Death becomes him...

What did him in?

 

What the hell? I didn't take that seriously googled it and...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8610423.stm

He died of cancer, mesothelioma precisely...

As much as I hate the guy, it's a damn surprise! I never expected him to die yet, thought he was younger. Damn. I say it again, I'm shocked... I mean... Wow...

 

why do you hate him?

 

im getting dressed down and going dancing.

where is he buried again ?

 

I actually liked him. Sure, he was a big part of the commercialization of Punk, but he and the sex pistols did inspire a movement - i'm aware that there were other punk bands, also non commercial, but it was due to the succes of sex pistols and such bands, that the movement hit the range it did. It's no secret, the first punk bands from Denmark, Sweden and Norway all started after being inspired by the Sex Pistols - as well as great acts such as Joy DIvision, The Fall and Buzzcocks did.

It was the best damn thing that could have happened to rock music at that time. I'll say, Malcom McLaren RIP.

 

Wow, I didn't hear that story. Was it one of those stories that the news agencies wanted to let slip under the radar?

I was watching a doucmentary the other day and apparently the first commercial band as such was the Monkees. They took four ordinary lads, one who could sing and three others that had a modicum of musical talent and turned them into absolute superstars. For two consecutive years (1967/68) they outsold both Elvis and the Beatles combined (in the US that was).

I suppose the difference was that Malcolm Mclaren took four supposedly talentless, spotty teenagers (don't get me wrong that's the general populaces' opinion, I love the Pistols) and took them to superstardom and he also took on the record industry while doing it.

One of Don Lett's films about the Pistols has numerous snippets with Maclaren and it's an eye-opener to say the least.

 

lol yayyyyyy

 

He was all about the money, like the Sex Pistols.

 

You have no idea what you're talking about.

 

The guy was a business man, ever read about the Sex Pistols? McLaren's only concerns were about managing the band, making a boom out of it, inciting violence, and then get famous/money.

 

Once more I'll voice my opinion very concisely: AWESOME!

 

Yes, I've read Savage's "England's Dreaming" (Incidentally, the most well written and comprehensive treatment of punk.), Noel Monk's "Twlve Days on the Road; The Sex Pistols in America", Lydon's autobiography, "Rotten: No Irish, No Blackas, No Dogs", "John Lydon: Stories of Johnny" with contributions from Greil Marcus, Legs McNeil & others, and Malcolm Butt's "Sid Vicious." I also have what I believe to be all of the live footage of the Pistols availible on dvd, including Live at the Longhorn, the band's last show at Winterland, 1978, Live in Tokyo from the 1996 reunuion tour, "There'll Always Be an England", from the 2007 tour, and the compilation "Best of British Pounds." I also have the "Filth and the Fury" documentary, the "NTMB: Classic Albums" documentary, and "Rock 'n Roll Swindle." I also saw them live in 2003. So,....I have an admitted lack of patience for people trying to tell me what the Pistols were all about.

McLaren was a swindler who helped himself to most of the band's earnings, until Lydon filed that lawsuit against him. That wasn't what I was objecting to, what I objected to was the claim that the Pistols were "only in it for the money", which beyond being wrong is impossible, because they really didn't make any.

 

I'm not really sure, but hadn't Steve Jones planned for becoming famous when he started the band along with Cook? And what about his participation along with Cook in visiting Ronny Biggs, releasing an album, leaving Lydon penniless and all that? They all wanted to be famous, try and cause chaos and then get famous on TV.

Lydon is still doing it today, the butter commercial, his interviews, etc... The guy tries to act like he doesn't care and insult people in order to get more fame. He's an ass. "According to the story appearing in the Belfast Telegraph, Lydon first refused accommodation at the Radisson hotel, stating it was sub-standard. After he and his personal assistant were relocated to the Ritz Carlton, Lydon reportedly became infuriated with the hotel staff after he was given a room lacking an interior connecting door to his assistant's room." - Wikipedia

Sid was going all poseur on everyone acting like the 'tough guy' at bars and whatnot.

I don't know much about Paul Cook nor Steve Jones, but Steve Jones had planned to make a big hit with the band, not start the punk scene, he never cared about the scene. as much as I've heard.

Anyway, what I've said are what I've heard and learned, so I may not be correct, don't take any of those as facts.

 

He may have wanted to, but that had very little to do with what the band became. Jones was a borderline illeterate petty theif who could probably be diagnosed as having both kleptomania and satyriasis. He decided to form a band for kicks with his mates Paul and Wally Nightingale eventually arriving at Cutie (Alternately, "QT") Jones and His Sex Pistols." Although Malcolm may have helped come up with the name. Jones thought he was going to be some low-class Tom Jones or something. Malcolm thought it was terrble, told him he should play guitar and Wally was sacked. In comes Glen who worked the counter at Malcolm's (The only capable musician in the group.) was recruited for bass. Lydon, a regular customer who drew attention with his rancid green hair, mutillated clothes, and famous attitude was scheduled for an audition. I believe this took place at a pub called the Roebuck, Lydon auditioned singing Alice Cooper's "Eighteen." He got the job, names were floated about, a shortened version of the original name was suggested, Rotten reportedly said "It's so terrible, I love it!" or something to that effect, and a legend was born. In summation, Jones had essentially no creative input, beyond "dumbing down" the music structure, Glen kept trying to show him more complex guitar rythms, which he refused to learn, playing only major chords, but that was more obstinancy and lack of technical ability. So, whatever plans Cook & Jones might've had, which were probably very limited, almost conclusively had very little to do with what actually transpired.

The Rio trip was completely Malcolm's invention, Paul & Cook just went along with it. On the short, diastrous US tour, Malcolm & Cook/Jones traveled together while Sid and Lydon traveled seperately. Malcolm was probably trying to gain control by splitting the group, something he's notorious for doing. Yeah, he just popped out with the Rio thing I believe the day of the Winterland show, Lydon was actually probably the last to hear about it. They exchanged obscenities, it ended with Lydon staying in the Miyako, and Malcolm taking Cook & Jones to rio. As for getting famous on tv, 'm not sure what you mean. If you're referring to the Grundy incident, which happened much earlier, that was completely spontaneous, and word is, Malcolm was horrified when it happened.

To be fair, the Pistols didn't really make any money, what little they had, Malcolm stole. I think they were making less than minimum wage on the last tour. I thought the "Country Life" thing was a little bogus, but I think you have to draw a clear distinction between the 70's and today.

Wikipedia's not a great primary source. Yeah, I'll admit, I suspect he can be a bit of a dick, but I'm pretty sure Morrissey's quite difficult, too, but he also happens to be a goddamn genius.

Sid was a naive, mixed-up kid who didn't know how to handle fame. With Nancy constantly stroking his ego, and getting him screwed up on smack, he sadly began to believe his own publicity. Tragic. But he had style. He was also a pretty interesting performer when he could stand, everyone's seen "My Way", his takes on Eddie, Cochran, Stooges, and other covers were really pretty good, again, when he was lucid. His version of "Something Else" is awesome. Sadly, most of the recordings availible are of absolutely atrocious sound quality.

He wasn't exactly a deep thinker. They needed a guitarist, he was it.

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Granted. It sounds like I jumped the gun a little. I just get so tired of people who constantly hangue the Pistols because they heard it in a Crass song (Which is so hypocritical it's laughable.), yet know absolutely nothing ABOUT the band.