Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant recalls seeing Sex Pistols for the first time

Neil Tennant, co-founder and singer of Pet Shop Boys, shared on social media his memories of watching Sex Pistols perform for the first time. He had the chance to see the band live in 1976, before their debut album was released, at the Nashville Rooms in London, on a bill with The 101ers

Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant recalls seeing Sex Pistols for the first time

“50 years ago today, I went with my friend Eric Watson to see a gig by a new rock group called The Sex Pistols at the Nashville pub in West Kensington. The Pistols were impressive — they reminded me a little of the Ramones whose first album I had heard — but then a member of the audience was beaten up by one of the group’s friends in a horrifying incident.”

“Eric and I left the gig stunned and I wrote a letter to the NME magazine about it. To my surprise, the NME printed my letter as a little news piece with a photo by Joe Stevens. Later in 1976, the Pistols achieved notoriety in a controversial TV interview. A series of brilliant and subversive singles and an album followed which resonate to this day,” Neil Tennant said.

Read what Neil said about the show back in 1976 on his letter to NME

“GOSH, BLIMEY, what’s going on ‘ere? Relax, it’s just a friendly Friday night down at the local – The Nashville, Kensington to be precise – and then there’s the Sex Pistols getting frisky with their audience. Seems this particular fracas broke out in the front row when two young ladies had a disagreement over just which of them was occupying a seat. Reader Neil Tennant of London SW1 was there and writes:

“As you know, the Pistols are composed of three nice, clean, middle-class students, and a real live dementoid, Johnny Rotten.Now on Friday night El Dementoid wasn’t really on top form, although the rest of the band were doing their best to compensate. Johnny’s heart wasn’t in the music. His lack of interest as naturally reflected by the audience who, disappointed, weren’t reacting sufficiently to the band.”

“So how do the Pistols create their atmosphere when their music has failed? By beating up a member of the audience. How else? One of their coterie of fag hags picks a fight with the girl sitting next to her. The girl isn’t interested but the fag hag succeds in getting a reaction from her boyfriend. He ain’t really an aggressive type, but Ms. Hag perseveres… and seven or eight of the band’s chums leap over to the scene of the crime from all over the Nashville and procced to beat the shit out this bloke. Fists aren’t the only weapons.

Johnny Rotten comes alive. While the reaction of the rest of the band is a little confused, Mr Rotten joins in the fight and has a few kicks at the victim. He cackles, he leers, the amps are turned up. He’s pleased. The Pistols finish another unforgettable act,” he said.