The Chaotic End of the Sex Pistols
Legendary photographers documented the filth and the fury of the Sex Pistols' first, and famously last, US tour.
In January 1978, the Sex Pistols stormed across the United States, wreaking havoc throughout the Deep South. The tour attracted some of the greats of photography, including Bob Gruen, Roberta Bayley, Lynn Goldsmith, and Annie Leibovitz.
Gruen, who traveled with the Sex Pistols on their bus, made some of the most iconic photos from tour. He shot this photo of Sid Vicious, just after he was punched in the face by “punk provocateur” Hellin Killer (she’s seen smiling in the background) during the Sex Pistols’ show at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas. The photo is symbolic of the ill-fated tour and Vicious’ self-destructive spiral.
Gruen’s relationship with the band is clear in the unexpected intimacy of the photos he made. “We had a long drive from Dallas to Tulsa through five inches of snow and ice,” Gruen recalled. “Sometime in the night we pulled into a gas station where there was a restaurant. I went in with Sid and sat at the counter. Before I knew it Sid had started a conversation with a cowboy and his family.”
On January 12, 1978, the Sex Pistols played Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. Tickets were $3.50. Punk Magazine photographer Roberta Bayley was there. “There were all these Jesus freaks outside picketing,” Bayley told TulsaPeople. “I think I got a lot of good pictures at Tulsa because I could get up closer to the stage.”
Bayley worked with two cameras simultaneously - one loaded with black and white, and another loaded with color.
Vicious told Bayley in an interview after the show, “I probably will die in six months, actually.”
Bayley’s backstory is fascinating. She worked the door at CBGB's in New York City in 1975 and quickly became part of the blossoming punk scene. “I bought my camera in November of ’75 and I took the Ramones album cover three months later,” Bayley told the Museum of the City of New York.
Sire Records paid her $125 for the cover shoot.
Bayley made the portraits of The Ramones with her Pentax Spotmatic at East Second Street and Bowery.
Renowned photographer Lynn Goldsmith also shot the Sex Pistols at Cain’s. Goldsmith's photo of Vicious is incredible, dig that shadow on the ceiling. The bandage on Vicious’ arm is from purposefully cutting himself with his bodyguard’s hunting knife.
The Cain’s Ballroom show was featured in Lech Kowalski's seminal 1980 documentary DOA: A Rite of Passage. The 16mm footage is incredible.
Rolling Stone magazine dispatched Annie Leibovitz to photograph the Sex Pistols as well. Leibovitz was on the same flight as Roberta Bayley, joining the tour in San Antonio for the show at Randy’s Rodeo.
“That San Antonio gig was really scary,” Bayley told Texas Monthly. “Those weren’t fans up in the front. People spit on the band. They threw cans of beer at the stage all night.” Bayley said Leibovitz was “right in the middle of all that,” shooting pictures from the front row.
I could only find one photograph credited to Leibovitz from that show at Randy’s Rodeo (from a blog called Subversion for Seditionaries), and I’m not 100% certain it’s legit. It looks like a postcard - the date reads “May, 1980” and “Johnny Rotten” is spelled “Johnny Lotten.” Red flags.
Turns out, according to The Dallas Morning News, Leibovitz’s camera gear was stolen after the Sex Pistols’ show at the Longhorn and all of her photos from the tour were lost. Kirby Warnock’s documentary, “When Dallas Rocked,” mentioned the theft and included this photo of Leibovitz.
Is that Annie Leibovitz? I don’t think so.
Even the wires were covering the disastrous tour. One of my favorite photos, from the Memphis stop, is another mystery. The image is credited to “Anonymous” in the Associated Press archive. Longtime AP photographer Charles Kelly, who covered the civil rights movement in the 60’s, was there that night, shooting from a similar angle. It’s unlikely the AP would have two photographers there, so perhaps it’s Kelly’s Regardless, it’s a great frame. The Sex Pistols’ “cowboy hippy” bodyguard can be seen on the side of the stage in the black hat.
The Sex Pistols broke up after their final show in San Francisco, which ended with Rotten asking the crowd, “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? Good night.”
While researching this piece I happened upon this hopelessly sad photo by San Francisco punk photographer Ruby Ray. The photo was taken the night after the Sex Pistols broke up - Vicious had just purposefully cut himself with a piece of glass. Ironically, he’s being comforted by Hellin Killer, the same woman that bloodied his nose in Dallas.
Vicious would be dead from a drug overdose less than a year later.
Excellent