Steve Diggle
| Steve Diggle | |
|---|---|
 Diggle with Buzzcocks at the Cropredy Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen E Diggle |
| Born |
7 May 1955 Manchester, England |
| Genres | Punk rock, post-punk, New Wave |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | EMI |
| Associated acts | Buzzcocks, Flag of Convenience |
| Website | www.stevediggle.co.uk |
| Notable instruments | |
|
1959 Gibson Les Paul Junior[1] 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Fender Telecaster Custom | |
Stephen E Diggle[2] (born 7 May[3] 1955[4][5] in Manchester) is an English guitarist and vocalist in the punk band Buzzcocks.
Biography
Early years
He was born in Manchester,[6] and grew up in the Bradford[6] and Rusholme distyricts of the city, where he was a mod.[7] After attending Oldham College,[8] he got a job, but was dismissed for organising a strike.[9]
Buzzcocks
He attended the Sex Pistols gig at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall, in June 1976. Their manager Malcolm McLaren introduced him to guitarist Pete Shelley and vocalist Howard Devoto, who were looking for a bassist for their band, the Buzzcocks.[10] John Maher joined as drummer and six weeks later the Buzzcocks played their first concert. Steve played bass at several concerts and on the Spiral Scratch EP. Howard Devoto left the Buzzcocks shortly after the EP was released, which prompted the band to reshuffle – Pete Shelley becoming lead vocalist as well as guitarist and Diggle switching from bass to guitar.
Steve Diggle wrote several songs for the Buzzcocks, including "Autonomy", "Fast Cars" (co-written with Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley), "Love Is Lies" (perhaps the first Buzzcocks song featuring an acoustic guitar), "Sitting Round At Home", "You Know You Can't Help It", "Mad Mad Judy", and, perhaps his most famous song, "Harmony in My Head", a Top 40 hit in 1979.
Early solo career and Flag of Convenience
After the Buzzcocks split in 1981, Diggle dedicated to a brief solo era, releasing 50 Years of Comparative Wealth EP (with the guest participations of fellow-Buzzcocks Steve Garvey and John Maher) the same year, and, in 1982, formed a new band, Flag of Convenience, initially with ex-Buzzcock John Maher. Ex-Easterhouse drummer Gary Rostock played on Diggle's 2000 release Some Reality.[11] 2013 saw the release of the British comedy punk pop film Vinyl. Directed by Sara Sugarman this film follows the fortunes of a washed up rock star trying to make a comeback. Johnny Jones (Phil Daniels) persuades his old band members to join him and record new material. This ends up being rejected by all record companies due to Johnny now being seen as insignificant or not relevant to the current music scene. Johnny then embarks on an elaberate con which sees his song enter The U.K. music charts. Starring Phil Daniels, Perry Benson, Keith Allen, Jamie Blackley and Julia Ford. It also has cameo appearances from past pop and rock stars such as Mike Peters (The Alarm ), Steve Diggle (The Buzzcocks), Jynine James and Tim Sanders (The City Zones). The soundtrack is written by Mike Peters with performances from The Alarm, Phil Daniels with Keith Allen. Steve Diggle plays himself at the funeral of a rock star and enters into discussion with Johnny Jones (Phil Daniels).
Discography
Singles
- 50 Years of Comparative Wealth E.P. (7" EP) (Liberty, 1981)
- Heated and Rising EP (3:30 Records, September 1991)[12]
Compilations
- The Best of Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience – The Secret Public Years 1981–1989 (Anagram, 2000)
Albums
Serious Contender
Released in the UK in 2005 on the EMI UK label.
Track listing
- Serious Contender
- Lie in Bed
- Hard Highway
- Wallpaper World
- See Through You
- Starbucks Around the World
- Across the Sun
- Round and Round
- Terminal
- If I Never Get to Heaven
- Jetfighter
- Shake the System
- Early Grave
Some Reality
Released in the UK in 2000.
Track listing
- Just Because
- Playing with Fire
- Where You're From
- Time of Your life
- Blowing Hot
- Three Sheets to the Wind
- What Else Can You Do
- Something in Your Mind
- Heavy Hammer
- All Around Your Face
- Turning Point
References
- ↑ "Beat Instrumental & Songwriting & Recording" numbers 158-164. Beat publications, 1979
- ↑ http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/all/results?recordCount=-1&forenames=stephen&_includeForenamesVariants=on&surname=diggle&_includeSurnameVariants=on&fromYear=1955&toYear=1955®ion=&county=&mothersMaidenName=&_useMothersMaidenNameAsSurname=on&sortOrder=RK%3Atrue&_performExactSearch=on&event=B&recordType=ALL&route=
- ↑ Guglielmi, Federico; Rizzi, Cesare;. Grande enciclopedia rock. Pg. 107. Giunti, 2002. ISBN 88-09-02852-X, 9788809028524. Steve Diggle (7 maggio 1955): chitarra, voce
- ↑ Buzzcocks Discography. BUZZCOCKS #1.0 Jul 20, 1976 – Feb 1977 (...)Steve Diggle (born 1955) – bass
- ↑ He is 45 (Note: the article was published on Friday 10 August 2001, after his birthday)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.buzzcocks.com/site/images/MaximumDigglePrt10310.pdf
- ↑ Diggle, Steve. Harmony In My Head
- ↑ "The Oldham College". Oldham.ac.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ↑ Dave Simpson and Will Hodgkinson (12 June 2002). "Punk: How was it for you? | Culture". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ↑ "Time to mind the Buzzcocks – they're back! – Features, Music". The Independent (UK). 10 March 2006. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ↑
- ↑ "Hiljaiset Levyt: PUNKNET 77 – Steve Diggle". Hiljaiset.sci.fi. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
External links
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