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Johnny Rotten – lead vocals (1975–1978, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2007)
Steve Jones – guitar, backing vocals (1975–1978, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2007)
Paul Cook – drums (1975–1978, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2007)
Glen Matlock – bass (1975–1977, 1996, 2002, 2003)
Sid Vicious – bass (1977–1978)

Birth name Glen Matloc
Born August 27, 1956
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Rock, Punk rock
Instrument(s) Bass Guitar
Label(s) Virgin Records, Phantom Sound & Vision, Warner Bros., EMI, Peppermint Records, Majestic
Associated
acts Sex Pistols (1975 - 1977, 1996, 2002 - 2003)
The Rich Kids (1977 - 1979)
Vicious White Kids (1978)
The Philistines (2004 - 2005)
The Flying Padovani's (2005)
Slinky Vagabond (2007 - Present)

Birth name John Joseph Lydon
Also known as Johnny Rotten
Born January 31, 1956 (age 51)
London, England
Genre(s) Punk rock
Post-punk
Rock
Hard rock
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) Vocals
Stroh violin
Saxophone
Percussion
Bass Guitar
Violin
Synthesizer
Keyboards
Guitar
Years active 1975 – present
Associated
acts Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd.

Birth name Stephen Phillip Jones
Born September 3, 1955
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Rock, Punk rock
Instrument(s) Guitar
Label(s) Virgin Records, MCA, Warner Bros.
Associated
acts Sex Pistols (1975 - 1978, 1996, 2002 - 2003)
The Professionals (1980 - 1982)
Chequered Past (1982 - 1985)
Neurotic Outsiders (1995 - 1996, 1999, 2006)

Birth name Paul Cook
Born July 20, 1956
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Rock, Punk rock
Instrument(s) Drums
Label(s) Virgin Records, Warner Bros.
Associated
acts Sex Pistols (1975 - 1978, 1996, 2002 - 2003)
The Professionals (1980 - 1982)
Chiefs of Relief (1987 - 1988)
Man-Raze (2004 - Present)

Born May 10, 1957
London, England
Died 2 February 1979 (aged 21)
New York City, New York, U.S.A.
Simon John Beverley, formerly Simon John Ritchie (May 10, 1957 – February 2, 1979), better known as Sid Vicious, was an English punk rock musician, the bass player of the Sex Pistols (replacing Glen Matlock).

SEX PISTOLS
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."[1] The Pistols are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom[2] and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll.[3]

The Sex Pistols emerged as a response to what was perceived to be the "increasingly safe and bloated" progressive rock[4] and manufactured pop music of the mid-1970s. The band created various controversies during their brief career which captivated Britain,[5] but often eclipsed their music.[6] 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.[7]

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".[

SID VICIOUS JOINS THE BAND
The Paradiso gigs would be their last with Matlock, who parted company with the band in February 1977. According to popular legend he was sacked because he "liked The Beatles",[1] but Steve Jones later claimed the reason was that Matlock didn't "fit in" with the others, stating, obliquely, that Matlock was "always washing his feet".[24] Matlock now claims to have quit voluntarily, mainly because of an increasingly acrimonious relationship with Rotten.[25]

Matlock was replaced by Rotten's friend and self-appointed "ultimate Sex Pistols fan"[26] Sid Vicious (Simon John Ritchie), previously drummer of Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Flowers of Romance. McLaren approved Vicious as a member on account of his look and "punk attitude", despite his limited musical abilities.[14] According to McLaren: "When Sid joined he couldn't play guitar but his craziness fit into the structure of the band. He was the knight in shining armour with a giant fist."[27] Lydon later recalled: "The first rehearsals with Sid were hellish. Everyone agreed he had the look. Sid tried real hard... but boy, he couldn't play bass."[11]

In recent years McLaren stated that Vivienne Westood told him he should "get the guy called John who came to the store a couple of times" to be the singer, and that once he did and Johnny Rotten was recruited for the band, Vivienne said he had got it wrong, "he had got the wrong John." She actually meant John Simon Ritchie (Sid Vicious) to be the singer.[28] According to this version of the events the original plan would have been to get Sid Vicious to be the singer and not Johnny Rotten, and Vivienne had always been interested in Sid but didn't have an opportunity to do so until Glenn Matlock left the band.

Marco Pirroni: "After that, it was nothing to do with music anymore. It would just be for the sensationalism and scandal of it all. Then it became the Malcolm McLaren story..."[27] Vicious' amplifier was often turned down, or off, during live performances,[29] and most of the bass parts on the band's later recordings were played by either Jones or Matlock.[11]

Membership in the Sex Pistols began to have a destructive effect on Vicious ' personality. As Rotten observed: "Up to that time, Sid was absolutely childlike. Everything was fun and giggly. Suddenly he was a big pop star. Pop star status meant press, a good chance to be spotted in all the right places, adoration. That's what it all meant to Sid."[27] Vicious responded by actively cultivating a notorious persona. Early in 1977, he met Nancy Spungen, a drug addict and occasional prostitute[30] from New York with a history of severe emotional problems.[27] Spungen is commonly thought to be responsible for introducing Vicious to heroin, and the emotional co-dependency between the couple alienated Vicious from the other members of the band. Rotten said: "We did everything to get rid of Nancy. She was killing him. I was absolutely convinced this girl was on a slow suicide mission. Only she didn't want to go alone. She wanted to take Sid with her. She was so utterly fucked up and evil."[11] Sid Vicious debuted with the band at the Screen on the Green in London on 3 April 1977.

JOHNNY ROTTEN JOINS THE BAND
Johnny Rotten c. 1977, photographed by Dennis Morris.Glen Matlock was recruited as bass player in early 1975. Around this time Jones and Nightingale began to argue over the band's musical direction, and Nightingale departed soon afterwards. In August 1975, John Lydon (Johnny Rotten), was spotted by Jones at the now renamed and restyled SEX boutique. According to Jones: "He came in with green hair. I thought he had a really interesting face. I liked his look. He had his 'I Hate Pink Floyd' T-shirt on. John had something special, but when he spoke he was a real asshole - but smart."[11] After miming along to Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen" on the shop juke box and though he had never considered singing before, Rotten was asked to join as vocalist.[12] Rotten and his circle of friends (including Soo Catwoman and Bromley Contingent members Siouxsie Sioux, Steve Severin and Billy Idol),[13] were by now dressing in the torn-shirt, sado-masochistic inspired clothing sold by Vivienne Westwood;[1] the trend quickly spread, and was adopted by the band's fans.[12]

NME journalist Nick Kent used to jam occasionally with the band, but left upon Rotten's recruitment. According to Rotten: "When I came along, I took one look at him and said, 'No. That has to go.' He's never written a good word about me since".[11] Following Kent's departure, Cook began to feel that Jones might not be capable enough alone on guitar, and 1976 they placed an advertisement in the Melody Maker for another "Whiz Kid Guitarist"[14] that read "Wanted Whizz kid guitarist Not older than 20, Not worse looking than Johnny Thunders." Steve New answered the advert, and played with the band for a few weeks, though he too left shortly afterwards.

Music sample:
Anarchy in the UK (file info) — play in browser (beta)
Problems listening to the file? See media help.
One of McLaren's first acts as manager was to rename the band. Among the options considered were 'Le Bomb', 'Subterraneans', 'Beyond' and 'Teenage Novel'. The band played their first gig as Sex Pistols at Saint Martins College, on 6 November 1975,[10] though they were thrown off before finishing their first song. The gig had been arranged by Matlock, who was studying there at the time. This gig was followed by other performances at colleges and art schools around London. In early 1976, the Sex Pistols began to play larger venues such as the 100 Club, and the Nashville. On 3 September 1976, the Pistols played their first concert outside Britain, at the opening of the Club De Chalet Du Lac in Paris. Their first major tour of Britain soon followed, lasting from mid-September to early October.

[edit] EMI and the Grundy incident
Following a showcase gig held during London's first punk festival, at the 100 Club in Oxford Street, in September 1976, the Sex Pistols signed to the major label EMI. The band's first single, "Anarchy in the U.K.", released on 26 November 1976, served as a statement of intent—full of wit, anger and visceral energy. Despite a common perception that punk bands couldn't play their instruments, contemporary music press reviews and live recordings reveal the Pistols to have been a tight, competent, and ferocious live band.[15][16][17]

Music sample:
The Fucking Rotter (file info) — play in browser (beta)
Audio from the 1976 interview conducted by Bill Grundy
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Their behaviour, as much as their music, brought them national attention. On 1 December 1976 the band and members of the Bromley Contingent created a storm of publicity by swearing during an early evening live broadcast of Thames Television's Today programme. Appearing as last-minute replacements for fellow EMI artists Queen, band and entourage took full advantage of the Green Room facilities, and consumed large amounts of alcohol. During the interview, Rotten used the word "shit", and host Bill Grundy, who was drunk at the time, flirted openly with Siouxsie Sioux ("We'll meet afterwards, shall we?"). This prompted Jones to call Grundy a "dirty sod". Grundy responded by requesting that the band "say something outrageous",[18] to which Jones replied: "you dirty fucker . . . what a dirty fucking bastard".[19]

Although the programme was only broadcast in the London region, the ensuing furore occupied the tabloid newspapers for days. The Daily Mirror famously ran the headline "The Filth and the Fury", while the Daily Express led with "Punk? Call it Filthy Lucre"—phrases Lydon adopted for Pistols projects many years later. Thames Television suspended Grundy, and though he was later reinstated, the interview effectively ended his career.[20]

The episode created mass publicity for the band and brought punk into the mainstream. The 'Anarchy' tour of the UK followed, though many of the concerts were either crowded by hostile press or cancelled by local authorities.[12] London councilor Bernard Brook Partridge, during a television interview conducted at the time, declared: "The Sex Pistols would be vastly improved by sudden death . . . I would like to see someone dig a huge hole and bury the lot of them in it".[21]

Following the end of the tour in December 1976, EMI arranged a series of concerts for January 1977 at the Paradiso in Amsterdam.[22] But before boarding the plane at London Heathrow Airport, the band reportedly spat on each other and verbally abused airport staff. "One witness claimed the Sex Pistols were doing something so disgusting that she could not repeat it for publication . . . it became generally believed Jones had been vomiting on old ladies in the preflight lounge," reported Rolling Stone.[17] EMI released the band from their contract two days later.[22] "I don't understand it," Rotten remarked at the time. "All we're trying to do is destroy everything.

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