Buzzcocks - Live Alexandra Park Manchester 1978

When Bernie Wilcox and Geoff Brown approached Chris Hewitt in June 1978 about building a stage and providing a PA system for Alexandra Park, Manchester, Chris already had all the hardware booked for the Deeply Vale Festival which was a week later in July 1978 than the date Bernie and Geoff had proposed for the Northern Carnival Against Racism Concert. This then meant that all of the equipment, generators, scaffolding and fencing could simply have the hire period brought forward to cover Alexandra Park and that the costs would be far more reasonable than a completely ‘start from scratch hire’.

So it was that about 12 days before Deeply Vale 1978 we started to build a stage and secure compound in Alexandra Park, Manchester. Three days before Buzzcocks were due to play on the Saturday we got a call to ask if Graham Parker and The Rumour could rehearse in the park on the stage on the Thursday night as he was supporting Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton at a festival at Blackbushe Aerodrome on the Saturday and Graham and the Rumour had never played outdoors before. So we finished the stage by Thursday lunchtime for a free concert by Graham Parker in the evening and then Buzzcocks played Alexandra Park Saturday afternoon. Pete Shelley in 2016 – “I know Chris Hewitt obtained a recording of Buzzcocks at Alexandra Park, it would be great fun if it came out as an album”. Pete Shelley 1978 after playing his set at Alexandra Park –“This wasn’t politics it was fun, but the best kind of fun is with people and being with people is politics”.

Paul Morley reviewing the concert – “Buzzcocks placed the emphasis on entertainment – a people’s celebration. Arriving on stage with no fixed set they played some pop music... They were a triumph”.