SEX PISTOLS
Never Mind 77
By Rotten
So much has been written about the Pistols, mainly of their heyday of the '77, but i personally think the recent
activities of the band means a lot more.
I am too young to have seen them back then, but it was with great
excitement i heard they were reforming for a tour in 1996, aptly named FILTHY LUCRE. Would i finally get to see
my idols live? - well, yes, I remember the anticipation at Finsbury
Park as the boys came out...would they be any good? Will they actually
play?....well, let me tell you, there was hardly a dry eye in that
field when Grandad Rotten took the mic and launched into BODIES. The lads were rejuvenated by an 18
year absence. Never mind the fact they were all 40 years of age, this band matters, no matter how old they are.
The tour carried on, with a few more uk visits, one at the 1996 Pheonix
Festival and a short notice gig at the Shephards Bush empire......well,
I
didn't want it to end. but sadly it did.
It was then a total suprise, that the boys would be back in 2002, one show for thier Jubilee, not HERS, but the Pistols'
own Silver Jubilee.
Well, of course i would be there.
Another damn fine set if marred by a terrible sound system and lame
support acts. This show included a run through of Hawkwind's SILVER MACHINE and the formal bringing back of the great BELSEN WAS A GAS,
as well as every cover version the boys ever played, and strangely, Lydon even led a rendition of Sid's
classic, MY WAY, in a heartfelt tribute to his lost friend...a moment I defy anyone not to get choked up at.
After one show in California's Blockbuster Pavillion, the 2002 run came
to a close. Uk media was quick to write of the Crystal Palace gig,
calling it lazy, sloppy and over priced.....well, what the fuck do
those hacks know? that gig was FOR THE FANS. fans who deserved it.
2003 saw a short tour of the USA entitled the "PISTOLS PISS OFF"
tour - this was meant to be the last time, I must admit i felt cheated.
- We in the UK got one show while the US fans get a tour!!! - I didn't
get to see any of this tour live, but my recordings show the band
getting so much better, out playing the PISTOLS AT THE PALACE show of the previous year.
With John Lydon now doing nature shows for tv, Glen carving out a solo career and Steve
doing his radio show, would the boys be too busy to play for us one last time? it seemed to be like that.
In 2007, just when we thought they'd gone, the boys announced a one off
show at London's Brixton Academy. A show which sold out within 10
minutes and led to one night becoming 5 nights at Brixton, a show in
Manchester and one in Glasgow. I followed the band to each show on the
tour, I didn't
want to give up, this was what I'd always dreamed of, this was perfect,
the band were on such top form, Never Mind The Bollocks
never sounded so good, and the resultant Brixton DVD "THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND" is such a great viewing for those
who couldnt be there i even still get emotional watching it.
So, 2008 is almost over at the time of writing this, and the Pistols completed a summer festval tour this year named
the "COMBINE HARVESTER" tour,
even stopping in at Birmingham, their first visit here since October
1976 and launching
first ever shows in places like Russia. These festival shows were so
good, especially the Isle of Wight fest, how can you top a bill
featuring IGGY and SEX PISTOLS???
The lads have announced a new album may be worked on in 2009, so we'll
see. They have been more prominent now than in the 70's heyday, and are
all the better for it.......they may be old, they may be fat, but fuck
me are they good!
Long may they continue.
GOD SAVE THE SEX PISTOLS!!!
So much has been written about the Pistols, mainly of their heyday of the '77, but i personally think the recent
activities of the band means a lot more.
I am too young to have seen them back then, but it was with great excitement i heard they were reforming for a tour in 1996, aptly named FILTHY LUCRE. Would i finally get to see my idols live? - well, yes, I remember the anticipation at Finsbury Park as the boys came out...would they be any good? Will they actually play?....well, let me tell you, there was hardly a dry eye in that field when Grandad Rotten took the mic and launched into BODIES. The lads were rejuvenated by an 18 year absence. Never mind the fact they were all 40 years of age, this band matters, no matter how old they are.
The tour carried on, with a few more uk visits, one at the 1996 Pheonix Festival and a short notice gig at the Shephards Bush empire......well, I didn't want it to end. but sadly it did.
It was then a total suprise, that the boys would be back in 2002, one show for thier Jubilee, not HERS, but the Pistols'
own Silver Jubilee.
Well, of course i would be there. Another damn fine set if marred by a terrible sound system and lame support acts. This show included a run through of Hawkwind's SILVER MACHINE and the formal bringing back of the great BELSEN WAS A GAS, as well as every cover version the boys ever played, and strangely, Lydon even led a rendition of Sid's classic, MY WAY, in a heartfelt tribute to his lost friend...a moment I defy anyone not to get choked up at.
After one show in California's Blockbuster Pavillion, the 2002 run came to a close. Uk media was quick to write of the Crystal Palace gig, calling it lazy, sloppy and over priced.....well, what the fuck do those hacks know? that gig was FOR THE FANS. fans who deserved it.
2003 saw a short tour of the USA entitled the "PISTOLS PISS OFF" tour - this was meant to be the last time, I must admit i felt cheated. - We in the UK got one show while the US fans get a tour!!! - I didn't get to see any of this tour live, but my recordings show the band getting so much better, out playing the PISTOLS AT THE PALACE show of the previous year.
With John Lydon now doing nature shows for tv, Glen carving out a solo career and Steve doing his radio show, would the boys be too busy to play for us one last time? it seemed to be like that.
In 2007, just when we thought they'd gone, the boys announced a one off show at London's Brixton Academy. A show which sold out within 10 minutes and led to one night becoming 5 nights at Brixton, a show in Manchester and one in Glasgow. I followed the band to each show on the tour, I didn't want to give up, this was what I'd always dreamed of, this was perfect, the band were on such top form, Never Mind The Bollocks never sounded so good, and the resultant Brixton DVD "THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND" is such a great viewing for those who couldnt be there i even still get emotional watching it.
So, 2008 is almost over at the time of writing this, and the Pistols completed a summer festval tour this year named the "COMBINE HARVESTER" tour, even stopping in at Birmingham, their first visit here since October 1976 and launching first ever shows in places like Russia. These festival shows were so good, especially the Isle of Wight fest, how can you top a bill featuring IGGY and SEX PISTOLS???
The lads have announced a new album may be worked on in 2009, so we'll see. They have been more prominent now than in the 70's heyday, and are all the better for it.......they may be old, they may be fat, but fuck me are they good!
Long may they continue.
GOD SAVE THE SEX PISTOLS!!!
I am too young to have seen them back then, but it was with great excitement i heard they were reforming for a tour in 1996, aptly named FILTHY LUCRE. Would i finally get to see my idols live? - well, yes, I remember the anticipation at Finsbury Park as the boys came out...would they be any good? Will they actually play?....well, let me tell you, there was hardly a dry eye in that field when Grandad Rotten took the mic and launched into BODIES. The lads were rejuvenated by an 18 year absence. Never mind the fact they were all 40 years of age, this band matters, no matter how old they are.
The tour carried on, with a few more uk visits, one at the 1996 Pheonix Festival and a short notice gig at the Shephards Bush empire......well, I didn't want it to end. but sadly it did.
Well, of course i would be there. Another damn fine set if marred by a terrible sound system and lame support acts. This show included a run through of Hawkwind's SILVER MACHINE and the formal bringing back of the great BELSEN WAS A GAS, as well as every cover version the boys ever played, and strangely, Lydon even led a rendition of Sid's classic, MY WAY, in a heartfelt tribute to his lost friend...a moment I defy anyone not to get choked up at.
After one show in California's Blockbuster Pavillion, the 2002 run came to a close. Uk media was quick to write of the Crystal Palace gig, calling it lazy, sloppy and over priced.....well, what the fuck do those hacks know? that gig was FOR THE FANS. fans who deserved it.
2003 saw a short tour of the USA entitled the "PISTOLS PISS OFF" tour - this was meant to be the last time, I must admit i felt cheated. - We in the UK got one show while the US fans get a tour!!! - I didn't get to see any of this tour live, but my recordings show the band getting so much better, out playing the PISTOLS AT THE PALACE show of the previous year.
With John Lydon now doing nature shows for tv, Glen carving out a solo career and Steve doing his radio show, would the boys be too busy to play for us one last time? it seemed to be like that.
In 2007, just when we thought they'd gone, the boys announced a one off show at London's Brixton Academy. A show which sold out within 10 minutes and led to one night becoming 5 nights at Brixton, a show in Manchester and one in Glasgow. I followed the band to each show on the tour, I didn't want to give up, this was what I'd always dreamed of, this was perfect, the band were on such top form, Never Mind The Bollocks never sounded so good, and the resultant Brixton DVD "THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND" is such a great viewing for those who couldnt be there i even still get emotional watching it.
So, 2008 is almost over at the time of writing this, and the Pistols completed a summer festval tour this year named the "COMBINE HARVESTER" tour, even stopping in at Birmingham, their first visit here since October 1976 and launching first ever shows in places like Russia. These festival shows were so good, especially the Isle of Wight fest, how can you top a bill featuring IGGY and SEX PISTOLS???
The lads have announced a new album may be worked on in 2009, so we'll see. They have been more prominent now than in the 70's heyday, and are all the better for it.......they may be old, they may be fat, but fuck me are they good!
Long may they continue.
