LAM PAUL COOK

Rip It Up, Issue 8, 1 February 1978, Page 1

LAM PAUL COOK

anarchy-USA

It seems that America has been a little slow to pick up on the 'the Sex Pistols are really lovely young chaps and their mothers are all proud of them’ line which has been popular in England lately. While Svengali Malcolm McLaren was talking about cleaning up their image’ to ensure plenty of crossover sales in the U.K., the American Immigration Department was having none of it. The Pistols were initially refused permission to enter the States for unspecified reasons although the list of reasons for declining applications includes; criminal records, 'sexual deviation’, and drug convictions. It appears from earlier Sex Pistols publicity when such information was 'good copy’, that at least two members of the band have minor convictions. McLaren threatened to fly the band to Canada, and attempt an illegal border crossing, although how exactly he intended to go about getting Johnny Rotten through Customs is not explained. In the event it proved unnecessary as the U.S. government relented and visas were granted at the last minute. The Pistols played the first show of their tour at San Antonia, Texas, to a packed house of five hundred, and were greeted without a great deal of hysteria, until Sid Vicious and Steve Jones waded into the crowd with guitars flailing. After it all settled down, the promoter commented that there had been no trouble to speak of. Obviously, them good ol’ boys are made of stern stuff.