Autonomy, Portrait of a Buzzcock by Steve Diggle
Published by Omnibus Press (August 2024)
Autonomy is a compelling account from Steve Diggle, one of the architects of Punk, definitely, a thing that’s worth having.
Autonomy is one of Buzzcocks greatest songs and maybe one of the songs that best captures the essence of what Punk was, and still is, all about. Be who you are, take no shit and, as far as possible, control your life and live it the way you want to. Steve Diggle, undoubted guitar legend and prime mover in the birth and establishment of Punk, has certainly done that and has presented a measured, honest (occasionally painfully so) but always gripping account of his life and time as a Buzzcock.
If you are a lover of the band, and who isn’t really, you may find some revelations, particularly about the much-loved and greatly missed Pete Shelley, a little close to the bone. However, the book’s overall tone and reflective nature of the account is such that the harsh truths about his bandmate sit comfortably within a genuine love that Diggle had for Shelley.
Diggle believes he was born to be a Punk, relating a tale of when, as a seven-year-old, he was part of a gang that literally smashed up one of their nan’s house. This independent, untameable streak continued through being expelled on his final day of school and avoiding work like the plague. However, there is a killer story about the day he managed, after a lot of attempts, to get himself sacked from a factory job he hated.
Diggle’s life of autonomy veers into some uncomfortable areas such as heavy drug use (never addiction apparently) and the difficult to comprehend fact that he drove away from his girlfriend, who was holding their baby and begging him to stay, rather than suffer the constraints of a relationship and being a parent. Life as a Punk Rock icon gave him what he feels he needs, the omnipresent sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. As Charlie Harper would say, “Born a rocker, die a rocker”.
One of the real strengths of this book is that Steve Diggle is brutally honest and makes no excuse for his failings and is equally frank about Pete Shelley who, we are told, could be cold, selfish and aloof. Shelley’s chosen method of breaking up the group at the start of the 1980s was to get his lawyer to write to each band member, an action that Diggle still resents to this day. However, despite, brutally at times, baring his soul over Shelley’s shortcomings as he saw them, there is no doubt that Steve Diggle loved the man dearly, was stunned and heartbroken by his passing and still misses him to this day. Whatever the truth about the complicated soul behind his “cheeky chappie” veneer, Diggle is in no doubt that Pete Shelley was one of the great punk songwriters.
It is indisputable that Buzzcocks are right up there in the firmament of Punk Rock, sitting at the right-hand side of the Sex Pistols, and Diggle is rightly proud of their influence and legacy. As they were the first Punk band to form outside of London he argues, showing that it was possible for Punk to be established in the provinces. Their influence was seismic, from early audience members Warsaw, who would become Joy Division, through The Smiths, Nirvana and Green Day to name but a few. Their trademark razor guitars, combined with acerbic, self-deprecating lyrics were always a winning combination and one that will stand the test of time.
One controversial aspect has undoubtedly been Diggle’s decision to continue as Buzzcocks without Shelley, which has split the fanbase with many feeling that Buzzcocks can’t exist without their effervescent frontman. However, as the longest-standing band member, Diggle is emphatic that Buzzcocks should continue, just as they did after Howard Devoto left and then John Maher and Steve Garvey departed. Ultimately, it is Steve Diggle’s decision to make and no one is forced to attend the shows.
Autonomy is a compelling account by one of the architects of Punk and an essential read for anyone who has ever fallen in love or who has felt disinclined to conform. It’s definitely a thing that’s worth having.
Buzzcocks are on Facebook and their website is www.buzzcocks.com
All words by Dave Jennings. More from Dave can be found at his Louder Than War Author Archive. He is also on Twitter
We have a small favour to ask. Subscribe to Louder Than War and help keep the flame of independent music burning. Click the button below to see the extras you get!
