Legendary music journalist Legs McNeil provides an insider’s account of a pivotal moment in punk history in his upcoming memoir “Resident Punk.” The publication offers behind-the-scenes details from McNeil’s encounters with influential figures in rock and punk music, including the Sex Pistols during their final performance.
McNeil was present backstage at the Sex Pistols’ January 1978 concert at San Francisco’s Winterland venue, where he witnessed significant tension within the band. The performance itself proved underwhelming, with McNeil characterizing it as remarkably uninspired rock entertainment. Internal strife was evident as band members Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious declined to participate in a photograph together for a major publication.
Just four days following the Winterland show, Rotten announced the band’s dissolution, effectively ending the Sex Pistols’ initial run. The group would continue briefly afterward without its lead vocalist, releasing previously recorded material and featuring various substitute performers. John Lydon, as Rotten later became known, would not reunite with his former bandmates until nearly two decades later in 1996.
“Resident Punk,” which chronicles McNeil’s life and his role founding Punk magazine in 1975, releases September 15 and provides extensive accounts of his interactions with major figures across punk and rock music history.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
About the Author
