The Sex Pistols

Despite only being together for 2 years in the late 70's, The Sex Pistols are unquestionably the grandfathers of punk.  Banned across England due to their violent and anarchy fuelled lyrics, in only a very short space of time they managed to form a solid following.  The fans were attracted by their raw and inspirational music that challenged the conventions of society, enabling the youth culture an outlet in which to express their dissatisfaction with the boundaries inflicted upon them 

Guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook were regulars at their future managers’ Malcom McLaren, store, while original bassist Glen Matlock worked there.  When John Lydon, later to perform as Johnny Rotten, met the others at the shop in 1975, The Sex Pistols were born.  Rotten was believed by the establishment to be the most dangerous member, it was feared that he had the power to insight anarchy within the youth movement.  This idea swelled when the band were dropped from their record label, EMI, with the release of their first single “Anarchy In The Uk”.  Matlock was fired from the group before the release of their second single “God Save The Queen”, released by their new label Virgin, which was unsurprisingly banned by the BBC.  Rotten was integral in the signing of the new bassist, who at the time of joining the band could not actually play base, Sid Vicious.  Shortly after this The Sex Pistols released their album “Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols” in 1977.  On the strength of this release the band embarked on a tour of America, which only lasted 2 weeks and would see the demise of arguably the greatest punk band of all time.

After playing their final gig in San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom on January 14th 1977, Rotten left the band, and would later form Public Image Limited. 

Sid Vicious continued on a downward spiral of violence and drugs, he was arrested on a number of occasions for violence against fans.  After admitting the stabbing of his partner Nancy Spungen during a heavy night of drink and drugs, Vicious, whose real name records show to be John Beverley and Simon Ritchie among others, attempted suicide on several occasions and was admitted into mental care. Soon after he was released it is reported that he consumed heroin in excess, and died in his sleep in the early hours of February 2nd 1979, at only 21.

To celebrate their 20 year anniversary The Sex Pistols reformed in 1996, with original bassist Glen Matlock taking the place of Sid Vicious.  They culminated the celebrations with the release of the album “Filthy Lucre Live” in June 1996 on Virgin, and an international tour.

Both Jones and Cook are still musically active, and both, along with the other members of the group, were extensively interviewed for the 2000 bio-movie “The Filth and the Fury.  Johnny Rotten works as a journalist in LA and was quoted in February 2004 when being intervened by the Scottish Sunday Mirror as saying that he and his wife should be dead, as it was only to a delay caused by the slowness of his wife’s packing that stopped him boarding the fatal Pan Am flight 103.

Whether dead or alive the legacy of The Sex Pistols lives on.