Recorded during their 2006 30th anniversary tour at the London Forum, 30 finds seventies punks the Buzzcocks sounding more energised and enthused than any band celebrating 30 years of banging out the same old songs has any real right to.

A crowd pleasingly familiar sounding set, Buzzcocks draw back from their earliest material, ORGASM ADDICT and BOREDOM and bring it up to date with more recent material. Of course its EVER FALLEN IN LOVE (WITH SOMEONE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE) and WHAT DO I GET that still provide the biggest thrills, still sounding as vital, energised and genuinely thrilling as they ever did.

Recorded in a refreshingly rough and ready manner, 30 has the feel of some illegal bootleg you'd find at a record fair; Buzzcocks hanging onto their punk roots and not going for the unnecessary slickness of so many live records, managing to maintain that real live feel you need in this kind of release.

With songs as good as SOUL ON A ROCK, ISOLATION, HOLLOW INSIDE and HARMONY IN MY HEAD, 30 makes for a winning collection of melodic punk rock, Buzzcocks still with enough fire in their bellies to teach this current generation of manufactured punk popsters more than a thing or two.

As live albums go, 30 isn't quite in the classic Live In Leeds or Jimi Hendrix At Woodstock leagues, but as a snapshot of the Buzzcocks as a fully functioning live band, who still sound as vital and energised as ever, is a recommended and at times essential sounding affair.

Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Manchester in 1975. They are commonly regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent label movement and punk rock/post punk in general. They are primarily remembered for their singles, a string of would-be hits that combined a strong grasp of pop song craftmanship with rapid-fire punk energy. These were collected on Singles Going Steady, the CD version of which is a complete document of their 7" releases. The widely-covered "Ever Fallen in Love?" remains one of their best-known songs. The name "Buzzcocks" comes from a Manchester slang term "cock" meaning "youngster" and its use in the 1970s ITV television drama serial Rock Follies when the line "that's the buzz, cocks" or "give me a buzz, cock!" was heard.

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