The Romeo And Juliet Of Punk

Written by Linda Mains

Today I'm going to write about PUNK ROCK, or at least one of the most influential and popular punk bands of all time. This band was responsible for starting punk. But the band members were originally from a punk band called The Stand which started in 1972. Punk started in England. This group went on to found the first, and one of the most famous punk bands of all time, called the Sex Pistols in 1975. The original members of the band where, vocalist Johny Rotten, guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock whom was replaced by Sid Vicious.

I was flipping around, looking for a movie one day, and I had realised that I had never seen the movie called Sid and Nancy The Sex Pistols. One of my Facebook friends suggested writing something about Punk, but I really didn't know about the scene, and I really wasn't into that type of music. But because I loved this movie so much...I've decided to write this post. So who was the Nancy? OK, Nancy Spungen who's nickname was "Nauseating Nancy," was a New Yorker, turned sometimes prostitute, who was also a heroin junky. She then met and then fell in love with one of punks most famous bass players of all time. She was the punk equal of a messed up drug addicted tragic punk version of Juliet from Romeo and Juliet. So who was Sid Vicious? Sid's real name was John Ritchie, he had been a drummer for two other bands before joining the Sex Pistols, and becoming that bands bass player. Did becoming a member of that band wind up destroying Sid's life? Or was the love that Nancy and Sid had the real reason behind Sid's ultimate destruction? Or did Sid destroy his love and his life with his heroin addiction?  

In the movie they had the kind of love, that most of us only get to dream about in ferry book tales. They loved each other with a sickening intensity...their love affair merged into the worst kind of obsession. This tragic Romeo and Juliet like couple met in 1977. Many people have described Nancy as a emotionally disturbed drug addict, whom was also a part time prostitute. She's been blamed as the person whom was responsible for introducing and polluting Sid with Heroin, and causing his life ending addiction to that drug. Sid and Nancy eventually wound up moving to New York. Where Sid had split from the band and decided on going solo with his career. He let Nancy manage what was left of his dying talent. He then went on to record a solo album in New York with help from a band named "The Idols" called "Sid Sings" in 1979. In the movie Sid was very dependent and emotionally attached to Nancy, and in one scene they were just kissing next to a trash can while rain was falling in slow motion. They where passionately kissing in that scene. I believe that their relationship was a junkie version of Romeo and Juliet. Why? Because anyone that messed up on drugs, especially Heroin, is bound to destroy their own life and the lives of their loved ones!  

You're probably asking me; so where is the death and destruction of this young loving couple? On October 12th in 1978 in New York, at a Hotel called the Chelsea Hotel, where Sid and Nancy were registered as being married, even though they hadn't been married. The Hotel was a place where many famous musicians where know to stay. Platinum blond Nancy was discovered in a black bra and pantie set, under the sink dead! She was lying in her own blood, with a one inch stab wound in her lower abdomen, she was only 20 years old. Sid was found wandering down the hallway of the hotel muttering to himself; "I killed her, I can't live without her! She must have fallen on my knife?" The police were called by an unidentified possible suspect, who was allowed to leave the scene of the crime. At that time Sid was high on Heroin. That's when he decided to resist against being arrested. After which he was then wrestled to the ground, and led away in hand cuffs. A man named McLaren said about the tragic event; "I can't believe Sid was involved in such a thing. He was set to marry Nancy. He was very close to her and had a very passionate affair with her."  

 Let's go back in time. I want to explain the Sex Pistol's whom where one of the most influential punk bands on the scene at that time. John Robb a rock journalist said; "the Sex Pistols album, was a stunningly powerful piece of punk politics, with Anarchy in the U.K, becoming one of their most famous songs." Sid was very child like and that characteristic doubled his problems in life when he became famous. The band tried saving Sid from Nancy. Why? Because just like John Lenon's Yoko; Sid's emotional dependency on Nancy, alienated Sid from the other band members. The Sex Pistols manager said; "we did everything to get rid of Nancy...she was killing Sid! I was absolutely convinced that Nancy was on a suicide mission. Only she didn't want to go alone. She wanted Sid with her. She was so utterly fucked up and evil." He also said; "The only way Sid could live up to the image about him was to die! That was tragic, but more for Sid then for anyone else. He really bought his public image." He was released after being charged with second degree homicide, for the accidental stabbing and death of Nancy. In the movie about their tragic love story Nancy comes up in a taxi and Sid jumps in, and drives away with her. After that scene a sub-title saying "in loving memory of Sid and Nancy."  Sid died of a Heroine overdose at a party, after being released for an assault on another person in February of 1979. He was only 21 years old when he died! When he died, one of Punk rocks most famous bass player's music was silenced. Did he die from Heroin or was his death because of the quilt which he obviously suffered from because of Nancy's death? 

To me Punk Rock was always about tearing apart civilized middle class values, about not paying more then a dollar for anything, about living against societal norms and about living in squalor. Along with doing lots of drugs and wearing old, and tattered clothes, along with wearing plenty of safety pins and piercings. These punks weren't just making life style choices, these values where and still are a part of the punk believe system. Sid and Nancy came to New York to become some kind of Punk royalty, but in the end...all they really became was the punk version of Romeo and Juliet.  To find out more about the Sex Pistols go to their site at www.sexpistolsofficial.com  Sources Wikipidia.org