WHEN he sat down to write abiography of Pete Shelley and Buzzcocks, Paul Hanley hit aproblem. His enthusiasm for the subject was getting in the way of his objectivity. “I was amassive Buzzcocks fan at the age of 14. It was quite aprocess to keep stepping back. I thought, ‘A lot of people could write abiography. It’s only me could write about my relationship with the band.’”
As aformer drummer with The Fall, Hanley is well placed to write about one of the most significant Manchester bands. The beauty of Sixteen Again: How Pete Shelley & Buzzcocks Changed Manchester Music (And Me), is the way it renders an adult view of Pete Shelley’s genius with teenage enthusiasm. The biographical details of Shelley’s life are present; so is the purity of Hanley’s passion.
Hanley remembers the day Buzzcocks’ first album Another Music In ADifferent Kitchen came out. Future Fall members Marc Riley, Craig Scanlon and Steve Hanley (Paul’s older brother) went to Virgin’s Manchester branch for alaunch event. The shop released balloons. “The idea was that whoever got the one that flew furthest away would win the album. Of course, they all got caught in the trees.” When the trio returned, album in hand, Hanley was waiting by the record player. “I looked at this sleeve and listened to the record and I thought, ‘This is the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life.’ Everything about it. I loved the record. I loved the sleeve. And there was badges! It was the perfect thing for me at 14 years of age. This was gonna be my band.”