Post by Fuggle on Feb 4, 2006 14:13:02 GMT -5
Sex Pistols come to life in tribute to band’s tunes
By Leonard Martinez
El Paso Times
Friday, February 3, 2006
Johnny Forgotten
(as Johnny Rotten),
part of the Sex Pistols
Experience.
The Sex Pistols were the epitome of burning out before fading away.
In the late 1970s, the band’s brand of punk was an antidote to safe pop and disco music. But after one official album and a few short tours, they called it quits.
But you can see the next best thing when the Sex Pistols Experience — all the way from the United Kingdom — performs Saturday at Lucky Devils.
“I remember seeing the Sex Pistols perform on the ‘Top of the Pops’ in the U.K.,” Paul Crook, drummer for the Sex Pistols Experience, said in a telephone interview from Tulsa, Okla. “It was kind of like the Beatles on ‘Ed Sullivan’ for some people. That just bit me right there.”
Crook was hooked and soon began playing the drums.
“I played with loads of other bands, but I would always revert back to Paul Cook’s style and pull that out of my hat when I needed to,” Crook said. “About five years ago, we talked about being a part of a tribute group, and we thought ‘Well, nobody’s done the Sex Pistols.’ There are hundreds of Beatles and Abba tribute groups out there, but there aren’t any Sex Pistols groups. It’s a challenge to do, because every character has to be strong. It was always on my mind to do it and we finally did it.”
The Sex Pistols Experience is Johnny Forgotten (as Johnny Rotten) on vocals, Kid Vicious (as Sid Vicious) on bass, Steve Clones (as Steve Jones) on guitar and Crook (as Cook) on drums.
The Sex Pistols were notorious for being a bit out of control. They were kicked off two record labels before their debut “Never Mind the Bollocks” was released in October 1977.
Earlier that year, the group released the single “God Save the Queen,” which attacked the royal family. Being dutiful citizens, they decided to join in the Jubilee Celebration of Queen Elizabeth II by chartering a boat on the Thames to perform their live set.
The group abruptly stopped a tour in 1978 after lead singer Johnny Rotten snarled “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”
While the Sex Pistols were known for being wild offstage, that’s not the case with the Sex Pistols Experience.
“It’s all great fun, really,” Crook said. “We treat it more like a piece of theater. Once we’re offstage, we just become ourselves.”
Crook was pleasantly surprised that the tribute band has been so well accepted.
“We didn’t expect to play outside of the U.K. and now we’re spending a month touring America,” he said. “This is for those who missed them 30 years ago. And for those that saw them in stadiums in 1996, come see it up close.”
Steve Diggle of the Buzzcocks paid Clones high compliments in a press release, saying Clones plays “a crashing guitar sound Steve Jones would be proud of.”
The group’s re-enactment of the infamous 1977 Queen Elizabeth boat party attracted a sell-out audience and rave reviews in the London and national press.
“It gets busier and busier each year,” Crook said. “We’ve got inquiries from Germany and France and Spain, and back to America in May.”
Crook said there aren’t many bands that get as much respect from other bands over the years as the Sex Pistols do.
“Lots of bands cite the Sex Pistols as a major influence, even 30 years on,” Crook said.
Leonard Martinez may be reached at lmartinez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6152.
By Leonard Martinez
El Paso Times
Friday, February 3, 2006
Johnny Forgotten
(as Johnny Rotten),
part of the Sex Pistols
Experience.
The Sex Pistols were the epitome of burning out before fading away.
In the late 1970s, the band’s brand of punk was an antidote to safe pop and disco music. But after one official album and a few short tours, they called it quits.
But you can see the next best thing when the Sex Pistols Experience — all the way from the United Kingdom — performs Saturday at Lucky Devils.
“I remember seeing the Sex Pistols perform on the ‘Top of the Pops’ in the U.K.,” Paul Crook, drummer for the Sex Pistols Experience, said in a telephone interview from Tulsa, Okla. “It was kind of like the Beatles on ‘Ed Sullivan’ for some people. That just bit me right there.”
Crook was hooked and soon began playing the drums.
“I played with loads of other bands, but I would always revert back to Paul Cook’s style and pull that out of my hat when I needed to,” Crook said. “About five years ago, we talked about being a part of a tribute group, and we thought ‘Well, nobody’s done the Sex Pistols.’ There are hundreds of Beatles and Abba tribute groups out there, but there aren’t any Sex Pistols groups. It’s a challenge to do, because every character has to be strong. It was always on my mind to do it and we finally did it.”
The Sex Pistols Experience is Johnny Forgotten (as Johnny Rotten) on vocals, Kid Vicious (as Sid Vicious) on bass, Steve Clones (as Steve Jones) on guitar and Crook (as Cook) on drums.
The Sex Pistols were notorious for being a bit out of control. They were kicked off two record labels before their debut “Never Mind the Bollocks” was released in October 1977.
Earlier that year, the group released the single “God Save the Queen,” which attacked the royal family. Being dutiful citizens, they decided to join in the Jubilee Celebration of Queen Elizabeth II by chartering a boat on the Thames to perform their live set.
The group abruptly stopped a tour in 1978 after lead singer Johnny Rotten snarled “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”
While the Sex Pistols were known for being wild offstage, that’s not the case with the Sex Pistols Experience.
“It’s all great fun, really,” Crook said. “We treat it more like a piece of theater. Once we’re offstage, we just become ourselves.”
Crook was pleasantly surprised that the tribute band has been so well accepted.
“We didn’t expect to play outside of the U.K. and now we’re spending a month touring America,” he said. “This is for those who missed them 30 years ago. And for those that saw them in stadiums in 1996, come see it up close.”
Steve Diggle of the Buzzcocks paid Clones high compliments in a press release, saying Clones plays “a crashing guitar sound Steve Jones would be proud of.”
The group’s re-enactment of the infamous 1977 Queen Elizabeth boat party attracted a sell-out audience and rave reviews in the London and national press.
“It gets busier and busier each year,” Crook said. “We’ve got inquiries from Germany and France and Spain, and back to America in May.”
Crook said there aren’t many bands that get as much respect from other bands over the years as the Sex Pistols do.
“Lots of bands cite the Sex Pistols as a major influence, even 30 years on,” Crook said.
Leonard Martinez may be reached at lmartinez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6152.
