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The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Never mind the Horlicks, here's the punk rock pensioners Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistol were once simpatico with Roger Daltrey for heaven's sake, in that he hoped to be in Heaven before he got old. Now, this band of superannuated cap-sleeved rockers are set to rock up once again. Is it wrong? Sid Vicious is long dead and John Lydon is not coming to Bellahouston bash (Image: free) John Lydon thinks so. Indeed, Lydon is angry (no change there) that the Pistols have reformed. 'They've killed the content, or done their best to,' maintains the singer and songwriter, 'and turned the whole thing into a rubbish, childishness, and that's unacceptable.' The former Mr Rotten, who fought a high-profile court battle against the rest of the band in a bid to stop their songs being used in a Disney+ series, Pistol, adds: "I don't mean to be digging them out, it's not their fault that they're talentless and can't f****** move on, is it?' John Lydon is arguing that his former bandmates have sold out. Yet weren't the Sex Pistols a sell-out right from the start? The original band were never short of the sweary words your Auntie Cissie would find shocking, and to coincide with the Queen's Jubilee released God Save the Queen and sang of a fascist regime. But these skinny young guys were never really heavy weight anarchists. Pierre Joseph Proudhon most certainly won't be spinning in his plot right now. Read more And to quote Bernie Taupin, it's a little bit funny that the band were described as anti-establishment rebels, given that they were essentially a collection of Vivien Westwood models, a Malcolm McLaren-engineered prefabricated boy band in the same vein as Monkees - albeit without the songwriting skills of a Neil Diamond, or the willingness to use shampoo. The Sex Pistols too wore matching (of sorts) outfits. And when they first played live, they actually covered the Monkees' Steppin' Stone. Yet, there are real arguments for going along to see this latest version of the band. Although they sold pound-shop nihilism to young people (while being backed by a corporately astute management) and their politics were performative, nevertheless, they sold hope. There's no doubt the Sex Pistols were rockets (in every sense of the word) playing damp warehouse-dump-created music which they sent into the stratosphere. There is also no doubt they revealed the perfect energy antidote to the tired glam rock and disco of the day. The Sex Pistols' three chord and a sneer simplicity was so clever that the band proved the inspiration for a range of followers, such as the Clash, Buzzcocks, Green Day and Nirvana. John Lydon (Image: free) Sure, the Pistols made only one album, but in a very short time proved that you don't have to have the musical skills of Elton or Bowie to become a chart success. They may have lacked melody, structure and they were thrashers, producing anything as loud as you would hear on a farm. But that was all a positive, the perfect reaction to the crushing political reality of the mid Seventies. On a more prosaic level, is it wrong to take the sound of a generation and play it again 50 years on? Where is the relevance? What's wrong with wrinklies taking to the stage? Has anyone really demanded that Mick Jagger and co lie down in the showbiz retirement home in North London and take to watching reruns of the Old Grey Whistle Test on iPlayer? No. It's the same for other legacy bands such as The Who and the likes of Van Morrison and Dylan. And Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, the pop daddy of them all. Who's to say there's an upper age limit on leather jackets? And who's to say that angry young men who grow to be angry old men are pointless? Isn't there even more to mump about today than in the Seventies, when hospital waiting times were measured in days rather than months, when Coronation Street was still half decent and you could buy a Hillman Avenger for about a grand. The Pistols, back in the day (Image: free) And wouldn't Dylan Thomas have had the Sex Pistols in mind if were he writing today, suggesting the Glasgow gig to be right and proper, and possibly lots of fun, that they should indeed 'rage, rage against the dying of the light.' Sure, the Pistols are now half-cocked, and their 60 and 70-something knees won't stand up too much pogo-ing. But they will surely bring a younger audience to the party. And even superannuated pseudo anarchists still need a reason to get out of bed in the morning. The Sex Pistols, Bellahouston Park, June 21, Glasgow, supported by The Stranglers, the Undertones, The Rezillos, The Undertones and The Skids
The Independent
24-03-2025
- The Independent
No misconduct from Met officers in Chelsea Bridge death, watchdog finds
Two Metropolitan Police officers have been cleared of misconduct by the police watchdog after a man died shortly after being tasered and jumping from Chelsea Bridge. Oladeji Omishore, 41, died after a confrontation with the officers on June 4 2022, who had been called when he was seen shouting and holding up a lighter on the west London bridge. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published its findings of an investigation into Mr Omishore's death on Monday after his inquest had ended. A jury at Inner West London Coroner's Court concluded that Mr Omishore was suffering a mental health relapse, the watchdog said. His cause of death was ruled as due to complications from drowning, with the jury not concluding that the actions of the officers probably caused his death. The IOPC said: 'We found no indication that either officer may have behaved in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings or had committed a criminal offence relating to their actions at the scene.' Police body-worn video from the day of the incident showed Mr Omishore was tasered three times by one of the officers for a total of eight- and-a-half seconds, for refusing to comply with three separate requests, the IOPC said. Tasers were discharged twice more as Mr Omishore ran towards the bridge barrier and jumped over the bridge railings, but neither had impact. He then jumped over the railing and fell into the River Thames. Mr Omishore died in hospital later that evening after being rescued from the water. Both officers told the IOPC during its investigation that they believed the incident may have been a terrorist attack because it happened during the Queen's Jubilee weekend, which the watchdog found to be 'not unreasonable'. IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: 'Officers are allowed to use force when they honestly believe it is necessary to defend themselves or others. 'This was a fast-paced and distressing incident for the officers and we found the evidence suggested that the officers honestly and reasonably believed Mr Omishore was in possession of a weapon. 'Police have a duty to protect the public from harm and the officers saw several members of the public fleeing the area as they arrived. 'Mr Omishore's behaviour was unpredictable and we found that the evidence did not indicate that the decision of one of the officers to Taser him, in order to detain him, was unnecessary or disproportionate in the circumstances.' There was no evidence Mr Omishore was discriminated against because of his race or mental health as the officers' assessment of the risk posed to the public and themselves appeared to be based on non-discriminatory reasons, the watchdog said. The officers were also separately investigated for failing to co-operate as witnesses, in interviews held on November 23 and 25 2022. While the officers 'had a case to answer' for their behaviour during the interviews, it was not serious enough to justify disciplinary proceedings, the IOPC said. Mr Omishore's family threatened legal action against the IOPC after their initial decision not to hold a criminal or misconduct investigation into his death.
