suppose the roots of emo-punk can be traced back here as well--unfortunately. I think these songs endure long after many others because the themes are timeless.
The Buzzcocks brought a certain melodic sense to punk's three chord rush, but also a serious dose of Krautrock that is not often seen in the groups they inspired. This German influence is apparent in the minimalist rhythms to certain songs, courtesy of their obsession with Can. There is also unexpected, and atypical for punk, bits of jagged guitar interplay which stretch out some songs in interesting ways that again betrays the Can influence.
Now back to the gig. The Uptown is a newish punk/alternative club that opened in 2007. The crux of this venue's problem is that it is two separate rooms crying out to be one room. Upon entering the club, one is met by a long (40 feet maybe) and fairly narrow space with a mirrored bar on one side and a brick wall on the other. On the other side of the brick wall is the performance space, also long and narrow. While this is fine when sparsely populated, when a sizable crowd gathers it can be problematic.
The problem lies in the fact that when the headliner takes the stage, the crowd for the entire place moves into the performance room. While the venue may not technically be oversold, the imbalance of too many people in one room and very few in the other made it seem like it was. When the Buzzcocks came on the room was hot, cramped and claustrophobic. That long and narrow room began to resemble a human corral. There were some desperate folks wading through the crowd looking for an exit and some fresh air. I am tall and not as susceptible to a crush of people, but I was very uncomfortable throughout.
The show itself was tremendous. On this tour the Buzzcocks are engaging in the latest trend for live band marketing:playing entire albums from start to finish. Tonight the Cocks do two: the first album 'Another Music In a Different Kitchen' and the second, 'Love Bites'. Pete Shelley looks like a middle age pub landlord these days,but he still has the voice and the energy to put the songs across. Steve Diggle may look like a middle age cabbie, but tonight he is a punk rock guitar god, flailing at his instrument and doing half windmills. They are ably supported by two younger musicians that make up their rhythm section.
They dispense with the two albums with nary a word spoken, other than occasionally calling out the song title. Both of these albums are considered punk classics, in a genre known more for singles than albums. Nevertheless, there is some filler on both records in my opinion, but they are mostly great. The crowd is loving it, but they go particularly nuts for any of the 'Singles Going Steady' tracks.'Kitchen' contains the singles sides "I Don't Mind" and "Autonomy", while 'Love Bites' has "Ever Fallen in Love" and "Just Lust". When the band returns for the encore they wheel out other 'Singles...' chestnuts in rapid succession: "Promises", "Love You More", "What Do I Get?", "Harmony In My Head" and finishing with "Orgasm Addict". The crowd is going ballistic at this point and is heartily singing along to the choruses of each.
As soon as "Orgasm Addict" ends, I am out the door and happy to have finally seen one of my favorite punk bands after 25 years, but also glad to be out of the Nightclub's sweat box of a performance space.
