Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 2nd February!
John Simon Ritchie aka Sid Vicious (10th May 1957 – 2nd February 1979)
On the 2nd February 1979, Mr. John Simon Ritchie (better known as the Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious) died of a heroin overdose in New York City. He was only 22 years old.
Sid joined the Sex Pistols in 1977 and replaced Glen Matlock, who was dropped out, because of tensions with frontman Johnny Rotten. Before the British Punk band called it a day in January 1978, Sid Vicious crossed paths with his future girlfriend Nancy Spungen. The relationship was completely desctructive and mainly based on drug abuse.
On the 12th October 1978, Sid found Nancy dead on the bathroom floor of their room in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. Spungen suffered a single stab wound and bled to death. Vicious, who confessed that he stabbed her but without meaning to kill her, was arrested and charged with murder. Ten days later, after Nancy’s passing, Vicious attempted suicide but survived. On the 1st February 1979, Vicious was out on bail. After a small celebration he overdosed around midnight.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for 31st January!
John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols)
Happy birthday to Mr. John Joseph Lydon, who was born on the 31st January 1956 in London! Under his stage name Johnny Rotten and as the frontman of the legendary Punk band Sex Pistols, he became one of the outstanding singers in Rock music history!
At the age of 15, John crossed paths with John Simon Ritchie, who was later nicknamed Sid Vicious. Both jobbed around and they started going to various clubs. And they also visited the fetish clothing shop called „SEX„, who was run by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren. In 1975, McLaren was working on promoting a new band called Sex Pistols, which was formed by Steve Jones (guitar), Glen Matlock (bass) and Paul Cook (drums). Due to Lydon’s ragged look and his coulered hair and after singing to Alice Cooper’s tune „I’m Eighteen„, which was played on the store’s jukebox, he became the frontman of the group and Malcolm McLaren began to manage the Punk quartet.
On the 26th November 1976 the debut single „Anarchy in the U.K.“ was released, which went to No. 38 in the UK. Before the next single was recorded, some heavy tensions between Johnny and Glen arose. This led to the quit of Matlock, who left the band finally in Feburary 1977. Sid Vicious was asked to be the new bass player and he joined the band. His first gig with the Sex Pistols happened on the 3rd April 1977. Some weeks later, on the 27th May, the second single „God Save the Queen“ hit the stores. Although the BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority refused to play the song on national radios, because of the controversial lyrics and cover art, the track reached No. 2 in the UK.
On the 27th October 1977, the legendary debut album „Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols“ was released and the LP became one of the most important albums in history of rock music.
The release of the debut album was the beginning of the end for the Sex Pistols:
Vicious‘ realationship with Nancy Spungen and his heroin addiction caused big problems in the band and on the 14th January 1978 the last concert happened in San Francisco. Three days later, on the 17th January 1978, the Sex Pistols called it a day. After the break-up, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook founded The Professionals, while singer John Lydon formed in 1978 the group PiL (Public Image Limited). Bass player Sid Vicous died one year later (2nd February 1979) on an overdose.
The remaining four members reunited three times after the break up. These unnecessary reunions happened in 1996, 2002 and 2007.
Get your Sex Pistols stuff here (for Austrian customer):
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 14th January!
Sex Pistols
On the 14th January 1978, the British Punkband Sex Pistols played their last gig at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, USA.
During the final concert of the tour, Johnny Rotten was quite disillusioned and introduced the encore with the words:
„You’ll get one number and one number only ‚cause I’m a lazy bastard“, followed by the Stooges cover „No Fun“. Rotten, kneeling on stage, sang „This is no fun. No fun. This is no fun – at all. No fun.“After the song he said to the audience: „Ah-ha-ha. Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? Good night“.
Watch the full concert here:
Three days later, on the 17th January 1978, the Sex Pistols finally split. After the break-up, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook founded The Professionals, while singer John Lydon formed in 1978 the group PiL (Public Image Limited). Bass player Sid Vicous died one year later (2nd February 1979) on an overdose.
Get your Sex Pistols stuff here (for Austrian customer):
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 10th May!
On the 10th May 1957, Mr. John Simon Ritchie (later named John Beverley – after his stepfather) was born in Lewisham, South East London (UK). By the age 17, Ritchie hang a lot around in the London area – one of his favorite spot was the legendary clothing store „SEX„, which was run by Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood. At this time he also crossed paths with John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten), who nicknamed John „Sid Vicous“ after his pet hamster. Vicous started his musical career in 1976 as the singer of the Punk band The Flowers of Romance and he later also appeared with Siouxsie and the Banshees as their drummer.
In in 1977, Sid joined the Sex Pistols and replaced bassist Glen Matlock, who was dropped out, because of tensions with frontman Johnny Rotten. Before the British Punk band called it a day in January 1978, Sid Vicious met his future girlfriend Nancy Spungen. The relationship was completely desctructive and mainly based on drug abuse.
On the 12th October 1978, Sid found Nancy dead on the bathroom floor of their room in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. Spungen suffered a single stab wound and bled to death. Vicious, who confessed that he stabbed her but without meaning to kill her, was arrested and charged with murder. Ten days later, after Nancy’s passing, Vicious attempted suicide but survived. On the 1st February 1979, Vicious was out on bail. After a small celebration he overdosed around midnight and passed away on the 2nd February 1979.
14/01/2012: THE WALKABOUTS – Ebensee (Kino)
Support by Terri Tarantula aka Terri Moeller
My second time seeing this amazing band from the US – The Walkabouts! Although frontman Chris Eckman is now living in Slovenia the sound didn’t change at all. With the new songs from the amazing album “Travels in the Dustland” this outstanding band proved their unique style in Ebensee at the Kino. Drummer Terri Moeller aka Terri Tarantula did the support during that tour and so the shows started very sweet and soft before The Walkabouts (Chris Eckman, Carla Torgerson, Terri Moeller, Michael Wells, Glenn Slater and Paul Austin) rocked with full force (as you can see on the videos below – all recorded by long time fan Walter Horn)
17/01/2012: SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB – Innsbruck (Treibhaus – Small Hall)
The Auto Club played the second time at the Treibhaus in Innsbruck (The Tyrol). After their live debut back in 2009, when they played the big hall in front of a handful people, they played the small hall this time. And luckily many more people found their way this time to the Treibhaus. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club (Slim Cessna, Munly Munly, Daniel “Danny Pants” Grandbois, Todd “The Peeler” Moore, Lord Dwight Pentacost and Bob “Big Bad Bob” Ferbrache) did an amazing performance again and introduced us to the brandnew songs of „Unentitled„.
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The Setlist:
Magalina Hagalina Boom Boom
That fierce Cow is common Sense in a Country Dress
32 Mouths gone dry
Red Pirate of the Prairie
My last Black Scarf
Children of the Lord
This is how we do Things in the Country
Cranston
Hold my Head
Americadio
Everyone is guilty #2
No Doubt about it
A Smashing Indictment of Character
Jesus is in my Body – My Body has let me down
He, Roger Williams
Pine Box
Do you know thee Enemy?
Jesus Christ
18/01/2012: SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB – Munich (Kranhalle)
The awesome Slim Cessna’s Auto Club came back to Munich after they rocked the crowd in June 2011 during the so called “Pfingst Festival” at the Theatron. At the Kranhalle they proved again why the Auto Club is one of the best live bands ever.
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The Setlist:
Magalina Hagalina Boom Boom
That fierce Cow is common Sense in a Country Dress
32 Mouths gone dry
Red Pirate of the Prairie
My last Black Scarf
Children of the Lord
This is how we do Things in the Country
Cranston
Hold my Head
Americadio
Everyone is guilty #2
No Doubt about it
A Smashing Indictment of Character
Jesus is in my Body – My Body has let me down
He, Roger Williams
Pine Box
Do you know thee Enemy?
Providence, New Jerusalem
Jesus Christ
More pictures of this amazing performance you can see here!
The White Birch (Ola Fløttum, Hans Christian Almendingen, Ulf Rogde with Linda Wietfeldt) from Norway played that night at the Kino in Ebensee (Upper Austria). It was the perfect soundtrack (mostly songs from the current release „Come Up For Air„) to the winter landscape outside.
23/01/2014: SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB – Nuremberg (Desi)
The Setlist:
Americadio
32 Mouths gone dry
Cranston
Jesus is in my Body: My Body has let me down
This is how we do Things in the Country
Red Pirate of the Prairie
Children of the Lord
My last Black Scarf
A Smashing Indictment of Character
No Doubt about it
Everyone is guilty #2
That fierce Cow is common sense in a Country Dress
Magalina Hagalina Boom Boom
He, Roger Williams
Pine Box
Hold my Head
This show was billed as “An Evening with Mark Lanegan & Greg Dulli”, but they also perform as The Gutter Twins. It was forbidden to take pictures at the WUK – even some security guys were checking the audience the whole show! Very strange but anyway – great acoustic performance by the frontmen of The Screaming Trees and The Afghan Whigs! After the show I bought myself a shirt and a signed poster. During my shopping someone said to me that he also wanted the shirt I was wearing. Well, it was an original Afghan Whigs shirt which I bought back in 1999 and I will NOT sell it 😉
The Setlist:
The Body
God’s Children/All along the Watchtower
The Stations
We have met before
Creeping Coastline of Lights
Resurrection Song
The Twilite Kid
The Lure would prove too much
Kimiko’s Dream House
Summer’s Kiss
King only
Sunrise
River Rise
Sunset Machine
I am in the heavenly Way
Candy Cane Crawl
One Hundred Days
Tennessee Waltz
All I have to do is dream
I get a Kick out of you
27/01/2014: SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB – Vienna (Arena – Dreiraum)
The Setlist:
Americadio
32 Mouths gone dry
Cranston
Jesus is in my Body: My Body has let me down
This is how we do Things in the Country
Red Pirate of the Prairie
Children of the Lord
My last Black Scarf
A Smashing Indictment of Character
No Doubt about it
Everyone is guilty #2
Magalina Hagalina Boom Boom
That fierce Cow is common sense in a Country Dress
Pine Box
He, Roger Williams
One Hundred Years (The Cure Cover)
A Forest (The Cure Cover)
Dancing with myself (Billy Idol Cover)
Master and Servant (Depeche Mode Cover)
Ever fallen in Love (The Buzzcocks Cover)
Blue Monday (New Order Cover)
Human Fly (The Cramps Cover)
Guns of Brixton (The Clash Cover)
Too drunk to fuck (Dead Kennedys Cover)
God save the Queen (Sex Pistols Cover)
Grey Day
Unknown Song (Cover)
Dance with me (The Lords Of The New Church Cover)
Blister in the Sun (Violent Femmes Cover)
Bela Lugosi’s Dead (Bauhaus Cover)
Friday Night, Saturday Morning (The Specials Cover)
Love will tear us apart (Joy Division Cover)
I just can’t get enough (Depeche Mode Cover)
Just a Girl
(This is not) A Love Song (P.I.L. Cover)
Eisbär (Grauzone Cover)
In a Manner of Speaking (Tuxedomoon Cover)
Sid joined the Sex Pistols in 1977 and replaced Glen Matlock, who was dropped out, because of tensions with frontman Johnny Rotten. Before the British Punk band called it a day in January 1978, Sid Vicious crossed paths with his future girlfriend Nancy Spungen. The relationship was completely desctructive and mainly based on drug abuse.
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