Sex Pistols (live)

[Kara Zor El]

First band I ever really got into big time. Went to see them in Hammersmith, London recently and it was a fantastic gig. Johnny was pelted with bottles all night but he was in fine form. The band sounded great. They did all of Bollocks , No Fun and the B- Sides, except Wanna Be Me, and they even did a cover of Hawkwind's Silver Machine, which was really funny. Even Belson Was A Gas was in their but now changed to Baghdad Was A Blast.
Johhnny's voice was in fine fettle. They had a DJ on before hand playing old punk bands like 999, Sham 69, XRay Specs etc.
The Energy was amazing and I couldn't help sing along to all the songs and dance in the isles. And We all sung Happy Birthday to Steve Jones.

Would anybody like to see them do a new studio album? Or even a covers album?

[Rob.H]

Hell yeah.

A friend of mine also saw them recently and I had no idea that they were touring so I was pretty excited for her.

[The Confessor]

If there was ever a band that should never have reformed, it was the Sex Pistols.

They can try to dress it up as the "Ultimate Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" or whatever but the fact remains that being a group of 50-somethings playing Punk Rock goes against everything the band was about in the first place.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Sex Pistols and I'm sure they're a great band live, but it saddens me to see them repeatedly tarnish their legacy in this way.

[rick]

If there was ever a band that should never have reformed, it was the Sex Pistols.

They can try to dress it up as the "Ultimate Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" or whatever but the fact remains that being a group of 50-somethings playing Punk Rock goes against everything the band was about in the first place.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Sex Pistols and I'm sure they're a great band live, but it saddens me to see them repeatedly tarnish their legacy in this way.


Don’t fall for McLaren’s interpretation about “what” the Sex Pistols were or weren’t.

In the end they are a band not an image, and what matters is if the music is wroth listening to or not.

And from the sound of what Kara is saying, they are still quite worthwhile.

Personally I’m still pissed that when they got around to touring the US a few years ago, they didn’t sell enough tickets in Denver and ended up canceling the show.

My home state disappointed me that day.

[Adam C]

If there was ever a band that should never have reformed, it was the Sex Pistols.

They can try to dress it up as the "Ultimate Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" or whatever but the fact remains that being a group of 50-somethings playing Punk Rock goes against everything the band was about in the first place.

What was that? Certainly not being a rock star (Steve Jones and Paul Cook's goal, and I suppose Matlock's too). Maybe it went against Malcolm McLaren's ideas about the band (or the ideas he eventually had, since they often changed). Did it go against Rotten's ideas? Possibly, since he makes lots of noise about being "punk" (whatever that means), but a lot of that is about him doing what he pleases in spite of other people's expectations. So reforming the band and saying that it's about money actually very consistently follows that line. (And possibly the first time the band could actually claim unity of purpose.)

In any case I don't begrudge an influential and great band getting some belated payback after having their profits squandered by their manager. And as for age, some of the best music that could be labelled "punk" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsuC_dB77PI) these days is being written and performed by a 38-year-old man.

[Spike-X]

Would anybody like to see them do a new studio album?

Hell no.

Or even a covers album?

Maybe.

[Spike-X]

as for age, some of the best music that could be labelled "punk" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsuC_dB77PI) these days is being written and performed by a 38-year-old man.

Oh, please. Most of his music is out-and-out pop (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

Also, I had no idea he's 38. Same age as me!

[mattx110]

Oh, please. Most of his music is out-and-out pop (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

Also, I had no idea he's 38. Same age as me!
Billy Bragg is 50!!

And he's more punk than umm, someone really really punk.

[jdwrocks]

Billy Bragg is 50!!

And he's more punk than umm, someone really really punk.
Damn straight! Billy Bragg asks us/The People to make adifference in this friggen country, and that's more punk than a over the hill so called punk band who were controlled by their manager could ever be.

[rick]

Damn straight! Billy Bragg asks us/The People to make adifference in this friggen country, and that's more punk than a over the hill so called punk band who were controlled by their manager could ever be.


It's not either / or, you know?

Billy Bragg being great doesn't make the Pistols any less brilliant, or any less "Punk" for that matter, whatever the Hell "Punk" actually is anyway.

It's music son, not a contest.

[The Confessor]

Don’t fall for McLaren’s interpretation about “what” the Sex Pistols were or weren’t.

In the end they are a band not an image, and what matters is if the music is wroth listening to or not.

And from the sound of what Kara is saying, they are still quite worthwhile.


What was that? Certainly not being a rock star (Steve Jones and Paul Cook's goal, and I suppose Matlock's too). Maybe it went against Malcolm McLaren's ideas about the band (or the ideas he eventually had, since they often changed). Did it go against Rotten's ideas? Possibly, since he makes lots of noise about being "punk" (whatever that means), but a lot of that is about him doing what he pleases in spite of other people's expectations. So reforming the band and saying that it's about money actually very consistently follows that line.


Well, I hear what you're saying about the image that Malcolm McLaren pushed forth for the band, but back when they first arrived on the music scene, the Pistols themselves were very vocal about how all the 'old men' and rock dinosaurs should give it up and leave it to the kids. Hell, the Pistols were even scathing about some of their contemporaries for being a bunch of old men...The Stranglers being an example that comes to mind.

Also, call me a cynic, but the argument that reforming the band to make masses of money, in spite of people's expectations, is just a convenient way for John Lydon to try and save some face. Not to mention, exactly what he hopes the fans will believe.

I'm not knocking anyone for going to see the Pistols live nowadays, as I said earlier, I'm sure that they're an awesome band to catch in concert. But to me, seeing a bunch of 50-something 'old fart' rockers trundling out their 30-year old songs for untold riches, is so totally against the original concept of the Sex Pistols that it's painful to see.

Remember, punk (especially in the UK) wasn't just a musical genre; it was a challenging of the musical old guard and of society's preconceptions of what a rock group should sound like. Not to mention a shaking up of a musical landscape that the punks saw as being full of dreary old rockers.

[mattx110]

It's not either / or, you know?

Billy Bragg being great doesn't make the Pistols any less brilliant, or any less "Punk" for that matter, whatever the Hell "Punk" actually is anyway.

It's music son, not a contest.I like the irony of me going "this guy is older and he's not too old to be a punk", and the reply is "yeah! he's not like these over-the-hill losers" (paraphrased in quotes).

I mean, I'm not a fan of the Sex Pistols, so I don't mind them being called over the hill or fakes, but it is funny. Bragg unites people of many opinions.

[Kara Zor El]

The Sex Pistols were just teenagers when they first started out and fairly uneducated. How can we hold them to things they said when they were little more than kids? Pete Townsend said I hope I die before I get old but he hasn't got old, not in his head anyway. And even then so what. We all say stuff when we young that we turn against later.

As Rick says. It's music, they are a band, they got ripped off and now it's time to make money and have some fun doing what they created and giving fans like me a brilliant night.

People even have a go a Johnny for getting his teeth fixed???? Baffles me. The only man in music not allowed to have his teeth done or he's sold out.

Too much crap is foisted on the Sex Pistols. Great band, great album, fun to watch at any time in their lives.