Sex Pistols Drummer Paul Cook on What Was the Band’s Beginning of the End

More often than not, it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact moment a band’s inevitable breakup begins—but Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook has a pretty good idea of what marked the beginning of the end for the influential punk band. As always, hindsight is 20/20.

Cook shared the pivotal moment in the Sex Pistols’ history on a September 2024 episode of the Rockonteurs podcast with Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt. In an unsurprising turn of events, Sid Vicious had a not-so-small part in the band’s eventual unraveling.

Sex Pistols’ Paul Cook On The Band’s Beginning Of The End

The original lineup of the English punk rock band the Sex Pistols included Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) on vocals, Steve Jones on guitar, Paul Cook on drums, and Glen Matlock on bass. However, by early 1977, tensions between the band reached a boiling point, and the band’s manager, Malcolm McLaren, kicked Matlock out of the group.

“The story around Glen leaving or departing or being sacked, whatever, is pretty messy,” Cook said during his Rockonteurs interview. “John and Glen had fallen out over some reason. I don’t know why. They weren’t getting on. And John felt that it was me and Steve now against [him]. We were a tight-knit couple, if you like. John felt like he needed a bit of someone in the band who was on his side.”

Cook was right about the split being messy. Multiple theories circulated around Matlock’s departure, including the rumor that the rest of the band resented the bassist’s love of the Beatles. More absurd claims included that Matlock washed his feet too much—if there is such a thing as too much hygiene for a touring punk band. Matlock said he left of his own accord. Regardless of the reason, Cook admitted that Matlock leaving marked the beginning of the end for the “God Save the Queen” band.

How Sid Vicious Changed The Dynamic Of The Influential Band

The Sex Pistols’ lead vocalist, Johnny Rotten, and band manager, Malcolm McLaren, were in agreement that long-time fan and scene member Sid Vicious should replace Glen Matlock. “He was at all our gigs early on, causing trouble, inventing the pogo, jumping up and down, smashing into people. He desperately wanted to be a part of it.” So, when McLaren extended the invite to Sid, he quickly accepted.

“Me and Steve, we just went with the flow,” Cook admitted. “We didn’t want to upset the apple cart. They made it seem like, ‘If Glen don’t go,’ (this is Malcolm and John), ‘no, that’s the end of the band.’ So, we took the easy route. We didn’t stick up for him, much to my regret, really. We should have stuck up for him. But things was going so crazy at the time. We just thought, ‘Oh, it’ll be alright. We’ll work it out.’ And we didn’t realize what we were taking on with Sid.”

Unfortunately, Sid Vicious’ introduction did nothing to ease the growing discontent among the band members. Paired with the new bassist’s rampant drug use and unpredictable behavior, the band eventually broke up following a nightmarish, half-canceled U.S. tour in 1978. “It totally changed once he joined the band,” Cook recalled. “Totally. The dynamic changed. Totally changed. Got crazier, for the worse.”

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