SEX PISTOLS – Concert with Ultra  Ultra’s sound was clashing with the growing popularity of disco and punk rock; and in fact, their most high-profile moment came when they opened for Sex Pistols at Randy’s Rodeo on January 8, 1978. Galen Niles stated recently: “We most definitely had no business being on the same bill as the Sex Pistols, as we were not in any musical sense of the word a ‘punk’ outfit.” Sex Pistols disintegrated just two weeks into their first American tour. Less than a week after their San Antonio date, Johnny Rotten left the Pistols and started a new band called Public Image Limited (often shortened to PiL); he also reverted to his real name John Lydon. Interestingly, the most notorious member of Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious was a relatively new addition to the band who was not involved in either of their outrageous singles, “Anarchy in the U.K.” and “God Save the Queen”. Their sole album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols came out in 1978 and, as they say, changed rock and roll forever. For myself, however, I have always preferred American punk rockers to their Brit counterparts. (September 2011) |