The Sex Pistols‘ greatest talent might not have been their music. Rather, it might have been their ability to burn their way into one’s memory. No matter the occasion, The Sex Pistols made a grand entrance either through their music or their general demeanor. They were unapologetically themselves, and as a result, they etched their way into the psyche of individuals and into the psyche of the masses. The Pistols are arguably the most crassly unique band of all time, and they proved that to be true when they met ABBA for the first time.
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The Sex Pistols and ABBA are quite literally night and day. Outside of the evident differentiating characteristics, The Pistols were dark, and ABBA the opposite. Despite these differences and the apparent room for ideological disagreement, The Sex Pistols were still huge fans of the Swedish pop group, especially Sid Vicious. Though, ABBA weren’t seemingly huge fans of The Pistols after they first met them.
What Did The Sex Pistols Do on Their Layover? Get Drunk, of Course!
In 1977, The Sex Pistols participated in their first-ever Scandinavian tour, which was a 12-date tour consisting of stops in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In addition to gaining some notoriety in another country other than England, the tour also provided the iconically controversial frontman, Sid Vicious, with an opportunity to meet one of his favorite bands. Yes, you heard that right, ABBA was one of Sid Vicious’ favorite bands.
Nevertheless, during the tour, The Sex Pistols had some of their Scandinavian flights canceled. So, doing what a lot of people do on a layover, especially rock stars, they got drunk at the airport. Unfortunately, that became a regrettable decision for Sid Vicious.
Recalling the incident, John Lydon, also known as Johnny Rotten, stated to The Irish Independent, “We’d been drinking all day in Scandinavia because flights were cancelled, but Sid couldn’t handle alcohol.” “As soon as he’d seen ABBA, all in matching white fur coats, looking like polar bears, he went running over. ‘Abba!’ Then he vomited,” continued Lydon.
Expectedly so, “They were horrified” and “got carted off.” “There was a police wagon involved,” concluded Johnny Rotten. If you are familiar with The Sex Pistols, is there really another way this interaction would have happened? Frankly, do you think this meeting would have just entailed polite compliments and a shaken hand? Well, if you do know The Sex Pistols, then the answer to that is likely a resounding “no.” This makes for a better story anyway, and The Sex Pistols’ legacy is and will never be short on those.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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