...FRIDAY JANUARY 7TH 1977
The Sex Pistols return to the Paradiso in Amsterdam with
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers and the ferry
hopping Vibrators in support for tonights show. As the
Pistols are sacked by their record label back home there
was more trouble brewing inside the rebel bands camp
itself.
Tonight's gig was to be the last with bass player Glen
Matlock in the original Sex Pistols line-up. Glen and lead
singer Johnny Rotten wasn't seeing eye to eye and his
days as a Sex Pistol were well and truly numbered.
PARADISO CLUB EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT.
"The Pistols' performance was very laid back. Lots of long-haired freaks did heir usual type of dance to
the band. The 'Woodstock Waltz' I called it. Malcolm sat next to me at the mixing desk and criticised the
band, "They're too laid back" he kept saying, "Go tell 'em to move about a bit more. Steve's been watching Thunders too much. Go tell him to liven up a bit." I couldn't imagine myself walking up
to Steve in the middle of a song and telling him to liven up and stop copying Johnny Thunders, but this is what Malcolm wanted! "Can't you go and tell him? I've got a band to mix." I tried to reason.
Malcolm kept on at me until eventually, when he started to stick his elbow in my ribs, I gave in, out of respect and to get a bit of peace and quiet. Anyway it did the trick and Steve suddenly
resembled a young Pete Townsend. Eventually the audience became hip to the vibe and started gyrating more frantically. This type of music must have been new to the crowd, but they
were able to accept it. (Watching it all and scribbling away, was the Guardian newspaper's rock critic, Robin Denselow, who's now a top reporter for BBC TV News, reporting regularly from the
world's trouble-spots - something I like to think we helped him aclimatise to).
The Pistols were the first real Punk Band to play in Amsterdam, and paved the way for many more to follow, but it was also to be the original line-up's last ever gig together - or at least, the last
gig for the next 20 years or so. Tension had been growing between Glen and Rotten for some time. Glen had been somewhat stigmatised for being too friendly with the hacks at EMI. When Glen
tried to put his ideas forward for a piece in a song or something, Rotten often responded with a "Why don't you drop dead?" Glen felt as if he really meant it. At the Paradiso Club it came to a
head and Glen walked off stage. I think at that point Glen had probably decided he couldn't stay in the band."
DAVE GOODMAN (Sex Pistols Sound Engineer)
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers and the ferry
hopping Vibrators in support for tonights show. As the
Pistols are sacked by their record label back home there
was more trouble brewing inside the rebel bands camp
itself.
Tonight's gig was to be the last with bass player Glen
Matlock in the original Sex Pistols line-up. Glen and lead
singer Johnny Rotten wasn't seeing eye to eye and his
days as a Sex Pistol were well and truly numbered.
PARADISO CLUB EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT.
"The Pistols' performance was very laid back. Lots of long-haired freaks did heir usual type of dance to
the band. The 'Woodstock Waltz' I called it. Malcolm sat next to me at the mixing desk and criticised the
band, "They're too laid back" he kept saying, "Go tell 'em to move about a bit more. Steve's been watching Thunders too much. Go tell him to liven up a bit." I couldn't imagine myself walking up
to Steve in the middle of a song and telling him to liven up and stop copying Johnny Thunders, but this is what Malcolm wanted! "Can't you go and tell him? I've got a band to mix." I tried to reason.
Malcolm kept on at me until eventually, when he started to stick his elbow in my ribs, I gave in, out of respect and to get a bit of peace and quiet. Anyway it did the trick and Steve suddenly
resembled a young Pete Townsend. Eventually the audience became hip to the vibe and started gyrating more frantically. This type of music must have been new to the crowd, but they
were able to accept it. (Watching it all and scribbling away, was the Guardian newspaper's rock critic, Robin Denselow, who's now a top reporter for BBC TV News, reporting regularly from the
world's trouble-spots - something I like to think we helped him aclimatise to).
The Pistols were the first real Punk Band to play in Amsterdam, and paved the way for many more to follow, but it was also to be the original line-up's last ever gig together - or at least, the last
gig for the next 20 years or so. Tension had been growing between Glen and Rotten for some time. Glen had been somewhat stigmatised for being too friendly with the hacks at EMI. When Glen
tried to put his ideas forward for a piece in a song or something, Rotten often responded with a "Why don't you drop dead?" Glen felt as if he really meant it. At the Paradiso Club it came to a
head and Glen walked off stage. I think at that point Glen had probably decided he couldn't stay in the band."
DAVE GOODMAN (Sex Pistols Sound Engineer)
Max's Kansas City, New York. |
