Sid Vicious

John Simon Ritchie-Beverly (May 10, 1957, London - February 2, 1979, New York), better known as Sid Vicious, was an English punk rock musician and member of the band the Sex Pistols. He died from a drug overdose at the age of 21.

Sex Pistols

Already known as the ultimate Sex Pistols fan, Vicious joined the group after Glen Matlock's departure in February 1977. According to punk legend, manager Malcolm McLaren wanted Vicious in the band because of his looks and punk attitude: If Rotten is the voice of punk, then Vicious is the look. His punk character was considered far more helpful than any knack for playing and Vicious was notoriously inept musically. Jon Savage's biography of the Sex Pistols, England's Dreaming recounts that most of the bass parts on the band's later recordings were played by guitarist Steve Jones and at live performances Sid's amplifier was wontedly switched off. Sid is said to have asked Lemmy Kilmister from Motörhead to teach him how to play bass with the words, "I can't play bass." Lemmy's reply was "I know." According to Lemmy, Sid Vicious was a hopeless student. In his autobiography No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs, John Lydon writes, "he wasn't too bad at all for three-chord songs." Sid played his first gig with the Pistols on April 3, 1977 at the Screen On The Green Cinema in London. His debut was filmed by Don Letts and appears in Punk Rock Movie.

Related Topics:
Glen Matlock - February - 1977 - Malcolm McLaren - Jon Savage - Steve Jones - Lemmy Kilmister - Motörhead - Don Letts - Punk Rock Movie

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Nancy Spungen and the end of the Pistols

In November 1977 Vicious met American groupie Nancy Laura Spungen and they immediately began a relationship (Spungen had come to London looking for Jerry Nolan of The Heartbreakers). She was a heroin addict and inevitably Vicious, who already believed in his own live fast, die young image, soon shared the dependence. Although deeply in love, their often violent and rocky relationship had a disastrous effect on the Sex Pistols. Both the group and Vicious visibly deteriorated during their 1978 American tour. The Pistols broke up in San Francisco on January 14 during a concert at the Winterland Ballroom when Rotten walked off the stage. Vicious left shortly afterwards and with Spungen acting as his "manager" he embarked on a short and ignoble solo career, during which he performed with musicians including Mick Jones of The Clash, original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, Rat Scabies of The Damned and the New York Dolls' Arthur Kane and Jerry Nolan.

Related Topics:
Nancy Laura Spungen - Jerry Nolan - The Heartbreakers - Heroin - 1978 - San Francisco - January 14 - Mick Jones - The Clash - Glen Matlock - Rat Scabies - The Damned - New York Dolls - Arthur Kane

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