We Mean It Maaaannn!

Night number two up in Brixton (to paraphrase Linton Kwesi Johnson) and it was time to see the Sex Pistols for the second time. My ears are still ringing from the splendid noise they made.

When I arrived the queue was right round the building so I quickly joined it to try to get a good seat in the balcony and this time I went for the other side of the balcony to get a different view. And I waited. Dum de dum. The Cribs came on and struck me as arrogant tosspots, throwing cliched poses and generally acting up - come back when you've earned the right. While they were setting up the Pistols gear, blow me, but the DJ played 'Public Image' to great applause. Dum de dum. The lights dimmed and then brightened as the doors at the back of the stage opened and on walked four living legends, John and Glen arm in arm. The Pistols are back!

After a brief comment about McLaren being on 'I'm A Celebrity' last night, they launched into 'Pretty Vacant' and hit the ground running. The setlist was the same as on Friday (I think) but I wasn't really counting, I was too busy enjoying myself.

John prowling the stage pulling his Richard III shapes and Steve and Glen keeping the riffs coming while Paul paced them all. Very tight and it looked like they were all having fun. At the start of 'Holidays In The Sun' (while we were singing 'I do like to be beside the seaside) Glen donned a knotted union jack handkerchief for his head and he and Steve did their almost Morris dance routine. At one point John asked if there was anyone in the hall under the age of 40 (to big jeers and cheers).

One of my favourites tonight was 'Problem' which just seemed so right for some reason - "The problem is YOU!". Another favourite was 'New York', with disgust in John's voice (and me thinking of the comments in his autobiography about the New York punks and heroin and the impact on Sid). And the final songs of the main set, of course, 'God Save The Queen' with the backdrop unfurled (John commented that he preferred the Queen Mum) and 'EMI' with everyone joining in the scathing chorus.

The encore was 'Bodies' followed by 'Anarchy In The UK', both of which sounded particularly savage with John throwing down the words like gauntlets, the audience joining in. Only one encore tonight (John again telling us not to be so shy in front of him). Such powerful songs and still powerful 30 years later.