The legendary punk pioneers Buzzcocks will be inducted into the Music Walk Of Fame in Camden tomorrow, where they will take their place alongside illustrious artists such as David Bowie, The Who, Madness and Amy Winehouse. It honours the phenomenal impact that the band have made with their constant, ever-evolving presence over the last 45 years of pop culture – and particularly that of the much-missed Pete Shelley and the band’s remaining member of their classic line-up, Steve Diggle.
The ceremony will commence at 10am, hosted by two high-profile Buzzcocks fans: Carl Barât of The Libertines and BBC Radio London presenter Gary Crowley. The ceremony will include speeches from both hosts, the official unveiling, further tributes and archive video footage before concluding with an appearance from Steve Diggle.
Steve Diggle (Buzzcocks) says; “It’s a great honour to be inducted in to the Camden walk of fame. Camden has always been a magical musical inspiration – like Buzzcock’s music the two have walked the path of greatness”
Carl Barat (The Libertines) says; “Massive congratulations to the Buzzcocks on their inauguration into the Camden walk of fame. They are among the true greats and the first of their kind, and it is only fitting that they should embody a part of Camden tangibly as well as culturally.”
Buzzcocks will commemorate the achievement by playing the Camden Music Festival on Saturday, where they will hit the Hawley Crescent Stage at 5pm. They will also return to Camden in 2024 for a special show at KOKO on March 22nd. It will see them perform their seminal ‘Singles Going Steady’ in full, along with a selection of fan favourites. The band proved that their live powers are completely undiminished at Iggy Pop’s Dog Day Afternoon festival this summer, where they attracted a huge cross-generational audience during their set.
There will be much more to come from Buzzcocks in 2024. They will release a 45th Anniversary Edition of their classic compilation ‘Singles Going Steady’ via Domino Records, and are also working on a brand new studio album. Steve Diggle will also share his perspective of the band’s remarkable story with the release of his book ‘Autonomy’.
Buzzcocks immediately set the standard for combining the rush of punk with instantly addictive pop hooks with their first two albums, ‘Another Music in Another Kitchen’ and ‘Love Bites’, but it was their ‘Singles Going Steady’ collection that really cemented their reputation. Songs such as ‘Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)’, ‘Orgasm Addict’ and ‘What Do I Get?’ cast an influence over the subsequent US alt-rock scene of the ‘80s and continues throughout the contemporary pop-punk world. After the tragic loss of Pete Shelley in 2018, Steve Diggle forged ahead to release ‘Sonics In The Soul’, the first Buzzcocks album in eight years. It lived up to the band’s storied legacy, as Classic Rock praised “the sound of a band rebooted and reinvigorated” while Uncut’s review concluded, “there’s easily enough here to steer the trusty old craft into new, uncharted waters, just as Shelley wanted.”
