Sex Pistols Experience put on a night to remember

THE SEX PISTOLS EXPERIENCE + THE LIMEYS – THE CON CLUB, LEWES 1.12.18

The Sex Pistols Experience pulled into Lewes tonight and put on a truly memorable show. They are the World’s No.1 professional tribute to the most outrageous and controversial band of all time – F.A.C.T!

The original bunch were taunting Britain from 1975 to 1978 and during that time they burned oh so bright. They caused controversy wherever they went courtesy of their ringleader McLaren and for a very short while had the country gripped in terror! Alternatively, they were just these four young lads travelling around the country trying to play at venues to spread their gospel of questioning ‘the system’ and being harassed wherever they went – you decide!

Clearly back then our beloved land was in need of a re-think and the youngsters were offering up their say via the punk movement. In all honesty it only really truly lasted in proper form for 18 months and yet here we are more than 40 years later and there is still a very great demand for all things punk. Whether it be from the new youth or those heading towards retirement age who are desperate to recapture to good old days when they were 17.

Demand is still high for punk and with bright new bands like IDLES pushing through the ranks. There is the constant demand for all such things, whether it be the clothing or the vinyl. This is why ‘The Experience’ exist today and why in all essence a covers band can bring in fans by the coachload.

From their early beginnings, The Sex Pistols Experience performed in pubs and clubs around England and soon they went on to make a worldwide reputation for themselves by fine tuning their 1,000+ performances of Sex Pistols classics. Having done extensive tours of the U.S.A (almost 100 U.S.A shows), toured throughout Europe, and Brazil South America, taking in cities from New York to Los Angeles, El Paso to Seattle, São Paulo, Rio De Janeiro, & Maringa, Berlin, Barcelona to Bradford and everywhere in-between, the guys sure are masters of their craft.

In fact they are so convincing that the BBC, Sky TV, Channel 4, Fox TV (in the U.S.) and the movie ‘Who Killed Nancy?’ have all hired this band for re-enactments in film and T.V documentaries as the Sex Pistols/Sid and Nancy.

To go one even further, ‘The Experience’ are the only band to of had the thumbs-up of approval from the original Sex Pistols. Whilst on tour in America they were invited as ‘special guests’ on Jonesy’s Jukebox’ – the acclaimed radio show of Pistols guitarist Steve Jones. Spending the afternoon being interviewed and playing a few Pistols favourites live on air together to millions of listeners throughout Los Angeles and across the worldwide web!

They appeared with origin Pistol, Glen Matlock at the World’s only Pistols Convention Day in Liverpool at the Cavern Club in 2006.

Then Granddaddy of Punk, and infamous leader ‘Johnny (Rotten) Lydon’ himself gave the seal of approval in 2008 at the Sex Pistols Hammersmith after show party in London when front men ‘Johnny Rotter’ and ‘Johnny Rotten’ finally came face to face, with mutual respect shown all around…“Well good luck with it” – Lydon said as they parted.

As we lucky punters in Lewes tonight discovered, that the lads have totally perfected the look and sound of The Sex Pistols down to every last detail as they sweat out every ounce of energy to make sure each concert is as dynamic, explosive, and exciting as the real deal. They have captured perfectly all the spirit and energy of ‘The Pistols’ at their blistering peak 1977 period.

I just had to get to the front tonight to rekindle those body curdling Rotten stares and posturing and Sid snarls and yes my friends we had them in abundance. Clearly Johnny Rotter, Kid Vicious, Steve Clones and Paul Crook have put in many, many hours of studying historic footage of the originals as well as thousands of hours of practice to sound exactly like the real deal!

It was just like those heady days of punk again last night in the capital of East Sussex, except for the lack of gobbing and smashing things up! We did sadly have the violence, which culminated in a couple of brief knockouts and the female organiser getting belted around the jaw by a bloke twice her body-weight. However I have to report that those involved in this misguided revelry were certainly not the usual punk suspects, who for one reason or other had strangely stayed away. Yes I am aware that some were in Brighton at Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons and some were at a punk gig in Bexhill, but where were the rest of them? Recovering from the 999 gig in Brighton on Thursday night? Who knows?

In fact I would go so far to report that it honestly felt that based on the crowd, that I was actually in a totally different part of the country, as there was hardly anyone that I recognised, and yet the venue was packed!

Meanwhile down the front, I was lapping up the bands faithful take of 26 Sex Pistols classics, which should have been 27, but a bloke was out cold in the mosh pit at the front and so the lads couldn’t really perform their planned ‘No Fun’ complete with “Ha ha ha ha ever got the feelin’ you’ve been cheated?”. So indeed we were cheated!

What we did get was all of the filth and the fury of the ‘Never Mind The Bo**ocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols’ album, the best tracks from ‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’, the b-sides and a track from ‘Sid Sings’. I mean what more would you want?

For me personally, only if the lads were cheeky and able to add it, but there is a case for also performing the track ‘Public Image’ as Lydon wrote it when he was still in the Sex Pistols, although it became a Top 10 hit for PIL nine months after ‘The Pistols’ imploded!

Here’s tonight’s 26 track setlist with details of where the original versions can be found:

‘I Wanna Be Me’ (‘b-side of ‘Anarchy In The U.K.’ single & ‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘Seventeen’ AKA ‘Lazy Sod’ (‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘Substitute’ (‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘New York’ (‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘No Feeling’ (b-side of A&M ‘God Save The Queen’ single & ‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘Did You No Wrong’ (b-side of Virgin ‘God Save The Queen’ single)
‘Pretty Vacant’ (a-side of ‘Pretty Vacant’ single & ‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’ (‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘Don’t Give Me No Lip, Child’ AKA ‘No Lip’ (‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘Satellite’ (b-side of ‘Holidays In The Sun’ single)
‘Whatcha Gonna Do About It’ (‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘Submission’ (‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘Liar’ (‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘E.M.I.’ (‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘Belsen Was A G**’ (‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘Bodies’ (‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘Problems’ (‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘Something Else’ (a-side of ‘Something Else’ single & ‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘C’Mon Everybody’ (a-side of ‘C’Mon Everybody’ single & ‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘Silly Thing’ (‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ (‘Sid Sings’ album)
‘Lonely Boy’ (‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘My Way’ (b-side of ‘No One Is Innocent’ single & ‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’ album)
‘God Save The Queen’ (a-side of ‘God Save The Queen’ single & ‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘Anarchy In The U.K.’ (a-side of ‘Anarchy In The U.K.’ single & ‘Never Mind…’ album)
‘Holidays In The Sun’ (a-side of ‘Holidays In The Sun’ single & ‘Never Mind…’ album)

Find out more: Sex Pistols Experience.

Support tonight came from The Limeys, who are Paul (guitar/vocals), Mike (bass/backing vocals) and Rob (drums) and they specialise in playing 1970’s punk / rock’n’roll songs, in the style they were meant to be. Loud, loose & rockin’. They are proudly belting out covers of Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Ramones, Johnny Thunders, The Stooges and Hawkwind.

More info on the band HERE.