Turning children into punks and slaves

It's not everyday that a random trip to the pub results in meeting a former Sex Pistol.

The weird evening started like this. A phone call from my friend Steve who really wants to go to Filthy McNasty’s, probably London’s greatest pub. So I call a few friends who also turn up and we all meet at the pub. There are posters all over the wall from the punk era. Concert and album posters for the Clash, the Sex Pistols, Ian Dury, etc.. Which is cool and very interesting. And we find out that they are being exhibited there as part of a celebration of punk music. Then a guy in a very expensive Italian jacket walks in and I swear that I know the guy but I can’t place him. And this starts to bug me for a while.

Then a bloke goes to the stage section of the pub and introduces himself, he’s David Nolan and he’s written a book called The Gig that Changed the World about the Sex Pistols’ Lesser Free Trade Hall concert that about 7 million people say they were there. What is for sure is that Morrissey, Peter Hook of Joy Division and members of Buzzcocks and Simply Red (urgh!) were. As well as Tony Wilson of Factory Records. The concert is recreated in the film 24 hour Party People. It could well be one of the most influential concerts of all time. Interestingly enough, the Lesser Free Trade Hall is above the real Free Trade Hall where the infamous "Judas!" shout at Dylan in 1966 happens. There is so much musical history in that building. Sadly, it is now a hotel.

After his presentation, we go up to the guy and start talking to him about the book, about the creation of musical legends and we ask him to sign our books which we’ve now bought. And he says, you should get Glenn Matlock over there to sign it and it all clicks into place in my mind.

We all went over, had a chat with him and he was a friendly guy. He is playing a gig at the pub, but he can’t remember which night (punk rock!). A nice chat, got him to autograph my book and got a photo with him.

My friend Steve’s fiancé doesn’t know who he is and starts asking him whether “he’s followed his dream”. “Not yet”, comes the rather bemused reply. Funny as hell, but I'm sure that it is different to the usual questions he gets.

Here’s a photo of Glenn getting pissed with Sid and Nancy. Couldn't find any on-stage photos on the net. This maybe because he was thrown out of the band for allegedly "liking the Beatles" in 1977. Glenn's on the left with a pint in his hand. This must have been taken after he left the band.



Band of the Hand (It's Hell Time Man!)