Post by neilcrud on Nov 18, 2007 18:38:51 GMT
Sex Pistols
‘Holidays In The Sun 30 Year Anniversary Tour’
Manchester MEN Arena 17 / 11 / 07
‘Holidays In The Sun 30 Year Anniversary Tour’
Manchester MEN Arena 17 / 11 / 07
(review n pix by Paul Scouse Hammond)
“This is not nostalgia, This is not a reunion, There has never been nothing like and there never will be anything like the Sex Pistols!” – John Lydon Website prior to this 30 Year Anniversary Tour.
It only seems like yesterday when these 4 now middle aged men burst onto the music scene in late 76 snarling, spitting & swearing at everyone and everything that stood before them. A parents & politicians nightmare! I remember my dad being appalled when I bought their records when I was just a 14 year old spikey haired schoolboy!
When PUNK happened, it was different, it was colourful and it kicked the entire country and music business up the arse and changed it forever. It didn’t matter if you could play, it was an attitude, forming a band gave you a voice to express an opinion. Bands exploded from everywhere with their three chord songs, ripped clothes & safety pins speaking out and sticking 2 fingers up to the government, the monarchy & anything that pissed them off!
The Sex Pistols weren’t the 1st to release a punk record, The Damned beat them to it with ‘New Rose’ in late 1976. The Pistols released 'Anarchy In The UK’ soon after with a young Johnny Rotten proclaiming himself an antichrist!
The record hit the top 30 but the band got banned nationally and couldn’t play anywhere live due to the horrified press reaction to the spitting, puking and fights at gigs. ‘Pretty Vacant’ & ‘Holidays In The Sun’ followed before the band upset what seemed just about everybody (except their fans) with the superb ‘God Save The Queen’ released just in time for the jubilee celebrations. The record hit No.2 in the charts even though it was banned and the pistols suddenly found themselves public enemy number one. The infamous Bill Grundy show followed just after and the national news headlines that followed ensured the Pistols were run out of the country to the USA.
The US tour spiralled into farce, Sid Vicious had replaced Glen Matlock who’d been sacked for reportedly liking The Beatles and having smelly feet! More fights, bad press, Sid out of it on heroin culminated in the inevitable split with Johns famous words on stage at the bands last gig in San Fransisco “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”. Shortly after Sid was dead aged just 21 following a drugs overdose whilst on bail from prison after being charged with the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen.
The Sex Pistols initial career lasted less than 2 years, They made just one album ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ and a few singles. These however, have stood the test of time and the songs still remain popular today with the new & old generation of punks.
If someone had said to Johnny Rotten 30 years ago, you will do this again he would have told you to FUCK OFF, but here he is tonight in Manchester with the original line up of Paul Cook, Steve Jones, and Glen Matlock as part of a 6 date sold out anniversary tour.
The audience was completely mixed – old punks (like me!) & beer swigging scallies mixed with mums & dads with their kids complete with spikey hair and BOLLOCKS T shirts. Strange, but that’s the appeal and it’s the Pistols history that makes this a must see event for all ages.
The band opened with ‘Pretty Vacant’ and performed all of the Bollocks album plus a few b – sides. Steve Jones is overweight these days but so what he’s a great guitarist. Paul Cook has aged too, he’s still small but a great drummer and Glen Matlock still looks too slick to be a Sex Pistol but always was and still is a fantastic bass player (I wonder if he washed his feet!). Johnny Rotten has still got it all, he looked the best of them all and his razor sharp tongue and wild stare can still cut you in half! He is the Sex Pistols.
It was all great, loud in your face Punk Rock. Highlights were definitely ‘Anarchy’ ‘Bodies’ & ‘God Save The Queen’ during which 2 punters even managed to get on stage and have a fight!
I had some of my friends question why go see them? Some people say it’s not the same. No it’s not the same, but the Pistols were around as a band for such a short time that a chance to see the original line up playing one of the all time great albums live was something that may not come again. I read an interview by Johnny some years ago when he said that because of all the controversy and bad headlines a lot of people actually missed the fact that not only were they an important band, they were a damn good one musically too until they got rid of Glen. Tonight I, and a few thousand others would have to have agree with him.
What has come along since in the last 30 years that comes anywhere near?…….Nothing!
There has never been nothing like and there never will be anything like the Sex Pistols.
Watch Anarchy In The UK Live At The MEN on YouTube!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uClck3vtJGI
www.youtube.com/PSSTControl