Sid Vicious could actually play bass...kinda.

[IpseDixit]

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This recently unearthed soundcheck from the Sex Pistols last show at Winterland in '78 surprised me, not only in terms of the sound quality but also the fact that a) I could actually hear the bass and b) Sid is actually (mostly) hitting the right notes during songs (the noodling around between songs doesn't really count). It's been a long accepted truism in rock circles (and here) that Sid just flailed away hopelessly and was there purely for the visual element, but at least by the end of the tour he seemed on his way to being a competent, if rather unexceptional, bass player.

Note: Johnny does yell "Turn Sid down!" several times, but I think that's more because he's simply too loud in the monitors. Sid is definitely flubbing some notes now and then and just thumping the roots, but on the whole I was quite surprised how well he kept up, given his reputation.

 

[Craig T Vector]

Pretty cool! Thanks for sharing.

 

[ERIC31]

First off, I'm a Sex Pistols fan.

Sound quality is surprisingly good for a tape this old. His P-Bass through an Ampeg stack sounds like crap by itself but it sure sounds good blended in with drums and guitar. =)

Sid was ok at best. Drugs were the priority in his life, bass playing was definitely way down on the list. He was exceptionally good at the "punk rock pose" for sure. He was the blueprint for plenty of crusty, drunk punks ever since.

 

[bassmalone4]

He was as good as any other brand new player I've heard. What I really liked was his singing. He was the one that should have replaced Rotten. I thought he was actually better.

 

[JimmyM]

Sounds like these songs are sped up. Bigtime.

 

[iamthebassman]

"Johnny does yell "Turn Sid down!" several times, but I think that's more because he's simply too loud in the monitors."

He says it right after each time Sid joins in singing on "We're so pretty...", he's referring to turning Sid's vocals down.

 

[rafst29]

You can hear that whole show at Wolfgangs Vault..

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Not sure if that link will work..but yeah..I always thought he couldn't play AT ALL, and I was pleasantly surprised when I heard some live stuff.

 

[shrimpflea]

Sounds like these songs are sped up. Bigtime.

Sped up meaning they were playing them faster or the actual recording was sped up?

 

[knumbskull]

ah he was never supposed to be any good. and he wasn't.

NMTB will always be a classic album, mind.

 

[JimmyM]

Sped up meaning they were playing them faster or the actual recording was sped up?

Actual recording. Those songs were a whole step higher than the original recordings and any other live boots of them I've heard.

 

[nortonrider]

Ability to play the bass or not, you guys are still talking about him.
So... I guess by that mark, he succeeded!

 

[mattbass6945]

how do you make a p bass and ampeg sound like crap?!?!?!?

 

[lexington125]

Jonesy sounds good, as always; I like when he steps on a footswitch and his reverb kicks in at 1:13
(honest admission - as a late boomer, the '75 - '78 NYC scene was the golden age for me; so the only thing that would have made the last Pistols show any better would have been for it to be in NY)

 

[Precision101]

Sid was never really a true "bass player" the band needed a bassist because glen Matlock quit and they needed a bassist quick and Sid stepped up but didn't know how to play but he got a bass and took a whole load of speed and listen to a ramones record on repeat and learned the basics of the instrument. But in the studio he rarely played. Normally in live performances he would have to turn down to the point where there was no bass at all. But hey he was the most punk out of any of them.

 

[GLEN18INCHSPICA]

Listen to the "Sid Sings" recording. He was learning how to play by the time of that performance & singing at the same time. It's poor quality but I enjoy the heckling drunk dude inbetween trax, the obnoxious audience & Sid banging away on a P bass through a SVT.

 

[Precision101]

Listen to the "Sid Sings" recording. He was learning how to play by the time of that performance & singing at the same time. It's poor quality but I enjoy the heckling drunk dude inbetween trax, the obnoxious audience & Sid banging away on a P bass through a SVT.

I've seen that it's pretty funny.

 

[Vince Klortho]

A friend saw the Sex Pistols in St. Louis. He said Sid was playing his bass so hard that he broke three of its strings and was flailing away on just one string at the end of the show.

 

[Precision101]

Was his pick made of steel or what? That's insane.

 

[JimmyM]

how do you make a p bass and ampeg sound like crap?!?!?!?

I thought it sounded great.

 

[LordDog]

LOL "it sounds like a terrible mess up here" is about right!