The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 12, 1978 Page: 3 of 8
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Is this trip necessary?
Sex Pistols' concert fails to convert audience
by Bruce Kessler
"Sex Pistols in Texas
Tonight" announced the
marquee outside of Randy's
Rodeo, the country-western
swing club on the outskirts of
San Antonio, which, for one
evening, was home for the
most infamous band in the
world—the Sex Pistols.
The show was not to begin
until 8:00, but by mid-
afternoon there was already a
long line snaking out into the
parking lot. Braving the
progressively colder elements
were hundreds of shivering
bodies ranging in age from
junior highschoolers with
their Kiss belt buckles to the
'sophisticated' college
intellectuals, all of whom had
paid $3.50 to see the
unabashed leaders of the punk
movement. Very few had
donned punk regalia: there
was no green hair, only a half
dozen or so leatherclad toughs,
and no safety pin pierced
appendages to make the
Filthy Four feel at home.
Perhaps I should clarify that
last statement regarding
safety pins, as there were, in
actuality, quite a number of
them being worn. However,
these pins were notched, so one
merely had to place them
around the desired nostril or
ear lobe without having to
pierce the skin to acquire the
oh, so chic look.
Two warm-up bands opened
the evening's festivities, and,
following an eternity of an
intermission, the Pistols
ambled on stage and
overmodulated "God Save the
Queen." There they were, the
masters of musical ultra-
violence; Johnny Rotten, Sid
Vicious, Paul Cook, and Steve
Jones. The Pistols played a
surprisingly lengthy set, 1V4
hours, yet they were not as
obnoxious as one would have
expected. Yes, they insulted
and sneered at the audience.
No, they did not spit or vomit
on the crowd. Yes, they were
loud and noisy. No, they were
not all that outrageous. Yes,
the band did throw trash at the
audience, but by the end of the
show it was the stage which
looked like the scene of a
messy New Year's Eve party.
Beer cans were thrown on the
stage (one of which cut
guitarist Vicious, causing the
show to be delayed), as well as
shaving cream, paper cups,
cigarette butts, bottles, a hot
dog, and, yes, a Big Mac. The
show was tamer than
expected, but this was
probably due to the desire to
avoid any altercations that
would endanger the band's
visas, which were hard
enough to obtain in the first
place.
Musically, the Pistols
played material from their
album Never Mind the
Bollocks, Here's the Sex
Pistols, as well as several
other cuts which are not
available on record in this
country. Their songs were
short; there was no jamming
or extended solos, and the only
reason their set lasted as long
as it did was because they took
forever to tune between each
song. The only difference
between their live perform-
ance and their album was the
volume. At home, one can
control the volume with a
simple turn of the knob, but on
stage, these guys repeatedly
ventured into the realm of
white noise. Everyone
has been to concerts at which
one could swear that the band
had already played a song
several minutes earlier, as all
of their music sounded too
much alike. But with the Sex
Pistols, it was frequently
impossible to distinguish just
what they were playing,
simply due to the amount of
distortion, feedback, and
overamplification. Even if one
were familiar with the band's
music, it was nigh impossible
to tap in time with the beat, let
alone hum along to the lyrics.
The crowd reaction, for the
most part, could be summed up
as neutral. There was
applause when the band first
appeared onstage, but very
light applause between
numbers and following their
set. Why the Pistols felt
obligated to play an encore I'll
never know. Obviously, at
least 99% of the audience was
in attendance solely to satisfy
individual curiosity and to see
if the band was all they are
hyped to be. During the songs,
people did not know what to
do. They tried to clap along, to
shake their fists in the air, to
scream out loud, but nothing
seemed to work. It was a
shame that no one knew how
to pogo, because, as we all
know, the .only thing an
audience can do at a punk
show is jump up and down and
i
strangle one another in time to
the music.
As to whether the audience
liked the Pistols? . . . Well,
perhaps one should say that
they walked away knowing
that they had witnessed
something vitally new and
different. But it is doubtful if
the Pistols' performance made
any punk converts out of the
700 or so in attendance, for the
very reason that it is doubtful
if the British punk movement
will ever make a major impact
on the American music or
social scene. After all, it is a bit
incongruous to go and listen to
a band sing about destruction,
the overthrow of those
in power, anarchy, and
revolution for lack of anything
better to do, and then drive in
one's $6000 car to one's home
replete with color TV, ultra-
modern stereo system, and
microwave oven. The time
might be right for violence and
revolution in Great Britain,
but in the States, it is still
"Hold the pickles, hold the
lettuce, special orders don't
upset us."
D00NESBURY
and art buchuwvs
not available either.,
which means we've 60t
onlycms week left to
i find someone to give
this years journal
ism lecture /
his is a unique per-
spective on the dark
underside of outlaw
journalism. and his
immense popularity
among us kids u/oulp
lendacachettoth€
lecture!
abe, i've got a
su66esti0n! how
about former am-
bassador duke, the
ex-&onzo stringer
for * rolling stone"?
\
accord' zdnker.
in6 to i've never
whom? heard of fxwfirt
him myself, really
ft
good lord, kid, yes, sir, tm
it's only seven sorry, sir, but
ocwck! h/mtt tt're kind cf
i you ever heard pressed. your
1— of time
^ tones?
yes, sir
he seems
to think
the ujorw
of you
f
yes, sir.
he's on the
speakers
committee
with me.. r
and he said
look, chief,
imrr&ve
a damn if
he's on the
same-
1
that rascal.
my nephew?
to be sure
he really
z0nker?
to mention
said that?
the *3.000.
nephew said rr
to you!
wxjtobeokay
to call..
oh, ybs, of
course, sir
in tens and
twenties, as
REQUESTED.
let me just say, sir,
h0u) very honored uie
all are thai you mere
a8let0 take time from
your bust schedule
to come speak to us!
tm ronnie,
sir! did you
have a 6000
fu6ht?
uh-huh
60tw fee
'a\ uumyou?
hi. duke!
mr. duke!
over here,
sir!
n was
hello?
CP
well, sir, i'll well, kid, as
be by in a few a matter of
hours to take fact, i will
i you to your lec- be needing
: ture. if you need a few things.
i Anything, just. . '
\
you're sure oh, yes, sir.
about this i make it
pharmacy, my business
boy? to 8e sure!
\ \
um.. ev-
erythin6
on this
ust, sir-
\
yes. it's very impor-
tant. i'm 60/ng to
be doing 4 little
writing t0ni6ht, and
i'll need supplies!
uh.. yes, ths is dr. duke calung!
tm from out of town, and i've
lost my prescription pad, but i
wonder if i could order a few
thin6s to be sew over,
to mymowl^m^/'
room?.
one ibm selec-
tr/c typewriter.
one craie of fresh
grapefruit, three
cases of wild
turkey.." i
if i have to
go out for all
that myself,
it'll break
m* concentra-
tion1
sure, doc!
no problem!
what do you
need?
ft'i Ir^ —
TWO ALBINO
1YPISTS. ONE
trampoline..
say, you don't
knoul if these
pooms have
sprinklers,
do you?
you have an no, sir.
exciting talent, thank
iad. never you, sir.
abuse it.
gbf/ iuclkiim -
idont know what
to do, 7dnker! the
lecture swos in an
hour, and your. uncle
is in a total stupor!
what do
you mean,
a stupor.
ronnie?
\
welles just
lying in his bed
with a silly grin
on his face! and
the place is just
littered with
x little plastic
f vials!
hmm.. sounds uke he's
been out shopping..
now, where do you
suppose he got the
money x) buy-
say, ronnie,
idont sup-
pose you paid
him in ad-
vance7
to, zonk:
his mcther.
operation
vgnt4uw
the rice thresher, January 12, 1978—page 3
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Parker, Philip. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 12, 1978, newspaper, January 12, 1978; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245356/m1/3/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.