How the Sex Pistols ‘Today’ incident affected AC/DC
Broadly speaking, the 1970s was a strange period for music. A chapter of unfettered evolution stoked by the innovative strides of the previous decade, it saw a host of genres develop and perceptions of sonics alter beyond recognition. It says everything about the decade’s spirit that metal, prog, punk, disco, glam, and other notable forms emerged. Naturally, such a variety of music produced both sound and shoddy cultural elements, one of the most important being Sex Pistols.
While the punk pioneers were one of the most divisive outfits of their day and, ironically, in the story of the genre, there can be no doubt that they were anything but highly significant. The tip of the British movement’s spear, John Lydon and the rest of the band vocalised their generation’s discontent and kicked back against the establishment in a way that hadn’t been seen before their arrival. It was snotty, snarling and unrelenting, and their actions even made former Beatle John Lennon’s comment about the Fab Four being more popular than Jesus look innocuous.
From the lyrical takedowns of British institutions to crashing the dear old Queen’s Silver Jubilee, the quartet and their manager, Malcolm McLaren, largely matched their words with actions. While they would eventually disintegrate in what seemed like the blink of an eye, by the time they called it a day in 1978, music was irreparably changed and much better off for it. Classic rock had all but been consigned to the past, with the post-punk and new wave movements cropping up to carry the baton into the bright white light of the future.
One of the most notorious moments in the Sex Pistols’ career was when they caused havoc during an appearance on the Today programme, hosted by Bill Grundy in December 1976. The flashpoint made them a household name and confirmed their status as the vanguard of British punk, as their clashes with the host, use of profanity, and generally belligerent behaviour polarised the country.
An absolute scandal in light of Britain’s social complexion at the time, it not only destroyed Grundy’s career and canceled the programme just two months later but also markedly raised the group’s celebrity. It was the moment that punk stepped out of the darkness and into the light, converging with mainstream culture forevermore. Furthermore, it was also perhaps the first indication that they would ultimately fly too close to the sun.
While the Today incident would be life-changing for the band in several ways and earn them legions of followers ready to take up sonic arms against the likes of Grundy and the obsolete establishment, it also negatively affected other bands known for their rowdy ways. One of these is hard-rock heroes AC/DC, purveyors of a swaggering good time in their music. While they certainly weren’t punk, their dedication to proper rock ‘n’ roll and punk’s musical debt to the fundamental form provides at least some spiritual parallels between the pair.
In a lost 1977 interview published in 2019 by Classic Rock, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young revealed how the Sex Pistols’ Today showing had affected his band’s operations. After frontman Bon Scott drunkenly nearly ended up in Glasgow instead of Cardiff to play a show, it was acknowledged that for the group’s present tour, they had been banned from playing in the Scottish city.
This was all to do with the fallout from the Sex Pistols on Today reverberating across the United Kingdom and music. Not only were punks now feared up and down this fair land, but other groups known for raucous live gigs were, too, with AC/DC feeling the sting of this shift in attitudes. The decision was taken in Glasgow due to a previous gig at the City Hall where their fans had ravaged the venue, leading to a quick ban.
Interestingly, it wasn’t just Glasgow that turned AC/DC away. It was also reported that “Liverpool stadium,” which is presumably the legendary football ground Anfield, had also barred the band. Nevertheless, the plucky gang of Australians were undeterred in their mission of bringing rock ‘n’ roll back to its roots. “Never mind, they’ll open up again to us when they’re losing money,” Young confidently remarked. This ban made the band both more ardent yet savvy in their approach. The fact that Back in Black is both one of the top ten biggest selling albums of all time, and nothing short of pure rock ‘n’ roll typifies this.