The Century Theatre is buzzing with excitement on Saturday. People have waited longer then I’ve been alive to see Buzzcocks, but classic Aussie punks The Thought Criminals, Happy Hate Me Nots and Mach Pelican brought their own loyal fanbases. I was there to see second generation British punk and shout along to ‘Ever Fallen In Love With Someone’ and I wasn’t disappointed.

Mach Pelican, by far the youngest band on the bill, opened with a furious set of Japanese (by way of Perth and Melbourne) punk. They had the Ramones leather jackets, the rockstar poses, and the long songs with instantly catchy choruses like “Oh yeah!” and “Radio!” In terms of pure energy and fun they were the best band of the night and its easy to see why they have a rapidly growing fanbase.

Happy Hate Me Nots divided the Century, with half the crowd up front to watch the band and the other half out in the lobby getting drinks. I was mostly unimpressed by a gang of middle aged men having a band reunion, but they played well. It was loose, suburban Australian punk, with a hint of Dinosaur Jr. The set dragged on too long, but the faithful fans were having a ball- the band bantered with the crowd and called out to regulars.

The Thought Criminals are another band with a long punk pedigree, but I couldn’t have left their set if I tried. Lead singer Roger Grierson was instantly arresting, mincing around in a patterned shirt and an array of glasses and sunglasses. The music was dark, Bowie-styled punk, with a wink and a constant sense of menace. I didn’t know any of the songs, but I wanted to- The Thought Criminals have aged better then Happy Hate Me Nots, and I left a fan.

After 3 hours of supports, we were ready and waiting for the legends of pop-punk- Buzzcocks! They delivered what I was there for- a chance to hear a legendary band play their biggest hits. After a slow start, the show warmed up with classic tracks like ‘Orgasm Addict’ and ‘What Do I Get?’ The playing was a bit slower then it was 35 years ago, and only Steve Diggle made a real impression. He lept and strutted and pointed with a giant British grin on his face, but it still felt more like a nostalgia show then a fresh band.

None of that mattered when they played ‘Ever Fallen In Love’. The room erupted into a violent mosh pit and it was impossible to do anything other then shout the words at the top of your lungs. The intensity continued through the encore, with the crowd of old punks, guys in gas masks, and a few curious teenagers dancing at a fever pitch.

Saturday night was the Metro’s best night of music, but everyone got what they paid for: the chance to see legendary bands in the flesh. Buzzcocks could have been better, but Mach Pelican were a fun discovery and the love the older crowd had for the music was great.