Sex Pistols aim to give queen’s Platinum Jubilee a touch of punk
LONDON — In Britain, there are several traditional elements to a royal anniversary: pageants, street parties, the Sex Pistols.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Pistols have been linked since the punk pioneers released the song “God Save the Queen” during the 1977 Silver Jubilee that marked the monarch’s 25 years on the throne.
The anti-authoritarian anthem — not to be confused with the actual British national anthem of the same name — has been re-released for Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, or 70 years as queen. It’s one of a raft of cultural tie-ins — critics might say cash-ins — spurred by the royal milestone.
Members of the band that rhymed “God save the queen” with “fascist regime” and “she ain’t no human being” have mellowed over the years.
“I’m not against it,” Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones said of Britain’s four-day jubilee extravaganza, which starts Thursday and includes military parades, concerts, picnics and innumerable Union Jacks.
“I see all the flags are up everywhere,” Jones said while visiting London from Los Angeles, where he has lived for more than 30 years. “I mean, it’s entertaining stuff. Tourists just absolutely love it.”
Sex Pistols singer John Lydon, formerly known as Johnny Rotten, recently told broadcaster Talk TV he was “really, really proud of the queen for surviving and doing so well.”
It’s a far cry from 1977, when “God Save the Queen” was launched on the jubilee weekend with an anarchic Sex Pistols gig on a riverboat — the Queen Elizabeth — that was cut short by London police.
The song sparked outrage; members of the band were attacked in the street and it was banned from radio or television airplay. It nonetheless reached No. 2 in the charts, below Rod Stewart’s “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” — though rumors persist that the Sex Pistols’ song actually sold more copies.
The band’s record company hopes it hits No. 1 this time, though it failed to dent the charts when rereleased for the queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Diamond Jubilee in 2012.