Rock Follies, headlined “It’s the buzz, cock.” Cock is a northern England slang term for friend, while buzz denotes energy and the excitement of performing on stage.
Shelley, who’d also spent some time working in an adult store, also appreciated the humor of the sexual meaning. Both were drawn to news reports of the Sex Pistols, who were beginning to create a storm in the press.
The two young men traveled to see the band in High Wycombe. They were blown away by the Pistols’ energy and chaotic performance.
They arranged for the London upstarts to perform a gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester in June of that year. Devoto and Shelley did so partly because they wanted Buzzcocks to be the support act.