[kj] ‘Pistol’ : mini series reviewed by Youth from Killing Joke (Louder Than War)

Thu May 26 19:07:15 EDT 2022

https://louderthanwar.com/pistol-mini-series-reviewed-by-youth-from-killing-joke/

‘Pistol’ : mini series reviewed by Youth from Killing Joke
By Martin Glover aka Youth -May 26, 2022

I was delighted to be invited to the premier, though I had some
reservations. Period music films are notoriously difficult to pull off. The
trailer, I thought looked wrong, mainly because the actors faces were a bit
off. It was a series on Disney ? Surely they would compromise and sugar up
the story and book, so as to appeal to a mass mainstream audience?

There were more than a few doubts and so it was, with more than a little
bit of grit in my teeth,  that I sat down outside Bar Italia, in the heart
of Soho to remind my teenage self of that feeling of being a punk in Soho,
where it all started in the late 70’s and meet my friend and colleague Alan
McGee. Another legendary manager, cut from the same torn tartan cloth as
McLaren and also a huge fan of both the Pistols and McLaren himself, even
helping Malcom in his Mayor of London bid in 2006. Who better to see it
with and through his eyes ?

Walking through Soho to Leicester Sq we could hear distant screams from the
crowds. We both thought it was going to be a small screening and  I
presumed the noise was for the new Top Gun but when we saw the vicious pink
red carpet and billboards, our collective jaws dropped to the floor. This
was going to be a big deal.

I ask Alan if the premier for his own Danny Boyle produced autobiography
“Creation Story’s “ had a premier like this ? He replied “Noooo , it came
out in lockdown, nothing !”

Skirting the red carpet photo opps, I found a discreet corner by the promo
stage,  where we could observe the procession of glammed up actors, celebs
and quite a few original faces and Pistols fans.
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Can’t deny this people watching was fascinating and really exciting, a
great buzz moment.

Joe Corrie sauntering in, top to toe in tweed with what looked like two
stunning 7ft models from his former lingerie Agent Provocateur empire. Ian
Brown gliding in with a silk bomber jacket with an Japanese eagle in the
back, like a proper rock star. The looks were sharp, Chris Sulivan suited
and booted and Blitz icon Christos, still looking like a 50’s film star.
Alan turns to me and asks “ Why are all the old punks wearing tweed ? “
it’s a good question,  my only answer was that Vivien Westwood loves a bit
a of tweed!

Steve Jones, Chrissy Hynde and Mr and Mrs Paul Cook saunter in, owning it,
they are the real stars here and it’s great to see them get their due.

Still the faces abound wherever I look and there's a tangible buzz in the
air.

We get into the theatre. The iconic Odeon Leicester Sq, I’ve grown up with
this huge hall. I instantly get flashbacks to my father taking me here to
see Jaws as a kid, always a great epic vibe.

I’m sat next to Sam Bully, another early face and big collector and
authority on the Pistols, including curating the “Sex” jukebox album.(
incredible record !) vol 2 on its way apparently. He reassured me that the
film was going to good and explained they had built a set in Maida Vale
where they painstakingly recreated the Kings Rd corner where Sex was and
that it was very authentic. Jordan had advised, Impressed, I settled into
my seat and started munching the complimentary popcorn.
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I had loved The Great Rock n Roll Swindle and also McLaren, his guile and
Revolutionary spirit opened all the doors of possibility for my generation,
he’s a huge influence to this day and was honoured to work with him
remixing his Paris Paris album.

After Danny Boyle introduces the cast on stage and thanks everyone , then
it started…

Straight away I’m hooked, the opening scenes are of Wally, played by Dylan
Llewelyn. Wally had started the band before McLaren and Lydon had come
along and is a huge part of the story, and often ignored. The Filth and The
Fury documentary was dedicated to him. Wally had squatted with Killing Joke
in Royal Crescent, two doors up from our greatest living artist Bridget
Riley. Lovely guy and a master thief, possibly why he got on so well with
Steve Jones. He helped us through some hard times. I’d met him through
being in the 4be2’s which had a revolving door of Shepherds Bush musicians,
and he was a member of the Bollock Bros, all friends of Paul and Steve.

Even though the faces were different,  the accents and mannerisms were spot
on, I quickly reminded myself this wasn’t a documentary but a drama and as
such,  I allowed myself to be seduced into Boyles magic world of
storytelling. And It’s a great story, based on Steve Jones incredible
autobiography, it is incredibly emotional. The dark subject matter
portrayed with honesty and is very brave, the book made me cry.

Danny’s genius is to tell the Pistol’s story through Steve’s story.

We all know Lydon is the real genius in the band but Steve and Paul also
are touched by genius too and Steve’s story is phenomenally inspiring.

Intercut with footage from the 70’s and flashbacks to Steve as a kid with
an abusive stepfather, give it authentic context and remind me how tough
and violent life was as a kid growing up then.

Half way through the first episode I ask Alan what he thinks,  “it’s ok “
he responds with a classic deadpan manager pokerface, not giving anything
away. I’m enjoying it and so is Sam we’re both grinning from ear to ear and
by the end of the first episode so is Alan and a huge round of applause
from the audience and relief from the production crew, lifts the vibe and
seals it’s success. I’m sure a few older fans will be offended but most
here tonight were unanimous in their approval.

There’s a credit at the end to Jamie Reid whose iconic genius artwork,
along with fellow Croydon art school misfit McLaren, created the philosophy
and image that was so important, though I’ve been told Jamie wasn’t
involved he’s all over it, you can’t underestimate his importance. No one
had never seen anything like it before. Those day glow pink and yellow
Bollocks posters in the Virgin megastore window ( and the subsequent court
case ) are now our cultural history, the Sex Pistols really did change the
world,  even though the establishment is still very much in control, their
foundations were defiantly shaken after Punk’s expose of all the injustice
and the hypocrisy of the government and the Crown.

Made me think of Croydon.

People today now say Dubstep and Drum and Bass started in Croydon but
actually so did Punk really.

How they deal with Sid Vicious remains to be seen, the ultimate tragedy and
real destruction. Sid was my generation's Elvis meets James Dean, the
ultimate anti hero and was so iconic, he could have gone on and eventually
eclipsed them all. We only saw the first two episodes and a few clips, so
hard to say about the rest of it but from what we saw I’d say Danny Boyle
has pulled off another triumph, along with Trainspotting one of his very
best.

Kudos to the younger actors led by Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, they all
did really well and some particularly great performances from Maisey
Williams playing Jordon, Tallulah Riley with Westwood and Sydney Chandlar
stealing the show as Chrissy.

Making a movie is a huge roll of the dice, one big roulette wheel and if
the premier doesn’t work, well it’s hard to recover. I remember a difficult
screening for Joe Strummer’s  “Straight To Hell”,  that got a completely
stunned silence afterwards. Alex Cox also directed Sid & Nancy which was
also underwhelming in many ways ( I confess I actually did a reading for
the part with Alex, obviously Gary Oldman got it but even then I think I
dodged a bullet there).

After the film we were bused up to Camden for the after party, Hollie Cook
and her band performed a great set, got everyone up and dancing, watching
Ian Brown and Alan Mcgee have a bop to her tunes was the cherry on the top
and it became a double celebration as Hollie’s  new single “Happy Hour” is
smashing it at the moment. I slipped upstairs for a quick smoke and Cookie
comes over and sternly reminds me Hollie is on stage and then breaks out a
big grin and laughs “you know all the songs anyways !” (As I’ve produced,
co-written and mixed quite a few of her records, proud dad and says a lot
that he’s thinking about her more than himself on his big night ! )

I mistook Tony James for Donovan, he’s gone very grey, well haven’t we all
! It was great to catch up, and he told me plans for the Sex Pistols
/Generation X collaboration, “Generation Sex” which is exciting, I feel
connected as I also played with Cook and Jones and Billy idol, as Lydon
didn’t show, that was billed as a Sex Pistol reunion on Xmas day at Studio
21 1980 and my first band The Rage, was Generation X’s first drummers band
after he got kicked out. Tony said “ You know why we kicked John Towe out ?
“ No, 'I replied,'cos he had curly hair !” Those were the days ! Their
loss, my gain, I thought as that was my first break and proper tour
supporting The Adverts,  I was still 17 invaluable experience that was to
come in handy a year or so later when I co founded Killing Joke. The Rage
also had Riff, they had all been in the seminal first wave punk band
Chelsea before.

We slipped out into the wet cobbled streets of Camden Lock and London rain,
after “liberating”, as Wally would have put it, a few posters on the wall
and deftly dancing round the burly bouncers as we smuggled them out.

Respect to Danny Boyle for having the balls to take it on and Steve Jones
for writing the book, the screenwriter Craig Pierce who delivers a clever
and brilliant script with some detail driven authenticity, like McLaren
changing the name of “No Feelings” to “God Save The Queen”, which will be
rereleased to coincide with the series and the Royal Jubilee.

One of the best singles ever made, still shocks, the lyrics, the power, the
artistry and sound, it’s in my all time top 10 and I wouldn’t be surprised
if goes to number 1 again, but this time the BBC will play it and a whole
new generation of kids will be inspired to create their own reality, their
own way.

 Martin Glover aka Youth
<https://louderthanwar.com/author/martin-glover-aka-youth/>
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