Parents hated them, kids loved them... wonder if The Sex Pistols ever thought they'd make it onto the shelves of the nation's museums? © The Hospital.
Slipping into a bin liner Kerry Patterson slammed the door, dismissed the old order and made her way to Urbis to see what the Punk scene was all about.
The influence of the punk rock scene of the 1970s on music, fashion and culture is examined in Punk: Sex, Seditionaries and the Sex Pistols, on display at Urbis until September 11 2005.
The exhibition begins with a quotation from the Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones: “We’re not into music – we’re into chaos.” Yet, the displays of neatly framed posters and cases of clothing in the pristine white gallery space do not immediately evoke the sense of chaotic, anarchic energy which is so evident in punk music.
Could it be that 30 years on from the Sex Pistols’ first gig, the punk movement has been accepted into mainstream culture and lost its once cutting-edge appeal?
The 'Pistols created a storm during the Queen's Jubilee week in 1977: 'Anarchy In The UK' is thought by many to have been banned from the Number One slot it earned through record sales. © The Hospital.
Looking more closely at the items on display however, visitors will still find plenty to shock and parental guidance is advised. Amongst the displays of clothing are T-shirts featuring cartoon characters in somewhat compromising positions and naked men in Stetson hats.
The shock factor can equally be found in objects which do not on first sight appear to be controversial. A 'Never Mind the Bollocks' ( a Sex Pistols album) promotional poster from Sid Vicious’ room at the Chelsea Hotel in New York shows stains which are reputedly the result of cleaning syringes.
Interestingly, the exhibition contrasts the carefully constructed London punk scene created around The Sex Pistols with the raw DIY punk ethic of Manchester. In London, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s 'Sex' boutique led the way in defining punk style.
Difficult to miss: the title of one of the angriest albums of the 70's. © The Hospital.
Items owned and worn by The Sex Pistols are on display. Included is a feather tie originally owned by Johnny Rotten and later worn by Ian Dury on the cover of his Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll single.
Jamie Reid created the provocative and influential graphic designs for the Sex Pistols posters and album covers and rare examples of his work are on display.
These include a Holidays in the Sun poster in which Reid used a Belgian holiday poster and changed the speech bubbles of the cartoon family to reflect the sentiments of The Sex Pistols’ song: A Cheap Holiday in Other Peoples’ Misery.
Pretty Vacant - one of the later singles. It never achieved the scandal factor of 'Anarchy...' or 'Never Mind The...' © The Hospital.
The Manchester punk scene is represented by original gig posters, tickets, press cuttings and fanzines. Photographs of the Sex Pistols and The Buzzcocks’ gig at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall are also on display as well as original film footage, a documentary and broadcast footage from Granada Television can also be seen.
While punk bands were banned from playing in many other cities, Manchester’s punk scene thrived.
The ability of the city to make a unique contribution to the music scene, distinct from London, undoubtedly laid the foundations for the next three decades of Manchester music, paving the way for bands such as Joy Division, The Smiths and New Order, as well as Factory Records.
Punk: Sex, Seditionaries and the Sex Pistols reveals the influential nature of punk on contemporary culture. Even though the display of the objects does not reveal the chaos, energy and sense of subversion, these elements can still be found beneath the surface.
