With a boyish grin and restless hands, guitarist Steve Diggle is an original punk — a classic member of Buzzcocks, the Manchester outfit that defined an enduring sound in the ’70s.
As the last classic member still touring, Steve capable keeps the Buzzcocks legacy alive while also moving the ball forward, as evidenced by the band’s recent performance at Union Stage in DC.
Steve is most famous for writing Buzzcocks staple “Harmony in My Head” (1979), which he played to close the DC show on Sept. 23. He played fast and furiously, daring the very sounds to keep up with his guitar fingers as he pounded out each melody. It was a lively good time that drew a heavy throng of admirers, many of whom clearly had been following Buzzcocks for decades.
Keeping the Buzzcocks active, Steve also wrote a new album of material, Sonics in the Soul, the band’s tenth studio album — which was released in 2022 via Cherry Red Records. It was the first Buzzcocks album without the late Pete Shelley, who left us in 2018 after a lifetime of making very good and catchy tunes. Sonics in the Soul is a smashing effort, and the Union Stage audience enthusiastically applauded the new songs — including “Senses Out of Control,” “Bad Dreams,” and “Manchester Rain,” the latter of which closed the main set prior to a break for the encore.
Watch the official music video for “Manchester Rain” by Buzzcocks on YouTube:
![Buzzcocks - Manchester Rain [Official Video]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pC0WxEOle3s/hqdefault.jpg)
Capably backing Steve were bassist Chris Remington and drummer Danny Farrant, who also had been playing for the last 10-12 years that Pete was co-leading Buzzcocks. Also on deck was guitarist Mani Perazzoli. All three Buzzcocks bandmates locked in as a unit and each took the opportunity to shine while giving Steve space to do his thing in the front. They were a formidable team!
Of course, Steve and company played much of what longtime Buzzcocks fans wanted to hear. The band opened with “What Do I Get?” (1978; the first Buzzcocks chart hit); “Why Can’t I Touch It?” (1979; a single that Steve shared writing credit with his bandmates); and “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)” (1978; perhaps the single that defines not only the band but the punk sound of northern England).
When Steve returned for the encore after a short break, he returned alone and strummed up “Love Is Lies” (1978) on an acoustic guitar, playing the first verse solo before the rest of the band joined him. Steve also impressed on harmonica at the very beginning of the show with an intro to “What Do I Get” on the wind instrument. He was an all-around showman as he zipped through each o the band’s rock bangers!
To open, Buzzcocks recruited two sympathetic DC power pop outfits: Dot Dash and Pinkhouse. Dot Dash started the evening with about a dozen songs, including several from their 2022 album, Madman in the Rain. I particularly liked the wordplay and melodies on “Tense & Nervous” with his memorable lyrics: “You can’t go on, you can’t go back./ You gotta have a heart to have a heart attack!”
Pinkhouse played next, and the quartet played some as yet unrecorded songs from an upcoming new album. I was struck by new tune “Keep Walking,” and I’ll be interested to hear the album when it arrives.
Buzzcocks visited DC as part of a quick US swing around Riot Fest but they undoubtedly will be back. Steve clearly revels in being on the road and playing live music, and his band seem geared to go the distance for the foreseeable future!
Here are some photos of Buzzcocks performing live at Union Stage on Sept. 23, 2025. Photos by Mickey McCarter.
Here are some photos of Dot Dash opening Buzzcocks at Union Stage on Sept. 23, 2025. Photos by Mickey McCarter.
Here are some photos of Pinkhouse opening Buzzcocks at Union Stage on Sept. 23, 2025. Photos by Mickey McCarter.
