LIVE RECORDINGS

Live Recordings Information Resource by Dino Everett.
Updated by Hervé Labyre, Steve PILHead and Phil Singleton
The guide was originally compiled during the era of cassette trading and later CDR. Online digital sharing and YouTube have made many of these recordings easier to access.

Latest update 2025

Part Two: 1977

Jan 6, 1977 - Paradiso Club, Amsterdam, Holland Trt - 40:49 Number of Songs - 11 Format - cassette, vinyl LP Sound Quality - noisy, static filled audience recording Rating - 6 Physical Release 'Anarchy In Paradise' lathe cut bootleg LP REVIEW Not one of the greatest sounding gigs but it is Glen's last (not counting reunions) and for that alone it should be sought out. It is the last time 'Substitute' is played live, as Sid could never tackle that one. A pretty well played gig all in all but not played with the ferocity of some of the earlier September '76 gigs. In addition to the playing, Glen's back-ups will soon be sadly missed as Steve's tend to be delivered in a jokey manner and Sid's are more of a football chant. During 'I Wanna Be Me' Johnny yells out "EMI" acknowledging the fact that the band already knew the company would release a statement the following day terminating their contract. A relatively short set but this would become the norm until the end of the year when they will play some of their longest ones. 'God Save The Queen' is interesting with Johnny and Steve ad-libbing parts throughout. The overall mix is nice and balanced and helps to overcome some of the sonic interferences. DRAWBACKS There are some minor sound modulations and it is a generally noisy sounding tape with lots of static. The very first few seconds of 'Anarchy In The UK' have been clipped but it's barely noticeable. The beginning of 'Satellite' is abrupt but it doesn't sound like there is an edit, however there is a sonic change after 'God Save The Queen', which may have just been a quick edit to flip the tape. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York Satellite God Save The Queen Substitute No Feelings Pretty Vacant Liar Problems

April 3rd, 1977 - Screen on the Green, Islington Trt - 38:19 Number of Songs - 12 Format - cassette, vinyl LP Sound Quality - average audience w/ some modulation, static Rating - 1-10 (7) 11,12 (6) Physical Release 'Sid's Debut' bootleg vinyl LP Video 'Punk Rock Movie' ('God Save The Queen' x 2, parts of 'Seventeen', 'New York', 'Liar' and 'Pretty Vacant') REVIEW A good audience tape but it does suffer at times from a bit of modulation in levels, which sounds like the taper either moving in the crowd or fiddling with the recorder. Historically this is an important gig since it marks Sid's debut. At one point during 'Pretty Vacant' John shouts, "how many notice the fucking difference?" We can! This is the beginning of some very loosely played gigs. Sid is trying but he still manages a few bum notes most notably the intro to 'Satellite'. 'EMI' is played live for the first time. There are a couple of versions of this tape. One is more complete and runs all the way (including a few bits of the 'Sex Pistols Number 1' film shown before the gig) through to 'Anarchy In The UK', although this is cut at the end. The better quality tape however fades after 'No Feelings'. Interestingly, John's voice cracks during 'I Wanna Be Me'. The encore version of 'God Save The Queen' comes from the 'Punk Rock Movie'. DRAWBACKS The recording is split over two versions. Also, this isn't the best gig the band ever played. It is very loose and there are a couple of false starts. Sonically there are no real cuts to speak of with the exception of the end of 'Anarchy In The UK', but modulation does occur throughout and there is some interference during 'Satellite'. The final version of 'God Save The Queen', taken from the video of the 'Punk Rock Movie', is unfortunately clipped in the middle. SETLIST Intro film: Sex Pistols Number 1 God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York Satellite EMI Liar Pretty Vacant Problems No Feelings Anarchy In The UK (cuts) God Save The Queen (edited in middle)

June 7, 1977- River Thames Boat Trip Trt - 38:19 Number of Songs - 6 (fake version) / 3 (dub off video) Format - cassette / DVD Sound Quality - cut and paste audience recording / video film is excellent Rating - 8 (for the 3 tracks copied from video) Physical Release Video 'Never Mind The Bollocks Super Deluxe' boxset DVD ('Anarchy In The UK', 'Pretty Vacant', and 'Problems') REVIEW The video is excellent. Beware the audio tape claiming to be the full set. It's a cut and paste bootleg of a bootleg. Only the audio from the video exists and the supposed first three songs on the tape are lifted from elsewhere. The first 'Anarchy In The UK' doesn't even sound like Sid. DRAWBACKS Basically this is just audio taken from the video, plus three 'hard to distinguish' versions of songs pasted on at the start to create a fake full recording. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK (fake) God Save The Queen (fake) Holidays In The Sun (fake) Anarchy In The UK Pretty Vacant Problems

July 13, 1977- Daddy’s Dance Hall Copenhagen, Denmark Trt - 44:18 Number of Songs - 11 Format - cassette, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - muddy audience recording Rating - 6.5 Physical Release 'Spewing Charisma In Copenhagen' lathe cut bootleg LP REVIEW This is the first night of the Scandinavian tour. It is the last time they play 'Satellite' but the first outing for 'Holidays In The Sun'. The sound does suffer at times from various amounts of feedback. This is an important show because it is the first night of the tour. Johnny speaks here and there which makes it easy to spot as legit, and Steve does say "see ya tomorrow" after 'God Save The Queen' confirming this is the first night in Copenhagen. DRAWBACKS The overall sound of this tape is terribly muddy. There are two versions, one is quite clear (no static) but very boomy, and the other one has a good deal of tape hiss but somehow that has softened the bassy quality of the tape and provides the best listen. Both versions seem to suffer from a common problem of 70's recorded tapes, the microphone getting overloaded once the music starts - it will sound really clear and perfect until the music begins and then it sounds muffled. Also the guitar drops out slightly on 'I Wanna Be Me' and some versions have a weird edit after 'Pretty Vacant' where Steve's chat is repeated. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York Satellite No Feelings No Fun Holidays in the Sun Problems Pretty Vacant God save The Queen

July 14, 1977 - Daddy’s Dance Hall Copenhagen, Denmark Trt - 35:05 Number of Songs - 10 Format - cassette, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - average audience recording Rating - 6.5 Physical Releases Scandinavian Tour '77 Daddy's Dancehall Copenhagen 14.07.77 bootleg vinyl LP 'Live Daddy's Dance Hall Copenhagen Denmark 14.07.77' lathe cut bootleg LP 'Cultivating Hatred In Copenhagen' lathe cut bootleg LP REVIEW Another good gig with the band playing quite well, and there aren't the sonic problems of the previous night. 'Satellite' has been dropped for good and replaced with the newer 'EMI'. They don't play 'Holidays In The Sun', or perhaps it was not recorded? DRAWBACKS This gig is shorter in length than the previous night and there is a cut on the tape before 'God Save The Queen' which could have been where 'Holidays In The Sun' may have been played, or perhaps the taper just flipped sides and didn't miss anything? There are also some pretty regular sound fluctuations throughout the tape and the overall quality is average at best. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI No Feelings Pretty Vacant Problems God Save The Queen No Fun

July 15, 1977 - Beach Disco, Halmstad, Sweden Trt - 33:56 Number of Songs - 9 Format - cassette, vinyl LP Sound Quality - slightly bassy audience recording Rating - 7 Physical Releases 'Tour Of Scandinavia' bootleg vinyl LP 'Sweden' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP 'Anarchy In Sweden '77' bootleg vinyl LP 'Going To The Beach Disco' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP 'Do The Strand' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP 'Anarchy At The Beach Disco' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP 'Power Of The Pistols' (7 songs only) unofficial vinyl LP 'Sweden Heaven And Hell' (7 songs only) unofficial vinyl LP and others REVIEW This is a gig where you can definitely tell the Sid that was to come - he is pretty high in the mix on this tape and plays terrible, just listen to 'No Feelings'. Although on 'Problems' you can hear his two bass licks! This is one of the gigs that has come out on many bootleg LP's so it is pretty easy to come by. It's a decent quality overall and for the most part is fairly clear. The band with the exception of Sid plays well. It's fair to say Paul always played well. John says a few noticeable things to help pinpoint the gig. Before they start he says, "we'll begin with Anarchy", then before 'EMI', "this is about 'EMI' after they sacked us." Also, he informs the crowd that 'Pretty Vacant' is "our new single". DRAWBACKS The bassy tone is unfortunate, and there's obviously Sid's fuck-ups. Thankfully there are no real edits or cuts and sonically it remains consistent. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI No Feelings Pretty Vacant Problems God Save The Queen

July 16, 1977- Mogambo Disco, Helsingborg, Sweden Trt – 26:43 Number of Songs - 9 Format - cassette, CDR, lathe cut LP Sound Quality – pretty good audience recording Rating – 7.5 Physical Release 'Live 14 Huize Maas, Groningen, Holland, 10.12.77' lathe cut bootleg LP REVIEW This upgrade surfaced around 2013. It's a good audience recording and a nice listen. Note that the previous tape that had been doing the round for years was used for the 2005 vinyl bootleg 'Scandinavian Tour 1977'. DRAWBACKS The end of 'Problems' is cut as is the first part of 'No Feelings'. The song starts on Steve's guitar solo which makes a total running time of 1:21. Johnny seems to have some problems with his microphone at some points of the set, you can't hear him very well during 'Anarchy In The UK' and Steve sounds louder, the same happens in the first seconds of 'Seventeen'. There are sound modulations at the start of 'I Wanna Be Me'. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Problems (cut) No Feelings (edit) Pretty Vacant God Save The Queen Review of previous version circulating prior to 2013 upgrade. Trt - 29:46 Number of Songs - 9 Format - cassette, CD, vinyl LP Sound Quality - average audience recording Rating - 7 Physical Releases 'Scandinavian Tour 1977' bootleg vinyl LP 'Scandinavian Tour 1977' included in 'Pretty Blank' bootleg CD boxset REVIEW Overall this is a pretty decent audience recording. This also contains the 'Sid bass solo' after 'EMI'. Most of the gig goes along fine but something seems to happen around 'EMI' as the announcer comes out to speak and then they launch into 'Problems'. DRAWBACKS There's a series of cuts starting with the end of 'Problems' and the start of the next song 'No Feelings'. After 'No Feelings' there is another cut. 'Pretty Vacant' is also affected. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Problems No Feelings Pretty Vacant God Save The Queen

July 19, 1977 – Club Zebra, Kristinehamn, Sweden (added to guide March 2024) Trt - 60:00 Number of Songs - 9 (gig) + 8 (soundcheck) Format - vinyl LP Sound Quality - Soundboard Rating - 9 Physical Release 'Looking For A Kiss In Kristinehamn' bootleg vinyl LP REVIEW Double bootleg LP surfaced February 2024. Recorded via the mixing desk the LP comprises 9 songs from the gig plus the 8 captured at the soundcheck, along with unreleased radio advert, John Rotten interview recorded in Vaxjo and 2 unreleased songs from Trondheim July 21st. It is the first time ever a genuine recording of the Kristinehamn gig has come to light. The quality is fabulous as are the Pistols themselves, with a mixture of aggression and humour; listen carefully for Sid responding to a shout for 'Anarchy' with "we've already played it you fucking idiot!" The soundcheck itself is fascinating, as 8 songs are the musicians only and highlight the band in different ways, Paul starring on 'Liar', Steve on 'EMI', Sid is solid throughout doing some 'Anarchy In The UK' bass lines unaccompanied. The pick of the bunch however is when John joins in for 'Holidays In The Sun': "That sounds really bad... bad, bad, bad. Sorry to be awkward!" DRAWBACKS 'God Save The Queen' fades at the end. Although it sounds complete, the recording of the song cut out on the original tape and has been spliced with the ending from the song performed in Trondheim (included on Side Four of 'Looking For A Kiss In Kristinehamn' double LP). SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI No Fun No Feelings Pretty Vacant God Save The Queen Soundcheck: Anarchy In The UK Bodies (part) Pretty Vacant Liar Problems EMI No Feelings Holidays In The Sun

July 20, 1977- Pingvin Club, Oslo, Norway Trt - 41:01 Number of Songs - 10 Format - cassette, vinyl LP, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - 2018 upgrade version Rating - 7 Physical Releases 2018 upgrade: 'Pingvin Club 1977' bootleg cassette 2018 upgrade: 'Pingvin Club 1977' bootleg vinyl LP 2013 upgrade: 'Keeping It Cool At The Pingvin Club' bootleg vinyl LP REVIEW Two upgrades of this recording have appeared over recent times, in 2013 and 2018. Both claim to be from master copies and it is hard to distinguish between them. Older versions are now obsolete and suffered from speed and pitch issues. As far as the gig is concerned, some members of the audience shout "you are crazy" before 'New York'! Before 'EMI' Johnny says "this is about EMI - shut up and listen - this is about EMI, those fuckers who sacked us". A bottle is then thrown causing the band to halt the song. "No one throws a bottle at me", snarls John. A guy screams "anarcheee" throughout. All in all, it's an exiting and well played gig. DRAWBACKS There's a cut at the start of 'Anarchy In The UK' so the first guitar part is missing. The bass is a bit too loud for a few seconds before the break on 'I Wanna Be Me' which briefly distorts the sound. There are some sound modulations during 'EMI', at the end of 'Pretty Vacant', and at the start of 'God Save The Queen'. The tape is also damaged during the 'God Save The Queen' guitar solo. Again, Johnny seems to have some problems with his microphone (like in Helsingborg). Warning - there are copies claiming to be upgrades that are the old versions of the gig. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI EMI (2nd attempt) No Fun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant God Save The Queen

July 21, 1977- Studenter Samfundet, Trondheim, Norway Updated August 2024 Trt - 29:55 Number of Songs - 10 Format - CD, 2 tracks on vinyl LP only Sound Quality - average soundboard recording Rating - 8 Physical Releases 'Live In Trondheim July 21, 1977' bonus CD with official 'Kiss This' boxset / 'Never Mind The Bollocks Super Deluxe' boxset 'Looking For A Kiss In Kristinehamn' bootleg vinyl LP (two songs, 'God Save The Queen' complete version, 'Pretty Vacant') 'Live In Trondheim 21st July 1977' bootleg vinyl LP In 2024 the complete gig was released on the following 3 bootlegs: 'Troublemaking In Trond(h)eim' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP 'Looking For Trouble In Trondheim' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP 'Making Trouble In Trondheim' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP REVIEW A soundboard recording. The gig is good but soundboard gigs with Sid will only sound so good. You can hear what the band members say to each other and you can clearly hear John's vocals. The version of 'Problems' is very good. DRAWBACKS All releases of the gig contain an edit during 'No Feelings'. Otherwise, no real drawbacks since February 2024 when the final two songs from the set appeared complete and in soundboard quality on 'Looking For A Kiss In Kristinehamn' double vinyl bootleg. A vinyl bootleg of the 'complete' gig subsequently appeared July 2024 under 3 different titles. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI No Fun No Feelings Problems God Save The Queen Pretty Vacant

July 23 1977 - Barbarella's, Vaxjo, Sweden. Trt - 37:58 Number of Songs - 10 Format - mp3, wav., CDR, internet (YouTube), vinyl LP, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - very good audience recording Rating - 7.5 Physical Releases 'Dance To The Sex Pistols' bootleg vinyl LP 'Never Mind The Rumours, This Recording Exists!' lathe cut bootleg 2 x 10" REVIEW As with all the concerts on the Scandinavian Tour, the set is short and the band plays really well. At the start, John says "turn the lights up, right I wanna see you all dance, not pose". After messing about for 30 seconds or so they launch into 'Anarchy In The UK'. Before 'No Fun', John asks if anyone remembers the song. When the audience asks for 'God Save The Queen' Johnny replies, "bollocks, you'll have to wait". He introduces 'God Save The Queen' as the last number, but the band returns for 'Pretty Vacant'. DRAWBACKS There is a small sound modulation on 'Anarchy In The UK', and the tape is a bit damaged at the end of 'Seventeen'. SET LIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI No Fun Problems No Feelings God Save The Queen Pretty Vacant

July 28, 1977- Happy House, Student Karen, Stockholm, Sweden Trt – 42:07 Number of Songs - 11 Format - CD, DVD, vinyl LP Sound Quality – very good soundboard recording Rating - 9 Physical Releases 'Never Mind The Bollocks Super Deluxe' boxset 'Never Mind the Bollocks 35th Anniversary Edition' 2 x vinyl LP 'Anarchy In The UK Live' unofficial vinyl LP/CD 'Sweden Heaven And Hell' unofficial vinyl LP 'Bad Boys' bootleg vinyl LP 'Bad Boys In Sweden' bootleg vinyl LP 'Scandinavian Tour 77' bootleg vinyl LP 'Stockholm 1977' bootleg vinyl LP Video 'Never Mind The Bollocks Super Deluxe' boxset DVD ('Anarchy In The UK', 'I Wanna Be Me', 'Seventeen', 'New York', 'Problems' and 'No Fun') REVIEW The official version in the 'NMTB Super Deluxe' boxset appears to be directly from the master and the sound quality is better than the previous copies in circulation ('Bad Boys', 'Anarchy In The UK Live', 'Stockholm 1977' etc.) which also omit 'No Feelings' and 'No Fun'. Both songs are complete and there are more chats and comments in-between songs. The gig kicks off with Johnny's opening "this I like". The performance is strong for the most part. The six songs captured on film and featured in the boxset are spectacular. DRAWBACKS No major drawback for this recording apart from the fact the vocals are sometimes a bit too loud, nearly saturated, like all the other versions of the gig. All in all, it's a great recording of the complete show. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Submission No Feelings Problems God Save The Queen Pretty Vacant No Fun

August 24, 1977 - Outlook Club, Doncaster Trt - 42:50 Number of Songs - 11 songs Format - cassette, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - below average bass heavy audience recording Rating - 7 Physical Release 'The Tax Exiles Terror Incognito' lathe cut bootleg LP REVIEW Affectionately known as the 'Sid gig' since you can hear Sid very loud on this tape, louder than the vocals, louder than everything. That should give you an indication as to whether you would want to listen to it on a regular basis. Sid is still trying at this point for the most part, and even spends some good quality time after 'Seventeen' tuning up. Historically it is very important since it is really the only full audio recording from the SPOTS tour. This gig they were billed under the name the Tax Exiles. After the first song you can hear someone from the club yelling "keep back". The band was really getting popular at this point. These dates were the first UK gigs in four months so the enthusiasm was growing with a whole new crop of fans. The mix notwithstanding the band play well enough. This also begins the permanency of the song 'Holidays In The Sun' appearing in all future performances. DRAWBACKS The overall sound quality - even if you are a big Sid fan - is bass heavy which makes a few of the songs sound horrible, check out 'EMI'. Tape wise it seems to be pretty unaltered, however there are some incomplete versions out there. There is a break after 'Problems', the sound quality changes and the volume drops a bit, possibly due to a tape flip. There is also some slight modulation at times, most notably on 'No Feelings'. SETLIST Anarchy In The UK I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant God Save The Queen No Fun

September 1, 1977 - Winter Gardens, Penzance, Cornwall Trt - N/A Number of Songs - 3 songs Format - DVD / vinyl single Sound Quality - solid, from film recording Rating - 9 Physical Releases 'Never Mind The Bollocks Super Deluxe' boxset DVD 'Problems' / 'Anarchy In The UK' bootleg vinyl 7" REVIEW The DVD included in the 2012 NMTB boxset featured three songs recorded at the Winter Gardens, Penzance, during the SPOTS tour. These had never been seen before. It's hard to fault the performance of the Pistols, it is epic stuff. The crowd are all behaving like 'punks', pulling faces and making rude gestures! DRAWBACKS A pity nothing else from the gig exists. SETLIST Problems No Fun Anarchy In The UK

December 9, 1977 - De Effenaar, Eindhoven, Holland Trt - 50:52 Number of Songs - 13 songs Format - download, CDR, vinyl LP, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - boomy with low vocals Rating - 7 Physical Releases 'Holland Was A Gas' bootleg vinyl LP 'De Effenaar, Eindhoven, Netherlands, December 9th 1977' lathe cut bootleg 2 x 10" REVIEW Surfaced early 2017. This is a very loud performance. The venue sound is not great (perhaps the taper's equipment?). The music is boomy and the vocals are low, quite indiscernible in a lot of places. There's a few comments from Sid between some songs and not much from John. This recording has the earliest known live recording of 'Belsen Was A Gas'. DRAWBACKS There's a slight cut at the beginning of 'Belsen Was A Gas', this could be from a tape flip. Lydon's vocals can be hard to hear due to the boom of the music, especially in the first few songs. For a cassette that had been in hiding for 40 years, there can be no complaints. The encore 'No Fun' cuts in a bit at the start, but it doesn't spoil the track. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodie Belsen Was A Gas Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun

December 10, 1977 - Huize Maas, Groningen, Holland Trt - 53:05 Number of Songs - 14 songs Format - cassette, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - below average audience recording Rating - 6.5 Physical Release 'Live 14 Huize Maas, Groningen, Holland, 10.12.77' lathe cut bootleg LP REVIEW John gives a hint at the future before the encore of 'No Fun' when he says "this song is about what it's like being on the road". A decently enough played gig with the exception of 'New York' which is just awful. The final song 'Submission' is somewhat of a different version and Johnny really seems to be spewing some venom at this point. Historical enough since it is one of three recordings from the Dutch tour. DRAWBACK The level is low resulting in added hiss. The opening song 'God Save The Queen' is missing, as is the beginning of 'I Wanna Be Me'. There are also some weird tape edits on 'I Wanna Be Me' which sound like the tape player being turned on and off. There are quite a few other tape edits affecting 'Problems', 'Pretty Vacant', 'No Fun', and 'Liar'. There are some slight sound fluctuations throughout. A frustrating listen. SETLIST God Save The Queen (not on the tape) I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun Liar Submission

December 11, 1977 - Maf Centrum, Maasbree, Holland Trt - 54:24 Number of Songs - 14 songs Format - cassette, tracks 11-14 on CD, vinyl LP, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - average audience recording with good loud vocals Rating - Tracks 1-10 - 7. Tracks 11-14 - 8 (Dutch FM radio broadcast) Physical Releases 'Rough Ready Chaotic Live' bootleg CD ('Pretty Vacant', 'Anarchy In The UK', 'No Fun', and 'Liar') 'Kill The Hippies' bootleg CD ('Anarchy In The UK', 'No Fun', and 'Liar') 'Anarchy In The EU' bootleg vinyl LP ('Anarchy In The UK', 'No Fun', and 'Liar') 'Maasbree 1977-12-11' lathe cut bootleg LP (full show) Video Dutch TV ('EMI', 'Pretty Vacant', and 'Anarchy In The UK') REVIEW Arguably the best Dutch recording. The mix is good for an audience tape as you can hear Johnny's vocals clearly, so much so that you can hear the sound man fucking around with the delay from time to time. Sid has begun shouting things into the mic at this point. Johnny yells at the audience a lot about being boring and not dancing enough. There are soundboard versions of four songs from a 1977 radio broadcast ('Pretty Vacant', 'Anarchy In The UK', 'No Fun', and 'Liar'). A repeat broadcast in 1980 omitted 'Pretty Vacant'. 'Rough Ready Chaotic Live' CD is the only release to include all four. There is also video available of three songs from a TV broadcast. DRAWBACKS A decent audience recording but still at a low level that creates some hiss. There are slight clips in the songs, one in the middle of 'EMI', and further clips both during and at the end of 'Holidays In The Sun'. The prominence of the vocals at times does cause them to distort slightly. There is some horrible feedback after 'No Feelings'. Some tapes have added in the radio versions for the last four songs. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun Liar

December 16, 1977 - Brunel University, Uxbridge Trt - 62:10 Number of Songs - 16 songs Format - cassette, 2 tracks on vinyl LP, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - clear but slightly boomy audience recording Rating - 7.5 Physical Releases 'God Save The Sex Pistols' unofficial vinyl LP ('I Wanna Be Me', 'Seventeen') 'Live Brunel University 16.12.77' lathe cut bootleg 2 x LP REVIEW This tape has a very boomy sound to it, which is probably caused by the fact that the band was playing in a very large hall with a PA that was too small, as the tape is quite clear sounding. There are two versions around that may be from two different sources. There is a quite bad sounding one with lots of hiss that has a complete version of 'Anarchy In The UK' but an incomplete 'EMI'. The better recording, reviewed here, has the full 'EMI' but cuts off the final 20 seconds of 'Anarchy In The UK'. Overall it is a good, and long, gig. Johnny starts by yelling about it being the most disorganised gig ever, "I'll get the cunt responsible". DRAWBACKS 'Anarchy In The UK' is clipped at the end. There is also a small ½ second blank spot in the middle of 'Submission', but the only other issue is the boomy sound. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Holidays In The Sun Submission No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK (cut) No Fun Liar God Save The Queen

December 17, 1977 Mr. George’s, Coventry Trt - 33:39 Number of Songs - 8 songs Format - cassette, vinyl LP Sound Quality - average audience recording with intermittent phasing Rating - low 7 Physical Release 'Never Mind The Bands' bootleg vinyl LP REVIEW This gig was clearly oversold as you hear Johnny and someone from the club yelling "please move back". They stop after 'Bodies' to deal with the crowd problem. This unites the crowd in an "off the stage" chant. Dennis Morris' photographs indicate the chaos at the gig. There is plenty of down time so we get to enjoy a couple of the Sid bass solos in-between songs. Johnny talks to the audience quite a bit and even slags off the previous night's audience at Brunel University. A decent gig but spoilt by the amount of phasing that occurs. DRAWBACKS Missing the opening two songs 'God Save The Queen' and 'I Wanna Be Me'. Also, most versions of this gig suffer from lots of weird phasing. One version has managed to eliminate most of the interference, although it still pops up from time to time, most notably on 'Belsen Was A Gas' and 'Holidays In The Sun'. The ending of 'Anarchy In The UK' is cut and there is a small clip during 'New York'. SETLIST Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Holidays In The Sun Anarchy In The UK (cut) Pretty Vacant

December 19, 1977 - Nikkers Club, Keighley Trt - 49:15 Number of Songs - 13 songs Format - cassette, CD, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - below average audience recording with excessive hiss Rating - 6.5 Physical Releases Included in 'Pretty Blank' bootleg CD boxset 'Keighley Nikkers Club 19th December 1977' lathe cut bootleg LP REVIEW This appears to be a complete gig however the recording is poor so you won't listen to it often. The band plays an average set with a few songs sounding sloppy such as the ending to 'Holidays In The Sun' and the intro to 'No Feelings', and they lose their way during 'No Fun'. Johnny and Sid speak from time to time but it's difficult to decipher. The crowd are very enthusiastic, singing along with 'Anarchy In The UK' and starting a roaring "we want more" chant thereafter. DRAWBACKS There are low levels on the various versions. Sadly, the one with the lowest levels and therefore most hiss is also the clearest. There are a few small edits/dropout blank spots throughout, most notably right after 'Holidays In The Sun' and after 'Pretty Vacant'. Some cassette versions put 'No Fun' on the second side of the tape causing an edit. The beginning of 'Belsen Was A Gas' is muffled. Thankfully nothing appears altered. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun

December 23, 1977 - The Village Club, Newport, Shropshire Trt – 62:25 Number of Songs - 15 songs Format - CDR, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - nice and clear audience recording Rating - 8 Physical Releases 'Stowaway Club, Newport, UK' lathe cut bootleg 2 x 10" (note - gig not at Stowaway Club) 'The Village, High Street, Newport, Shropshire 23rd Dec 1977' lathe cut bootleg 2 x LP REVIEW The gig was first available in the 1980s on the unofficial LP 'Where Were You In 77?'. However an upgraded recording subsequently came to light with much better sound and at the correct speed. It is also the complete gig. It starts as the band arrive on stage while the club DJ is playing Status Quo. Steve plays along before starting 'God Save The Queen'. The rest of the set is exactly the same as the LP, no cuts or differences. DRAWBACKS None, especially when you have listened to 'Where Were You In 77?' for years, everything sounds so clear in comparison. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun Submission Liar Review of version used on 'Where Were You in 77?' vinyl LP/CD. Trt - 58:05 Number of Songs - 15 songs Format - vinyl LP, CD Sound Quality - average but slightly distorted audience recording Rating - 7 Physical Release 'Where Were You In 77?' unofficial vinyl LP/CD. REVIEW Originally appeared in the 80's on the LP 'Where Were You In 77?' with the complete gig still intact, a rare occurrence for a Pistols bootleg. Unfortunately the song listing on the back of the LP sleeve was incorrect. Johnny seems to be definitely losing his enthusiasm at this point. The band plays through their full Sid era repertoire including 'Liar' which appears to be a once a week inclusion. Johnny seems to be putting everything he has into 'No Fun' each night, which should have given a clue as to what was to come. A good, but not very memorable, gig. DRAWBACKS The CD release was copied straight from the LP complete with vinyl pops. There are some fade-outs after 'No Feelings' (end of side one of the LP), and then again three songs later after 'Anarchy In The UK' which is the end of the regular set. Also, the first song, 'God Save the Queen', fades up, missing any sort of intro. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun Submission Liar

December 24, 1977 - Links Pavilion, Cromer Trt - 57:42 Number of Songs - 14 songs Format - cassette, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - below average audience recording Rating - 6 (V1) / 6.6 (V2) Physical Releases 'Links Pavilion, Cromer, UK' lathe cut bootleg 4 x 7" 'Will Play Cromer Links Pavilion' lathe cut bootleg 2 x 10" REVIEW Another one of the somewhat average gigs played in December with the band just going through the motions. Listen to one from September 1976 and the notice the difference. In 1976 the band was really exciting and in contrast at most of the December 1977 gigs only the crowd seems excited. They sound frighteningly like regular rock concerts although they're still a great band. Johnny talks a lot throughout the gig but the quality of the tape makes most of it hard to understand. DRAWBACKS There are two versions of this gig and neither is totally complete. The better sounding of the two is missing the last song 'No Fun'. The overall quality of the shorter but better version is slightly muffled and distorted with taper/trader interference. There is a small clip in the middle of 'God Save The Queen', and an abrupt break at the end of 'Belsen Was A Gas'. There are also edits before and after 'Pretty Vacant' cutting off the beginning of the song. The longer version has 'God Save The Queen' clipped at the beginning and the abrupt ending to 'Belsen Was A Gas' but 'Pretty Vacant' is complete. It is a shame that this longer version is so harsh sounding, definitely not something you would listen to more than once. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Submission Belsen Was A Gas Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun

December 25, 1977 - Ivanhoe’s, Huddersfield Trt - 74:25 Number of Songs - 17 songs Format - cassette, CD, vinyl LP, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - good audience recording Rating - 7 Physical Releases 'Fuckin' Xmas 1977' bootleg vinyl LP 'Live At Ivanhoes' bootleg vinyl LP 'The Queen's Speech' bootleg CD 'Decent Exposure' lathe cut bootleg LP 'Live Ivanhoes Huddersfield 25.12.77' lathe cut bootleg LP 'God Save The Sex Pistols' unofficial vinyl LP ('God Save The Queen', 'Submission') 'God Save The Sex Pistols' LP included in 'Pretty Blank' bootleg CD boxset 'Another Sex Pistols Christmas Record' bootleg 7" ('God Save The Queen', 'No Fun') 'God Save Us One And All' lathe cut bootleg 7" ('Submission', 'Belsen Was A Gas', 'God Save The Queen') Video 'Never Mind The Baubles: Christmas '77 with The Sex Pistols' a 60 minute 2013 BBC TV documentary about the gig, featured footage shot by Julien Temple as well as interviews with Lydon, Cook and Jones. It focused on the Christmas Day party held by the Pistols for the children of striking firemen as well as the band's live performance. 'The Filth & the Fury!' film also includes footage. REVIEW The band played two shows, a matinee for the kids and an evening show. This is the evening show, the final UK gig for 18 ½ years. Johnny starts off by telling the crowd they should be drunk, just like the band. The set is long and they play 'God Save The Queen' and 'Belsen Was A Gas' twice. For the most part everything is played well and the band are in great drunken spirits, which adds to the relaxed feel of the performance. There's no hints of any tension within the group. The 1979 Virgin LP 'Sid Sings' opens with 'Born To Lose'. This was performed at the matinee by Sid Vicious, Paul Cook and Steve Jones. The bass is not great (!) and Steve can be heard singing backups. Sid sang two songs at the matinee, the other being 'Chinese Rocks'. DRAWBACKS There is an edit in the middle of 'Problems' where a clip from a different version is inserted, perhaps to fill a break in the recording. Also, there is a break after 'Anarchy In The UK' when the band left the stage and a small blank spot at the beginning of 'No Fun'. At times the sound gets a bit muffled, most noticeably on the opening 'God Save The Queen' and then from 'Pretty Vacant' until the end. The last two songs on 'The Queen's Speech' CD have been lifted from vinyl releases and there are a couple skips on 'Submission', which can be found, along with 'God Save The Queen' in better quality on the 'God Save The Sex Pistols' unofficial album compilation. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Belsen Was A Gas Bodies Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun Liar Belsen Was A Gas Submission God Save The Queen

1976 1977 1978 1996 2002/2003             SID VICIOUS 1978

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Original author Dino Everett 2002. Subsequent updates by Hervé Labyre 2015 and Steve PiHead 2017.
Reworked and updated 2025 by Phil Singleton.
Additional thanks to Mark Taylor, Tony Fouweather, Andy Marshall.

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