It is miraculous, and some could argue criminal, that it took this long to feature this band on a Golden Age Thursday. The early British punk days were marked by bands competing to be the first to achieve success abroad and secure a place in the U.S. punk pantheon. The Damned and The Sex Pistols famously duked it out to be the first British band to put their punk fury on wax, and while these two bands are some of the first to come to mind when thinking of British punk royalty, there is a third that is equally as impactful. You speak to any punk legend, any punk fanatic for that matter, and you ask who some of the most influential bands to ever trek into the genre are, one band seems to remain in the conversation: Buzzcocks.
Founded by the late great Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto in 1976, the Buzzcocks emerged from Manchester with rapid-fire melodies and a pop sensibility. Like any great punk band, Buzzcocks underwent several lineup changes, including Devoto leaving the band in 1977 to form Magazine. Before his departure, Devoto recorded the band’s debut release, Spiral Scratch, which birthed “Boredom,” and this brings us to this week’s Golden Age Thursday.
Today, we have an exceptional performance of “Boredom” recorded in Boston in 1980. The artsy, grainy video showcases a hopping crowd basking in the explosive performance, reminding us all of Shelley’s undeniable energy and the towering legacy of Buzzcocks. You can check out the performance below.
