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not including indivisual gigs... Who would have thought that Rock N' Rolls most influential band of the 70s would start with three teenagers, aged younger than anyone reading this most likely - in a backyard. After stealing amps, guitars, and gear from the David Bowie Ziggy Stardust tour in July 73, "The Swankers" as they were originally called, consisted of Steve Jones on bass, Paul Cook on drums, and Wally Nightengale (now deceased) on guitar. Meanwhile, on the King's Road, two er, odd arty shop owners Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood were going through buisness changes. Their original store on the King's Road had originally sold Teddy Boy clothes and was called "Let it Rock" in 71, but by 72' was called "Too Fast to Live, Too Young To Die". It was now 1974, where Wally found Glen Matlock, who assisted Malcolm at his shop. By this time, McLauren and co-owner Vivienne Westwood had changed the format of the small buisness to sell bondage clothes and renamed the shop "Sex". Nightengale, Jones, and Cook began pestering McLaren to manage the band because of his connections in the music industry, and he agreed to it upon his arrival back into London after breifly managing the new York Dolls, and now had a new vision if they agree to getting rid of Wally and replacing him with Glen because Wally was too clean cut (good call Malcolm pft) - he also wanted Steve to move his position in the band to guitarist. Like any dare I say garage band starting out allready with lineup changes, there was not going to be much music to come out of the fiasco. Ontop of that - there was one major problem left : They were still in need of a frontman. Now at this time, Richard Hell (Voidoids, Television, Heartbreakers), was in a pre-Voidoids time and had played with the Heartbreakers, and Malcolm had wanted him as a frontman for the band. However, there was a teenager who had been coming in the shop with a group of guys called "the Johns" (John Richie a.k.a. Sid Vicious, John "Jah" Wobbles from PiL). McLaren asked John Lydon, 19 at the time, to come and audition for the band. He did, to 18 by Alice Cooper on a Sex jukebox, and McLaren decided that he wanted him in the band after his horrible rendition of the song in Aug. 75. The next day, John showed up to practice and no one was there. Glen phoned to apologize but John's simple responded with death threats. Well let's see... more boring stuff... first gig was Nov. 6 (?), 75 at St. Martin's School of Arts opening for Bazooka Joe (which Adam Ant was a former member of) where the band played a piss version of five songs, then had the plug pulled on them. Nov. 7 - the Pistols play 30 minute set at Central School of Art and Design 21 Friday Westfield College, London 28 Friday Queen Elisabeth College, London The Pistols stuck to shitty art schools in 75', not having any exposure or offers to play yet. 05 Friday Chelsea School of Art, London 09 Tuesday Ravensbourne College of Art, Bromley North East London Polytechnic? St. Albans, Hertfordshire College of Art & Design City of London Poly The band and Malcolm decide not to play pubs because of the atmosphere, which leads few places to play other than the Nashville, 100 Club, and Marquee. yea that's all I know about 1975. Moving along. |
75 - 76 - 77 - 78 - Post-Pistols
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