LIVE RECORDINGS

Live Recordings Information Resource by Dino Everett 2002. Updated by Hervé Labyre and Phil Singleton
The guide was originally compiled during the era of cassette trading. Online digital sharing and YouTube have made many of these recordings easier to access

Part Three: 1978

Jan 5, 1978 - Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA Trt - 49:05 (52:05) Number of Songs - 12 Format - CD, vinyl LP Sound Quality - average to above average soundboard (decent audience) Rating - 8 (7.5) Physical Releases 'Live In The USA: South East Music Hall, Atlanta, January 5th 1978' official vinyl LP / CD 'Whiskey Flat' bootleg vinyl LP 'First U.S. Show' bootleg vinyl LP 'Shock USA' bootleg vinyl LP 'Pistols Shock USA!' bootleg vinyl LP 'Rot-N-Roll' bootleg vinyl LP 'My Name Is John' bootleg vinyl LP / CD 'Kill The Hippies' bootleg CD 'My Name Is John' included in 'Indecent Exposure' bootleg CD boxset Video 'Anarchy In The UK' and clips of 'Bodies' in 'DOA' film (dubbed with audio from San Francisco gig) Clips of 'New York' in 'Rather Dead than Normal' documentary Local Atlanta news: clips of 'Anarchy In The UK' and 'Pretty Vacant' 1978 NBC news: clips of 'Seventeen' MSNBC: repeated NBC news segment with slightly different 'Seventeen' footage and a brief 'God Save The Queen' clip. REVIEW The beginning of the end for the band... The tour itself was plagued by problems and this gig is no different: it even affects the playing. Note the 'accident' at the start of 'Seventeen'. The gig is very loose from start to finish but a different loose than some of the earlier Pistols gigs. This is downright sloppy. When Steve is playing all right, Sid is fucking up, and vice versa, or they are both fucking up together, etc. It's an historical gig but there are others from the US tour that are more enjoyable to listen to. Johnny, however, does not seem to have reached the end of his rope yet and is quite entertaining and antagonistic towards the crowd in spite of the mayhem that is being played around him. Before 'Bodies' he smugly sings "deep in the heart of Texas". The recording is easy to identify as John starts with "my name John and this is the Sex Pistols" which can also be seen in the film 'DOA'. There is also a longer cassette only audience version that begins earlier with Johnny saying, "where's my beer, now, we came to dance, what have you come for?". John and Steve say a few more things then finally John says "well my name John". It contains the full show and when it finishes an announcer says "we want to thank you for coming down to the Sex Pistols first US gig". Overall it is a great sounding audience tape as you get to hear some of the madness going on in the audience. The source of the official 2025 Universal Records 'Live In The USA' LP/CD is the 'My Name Is John' CD with 'Anarchy In The UK' added from the audience tape. It's missing the "where's my beer" quote from the start, but it's a solid sounding mastering of the full show and includes the announcer at the end. DRAWBACKS Although many LPs contain the complete gig, 'My Name Is John' is missing 'Anarchy In The UK' which is a pity because the quality of this pressing is excellent. The CD 'Kill The Hippies' is also excellent quality but it clips the full opening comments and the last song from the show (inserting instead 3 tracks from Maasbree 1977). The audience version has some modulation at the start as the taper gets in position, but it is pretty solid from there on. There are a few glitches here and there but nothing bad. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York Bodies Submission Holidays In The Sun EMI No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK

Jan 6, 1978 - Taliesyn Ballroom. Memphis, Tennessee Trt - 48:40 Number of Songs - 13 Format - cassette, lathe cut LP Sound Quality - average to below average audience recording Rating - 7 Physical Releases 'Only Sex Pistols Are Pretty' lathe cut LP 'Taking Civilisation To The Barbarians' lathe cut LP REVIEW The gig starts off well but Johnny seems to be having some trouble hearing as he yells for the monitors to be turned up twice during 'I Wanna Be Me'. There is a lot of venom spewed during this show, from the band and the audience alike, with John slagging off Elvis and Dolly Parton. Sid is constantly yelling at people. DRAWBACKS Overall the quality of the tape sounds generated and a bit hissy unlike some of the other tapes from this tour. There is some volume fluctuation on 'Submission' and a cut after the song. A further cut after 'Holidays In The Sun' clips the end of the song. 'Problems' was reportedly played, if so it likely followed 'Holidays' (not 'No Feelings' as stated in 'Day By Day', as there is no break in the tape). The worst break occurs after 'Pretty Vacant' where there is the intrusion of what sounds like a radio call-in interview that plays for a few seconds. There is also a break while the crowd is waiting for the encore but no music is lost. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Submission Holidays In The Sun Problems (not on the tape) No Feelings Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun

Jan 8, 1978 - Randy's Rodeo, San Antonio, TX Trt - 50:01 Number of Songs - 13 Format - cassette, vinyl LP, CD Sound Quality - average audience recording Rating - 7 Physical Releases 'Randys Rodeo 1978' bootleg vinyl LP 'Randys Rodeo 1978' included in 'Pretty Blank' bootleg CD boxset 'Anarchy In The USA' bootleg vinyl LP incorrectly claims to be this gig. It is actually Atlanta, 5th January, with 'Anarchy' moved to the start of the record (Australian LP). 'Anarchy In The USA' included in 'Pretty Blank' bootleg CD boxset Video Almost the entire 'New York' and majority of 'Bodies' are in 'DOA' along with footage of Sid hitting the guy with his bass. REVIEW The infamous gig where Sid hit someone over the head with his bass. The crowd are extremely hostile and a lot of it can be heard on the recording. It's funny at times; during 'Seventeen', John yells "at least I ain't a fucking cowboy". When the song ends Sid yells "who threw that?", and John reprimands him, "oh shut up!". Then all hell breaks loose between the crowd and the band, both getting more and more wound up, until finally Sid hits the guy with his bass after 'New York'. The taper narrates the incident! "Oh dear, Sid's guitar fell off!" quips John. You can tell the tensions within the band are rising as John says "did you come to see us or that?", referring to Sid. For once it's actually good to have an audience recording since you can hear what the crowd is yelling. "You can throw everything you like" the band shouts back. It's a classic gig. DRAWBACKS There are two versions in circulation. On version one, the crowd and band interaction and dialogue is clearer. There is a fade out after 'Holidays In The Sun' and breaks in the tape after 'Belsen Was A Gas' and 'Pretty Vacant', but no songs are missing. The overall quality of this recording is better than the Memphis recording, but not as good as Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco. Version two starts over a minute earlier as the band come on stage and muck about, and there are no breaks between songs. However, it is the roughest sounding of the two. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Holidays In The Sun Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Submission No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK

Jan 9, 1978 - Kingfish Club, Baton Rouge, LA Trt - 60mins / 56:16 Number of Songs - 15 Format - cassette (60 mins version), CD, vinyl LP Sound Quality - decent audience recording Rating - 7.5 Physical Releases 'Spirit of '76' bootleg CD 'Psychotic Reaction' bootleg vinyl LP Video Brief clips of 'Liar' in 'DOA' REVIEW This is the longest set available from the US tour - 15 songs. Like the San Antonio gig you can hear quite a bit of the crowds' heckling. Sid sounds out of tune when he is bothering to hit notes, but Steve sounds pretty good throughout with the exception of the intro to 'New York', and when his guitar cuts out on 'Holidays In The Sun'. 'Spirit of '76' CD is a nice quality bootleg - it's also the source of the 'Psychotic Reaction' LP. However in subsequent years, a longer complete and uncut version of the same audience recording surfaced lasting 60 minutes. It includes more audience noise and chat including shouts for the Bay City Rollers! Get this version if you can. DRAWBACKS Besides Sid's bad playing there is some slight modulation on 'I Wanna Be Me' and 'Anarchy In The UK', which is probably caused by crowd movement. On 'Spirit of '76'/'Psychotic Reaction' there are slight breaks after 'Pretty Vacant' and 'Anarchy In The UK'. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Bodies Belsen Was A Gas Submission Holidays In The Sun No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun Liar

Jan 10, 1978 - Longhorn Ballroom, Dallas, TX Trt - 59:36 (60:36 with radio advert) Number of Songs - 13 Format - vinyl LP, CD Sound Quality - very good soundboard Rating - 8 Physical Releases 'Live In The USA: Longhorns Ballroom, Dallas, January 10th 1978' official vinyl LP / CD 'Indisposed Decomposed' bootleg vinyl LP 'Welcome To The Rodeo' bootleg vinyl LP 'Welcome To The Rodeo' bootleg CD 'Welcome To The Rodeo' included in 'Indecent Exposure' bootleg CD boxset 'D-Day In Dallas' bootleg vinyl LP Video 'Live At Longhorns' official VHS/DVD (last 9 songs only) REVIEW The source of the official 2025 Universal Records 'Live In The USA' LP/CD is the 'Welcome To The Rodeo' bootleg CD - including the track separation. This is not surprising as the sound quality of 'Welcome To The Rodeo' bootleg CD is better than the much older vinyl bootleg of the same name, released on Ruthless Rhymes. Both the vinyl and CD bootleg recordings start with a radio advert for the gig, which is rare in itself since none of the other adverts for the tour have come to light. The 2025 official release has retained the advert. The video was released officially in 1996 and is an essential document. Unfortunately the first four songs weren't captured on film and the video begins with 'EMI'. The video was released officially in 1996 and is an essential document. Unfortunately the first four songs weren't captured on film and the video begins with 'EMI'. Sid is enjoying himself, he declares, "we're the best band in the fucking world... yeah!", before adding "except for The Eagles, The Eagles are better than us!" They were the best band but they no longer were proving it. Nevertheless they play fairly well and you can hear the band's jibes at the audience crystal clear. Most people remember this gig more from the grisly photos of a bloodied Sid. Johnny admonishes him after 'Seventeen', "If we could have Sid indulge us for a moment we'll get on with the set". Apparently Sid was too preoccupied with Los Angeles punks Helen & Trudie who were the ones responsible for his bloody nose. Overall it's a fun gig and visually not as depressing as watching them at Winterland. The show ends with Sid trying to recreate his San Antonio exploit by hitting someone on the head with his bass again. It is interesting to listen to the 'Welcome To The Rodeo' CD track 'Sid Attacks A Member Of The Audience', although there is tape noise as the signal has been boosted to try and hear what is going on. DRAWBACKS There is some definite fluttering of the sound on the first track. There is a clip after 'Seventeen' but nothing is missing. It is too bad they didn't play 'Submission' as it's the only song from this tour not caught on camera. SETLIST Intro/Radio Ad 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

Jan 11, 1978 - Cains Ballroom, Tulsa OK Trt - ? Number of Songs - ? Format - ? Sound Quality - ? Rating - ? Official/Semi Official Release - none Video - clips from "Liar" and "Bodies"and almost the entire "I Wanna Be Me" exists w/ dubbed over audio in DOA. REVIEW None available. DRAWBACKS This gig may or may not exist so the drawback is that we don't know. I have run across a few people over the years that state they have this gig but it usually turns out to be fake or they mysteriously "have misplaced it". SETLIST Unknown.

Jan 14, 1978 - Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA - SOUNDCHECK Trt – 20:11 Number of Songs - 4 Format – YouTube, CDR, vinyl EP, vinyl LP Sound Quality - soundboard Rating – 9 Physical Releases 'Hello !!! Winterland' bootleg vinyl EP 'Winterland (Soundcheck)' bootleg vinyl EP 'Winterland Concert' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP includes soundcheck on Side Four 'San Francisco Was A Gas' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP includes soundcheck on Side Four REVIEW The complete soundcheck includes Belsen Was A Gas false start, some Ramones and Heartbreakers tunes, and the band jamming. This recording was recorded by Jim Draper who posted it on YouTube in September 2013. It had never surfaced before in any form and is directly taken from the master, so the sound quality is close to perfect. The soundcheck versions are arguably better than the gig itself, they are powerful. Sid handles the bass well. He also asks Boogie to turn him up after 'Belsen', followed by John demanding Sid is turned down during 'Pretty Vacant'! John is also far from happy during 'Problems', "they fucking played it too fast, it's pathetic". Sid and Steve then knock out a snippet of the Ramones to which John responds, "you can do all that without me, I'm going'. Tensions are clearly visible. DRAWBACKS None on the complete version. The vinyl bootlegs, lifted from YouTube, are heavily edited and only include the four complete Pistols songs. SETLIST Jam / tuning up / "Hello, hello..." / Going Steady (Heartbreakers) Belsen Was A Gas (false start) Belsen Was A Gas Pretty Vacant Jam / messing about Problems I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement (Ramones) No Feelings

Jan 14, 1978 - Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA Trt - 55:07 Number of Songs - 14 Format - cassette, CD, vinyl LP Sound Quality - soundboard from radio broadcast Rating - 8 Physical Releases 'Live In The USA: Winterland Ballroom San Francisco, January 14th 1978' official vinyl LP / CD 'Gun Control' bootleg vinyl LP 'Gun Control' included in 'Indecent Exposure' bootleg CD boxset 'Regular S.F. 'ippies and Assorted Longhairs' bootleg vinyl EP ('Bodies', 'Holidays In The Sun', 'Pretty Vacant', 'Anarchy In The UK') 'Live At Winterland' bootleg vinyl LP 'Blank Tapes' bootleg vinyl LP 'Winterland' bootleg vinyl LP 'Welcome To London' bootleg vinyl LP + 7" 'A Fistful Of Dollars' bootleg vinyl LP + 7" 'For A few Dollars More' bootleg vinyl LP + 7" 'Winterland Concert' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP 'San Francisco Was A Gas' bootleg 2 x vinyl LP 'Never Mind Winterland' bootleg CD 'Last Stand' bootleg CD 'Last Concert' bootleg CD Video 'Live In Winterland' official VHS/DVD REVIEW The 'final' show, for a while at least. A review of this historic gig isn't really necessary since if you are reading this you will be familiar with the show and probably have a recording countless times in various guises, including on video. An audience recording also exists and is fun to listen to if only to hear some of the PA problems that have been written about. A bootleg vinyl EP released in 1978, 'Regular S.F. 'ippies and Assorted Longhairs', includes a snippet of pre-gig radio DJ dialogue cleverly intercut with Scott McKenzie's 'San Francisco'. The official 2025 Universal Records 'Live In The USA' LP/CD is on par with the recommended 'Never Mind Winterland' bootleg CD. DRAWBACKS The overall mix on the video/radio broadcast isn't really that great, even though it is nice and clear. You also get the radio announcers talking as the Sex Pistols take to the stage and later when they come out for the encore. Most audio versions have edited out the DJ talking (this is why the encore 'No Fun' fades up). 'Never Mind Winterland' bootleg CD is perhaps the most satisfying listen. Purists should still seek out the audience tape, even though it is missing 'No Fun' and has a few cuts in between songs losing some of Johnny's chat. SETLIST God Save The Queen I Wanna Be Me Seventeen New York EMI Belsen Was A Gas Bodies Holidays In The Sun Liar No Feelings Problems Pretty Vacant Anarchy In The UK No Fun

1976 1977 1978 1996 2002/2003             SID VICIOUS 1978

Return to Index

Original author Dino Everett 2022. Subsequent updates by Hervé Labyre and Phil Singleton. Additional thanks to Mark Taylor, Tony Fouweather, Andy Marshall.
All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission.