Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Bolton in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady, an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as a "punk masterpiece".
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hosted by Mark Lamarr, then by Simon Amstell, and later by a number of guest presenters, with Rhod Gilbert hosting the final series. It first starred Phill Jupitus and Sean Hughes as team captains, with Hughes being replaced by Bill Bailey from the eleventh series, and Bailey replaced by Noel Fielding for some of series 21 and from series 23 onward. The show returned six years later, now hosted by Greg Davies, with Daisy May Cooper as the new captain and Fielding returning as a captain. The show is produced by Talkback. The title plays on the names of the Sex Pistols album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols and the band Buzzcocks.
Mark Lamarr is an English comedian, radio disc jockey and television presenter. He was a team captain on Shooting Stars from 1995 to 1997, and hosted Never Mind the Buzzcocks from 1996 to 2005.
Pete Shelley was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early punk band Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist in 1977 when Devoto left. The group released their biggest hit "Ever Fallen in Love " in 1978. The band broke up in 1981 and reformed at the end of the decade. Shelley also had a solo career; his song "Homosapien" charted in Australasia and Canada in 1981 and 1982.
Xenomania is an English songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent. Formed by Higgins with his Creative Director Miranda Cooper and Business Director Sarah Stennett of First Access Entertainment, Xenomania has written and produced for artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Pet Shop Boys, The Saturdays and Sugababes. In particular, all but one of Girls Aloud's studio albums have been entirely written and produced by Xenomania. Sugababes' "Round Round" and Girls Aloud's "Sound of the Underground" have been credited with reshaping British pop music for the 2000s. Gabriella Cilmi's "Sweet About Me" and Girls Aloud's "The Promise" were named Best Single at the ARIA Music Awards of 2008 and the 2009 BRIT Awards, respectively.
Noel Fielding is an English comedian and actor. He is best known for his work with The Mighty Boosh comedy troupe alongside Julian Barratt in the 2000s, and more recently as a co-presenter of The Great British Bake Off since 2017. He is known for his dark and surreal comedic style.
The Ordinary Boys are an English indie rock band from Worthing, West Sussex. Originally a hardcore outfit named Next in Line, they are influenced by punk rock and Britpop music, as well as the bands the Clash, the Specials, the Jam, the Kinks and the Smiths. Their name derives from a Morrissey song, "The Ordinary Boys". The membership of the band that originally split up in 2008 consisted of founding members Preston, William Brown, James Gregory (bass), and Simon Goldring (drums). In October 2015, they returned with a new self-titled album on their own imprint label Treat Yourself. A 25-date UK tour from mid-October 2015 to mid-November 2015 to promote the album followed.
Simon Marc Amstell is an English comedian, writer and director. He wrote and directed the films Carnage (2017) and Benjamin (2018). His work on television has included presenting Popworld and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
Graham McPherson, known primarily by his stage name Suggs, is an English singer-songwriter, musician, radio personality and actor.
Towers of London are an English punk rock band, who formed in 2004. Their music mixes elements of rock and glam metal music with 1977 style British punk. The band have divided the opinions of the British music press since their emergence in early 2004, gaining positive reviews from some music news media and negative reviews from others.
Chantelle Vivien Houghton is an English television personality and glamour model. In 2006, she competed in the fourth series of the Channel 4 reality series Celebrity Big Brother. Houghton was sent in as a non-celebrity with the task of persuading her celebrity housemates that she was famous. She emerged as the winner of the series, winning a prize of £25,000. Following a much-publicised on-screen relationship, Houghton married former fellow Big Brother contestant Samuel Preston of The Ordinary Boys in August 2006.
Celebrity Big Brother 2006, also known as Celebrity Big Brother 4, was the fourth series of the British reality television series Celebrity Big Brother. It was hosted by Davina McCall and was broadcast on Channel 4 from 5 January 2006 until 27 January 2006, running for three weeks.
Alexander Gregor Pennie was previously in Welsh band The Automatic from the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, where he provided backing vocals as well as playing synthesizers and keyboards for the act. Pennie left The Automatic in late 2007. Since then he has been in other bands, the latest of which was the Goodtime Boys, which disbanded in 2015.
How to Get Everything You Ever Wanted in Ten Easy Steps is the third album by English indie band the Ordinary Boys, released following lead singer Samuel Preston's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in January 2006. It was released on 23 October 2006 in the UK. It signified a transition in the band's sound from ska-inspired British indie to a more pop and disco one. The hit single "Boys Will Be Boys" is included as a bonus track. This song also featured on the band's second album, Brassbound, but was a success long after the release of the previous album.
Fyfe Antony Dangerfield Hutchins is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the founding member of the indie rock band Guillemots.
"Dressed to Kill" is a 2009 song by Preston, most notably covered by Cher in 2013. Preston's original was released as a single in the UK from his Whatever Forever LP.
"Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" is a 1978 song written by Pete Shelley and performed by his group Buzzcocks. It was a number 12 hit on the UK Singles Chart and was included on the album Love Bites.
Jeymes Samuel also known by his stage name The Bullitts, is a British singer-songwriter, music producer and filmmaker from London, England. Samuel has a cinematic element to his music and has accompanied most of his releases with a short film. His studio album, titled They Die By Dawn & Other Short Stories..., was released in July 2013. The album was supported by the singles "Close Your Eyes", "Landspeeder", "Supercool" and "World Inside Your Rainbow". He is the brother of Grammy award-winning musician Seal.
