Customer Reviews

There'll Always Be an England

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The Sex Pistols are in fine form in this, their first official concert DVD, recorded last year at Brixton Academy. They are obviously enjoying themselves, but the shots of the crowd are specially fun as you'll see everyone from young teens to older folks getting into the spirit (they seem to know the lyrics to all of the Pistol's songs as well as they do!) Yeah, I know - they're cashing in on their legendary status as punk icons, but hey - why shouldn't they? Better late than never - the first time around Malcolm Maclaren screwed them out of what little money came their way - now it's their turn. Long Live the Sex Pistols!

Almost 30 years to the day of the release of the band's only studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, the original four members played five raucous - and sold out - nights at London's Brixton Academy.

Director Julien Temple - who worked with the group back in the 1970s (The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle) - takes the highlights from a pair of the shows for a 77-minute adventure in the power-chords of Steve Jones, solid bass work of Glen Matlock, drum-work of Paul Cook and the iconic John Lydon patrolling the stage like a crazed anti-hero. This is not a group just going through the motions, but an incredibly powerful look back, while demonstrating punk rock's relevancy during the swirling morass of a new century. The bonus feature is a hilarious tour of the band's old London haunts, with particularly pointed commentary by Lydon and Jones, with the latter oftentimes looking like a disheveled Elvis Costello.

This is a nice collection that perhaps is a testament to each band member's seriousness to carry on in the music industry after the mind games played by Malcolm McLaren that caused the implosion after the ill-fated U.S. tour in 1978.

SEX PISTOLS
There'll Always Be an England
Live From Brixton Academy
© Marc Wickert January 12, 2010
[...]

In 1975 The Sex Pistols officially formed, with their original lineup being Steve Jones (guitar), Paul Cook (drums), Glen Matlock (bass), and the newly recruited John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten (vocals).

Then in 1977, Sid Vicious replaced Glen Matlock prior to the release of the band's classic album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, which ripped through the UK and the rest of the planet like a dose of the salts.

The group's controversial image guaranteed them instant success, with this original punk band snubbing its studded nose at anything conventional: the government, fashion, society in general, and the more established bands that the Pistols regarded as being stagnant and boring.

But the Sex Pistols' controversial reputation also overshadowed the band's musical ability, which fired on all eight cylinders - particularly the original lineup.

In November, 2007, Lydon, Matlock, Cook and Jones re-formed to play one gig at the Brixton Academy in London, which due to public demand became five sold-out nights, with the resulting DVD being one of the greatest live rock DVDs of all time.

Unlike some of the groups that the Sex Pistols despised in the seventies and that have since re-formed to cash in on the booty of performing world tours, the Pistols kicked butt for the entire performance and showed they were THE band to use as a yardstick.

Paul Cook has to be one of the world's hardest working drummers, Glen Matlock lays down a solid bass that enables Steve Jones to soar with his raw but unpretentious guitar, and the enigmatic John Lydon still scowls at the Establishment, but would give a pint of his punk blood to any of the band's loyal fans in attendance.

There are no laser lights or huge inflatable dummies, no ostentatious speeches about saving the planet by musicians pretending to be philosophers. This is hard-driving, unadulterated rock at its finest, at a time when music needs a good rock enema more than ever.

Tracks include:
There'll always Be an England (intro)
Pretty Vacant
Seventeen
No Feeling
New York
Did You No Wrong
Liar
Beside the Seaside
Holidays in the Sun
Submission
(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone
No Fun
Problems
God Save the Queen
EMI
Bodies
Anarchy in the UK
Road Runner

The DVD also includes The Knowledge - the Sex Pistols guide to London and John Lydon's open-top bus ride through London.

Forget for a minute that the Sex Pistols play an amusing and fulfilling set in this one. This film is greater than that. The editing, photography and sound are an incredible achievement. It's a shame this isn't even listed in imdb's database because it holds its own as one of the crown jewels of rock 'n' roll film.

MY ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT ARE THE SCHIZOPHRENIC SHORT ATTENTION SPAN CAMERA WORK AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE SHOTS OF THE BAND AND LESS OF THE AUDIENCE. WHEN A PISTOLS FAN GOES TO A PISTOLS SHOW THEY WANNA SEE THE BAND...NOT THE CROWD. OTHER THAN THAT THIS DVD IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE STUDYING SEXPISTOLOGY.

...as good as it is, it's what almost functions as the "bonus" material here. The real meat of this disc is the interviews with the band. Four immensely likable, smart and amusing guys take you all around London, sharing their (not insignificant) history and, in Johnny's case, an impassioned (and, beneath his mildly intoxicated blustery state, spot-on) rant about the modern world. Fascinating and hugely entertaining.

John Lydon is now Johhny Ripe! He is not the cocky young angry Johnny Rotten anymore, he is now older and less angry and vocal. But he is still cocky and entertaining. The live performance was pretty good, especially for a 50+ year old man. The interviews he did when he was younger (you can find them online-sex pistols/PIL)were more entertaining to me.
If you like the Sex Pistols and can afford the $20, it is worth it to watch the interviews or to have the concert playing in the background while tipping back a few suds with others.

The Pistols blow through their catalog with all the piss & vinegar of their youth.

This is a DVD of a concert the Pistold held in Finsbury Park, London, in 2007-the thirtieth anniversary of "God Save the Queen". Though Johnny Rotten proclaims himself to "fat and fifty", he still is one of the most fascinating front men ever to lead a great rock and roll band. If you like the Pistols or "Punk Rock" in general, then you will like this DVD.

I wasn't really a fan in the day ...but they certainly had a big role in rock history and this concert is artfully filmed and presented. They play better than they did in their prime and certainly are NOT going through the motions..so its pretty cool if short (about 77 minutes for the concert). the bonus movies show the lads giving a tour of London which is a good value to add to such a short concert..and makes this a very good value at under 20 bucks. I could see myself watching this concert many times and the barely over an hour length lends itself to not having to make a night of it ...so sometimes Less is MORE...
I would imagine if you are a huge fan this would be a terrific addition to your collection!