The reason John Lydon agreed to a Sex Pistols reunion: “I know where all the talent lay”
Punk is an elusive subject. There have been books written on the term, but we still don’t fully understand what it means. It is a constant contradiction of itself as this underground sound that is supposed to go against the grain has become one of the most popular genres in the world; as such, it can’t stay to its roots while embracing its success. It has led to a number of different theories and attitudes towards punk that are hard to keep track of, and right at the centre of every single one is John Lydon and the Sex Pistols.
When Sex Pistols burst onto the scene, it was like aliens had landed from outer space. The sound was unlike anything people had ever heard; it was wholly inaccessible, and it had a message that was hard to turn away from. They came at a time when the disparity throughout the country was growing, and rock music was no longer representative of the public at large but was self-centred and glorified.
As such, when musicians came along with a sound packed with energy that spoke truth to power, it was hard for the public to resist. The likes of ‘Anarchy in the UK’ acted as a rallying cry for the working class and restless, and with that, music took a new turn, one that was filled with spikey hair, philosophy and socio-political commentary.
It could be as deep or as surface level as people wanted. Some people viewed the music as something inaccessible that they could mosh and fight to; others saw it as a cultural revolution that marked the beginning of a massive change in direction for sound and subject matter. There were (and still are) a lot of theories that surround punk and what it should mean, and with those theories, bands were also thrown into the mix.
The Sex Pistols were a beast in and of themselves, with rumours surrounding how the band behaved, their views, and what their gigs were like. When they eventually split, the rumours only got worse, as people begged for a reunion and tried to think of reasons as to why the band were no longer on speaking terms. Eventually, they had a reunion.
“[We] wanted to finally and forever put an end to the myth that’s grown up around the Sex Pistols,” said John Lydon when he was asked about why the band reunited for a show, “To just call it full stop, the end, finish. Then nobody can blabber on ‘ad infinitum’ and exaggerate and mythologise about a band that wasn’t too brilliant in the first place. I mean, I know where all the talent lay… me! So, I thought it would be fun to bring the other three out and show them up for the fools they are.”
The gig was something special. Taking to Brixton Academy, the band walked in off the street and blasted into one of their biggest hits, ‘Pretty Vacant’. The sound was raw and energetic, which is exactly what everyone liked about the Sex Pistols, and it felt like a very full-circle moment. People still don’t know how to define punk, but it’s clear where Sex Pistols fit into everything.
