Sex Pistols
Live at Longhorn Ballroom, Dallas Texas (USA)
Jan 10, 1978
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| 40 years ago from tonight: Sid Vicious bleeds after getting punched during The Sex Pistols’ gig at Longhorn Ballroom, Texas (photo: Bob Gruen) |
"They said no one could be more bizarre than Alice Cooper, or more destructive than Kiss... they have not seen the Sex Pistols. Tuesday night, Stone City Attractions presents live, the Sex Pistols. Banned in their own home country, England's Sex Pistols, denied admittance to the United States, the Sex Pistols bring the new wave to the Metroplex this Tuesday night, in the Longhorn Ballroom. They said it couldn't happen, but it happens Tuesday night: the Sex Pistols, live."
- Dallas Radio promo
tracklist:
01. God Save The Queen
02. I Wanna Be Me
03. Seventeen
04. New York
05. E.M.I.
06. Bodies
07. Belsen Was A Gas
08. Holidays In The Sun
09. No Feelings
10. Problems
11. Pretty Vacant
12. Anarchy In The U.K.
13. No Fun
02. I Wanna Be Me
03. Seventeen
04. New York
05. E.M.I.
06. Bodies
07. Belsen Was A Gas
08. Holidays In The Sun
09. No Feelings
10. Problems
11. Pretty Vacant
12. Anarchy In The U.K.
13. No Fun
“Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious were both punched in the face by girl fans as the Sex Pistols performed today deep in the heart of Texas.” That was the lede for the English newspaper The Evening News covering the Pistols' concert at The Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, TX on January 10, 1978. It proved to be one of the strangest, most contentions shows in one of the strangest, most contentious tours in rock history.
By this point, Sid was receiving most of the attention onstage. Other members of the band are getting fed up with his narcissistic attitude. Before the show, Steve threatened to punch him for focusing on himself and not the music. Sid hit the bottle hard before the show. Being in Texas again, he and Johnny mocked the "Cowboys" in attendance. About half of the 1,800 in the crowd were fans; the other half were Country & Western fans defending their territory against these British punks. There were about 100 police on hand. The Dallas police department even had a SWAT team ready just in case the show turned into a riot. It didn’t, but just barely.
By this point, Sid was receiving most of the attention onstage. Other members of the band are getting fed up with his narcissistic attitude. Before the show, Steve threatened to punch him for focusing on himself and not the music. Sid hit the bottle hard before the show. Being in Texas again, he and Johnny mocked the "Cowboys" in attendance. About half of the 1,800 in the crowd were fans; the other half were Country & Western fans defending their territory against these British punks. There were about 100 police on hand. The Dallas police department even had a SWAT team ready just in case the show turned into a riot. It didn’t, but just barely.
John wore an ugly pink shirt and black glove for most of the show, while Steve was all black, including boots, spurs, and a Sheriff's star. Although he contributed nothing musically, Sid knew he was stealing Johnny's limelight, which is more important to him. With "Gimme a Fix" on his bare chest, Sid barely played his bass and seemed more interested in jumping around instead of performing music. Plastic cups and other assorted objects flew toward the stage for the duration of the performance. (no glass bottles were sold)
At the end of "Holidays in the Sun" Sid got head-butted by an overzealous woman (Lamar St. John was actually their hardcore fan, she drove from L.A. to see the show) and received a bloody nose. Instead of wiping up the mess, he let the gore flow down his torso. After smearing it on his face, he spat into the crowd, yelling off-mic and over the din "All cowboys are queer!" Johnny remarked "Look at that... a living circus."
During "Pretty Vacant" Sid took a broken bottle and carved his chest. He removed the pus-soaked bandage from his arm and threw it into the crowd. The other band members continued the show. With his newly carved chest, Sid wasn't playing bass as much as using it, while jumping around and staring, like the heroin-deprived, schnapps zombie he now was.
After a blistering version of "Anarchy in the U.S.A.," the band left the stage, and, surprisingly, the crowd yelled for more. As the band reappeared for an encore, Sid showed the audience an obscene gesture and Steve yelled, "You must be mad to want more of us!" In the middle of "No Fun" Steve confronted a heckler by throwing a couple punches and jabbing him with the headstock of his guitar.
The next morning, the Dallas newspaper read: "Most of the people last night came to see the people who came to see the Sex Pistols."
Actually this show starts with the song "God Save The Queen" but begins to be filmed in "EMI"; there is some footage of the early songs, TV programs made by reporting the show, but not completely recorded.
Four days later, the band broke up. “This is no fun. No fun at all. Ever feel like you’ve been cheated?” Rotten wearily said on stage in San Francisco, the Sex Pistol’s final concert, before walking off stage and quitting the band.
Sid was dead a year later from a heroin overdose.
Four days later, the band broke up. “This is no fun. No fun at all. Ever feel like you’ve been cheated?” Rotten wearily said on stage in San Francisco, the Sex Pistol’s final concert, before walking off stage and quitting the band.
Sid was dead a year later from a heroin overdose.
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