October 17, 2024 • 11 mins
Dive into the raw rebellion of punk rock with "Anarchy & Anthems: The Rise of the Sex Pistols"! 🎸🔥 Unpacking the chaos, controversy, and cultural impact of this iconic band. #SexPistols #PunkRock #AnarchyInTheUK #Podcast #MusicHistory
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
E. Come on, it is where we're at. Welcome to
the Ginger Cat Podcast. Story chats and fun on Mike.
So right down, we'll tell you why, the tales the
(00:25):
things you know. Every week we're here the show Life's
Not Alone. That's big and small The ginger Cat Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
We've got it all last.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Whispers hands Sound Tales have spin the world on round,
Nasty story shows us fun, Join the fun, Join everyone,
lass and whispers hear the sound Tales have spin the
world around and every story she's gone, Join the fun,
join everyone.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
All right, So you're here for a deep dive on
the sex Pistols, which tells me you're not here for
the greatest hits. You want to go deeper than that. Yeah,
you want that. Why why the uproar? Why they were
more than just noise?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And you're right to want that because you can't just
think about the sex pistols by parachuting into nineteen seventies
London like it's just some cool music video, right, You've
got to understand the socioeconomic climate back then. It wasn't
just setting the stage, it was practically the music itself.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, so paved that picture for me. What was so
messed up that people were practically begging for a band
like this to show up.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Okay, so think widespread strikes, think power cuts like straight
out of some dystopian film, and unemployment through the roof. Wow,
it wasn't just a recession. It was a whole generation
looking at their future and seeing like a big canceled
stamp on it, you know. And young people, man, they
were disillusioned.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah, it's like all that pent up energy, like dry tender,
just waiting for a match to come along, and then bam,
four guys with safety pins and a whole lot.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Of rage exactly. It's just what I think is so
interesting is how these particular guys, this specific combination of
chaos and angst became that match.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Right, Because it's more than just being in the right
place at the right time.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
It's something else, way more potent than that.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, So let's talk about these guys. What was it
about them, their individual stories even that made them that potent.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well, you've got Johnny Rotten, the front man, the voice
of a generation, a snarling, angry voice. His childhood was
well rough as an understatement serious illness isolation. You can
practically draw a line straight from those experiences to the
rage in his performance totally.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
It's like that gave him something real, something to scream
about from deep down.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And it wasn't just him. Steve Jones, the guitarist, the
guy was practically a one man crime wave, stealing musical
equipment left and right as a kid. No basically equipped
the band before the even official So yeah, his relationship
with authority pretty clear from the get go.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So you've got raw talent, anger, disregard for the rules,
check check check. But then you've got Malcolm McLaren. Can't
tell the sex pistol story without the manager, can you.
This is the guy who, by many accounts, was looking
to create a band that embodied all this unrest like
it was a product.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You absolutely can't. And that's what makes it so interesting,
right because was it calculated? Was this just rebellion manufactured
in some back room deal, or was it a genuine expression.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
It's got to be a bit of both, right.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Probably, Yeah, And that's what makes them so compelling.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Because they clearly had something to say. But to have
someone like McLaren packaging it, pushing it like that, yeah,
that's when it goes into overdrive exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
And the timing. It was perfect. Take God Save the Queen,
their most I don't know, infamous song. They dropped this
anthem about what an irrelevant monarchy during the Queen's silver jubilee.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Oh talk about bad timing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You believe it's supposed to be national pride in celebration.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Right, It's more than just rebellious at that point.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It was almost treesonous, which.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Of course just made it explode. They get banned by
BBC record stores wouldn't touch it, but we both know
what happens next.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Oh yeah, you can't tell a teenager they can't have
something without making them want it more exactly. All that
controversy that just makes people curious, and back then that
was pure fuel on the fire of their fame.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
And then you've got their Bill Grundy interview where yeah,
they swore on live TV, which come on back then
practically unheard of, especially on a show like that. Oh yeah,
but the impact was way more than a few curse words, wasn't.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
It way more? See for a lot of people watching,
people who'd never even heard of punk rock, this wasn't
just some band acting up. It was their first look
at this raw, unapologetic thing. This movement. Who are these
guys on screen with this out of touch old TV
presenter who represents well everything they're rebelling against.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
It's like they become the poster boys. So this genera
clash that's bubbling under the surface exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And then they doubled down with that Thames Boat party,
blasting God Save the Queen on a boat sailing right
past Parliament.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
The audacity, audacity. It's like they were begging to get
shut down.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Oh they knew it, which they did, of course, right,
But those moments, planned or not chaotic as they were,
they cemented their legend. You know. They weren't just playing music,
they were living it and that resonated with the whole
generation hungry for well, something different.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
It's like they took that no such thing as bad publicity. Yeah,
and just I don't know, putting non steroids or something right.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
And that's what I think is so fascinating, you know,
because it's not like this explosion was contained, like it
was just on the charts or in some tabloid. Yeah,
this went global, man, like a virus.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You're talking about that diy ethos of punk right now,
anyone could pick up an instrument and just scream and
be heard.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, the sex Pistols, for all their whatever flaws and
all that, they bodied that right. They didn't wait for
some record executive to tell them what to do. They
just did it and that resonated with people who were
tired of being told what to think, how to dress,
all of it.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
So it's like that spark we were talking about earlier.
It's like it just became this bonfire spreading everywhere.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, think about it. You've got the Ramones in the US,
totally different backgrounds, sounds a little different, but that same energy,
that same don't give a damn. Yeah, Australia scene caught
fire Europe. It's like the sex Pistols were that first domino.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So it's more than just oh, these kids like the
same music. It's got to be deeper than that.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's a feeling.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
It's something in the air that people didn't even know
they were feeling, and then they hear it, you know,
they hear it through.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
The amp exactly. And here's the thing that diy ethos,
that rebellious thing. It's still here and not just in music.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Look at fashion, Oh absolutely.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Hunk is everywhere high end fashion through stores, independent art,
the way we even consume media now lenging the mainstream.
Those seeds were planted by bands like the Sex Pistols,
no doubt makes you.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Wonder what those critics who are like, oh, it's just
noise back then, what they'd say now.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Right, talk about missing the forest for the trees. You
can't just focus on the chaos. There's a message underneath,
you know, when a band taps into something primal like that,
something people don't even know they're feeling. It's about giving
a voice to the voiceless, even if that voice is
really loud and kind of yelling at you.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
And sometimes yelling is what it takes.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Sometimes that's what it takes.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
But you know, no band is a straight line to
success and fame. There's always bumps in the road, and
the Sex Pistols were no different. They had a very
public breakup.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
It was messy, and then the reunions, right always sparks.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
A debate, Oh totally.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Are they selling out cashing in or are they older
now wiser and maybe just want more control.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
It's interesting because punk is all about sticking it to
the man and not selling out for the quick book.
But at the same time, who are we to tell
any artists, especially artists who have, you know, put themselves
out there, that they can't change, they can't grow, they
can't benefit from their own hard work. You know. It's tough,
no easy answers. Yeah, which I kind of like keeps
(08:11):
some relevant, keeps people talking.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
You know, It's not just some museum exhibit, right, It's
got to be a living, breathing thing. But it makes
you think, you know, with all this talk about authenticity
and evolution and all that, if the sex Pistols formed today,
like right now, in this Internet.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Age, right with the instant outrage, five second attention.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Spans, would it even matter?
Speaker 3 (08:31):
That's a million dollar question, right, Would it be the same,
this global thing changing the face of music, or would
they just be another band, you know, trending on whatever
the kids are using these days.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
You almost can't separate them from that time, that pre
internet world where a TV moment could actually shock people,
where a band song felt I don't know, dangerous, forbidden.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Yeah, but now everyone's an influencer, everyone's screaming to be heard,
you know, would that even work?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Would their brand of rebellion even cut through all that?
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Right?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Would God save the Queen? Even make a dent in our.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
World of constant manufactured.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Outrage, exactly would it just get lost in the algorithm?
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Another blip on the scroll. Yeah, makes you think, what
does it even take to actually disrupt things? When disruption
is you know, Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
It's a good question.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
How do you grab onto something real, you know, when
everything is up for grabs.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
It's something to think about, especially for people like you,
people who love music, who love when something comes along
and just shakes it all up right because love them
or hate them, the sex pistols, they left their mark,
and sometimes just figuring out how that happened. Understanding the context,
the chaos, that's just as important as the mark itself.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Like you said at the beginning, it's not just about
the what, it's the why that's really interesting totally, And
I think we did some digging today.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, we went past the safety pins and the screaming.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Well, yeah, got to the heart of it to a
movement that's still going absolutely so hopefully, dear listener, this
gives you something to think about, maybe even challenges what
you thought you knew about music, about influence, about what
happens when the right person let's out a good yell
at the right time.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Because that's what this deep dig is all about, giving
you that knowledge, those insights, something to bring up at
a party, you know. So until next time, keep those
brains buzzing and we'll be back soon with another deep
dive into something awesome.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
That's another check.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Thanks for starting by Join us next time.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Don't forget there's always more important.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Stories, big to topics like your perfect places, like catch
you Soon.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Don't this the glass. It's a ginger Cat podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Some stories speak to your topics, live where your perfect
places live.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Catch you Soon, don't miss the Blast.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
It's a dinger Cat podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Podcast Podcast
E. Come on, it is where we're at. Welcome to
the Ginger Cat Podcast. Story chats and fun on Mike.
So right down, we'll tell you why, the tales the
(00:25):
things you know. Every week we're here the show Life's
Not Alone. That's big and small The ginger Cat Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
We've got it all last.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Whispers hands Sound Tales have spin the world on round,
Nasty story shows us fun, Join the fun, Join everyone,
lass and whispers hear the sound Tales have spin the
world around and every story she's gone, Join the fun,
join everyone.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
All right, So you're here for a deep dive on
the sex Pistols, which tells me you're not here for
the greatest hits. You want to go deeper than that. Yeah,
you want that. Why why the uproar? Why they were
more than just noise?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And you're right to want that because you can't just
think about the sex pistols by parachuting into nineteen seventies
London like it's just some cool music video, right, You've
got to understand the socioeconomic climate back then. It wasn't
just setting the stage, it was practically the music itself.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, so paved that picture for me. What was so
messed up that people were practically begging for a band
like this to show up.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Okay, so think widespread strikes, think power cuts like straight
out of some dystopian film, and unemployment through the roof. Wow,
it wasn't just a recession. It was a whole generation
looking at their future and seeing like a big canceled
stamp on it, you know. And young people, man, they
were disillusioned.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah, it's like all that pent up energy, like dry tender,
just waiting for a match to come along, and then bam,
four guys with safety pins and a whole lot.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Of rage exactly. It's just what I think is so
interesting is how these particular guys, this specific combination of
chaos and angst became that match.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Right, Because it's more than just being in the right
place at the right time.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
It's something else, way more potent than that.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, So let's talk about these guys. What was it
about them, their individual stories even that made them that potent.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well, you've got Johnny Rotten, the front man, the voice
of a generation, a snarling, angry voice. His childhood was
well rough as an understatement serious illness isolation. You can
practically draw a line straight from those experiences to the
rage in his performance totally.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
It's like that gave him something real, something to scream
about from deep down.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And it wasn't just him. Steve Jones, the guitarist, the
guy was practically a one man crime wave, stealing musical
equipment left and right as a kid. No basically equipped
the band before the even official So yeah, his relationship
with authority pretty clear from the get go.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So you've got raw talent, anger, disregard for the rules,
check check check. But then you've got Malcolm McLaren. Can't
tell the sex pistol story without the manager, can you.
This is the guy who, by many accounts, was looking
to create a band that embodied all this unrest like
it was a product.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You absolutely can't. And that's what makes it so interesting,
right because was it calculated? Was this just rebellion manufactured
in some back room deal, or was it a genuine expression.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
It's got to be a bit of both, right.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Probably, Yeah, And that's what makes them so compelling.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Because they clearly had something to say. But to have
someone like McLaren packaging it, pushing it like that, yeah,
that's when it goes into overdrive exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
And the timing. It was perfect. Take God Save the Queen,
their most I don't know, infamous song. They dropped this
anthem about what an irrelevant monarchy during the Queen's silver jubilee.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Oh talk about bad timing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You believe it's supposed to be national pride in celebration.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Right, It's more than just rebellious at that point.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It was almost treesonous, which.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Of course just made it explode. They get banned by
BBC record stores wouldn't touch it, but we both know
what happens next.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Oh yeah, you can't tell a teenager they can't have
something without making them want it more exactly. All that
controversy that just makes people curious, and back then that
was pure fuel on the fire of their fame.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
And then you've got their Bill Grundy interview where yeah,
they swore on live TV, which come on back then
practically unheard of, especially on a show like that. Oh yeah,
but the impact was way more than a few curse words, wasn't.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
It way more? See for a lot of people watching,
people who'd never even heard of punk rock, this wasn't
just some band acting up. It was their first look
at this raw, unapologetic thing. This movement. Who are these
guys on screen with this out of touch old TV
presenter who represents well everything they're rebelling against.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
It's like they become the poster boys. So this genera
clash that's bubbling under the surface exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And then they doubled down with that Thames Boat party,
blasting God Save the Queen on a boat sailing right
past Parliament.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
The audacity, audacity. It's like they were begging to get
shut down.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Oh they knew it, which they did, of course, right,
But those moments, planned or not chaotic as they were,
they cemented their legend. You know. They weren't just playing music,
they were living it and that resonated with the whole
generation hungry for well, something different.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
It's like they took that no such thing as bad publicity. Yeah,
and just I don't know, putting non steroids or something right.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
And that's what I think is so fascinating, you know,
because it's not like this explosion was contained, like it
was just on the charts or in some tabloid. Yeah,
this went global, man, like a virus.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You're talking about that diy ethos of punk right now,
anyone could pick up an instrument and just scream and
be heard.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, the sex Pistols, for all their whatever flaws and
all that, they bodied that right. They didn't wait for
some record executive to tell them what to do. They
just did it and that resonated with people who were
tired of being told what to think, how to dress,
all of it.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
So it's like that spark we were talking about earlier.
It's like it just became this bonfire spreading everywhere.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, think about it. You've got the Ramones in the US,
totally different backgrounds, sounds a little different, but that same energy,
that same don't give a damn. Yeah, Australia scene caught
fire Europe. It's like the sex Pistols were that first domino.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So it's more than just oh, these kids like the
same music. It's got to be deeper than that.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's a feeling.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
It's something in the air that people didn't even know
they were feeling, and then they hear it, you know,
they hear it through.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
The amp exactly. And here's the thing that diy ethos,
that rebellious thing. It's still here and not just in music.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Look at fashion, Oh absolutely.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Hunk is everywhere high end fashion through stores, independent art,
the way we even consume media now lenging the mainstream.
Those seeds were planted by bands like the Sex Pistols,
no doubt makes you.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Wonder what those critics who are like, oh, it's just
noise back then, what they'd say now.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Right, talk about missing the forest for the trees. You
can't just focus on the chaos. There's a message underneath,
you know, when a band taps into something primal like that,
something people don't even know they're feeling. It's about giving
a voice to the voiceless, even if that voice is
really loud and kind of yelling at you.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
And sometimes yelling is what it takes.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Sometimes that's what it takes.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
But you know, no band is a straight line to
success and fame. There's always bumps in the road, and
the Sex Pistols were no different. They had a very
public breakup.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
It was messy, and then the reunions, right always sparks.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
A debate, Oh totally.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Are they selling out cashing in or are they older
now wiser and maybe just want more control.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
It's interesting because punk is all about sticking it to
the man and not selling out for the quick book.
But at the same time, who are we to tell
any artists, especially artists who have, you know, put themselves
out there, that they can't change, they can't grow, they
can't benefit from their own hard work. You know. It's tough,
no easy answers. Yeah, which I kind of like keeps
(08:11):
some relevant, keeps people talking.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
You know, It's not just some museum exhibit, right, It's
got to be a living, breathing thing. But it makes
you think, you know, with all this talk about authenticity
and evolution and all that, if the sex Pistols formed today,
like right now, in this Internet.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Age, right with the instant outrage, five second attention.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Spans, would it even matter?
Speaker 3 (08:31):
That's a million dollar question, right, Would it be the same,
this global thing changing the face of music, or would
they just be another band, you know, trending on whatever
the kids are using these days.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
You almost can't separate them from that time, that pre
internet world where a TV moment could actually shock people,
where a band song felt I don't know, dangerous, forbidden.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Yeah, but now everyone's an influencer, everyone's screaming to be heard,
you know, would that even work?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Would their brand of rebellion even cut through all that?
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Right?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Would God save the Queen? Even make a dent in our.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
World of constant manufactured.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Outrage, exactly would it just get lost in the algorithm?
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Another blip on the scroll. Yeah, makes you think, what
does it even take to actually disrupt things? When disruption
is you know, Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
It's a good question.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
How do you grab onto something real, you know, when
everything is up for grabs.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
It's something to think about, especially for people like you,
people who love music, who love when something comes along
and just shakes it all up right because love them
or hate them, the sex pistols, they left their mark,
and sometimes just figuring out how that happened. Understanding the context,
the chaos, that's just as important as the mark itself.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Like you said at the beginning, it's not just about
the what, it's the why that's really interesting totally, And
I think we did some digging today.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, we went past the safety pins and the screaming.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Well, yeah, got to the heart of it to a
movement that's still going absolutely so hopefully, dear listener, this
gives you something to think about, maybe even challenges what
you thought you knew about music, about influence, about what
happens when the right person let's out a good yell
at the right time.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Because that's what this deep dig is all about, giving
you that knowledge, those insights, something to bring up at
a party, you know. So until next time, keep those
brains buzzing and we'll be back soon with another deep
dive into something awesome.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
That's another check.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Thanks for starting by Join us next time.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Don't forget there's always more important.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Stories, big to topics like your perfect places, like catch
you Soon.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Don't this the glass. It's a ginger Cat podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Some stories speak to your topics, live where your perfect
places live.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Catch you Soon, don't miss the Blast.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
It's a dinger Cat podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Podcast Podcast
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