Читать книгу Buzzcocks - The Complete History - Tony McGartland - Страница 5

For many Buzzcocks fans, the split in 1981 was the end, and for this reason the very thought of a reunion was belittled by many. Buzzcocks had made such a massive contribution to the pop world, and many people feared that the fond memories would be tainted by a substandard return. With this in mind, I have written their history in three distinct sections. The first is up to and including the original split, and is an in-depth chronology. The second section is from 1989 to 1996, spanning a period I have chosen to cover in the form of a gigography, which not only lists all their shows but also documents all recording activity under the various line-up changes. The third is an overview of what the band have done since then and includes their fortieth-anniversary celebrations.

The contents of this book are the result of more than four years’ research, using tour itineraries, personal diaries, radio and television contracts, session sheets and interviews with everyone involved with the band. The overviews are designed to give some degree of context for what Buzzcocks achieved, with the main text detailing these events in greater depth. In an attempt to maintain the accuracy of this book and the events recorded within it, some approximate dates have been extracted from comments made in interviews, such as ‘a few days later’. In this edition, many of these have been amended. However, 99.9 per cent of the dates are accurate and in every instance are totally factual.

This revised edition has been written with the full support and co-operation of the entire original line-up, Tony Barber and Phil Barker. Furthermore, original bassist Garth Davies has given me his first and only interview about his contribution and time with the band. These interviews took place between July and September 2016 and for the first time dispel much of the myth that has been written and said about him in the past. Today he plays bass guitar with Young Once, a band based in Tyldesley, Lancashire.

This revised update includes many corrections and additions that have been possible only today. A special word of thanks to Peter Hough, who wrote the overview for the years 1997–2016 and made it possible to bridge the gap that occurred in this revised edition. This book spans the band’s forty-year history – 1976–2016 – and more.