Editing Punk rock (section)

===United Kingdom===
{{Listen
| filename     = Anarchy in the UK.ogg
| title        = "Anarchy in the U.K."
| description  = With its "inflammatory, venomous lyrics [and] crude energy", the [[Sex Pistols]]' debut single "[[Anarchy in the U.K.]]" "established punk's modus operandi".<ref>Unterberger (2002), p. 1337.</ref> Producer [[Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas]] layered multiple tracks of [[Steve Jones (musician)|Steve Jones]]'s guitar to create a "searing wall of sound",<ref>Gimarc (2005), p. 41</ref> while [[John Lydon|Johnny Rotten]] spewed the vocals "as if his teeth had been ground down to points."<ref>Marcus (1989), p. 8.</ref>
}}
After a brief period unofficially managing the New York Dolls, Briton [[Malcolm McLaren]] returned to London in May 1975, inspired by the new scene he had witnessed at CBGB. The [[King's Road]] clothing store he co-owned, recently renamed [[Sex (boutique)|Sex]], was building a reputation with its outrageous "anti-fashion".<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-sex-pistols/biography "The Sex Pistols"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119121526/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-sex-pistols/biography |date=January 19, 2012 }}, ''Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock 'n' Roll'' (2001). Retrieved on September 11, 2006; Robb (2006), pp. 83–87; Savage (1992), pp. 99–103.</ref> Among those who frequented the shop were members of a band called the Strand, which McLaren had also been managing. In August, the group was seeking a new lead singer. Another Sex habitué, [[John Lydon|Johnny Rotten]], auditioned for and won the job. Adopting a new name, the group played its first gig as the [[Sex Pistols]] on November 6, 1975, at [[Saint Martin's School of Art]], and soon attracted a small but dedicated following.<ref>Gimarc (2005), p. 22; Robb (2006), p. 114; Savage (1992), p. 129.</ref> In February 1976, the band received its first significant press coverage; guitarist [[Steve Jones (musician)|Steve Jones]] declared that the Sex Pistols were not so much into music as they were "chaos".<ref>Savage (1992), pp. 151–152. The quote has been incorrectly ascribed to McLaren (e.g., Laing [1985], pp. 97, 127) and Rotten (e.g., [https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A791336 "Punk Music in Britain"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110730180831/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A791336 |date=July 30, 2011}}, BBC, October 7, 2002), but Savage directly cites the ''[[NME|New Musical Express]]'' issue in which the quote originally appeared. Robb (2006), p. 148, also describes the ''NME'' article in some detail and ascribes the quote to Jones.</ref> The band often provoked its crowds into near-riots. Rotten announced to one audience, "Bet you don't hate us as much as we hate you!"<ref>Quoted in Friedlander and Miller (2006), p. 252.</ref> McLaren envisioned the Sex Pistols as central players in a new youth movement, "hard and tough".<ref>Quoted in Savage (1992), p. 163.</ref> As described by critic [[Jon Savage]], the band members "embodied an attitude into which McLaren fed a new set of references: late-sixties radical politics, sexual fetish material, pop history, [...] youth sociology".<ref>Savage (1992), p. 163.</ref>[[File:Sex Pistols in Paradiso.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Members of rock band the Sex Pistols onstage in a concert.|Vocalist [[Johnny Rotten]] of the [[Sex Pistols]] flanked by guitarists [[Glen Matlock]] and [[Steve Jones (musician)|Steve Jones]], in front of drummer [[Paul Cook]]]] [[File:Clash 21051980 12 800.jpg|right|thumb|alt=The rock band the Clash performing onstage. Three members are shown. All three have short hair. Two of the members are playing electric guitars.|[[The Clash]] performing in 1980]]
[[Bernard Rhodes]], an associate of McLaren, similarly aimed to make stars of the band [[London SS]], who became [[the Clash]], which was joined by [[Joe Strummer]].<ref>Savage (1992), pp. 124, 171, 172.</ref> On June 4, 1976, the Sex Pistols played Manchester's [[Free Trade Hall|Lesser Free Trade Hall]] in what became one of the most influential rock shows ever. Among the approximately forty audience members were the two locals who organised the gig—they had formed [[Buzzcocks]] after seeing the Sex Pistols in February. Others in the small crowd went on to form [[Joy Division]], [[The Fall (band)|the Fall]], and – in the 1980s — [[the Smiths]].<ref>{{cite web |date=June 27, 2006 |title=Sex Pistols Gig: The Truth |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2006/05/11/110506_sex_pistols_gig_feature.shtml |access-date=2007-12-29 |archive-date=December 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224054741/http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2006/05/11/110506_sex_pistols_gig_feature.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> In July, the Ramones played two London shows that helped spark the nascent UK punk scene.<ref>Taylor (2003), p. 56; McNeil and McCain (2006), pp. 230–233; Robb (2006), pp. 198, 201. Quote: Robb (2006), p. 198.</ref> Over the next several months, many new punk rock bands formed, often directly inspired by the Sex Pistols.<ref>See, e.g., Marcus (1989), pp. 37, 67.</ref> In London, women were near the center of the scene—among the initial wave of bands were the female-fronted [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], [[X-Ray Spex]], and the all-female [[the Slits]]. There were female bassists [[Gaye Advert]] in [[the Adverts]] and [[Shanne Bradley]] in [[the Nipple Erectors]], while Sex store frontwoman [[Pamela Rooke|Jordan]] not only managed [[Adam and the Ants]] but also performed screaming vocals on their song "Lou". Other groups included [[Subway Sect]], [[Alternative TV]], [[Wire (band)|Wire]], [[the Stranglers]], [[Eater (band)|Eater]] and [[Generation X (band)|Generation X]]. Farther afield, [[Sham 69]] began practicing in the southeastern town of [[Hersham]]. In [[Durham, England|Durham]], there was [[Penetration (band)|Penetration]], with lead singer [[Pauline Murray]]. On September 20–21, the [[100 Club Punk Festival]] in London featured the Sex Pistols, Clash, Damned, and Buzzcocks, as well as Paris's female-lead [[Stinky Toys]]. Siouxsie and the Banshees and Subway Sect debuted on the festival's first night. On the festival's second night, audience member [[Sid Vicious]] was arrested for having thrown a glass at the Damned that shattered and destroyed a girl's eye. Press coverage of the incident reinforced punk's reputation as a social menace.<ref>Colegrave and Sullivan (2005), p. 111; Gimarc (2005), p. 39; Robb (2006), pp. 217, 224–225.</ref>

Some new bands, such as London's [[Ultravox]]!, Edinburgh's [[Rezillos]], Manchester's the Fall, and Leamington's [[The Shapes (British band)|the Shapes]], identified with the scene even as they pursued more experimental music. Others of a comparatively traditional rock 'n' roll bent were also swept up by the movement: [[the Vibrators]], formed as a pub rock–style act in February 1976, soon adopted a punk look and sound.<ref>Savage (1992), pp. 221, 247.</ref> A few even longer-active bands including [[Surrey]] neo-mods [[the Jam]] and pub rockers [[Eddie and the Hot Rods]], [[the Stranglers]], and [[Cock Sparrer]] also became associated with the punk rock scene. Alongside the musical roots shared with their American counterparts and the calculated confrontationalism of the early [[The Who|Who]], the British punks also reflected the influence of [[glam rock]] and related artists and bands such as [[David Bowie]], [[Slade (band)|Slade]], [[T. Rex (band)|T.Rex]], and [[Roxy Music]].<ref>Heylin (1993), p. xii.</ref> However, Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten (real name John Lydon) insisted that the influences of the UK punk scene were not from the US and NY. "I've heard an awful lot of American journalists pretending that the whole punk influence came out of New York." He argued: "T. Rex, David Bowie, Slade, [[Mott The Hoople]], [[the Alex Harvey Band]] — their influence was enormous. And they try to write that all off and wrap it around Patti Smith. It's so wrong!".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/john-lydon-says-its-wrong-to-credit-patti-smith-with-punks-beginnings-3481861|title=John Lydon says its "wrong" to credit Patti Smith with punk's beginnings|publisher=NME|date=August 11, 2023|access-date=2023-10-08|archive-date=October 9, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231009010558/https://www.nme.com/news/music/john-lydon-says-its-wrong-to-credit-patti-smith-with-punks-beginnings-3481861|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

In October 1976, the Damned released the first UK punk rock band single, "[[New Rose]]".<ref>Griffin, Jeff, "[https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/t/thedamned/ The Damned] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107040813/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/t/thedamned/ |date=November 7, 2020 }}", BBC.co.uk. Retrieved on November 19, 2006.</ref> The Vibrators followed the next month with "We Vibrate". On November 26, 1976, the Sex Pistols' released their debut single "[[Anarchy in the U.K.]]", which succeeded in its goal of becoming a "national scandal".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Anarchy in the U.K. |magazine=Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595898/anarchy_in_the_uk |date=December 9, 2004 |access-date=2007-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012084358/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595898/anarchy_in_the_uk |archive-date=October 12, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Jamie Reid]]'s "anarchy flag" poster and his other design work for the Sex Pistols helped establish a distinctive [[Punk visual art|punk visual aesthetic]].<ref name=P245>Pardo (2004), p. 245.</ref>

On December 1, 1976, an incident took place that sealed punk rock's notorious reputation, when the Sex Pistols and several members of the [[Bromley Contingent]], including [[Siouxsie Sioux]] and [[Steven Severin]], filled a vacancy for [[Queen (band)|Queen]] on the early evening [[Thames Television]] London television show ''[[Today (Thames Television series)|Today]]'' to be interviewed by host [[Bill Grundy]]. When Grundy asked Siouxsie how she was doing, she made fun of him saying, "I've always wanted to meet you, Bill". Grundy, who was drunk, told her on the air; "we shall meet afterwards then". This instantly generated a reaction from Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones who pronounced a series of terms inappropriate for prime-time television.<ref name=fader /> Jones proceeded to call Grundy a "dirty bastard", a "dirty fucker", and a "fucking rotter", triggering a media controversy.<ref>Lydon (1995), p. 127; Savage (1992), pp. 257–260; Barkham, Patrick, [https://www.theguardian.com/uk_news/story/0,3604,1427563,00.html "Ex-Sex Pistol Wants No Future for Swearing"], ''The Guardian'' (UK), March 1, 2005. Retrieved on December 17, 2006.</ref> The episode had a major impact on the history of the scene and the punk term became a household name in 24 hours thanks to the press coverage, and several front covers of newspapers.<ref name=fader>{{cite web|first=Peter|last=Macia|url=https://www.thefader.com/2010/10/21/read-our-interview-with-ari-up-from-the-siouxsie-siouxshabba-ranks-icon-issue|title=Read Our Interview With Ari Up from the Siouxsie Sioux/Shabba Ranks Icon Issue|publisher=The Fader|date=October 21, 2010|access-date=September 21, 2019|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181226153301/https://www.thefader.com/2010/10/21/read-our-interview-with-ari-up-from-the-siouxsie-siouxshabba-ranks-icon-issue|url-status=live}}</ref>

Two days later, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned, and the Heartbreakers set out on the Anarchy Tour, a series of gigs throughout the UK. Many of the shows were cancelled by venue owners in response to the media outrage following the Grundy interview.<ref>Savage (1992), pp. 267–275; Lydon (1995), pp. 139–140.</ref>