REVIEWS Los Angeles '03
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Los
Angeles, CA-Greek Theatre:
6th September 2003
Review
by Dino Everett
On
my way to the gig I was somewhat worried about what type of crowd would be there,
since I hadn't seen a great deal of promotion for the gig in the local papers,
and the Greek is a relatively large venue. As soon as we drove up my worries were
gone since the place was packed (probably between 4-5000), only the very top level
wasn't filled.
I
avoided the Dropkicks yet again and waited out front for their set to end while
checking out the growing number of merchandise they had for sale, lots of great
new t-shirts like the ones John has been wearing.
The
set has been pretty much the same through the whole tour so I won't run down the
songs again but will say that John performed this gig with more venom than I had
ever seen before. He smashed the mike into his head a couple of times and at one
point he stubbed out a cigarette on his arm, and called out to a guy in the front
row with, I believe a Dropkick Murphys shirt on, and said "You ain't no fuckin
Paddy."
They
did do an interesting version of No Fun that I think was sung in reverse
order. John made a point of acknowledging that there were no KROQ, MTV or LA Times
there, and after EMI, again called out that all record companies are useless.
Having seen them now two nights in a row, it just keeps getting better. The band
is really strong and having some fun with changing the songs around here and there,
and John is on top of his game and improvising lyrics every night that makes the
shows completely original. Can't wait for tomorrow in San Diego.
Review
by Shonie
I
am going to give you the bottom line to this show. It was like a firework display
in a morgue! Firstly, the Greek Theater is not the place to see punk/rock bands,
it's perfect if you want to smoke pot & watch James Taylor or Santana. Secondly,
the security was horrible as I imagined it might be. They didn't let anybody down
from the seats to dance, which at a Pistols gig is ridiculous! Luckily I was at
the front anyway.
Before
the Pistols came on I checked out the merchandise booth but only saw shabby products
& crap T-shirts for sale so I didn't buy anything. The Dropkick Murphys came
on...didn't like them & went for a beer. At the bar I saw some celebrities
walk by. I saw Morrissey who was dressed in a suit! Mark Magraff from Sugar Ray
& members of Social Distortion, & Slash. I was still at the bar people
watching when the Murphys ended their set & I was listening for Reverend Horton
Heat to come on, when I heard Johnny's voice & the Pistols took the stage!
I
got to the barrier when they launched into Bodies. Basically the Pistols
were fantastic & played tighter than a duck's arse. John was on form &
all the boys were as happy as pigs in shit. John was ecstatic to be there, saying
stuff like..."Welcome to my home! I really like it here." He was cracking
jokes all night & trying to get everyone motivated, but like I said, the gig
was like a firework display in a morgue! There must of been about 15 people dancing
at the front while the rest of the (probably 3000) crowd just stared! It was very
frustrating. The bottom line, the Sex Pistols were fucking fantastic, John made
me laugh the whole time, & if the LA crowd weren't so LAME it would have made
a great show even greater.
Review
by Jimmy Guthrie
Since the
godfathers of English punk never seem to come anywhere near my hometown of Atlanta,
my wife and I dug up the bucks to take a one-day redeye trip to tinseltown to
see the Sex Pistols. Having read some lukewarm reviews of previous gigs, I was
a little worried that the show might be a dud. After seeing the kickass onslaught
of punk rock that the Pistols delivered, my question for the negative reviewers
is, "ARE YOU PEOPLE FUCKING NUTS?!?"
First
of all, they were tight as shit. Cook, Jones and Matlock had the perfect sound
and played with angst and precision. Their excitement to be playing these classic
songs together again was palpable and contagious. Steve Jones, conspicuously absent
from Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists", is the ultimate punk
guitarist. He duplicated the thick layers of tracks that define the sound of Never
Mind The Bollocks, with nothing but a single Les Paul and a tube stack. To
the reviewers who say Jones is not a great guitarist, I say, "ARE YOU PEOPLE
FUCKING NUTS?!?" Rotten is a mesmerizing frontman, getting away with moves
that would make an ordinary bloke like me look like an idiot. But that's why he's
Johnny Rotten and I'm the guy writing the review. He has "it". Malcolm
McClaren recognized it, Pete Townshend recently wrote of it, and everyone at the
Greek was soaking in it. It is the pure balls and genius that Rotten shines with.
When others insist on focusing on his aging body instead of his razor wit, inimitable
voice and piercing glare, I can't help but wonder, "ARE YOU PEOPLE FUCKING
NUTS?!?"
They
played the entire Bollocks album, plus Baghdad (Belsen) Was A Gas,
and the classic Stooges cover, No Fun. By my count, that leaves only 3
other real Sex Pistols songs: I Wanna Be Me, Did You No Wrong, and Satellite.
All the others from the Swindle and Flogging albums are impromptu
covers or post-breakup permutations of the band members. Great songs, but you
can't expect Rotten to sing Ronnie Biggs' or Ten Pole Tudor's songs. To the people
in the parking lot who thought the set list was too short, I want to know, "ARE
YOU PEOPLE FUCKING NUTS?!?" The Sex Pistols could not have been better. My
wife grew a completely new admiration for the band. I think they sounded as good
as they ever have, even in the '70s. I only hope they will include Atlanta on
their next tour, as there are a lot of fans here who want to see them. But if
anyone thinks I regret my once-in-a-lifetime-24-hour-coast-to-coast Sex Pistols
show, I say, "ARE YOU PEOPLE FUCKING NUTS?!?"
©2003
Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net
All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission.