sex pistols bassist sid vicous

bass guy · #1 07-06-2006, 07:15 PM

is it true that he didnt even know how to play the bass and would sometimes turn the amp off during a concert

steamthief · #2 07-06-2006, 07:37 PM

Sid truly sucked - he was brought on because he projected a more outrageous "punk" image. I have an import LP called "Sid Sings", which is a live recording, and it is really, really awful. Glenn Matlock did all the studio recordings, and while none of his playing is overly complex, at least it's in key and locks in with the drums.

Woodchuck · #3 07-06-2006, 07:47 PM

He had the skills of an aborted fetus. He truly sucked. Sorry, but he did.

Joe Garage · #4 07-06-2006, 07:49 PM

Glen is great bass player, and made a lot of catchy bass lines. Unfortunatly since Glen during was fired during the recording of the album, he only play on Anarchy in the UK, and Steve Jones the guitar played on the other songs.

Check out more of Glen playing here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eNY5...l%20for%20cats

BOOCAKE4U · #5 07-06-2006, 10:02 PM

sid vicious only needed one string

cowsgomoo · #6 07-07-2006, 07:04 AM

it's true, Sid was a terrible musician by anyone's standards... he made Mark Hoppus look like Jaco

still, he's a legend of sorts, even if he's mostly legendary for being an idiot

he looked the part though

Joe Nerve · #7 07-07-2006, 07:14 AM

I never quite understood why sid became such an icon. He was basically a lowlife drug addict piece of crap who added nothing but negativity to the world. If I'm wrong please do defend him.

Also, Steamthief - I had that album also. I lent it to my g-friend when I was 19 and she dumped me and wouldn't give it back. As much as it sucked I couldn't help but to be entertained by the live My Way.

txbasschik · #8 07-07-2006, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass guy

is it true that he didnt even know how to play the bass and would sometimes turn the amp off during a concert

Sid sucked. Hard.

I love the Pistols, mostly for the rawness, and for Anarchy In The UK/USA, but Sid sucked.

Cherie

Matt Till · #9 07-07-2006, 08:57 AM

I still love that stupid ass Butterfly song by Crazytown.

"Girl yous and mes like Sid and Nancy"

So basically, we're going to do a ton of heroin, I'll kill you, then I'll kill myself.

<3

Kink Rimson · #10 07-07-2006, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

I never quite understood why sid became such an icon. He was basically a lowlife drug addict piece of crap who added nothing but negativity to the world. .

Ditto. It makes me laugh when I see kids in a Sid t-shirt, proably ain't got a clue who he is, half of em.

xvertirx · #11 07-07-2006, 01:49 PM

on the last page of this month's bass guitar magazine theres a pic of syd with Lemmy from motorhead. Look at Syd's fingernails--eewwww. The guitarist said he used to turn Syd's amp off because he played so horrible.

edit: look at lemmy close up ewww..

Jereth · #12 07-07-2006, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xvertirx

on the last page of this month's bass guitar magazine theres a pic of syd with Lemmy from motorhead. Look at Syd's fingernails--eewwww. The guitarist said he used to turn Syd's amp off because he played so horrible.

edit: look at lemmy close up ewww..

Yeah, I saw that... hehe.

Brief piece on him from same magazine-
He was a great punk icon, but as a bass player, Sid Vicious left a lot to be desired. In fact, as Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones says in John Lydon's 1994 book Rotten-No Irish, No Blacks, No dogs(Picador), the rest of the band ''tried as hard as possible not to let him anywhere near the studio''. A complete amateur who had never played bass before being asked to replace the Pistols' Glen Matlock in 1977. Vicious was so hopeless that, according to the 200 documentary The Filth and the Fury, he others would actually turn his amp off at gigs. ''He actually came down... and played on 'God Save The Queen'and 'Bodies,''' Jones says in Rotten, ''When he left, I dubbed another [bass] part on, leaving Sid's down low. I think it might be barely audible on the track.''

On a slightly odd note, Flea considers him to be the greatest bass player of all time.

RSchuster · #13 07-07-2006, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jereth

On a slightly odd note, Flea considers him to be the greatest bass player of all time.

Either Flea is having a good laugh, or I gave him way too much credit . . . I sincerely hope it's the first.

Matt Till · #14 07-07-2006, 11:17 PM

Flea is a bit of a poseur who puts attitude before everything...

Joe Nerve · #15 07-08-2006, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jereth

On a slightly odd note, Flea considers him to be the greatest bass player of all time.

If I'm not mistaken you're terribly misquoting flea. In his instructional video he used sid as an example of putting everything you've got into one note, but I'm quite certain he never said he was the greatest bass player of all time. Flea isn't an idiot.

BrandonBass · #16 07-08-2006, 01:22 AM

flea is a hypocrite....i do like him as musician tho

Jereth · #17 07-09-2006, 04:40 PM

Aye, Flea puts attitude before everything...

I'm sure I didn't misunderstand him though, can't check now though 'cos I gave the DVD back to my drummers brother. I think his words were ''... the greatest bass player of our time, Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols''

I also read in a magazine that he said that before I actually saw the DVD.

THIRSTYGUMS · #18 07-10-2006, 06:44 PM

ill defend sid!, By all accounts Sid was a very sweet guy who got sucked in and chewed up by scumbags like malcom mclaren (spit) and Nancey Spungen (puke) not to mention the heroin scene he got involved in. Watch 'the filth and the fury' the sex pistols documentary if you want to find out about him.
As a bass player he wasnt even in the running, but he did bring a lot of energy and charisma to one of the most important bands of our time.

go on, Argue with me!!!!

Jereth · #19 07-10-2006, 06:55 PM

I briefly glanced through Lydon's book Rotten in a bookstore today. It said something about when Sid was recruited, they expected him to adapt to the way a band works, but they didn't realise he was that stupid. He was apparantly much better as an audience member than he was as a band member. It said something about him just not 'getting' the band scene.

I whole heartedly agree with you ThirstyGums

cowsgomoo · #20 07-11-2006, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THIRSTYGUMS

ill defend sid!, By all accounts Sid was a very sweet guy who got sucked in and chewed up by scumbags like malcom mclaren (spit) and Nancey Spungen (puke) not to mention the heroin scene he got involved in. Watch 'the filth and the fury' the sex pistols documentary if you want to find out about him.
As a bass player he wasnt even in the running, but he did bring a lot of energy and charisma to one of the most important bands of our time.

go on, Argue with me!!!!

I don't disagree he was a punk rock icon, but i'll argue with you on him being a 'very sweet guy' before getting involved with Nancy and McLaren

this is the bloke who twatted a journalist six times round the head with a bike chain in June 1976 at an early Sex Pistols gig... long before Nancy and smack appeared and long before he joined the Pistols

and this is also the bloke who hurt a girl at a gig around that time by chucking a beer glass which shattered, hit her in the eye & blinded her

he might have been sweet most of the time but by all accounts he had a nasty streak and he's no hero of mine...