The Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley: An Interview w/ The Original Queer Punk

Bisexual Buzzcocks frontman Pete Shelley gave The New Gay ten minutes of his time to discuss punk rock, gay sex and the evolution of his electronic sound. Check it out!

[@potentialfrenzy96]

Met Pete in 1991 my band opened up for the Buzzcocks at the MIlk Bar in Jacksonville Fl The entire band were the nicest people I ever met in the music business. He was so kind to our band that I will never forget it. He made my High School Musical Fantasy come true all because he and the band we just nice and friendly. Thank you! Pete!!!!

[@seanmacgeoghegan3402]

David Higgins. Pete gets no recognition in his home town of Leigh (which is a pretty macho place) despite his international recognition and people like yourself grasping his special place in modern culture.

[@pauleyles9536]

Hi m8 I will miss Pete Shelley from the Buzzcocks. I'm a mega big Human League fan myself. Who lv seen play live 18times live in total. And I have been lucky enough to have met the Human League Sweet ♥️ s IE Joanne Catherall ♥️ and Susan Sulley and Phillip Oakey 2 face to face and 5 times in Joanne Catheralls case. Who's partly responsible 4 the best night of my life so far . Even though the free taxi home from Brighton 2 Portsmouth where I live in and play Chess 4 on the night in question wasn't planned.

[@PaulChapman1bz]

The smile at the end is golden. Rest peacefully, Pete Shelley.

[@AV9000x]

He can't read your comment. He's dead!

[@AV9000x]

@Trixie K Keep it to yourself next time, you HPV princess.

[@chrisinfidel]

I had the pleasure of supporting Buzzcocks with our band back in the early to mid noughties in Lincolnshire. Have to say that Pete was a real gentleman and remembered my name from the first support. Together we played the last gig at Cleethorpes Winter Gardens (before it's demolition) and I mentioned to Pete that the stage decor hadn't changed since the 1976 Anarchy Tour, to which he pulled a picture out of his pocket of the stage and them playing and we both agreed that it had not changed. RIP Pete, nice man!

[@pilarzj]

I was cranking Singles Going Steady in the afternoon while doing some shit around the house. Then I got the news about Pete that evening ( I read the news today, oh boy....") . Hope Pete knows how much he meant to us music geeks ( I'm 60). Buzzcocks ( and Homosapien) were sheer fun. And he's such a nice guy to boot....RIP

[@BoudicaJ]

We had a bad couple of years didn't we? Bowie and Pete I mean

[@kbinco]

RIP Pete Shelley. The music will live on forever.

[@superfuzzymomma]

This man could write a hook like nobodies business. Safe Journey, Sir.

[@PatrickAlanMcL]

As well as being an iconic songwriter, what a nice guy.

[@LaughingStock_]

Yep - the kind of guy that would be a pleasure to share a pint with.

[@beastieboy9286]

Martin Hugh met him and jammed with him what an absolute pleasure then bumped into the whole band with john robb at oxford road station in manchester legends but john robb (goldblade) was the least friendly

[@ciaranriley5028]

Yep Patrick iconic songwriter who was underated in the UK

[@motorcop505]

Peter Shelley is a legend, regardless what your sexual preference is. This shows that he is humble and has a lot of class, too. As a radio DJ back then I loved playing the Buzzcocks and Peter Shelley's solo work. Homosapien is still one of the best songs of the 80's, as is You Say You Don't Love Me. What a great guy.

[@pauleyles9536]

I wonder if Pete Shelley from the Buzzcocks was a good Chess player. Like I am.

[@jackiebrown7229]

Absolutely loved Pete Shelley. Met him in the 80's and a nicer guy you couldn't get. Thanks for the fab songs that kept me awake at night. ❤️

[@guyinsf]

The Buzzcocks wrote melodies that other punk bands could only dream of.

[@jamesholland2519]

A talented, modest and lovely bloke was Pete Shelley. How different to the manufactured narcissistic fools who followed.

[@leonkingsley4467]

I realize I'm kinda randomly asking but do anyone know a good site to watch new movies online ?

[@justusyael6708]

@Leon Kingsley i watch on FlixZone. Just google for it :)

[@piercealec1971]

@Leon Kingsley i would suggest FlixZone. You can find it on google =)

[@hankjavion7657]

@Leon Kingsley Lately I have been using FlixZone. You can find it by googling =)

[@ChrisWrightOM1]

Pete Shelley bought me a gin and tonic in around 1993.

[@nedih1968]

Make the most of these guys and bands while they are around, we reminisce when it’s too late. RIP

[@Phoenix85006]

100%!

[@jonathanmitchell9886]

Pete Shelley is great: so unpretentious and down to earth. It's the same quality that's always been evident in his songwriting.

[@Metal_Horror]

He totally emphasizes that he's just an everyday guy. Very humble. Inspiring gyy

[@guydwelly]

A really frank and pleasant interview. Good work. Just shows what a humble talent the great Pete Shelley reall is.

[@bryanclouse9579]

He wrote the soundtrack of my teen years...and I am straight. RIP Pete, your music lives on.❤

[@ciaranriley5028]

I'm gonna miss you Pete thank you for memories

[@gavhinds8190]

R.I.P. Pete..

[@gordonjohnston9865]

Pete Shelley, legend. He put this particular interviewer in his place.

[@chrisnagy1429]

Yay. Pete Shelley. RIP dude. Saw you 3 times and always had fun. Who cares if your gay, you're just normal. I loved all your stuff. Homosapien album blew me away as all those ep's and the Telephone Operator album, brilliant. You are sorely missed my brother. Some of the best lyrics ever. I hope to get a good eulogy right someday for you. You are definitely still alive in my heart.

[@exeuroweenie]

Buzzcocks were amazing live.Dearly departed Shelley winked at me once and did "Breakdown" as per my request.

[@elliotprice278]

So glad I got to see him front the Buzzcocks, RIP Pete

[@carlomarkx3430]

didn't know he was gay bi or whatever. doesn't really matter. I still love me some buzzcock.

[@elvicare35]

+Carlo Markx The music?

[@A2Z83]

Shelley got banned by the bbc for his song Homosapien because it was gay.

[@UrbanSpaceman100]

wahey...!!

[@PaulChapman1bz]

@@A2Z83 Yet if it was released today it'd probably be on the radio one playlist immediately.

[@johndotcue]

Yeah he wrote many of his songs about dudes he fell in love with.

[@jeffkharpoharpo3472]

"Rest in Peace " Pete Shelly Your music lives on!!

[@Novadrome]

Rest in peace, legend.

[@tobyharris9233]

Great musician from a legendary band.

[@Morra5472]

I simply love his "On your own"... Its and old track yeah and i feel that Pete was before his time for sure.

[@pilarzj]

All roads lead to Bowie........

[@joseaquino8773]

*Lou Reed

[@johndotcue]

@@joseaquino8773 Lou, Bowie, and Iggy. All three of them.

[@glitch373]

I mean if you wanna do the flow chart properly it'd go Lou --> Bowie --> Iggy

[@carnivalimusic]

Elvis Presley?

[@primalengland]

Just put a video up on my channel celebrating a tribute just installed in Pete’s old town of Leigh in Lancashire. I knew Pete as a kid. We lived round the corner from each other. We also played briefly in a band before he met Howard at Bolton College and formed Buzzcocks. RIP Magpie. (His boyhood nickname)

[@GNeuman]

An absolute hero for the bi-community........

[@palominox64]

Hero to the punk and the rock community. If it was the 80's and your club, disco or house party didn't spin the Buzzcocks your club disco or house party wasn't shit. Any buzzcocks or Pete Shelly song came on, the entire building rushed to the dance floor in frenzy. He's canon.

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

The Buzzcocks were up there with The Fall, What the F*** happened in Manchester that so many great bands came out of it???.

[@PaulChapman1bz]

Literally nothing. A stagnant city with few prospects gives creative people the time to nurture brilliant art.

[@Paul.in.Ireland]

Rest well mate....

[@darrenlee1938]

RIP. Lovely bloke genius writer

[@Ojb_1959]

UNDERRATED BUT HIGHLY RATED IN MY MIND & A MUSICAL GENIUS IS PETE SHELLEY PERIOD.

[@dawnlonergan7124]

One of the most talented musicians I've ever seen. I used to frequent his brother Gary's record shop in Leigh. Saw the Buzzies live many times. Sadly missed. RIP

[@4Mr.Crowley2]

Does the interviewer understand how closely linked NEW WAVE (not "electronica") and punk were in the late 70s?! How revolutionary the early new wave aesthetic was?! Also, he sounds like he read about Kraftwerk on Wikipedia.

[@MichaelDevlin-ps9fd]

The nicest man who ever lived. I met him back in 1976 in a pub called The Longford. Just a complete gentleman. RIP Mr. Shelley.

[@userscn]

he's fabulous. so kind and thoughtful.

[@nyquilcoma645]

Bought "Singles Going Steady" in 78/79? Can't remember. Never looked back. Pete's the King of melodic punk pop. Known he was gay for decades. Never bothered me, why should it bother you? Wrote some of my favorite tunes.

[@garyemoss3260]

Interesting didn't know the album came out in the USA as a introduction to Buzzcocks 2 years before it was release (as a greatest hit's,) in the UK in 1981.

[@elvicare35]

+Nyquilcoma Yeah, like Elton John, if it's good music......

[@maximusmaxwell4392]

pete looks like a randy farmer from devon

[@1959ticktock]

So he does. And I should know!

[@sgillespie13]

He looks like the dark underbelly of the Archers.

[@alipanez1973]

Aren't they the best kind?

[@BoudicaJ]

I love Pete...my fave band for 35+ years

[@nexioseptimus5099]

From the late 1800s to around the end of WWII, the label 'punk' was a derogatory term meaning "queer" ... etymologyonline says "worthless person; underworld slang first attested 1904, with overtones of 'catamite'". (It is attested all the way back to the 1700s with the meaning 'prostitute', then shifted to male prostitutes, thence 'gay male' in general.) As with all marginal groups, what started out as an insult became a badge of honor: queer, nerd, bitch, whatever your thing is, *own* it, because then they can't hurt you with it anymore. So 'young punk' went from doubly dire insult to an identifying name for the set of all people who don't belong in a set. Pete Shelley was punk squared. And he managed to stay human. Serious respect.

[@singmetosleepidontwanttowa7492]

Wow I didn't I now this thanks 🌈

[@s.gharavi1614]

Yeah, no one thought that at the time. No one. Punk literally has no direct link to homosexuality. That so many musicians and artists are homosexual, including punk rockers, was an association made much much later.

[@LisaOpal]

I was part of a club that revolved around a pop television show in Australia called Countdown. It was one of the most viewed shows on Australian television in the 70's and 80's, and a lot of kids that were in the ''Countdown club'' were gay. When Countdown played Pete Shelley's ''Homosapien'' music video, the viewers took to it immediately and the song zoomed all the way up into the Australian Top 10. The gay kids that were in the closet were determined to see the song become a big hit in Australia. Months later, they gave Joe Jackson's ''Real Men'' the same push and it too became a massive hit in Australia. ''Homosapien'' is an important song to a lot of people.

[@godsvoice1109]

My Record collection is up for sale. Except for one record. An unused copy of the album, Homosapien. Just sitting there to remind me of early memories of me dancing with my Dog to that song when no one was at home. I find it quite interesting that homosexuals seem to write the nicest love songs. I wonder if people notice that.

[@Morra5472]

His whole solo album back in those days is brilliant. Sad that "Homosapien" was banned by most channels... But hey that is Punk!-

[@godsvoice1109]

@@Morra5472 Any reason it was banned for. ? It’s just that I’ve got the sex pistols song , ‘God save the Queen’, on my mind at the moment, and that wasn’t banned.

[@girlsmakegraves]

@@godsvoice1109 the BBC for one didnt like it alluding to gay sex

[@manoloxines9113]

May you rest in peace LEGEND!

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

Top bloke, top band, classic catchy songs, I really hope Pete knew how much he was loved by his fans

[@latinhouseparty]

Rest in peace

[@tomcross3000]

such a grounded, down to earth artist as were and are his bandmates. those of us who have been up close, know what i mean, and those are many because they were out of the world generous. we ache for pete shelley

[@midwichyouthclub]

I love Pete Shelley - would love to make an electronic album with him.

[@jawkneekat]

What a sweet genius. Thanks.

[@cpfcselhurst8159]

Love bites classic 2 nd album rip

[@martinmartin8871]

RIP thanks for the music!

[@BillStreeter]

RIP Pete! Sad to hear of his passing!

[@petebest22]

What a lovely down to earth guy Pete was , so sad he's not with us anymore 😔

[@michelleley45ley65]

Love you ,Pete...always great! Take care of Austin!

[@deadlift99]

absolute hero full stop

[@keith-leecastle6700]

Come on...Genius....Can you imagine..1976 and gay!

[@b4itcools]

I like the realness of this interview. Above average every day cock from Manchester that doesn't brag or claim anything that ain't true here. Humility with a hammer.

[@stevenredd]

For real. And to think, I listened to this as a confused teenager in Idaho and he was queer like me. LOL Life's funny ennit?

[@elvicare35]

+stevenredd Er ah, isn't that innit?

[@stevenredd]

I think it depends on where yer frum

[@shaunw9270]

Sixteen Again is one of my favourite songs. The melancholy! One can feel sixteen again at any age 😊❤

[@carlospagi]

Ace bloke.

[@1981desiderata]

true punk

[@steve261brown]

LEGEND. RIP.

[@edmundot]

RIP genius

[@chickenzalfrezi]

FML.....never saw this coming. 😦 rip, legend.

[@bertsbooks2505]

Spoke to him a couple of times, he was a lovely fella.

[@vinceiswatchingyou]

This guy will live forever. RIP

[@sharonrodgers1136]

I’ve got Pete Shelley’s autograph on a lot of albums and singles I met him at QUI in Glasgow where his guitarist was not able to appear and he had a backup guitarist and that turned out to be sSlash from guns and roses

[@jambutty2218]

Must be really hard, having to explain songs you wrote when younger. That were possibly just words that rhymed.

[@craigjones5207]

R.i.p.thanks the legend!!

[@jamesshields6721]

humble: genius

[@mickdevlin]

Probably the loveliest man who ever lived.

[@Christopher1889]

Make a statement in Life. RIP Pete.

[@angelicskin7756]

class band and a great singer,rip

[@BRMBug]

Huh. Never knew he was a gentleman who prefers gentlemen. Interesting interview.

[@IAmTheBestMang]

@@JoseGonzalez-lb5mv He's bi, not gay.

[@nobletrashspencer]

An absolute genius. Huge influence to my band noble trash. ❤

[@dixgun]

He always seemed more “ally” like Gary Numan and David Bowie ... basically heterosexual guys who weren’t afraid of their feminine sides, who found acceptance in gay clubs when they were young and so they were thought of as bisexual .

[@cpt.dr.hawkeye1740]

yes exactly.

[@nickrophiliac7469]

I once saw Erasure in the mid 80s (though could've been the Communards- same venue, similar period) in London, supported by a group called Buzz. They were three guys, guitar-playing singer, other guitarist & bassist, backed by sequenced drums and other bits, including live concert crowd applause/cheering sounds. My friends & I thought they were shit. It's only recently occurred to me that it might've been Pete Shelley and others doing a rock/electronic crossover thing. I do wonder...(?)

[@bowecho]

Oh Pete. I adore your music.

[@ricardoa.mendoza8487]

I hate to hear when a band is called "underrated". The Buzzcocks were light years ahead of others. As time goes by people will better understand the key role that The Buzzcocks played in molding many of the acts that followed. Personally, I would place them at the same level as The Clash and the Sex Pistols.

[@cpt.dr.hawkeye1740]

I'd place them even above sex pistols imo

[@cquilty1]

Camp as christmas is the lad!

[@jblucio3177]

I was only a baby when he was with the Buzzcocks, now that I hear it, I think that his group was great, alond with sex pistols david bowie the cure most of all, were all great dureing the punk movement : )

[@ginolommano9326]

Ever falon love

[@freezerjoe]

I love Pete Shelley

[@Teeb2023]

It's unfortunate that Kraftwerk's music gets labelled as "cold", mainly due to The Robots and so on. There is much "warmth" in plenty of their lesser-known songs. Radioland, Tanzmusik, etc...

[@cpt.dr.hawkeye1740]

Underrated genius

[@merboyontiveros5297]

Love him

[@Metal_Horror]

Such a cool guy and what a musician.

[@carnivalimusic]

Can’t hear the audio clearly.

[@pointnozzleaway]

Makes No matter to me....Awesome guy...gonna miss his music influence !

[@Fractalite]

Fascinating to read about the connections between the gay scene and early Punk scene and how they evolved together with mutual ideals , so far removed from the aggressive leather studded mohawk style of punk that became the later stereotype.

[@user-fh1rz1uq6c]

Good interview

[@Orrphan]

Wait.. Pete Shelley was in the buzzcocks, he was gay, he died???? Didn’t know any of this. Assumed he was German for some reason with a couple songs and one big hit.

[@owensjl65]

Part of my life gone

[@ronfrancois]

What a cute chat

[@keith-leecastle6700]

A true beauty..

[@dstdvl]

he looks like Freddie Jones!

[@stephenroche5107]

Pete you will be sadly missed why do the good die young R.I.P !

[@johnnys-left-earring]

i miss him

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

Was Pete gay then? I was never aware of this.

[@Brewzerr]

R.I.P.

[@72megasnoopy]

Pete Shelly from Leigh . Nr Manchester