THE arrival in 1976 of the aggressive, confrontational, punk-rock group, the Sex Pistols, was a remarkable moment.
As music author Peter Doggett observes in his book, Electric Shock: “Amidst the pallid pop of late 1976, the Pistols’ [single] ‘Anarchy in the UK’ exploded like a hand grenade in an elevator.”
Not long after the single was released, the group caused outrage and generated headlines by swearing on a nationally-broadcast TV show, in early December.
The Sex Pistols, and many other groups that were formed in the cauldron of punk-rock, fulfilled a widespread demand for a new kind of music that genuinely spoke for young people.
In August 1977 our sister paper, the Evening Times, described punk as a "British phenomenon" that had been originated by the Sex Pistols more than a year earlier, and said that its two main features - the music and the "weird" styles of dress - had evolved together.
One London punk-shop employee explained punk thus: "It is important to us to break down the big gulf between superstars and ordinary people. There are no kings and queens in the punk culture and the performers mingle with their audiences."
The Evening Times said it was unlikely that you would see too many punks enjoying a quiet drink in any of the city's lounge bars - "because most places tend to kick them out on their swastika-covered bottoms." But one young punk couple asserted: "Give it a couple of months. Punk has got to come in in Glasgow and when it does we won't be barred from places any more. People ... pick on us and we can't have a decent night out."
For one Glasgow psychiatrist, the issue was relatively straightforward: "It is basically dissatisfaction with society without any clear idea of what they are dissatisfied with that motivates a cult like this. They feel their new society will be a place where people are more spontaneous, but they are deluding themselves for they always end up in terrible disillusionment or they swing back to a more conservative lifestyle."
In any event, the pulse-quickening new phenomenon meant that new styles of dance were now available, as displayed above by punks Tom Fleming and Andy Maxwell.
The photograph is one of dozens available to buy, framed or ready to frame, from the Herald Picture Store - https://picturestore.heraldandtimes.co.uk – which showcases the finest images from the archives of Newsquest Scotland, the media group whose flagship brands are The Herald and heraldscotland.com.
The group’s photographers have been covering every aspect of Scottish life for well over a century.
The photographs in the Picture Store have been selected and captioned by Norry Wilson, a former Herald journalist who now runs the Lost Glasgow page on Facebook, which has more than 140,000 global followers. Lost Glasgow is currently staging an exhibition, More Than Just Memories, at Maryhill Burgh Halls.
HERALD PICTURE STORE
THE online store allows you to browse our selection of photographs ranging from sport and politics to Glasgow street scenes, and purchase a range of framed or mounted prints from as little as £14.99. Take advantage of the special launch prices from now until December 31.
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Write to: Herald Picture Store, Herald & Times Group, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB.
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