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The Sex Pistols were an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. The band originally comprised vocalist Johnny Rotten, guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock (later replaced by Sid Vicious). Although their initial career lasted only three years and produced only four singles and one studio album, the Sex Pistols have been described by the BBC as "the definitive English punk rock band." The Pistols are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll.
The Sex Pistols emerged as a response to what was perceived to be the "increasingly safe and bloated" progressive rock and manufactured pop music of the mid-1970s. The band created various controversies during their brief career which captivated Britain, but often eclipsed their music. Their shows and tours repeatedly faced difficulties from authorities, and public appearances often ended in disaster and riot. Their 1977 single, "God Save the Queen", was widely regarded as an attack on the British monarchy and British nationalism.
Lydon / Rotten left the band in 1978, amid a turbulent tour of the United States; the remaining trio carried on for the remainder of the year with vocals provided by Jones, Edward Tudor-Pole and Ronnie Biggs but disbanded in early 1979. With Lydon, they reunited in 1996 for the "Filthy Lucre" tour and have staged subsequent reunion tours in 2002 and 2003. On 24 February 2006, the Sex Pistols were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they refused to attend the induction, calling the museum a "piss stain".
The Sex Pistols evolved from The Strand, a band formed in 1972 with Jones on vocals, Cook on drums and Wally Nightingale on guitar. Early line-ups also included Jim Mackin (now a GP practising in Lincolnshire) on organ, as well as Stephen Hayes, and later Del Noones, on bass. By 1973 the band members were spending time at Don Letts' "Acme Attractions", and the more upmarket Let It Rock, a 1950s-themed clothes shop in the Kings Road, Chelsea area of London. "Let It Rock" was owned by former New York Dolls manager Malcolm McLaren and his partner Vivienne Westwood; the shop specialised in "anti-fashion", selling the drapes, slashed T-shirts, brothel creepers and fetish gear later popularised by the punk movement. As Rotten observed: "Malcolm and Vivienne were really a pair of shysters: they would sell anything to any trend that they could grab onto." The shop was to become a focal point of the punk rock scene, and brought together many of its primary members, including Jordan and Soo Catwoman, as well as Captain Sensible, John Ritchie (later Sid Vicious), Jah Wobble, Gene October, Mick Jones, Tony James, and Marco Pirroni. All were reacting to a distaste to the prevailing fashion of long hair and flared jeans of the early 1970s. McLaren took over management of the band around this time.
The complete original lineup announced plans to reunite for a one-off show at the Brixton Academy in London on 8 November 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Never Mind the Bollocks.
In fact there will be 3 reunion concerts at the Brixton Academy on November 8th, November 9th and November 10th 2007 due to the huge demand from fans. The original concert, scheduled for November 8th sold out in less than a minute and a second concert was immediately announced for November 9th. This concert was sold out in less than 5 minutes. A third concert was then confirmed for November 10th and like the other two, sold out in less than 5 minutes.
By then renamed "The Swankers", the band began rehearsing at the Crunchy Frog, a studio near the London Docklands. In 1974, they played their first gig at Tom Salter's Café in London. Noones was ejected from the band shortly afterwards, due to his unreliability and unwillingness to rehearse.
