Crap day at work yesterday. Had me tea and went to bed early to read me book (an oral history of Swans, I recommend it). Fell asleep at some point and then woke up. Put the radio on and Pete Shelley's dead. Chances are that you're not from Manchester and probably weren't in the middle of the idea wars. Whatever. So what.
The absolute spearhead of Northern DIY (me mate has already doffed his cap). From song to band to label and still remained a really nice bloke. The closest I got was probably at Maxwell Hall at Salford University in ?1987ish when The Fall were headlining. John Cooper Clarke opened and then Pete got up on his jack with an acoustic guitar and sang the "greatest hits" in the greatest and most self-deprecating way you could imagine. Simply one of the most perceptive and incisive songwriters of my generation and Manchester is emptier without him.
Buzzcocks were the soundtrack to my high school years.
ReplyDeleteDevestating blow
yup pete had a way with writing sweet sounding songs that often obscured their underlying edginess.
ReplyDeletea friend got us in as his guests at the ritz in nyc for a show with his post-buzzcocks band (they opened and closed with homosapien);
he was gracious and friendly with us 4 highschool kids. got to see the buzzcocks in 03 in a small club on a night off from pearl jam arena tour...and they blew the roof off the place. mighty!
RIP pete shelly.
mikeL
albany ny usa