Bondage for the masses, filth, fury, situationist codswallop and testimony from witnesses and victims, villians and a hero or two. It's all 'ere, my son, step inside and let yer old uncle Jon tell yer abaht the times 'e 'ad in the year of 'er majesty's jubilee.
This is the real thing - don't kid yourself, you weren't there and neither was I but this is as close as we can hope to come. 430 Kings Road might have well been on Pluto, but you and I are living in a world very much influenced by Malcolm McLaren's little shop of perverts, thieves and dandies.
At no place or time since has music, style or attitude mattered as much as it did in London in 1976. Why not is apparent on reading this book's description of the society in which the likes of Rotten, Jones and McLaren created the Sex Pistols.
As an examination of the background to the movement, this is exhaustive. As a record of events it is almost perfect. Unfortunately it is also all we are likely to have regarding the real history and motives of the players. Rotten has told his tale, Matlock even chipped in a few pages, Jones and Cook have kept mum and McLaren .... even if he did write a book would we believe it? The truth is probably somewhere between the stories of all five of them and for now, Savage must be the authoritative source.
And Sid's there too.
