Sex Pistols aim to give queen's jubilee a touch of punk
In Britain, there are several traditional elements to a royal anniversary: pageants, street parties, the Sex Pistols
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Your support makes all the difference.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 āGod Save the Queenā during the 1977 Silver Jubilee that marked the monarch's 25 years on the throne.
The anti-authoritarian anthem ā not to be confused with the actual British national anthem of the same name ā has been re-released for Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, or 70 years as queen. Itās one of a raft of cultural tie-ins ā critics might say cash-ins ā spurred by the royal milestone.
Members of the band that rhymed āGod save the queenā with āfascist regimeā and āshe aināt no human beingā have mellowed over the years.
āIām not against it,ā Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones said of Britainās four-day jubilee extravaganza, which starts Thursday and includes military parades, concerts, picnics and innumerable Union Jacks.
āI see all the flags are up everywhere,ā Jones said while visiting London from Los Angeles, where he has lived for more than 30 years. āI mean, itās entertaining stuff. Tourists just absolutely love it.ā
Sex Pistols singer John Lydon, formerly known as Johnny Rotten, recently told broadcaster Talk TV he was āreally, really proud of the queen for surviving and doing so well.ā
Itās a far cry from 1977, when āGod Save the Queenā was launched on the jubilee weekend with an anarchic Sex Pistols gig on a riverboat ā the Queen Elizabeth ā 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 Stewartās āI Donāt Want to Talk About Itā ā though rumors persist that the Sex Pistolsā song actually sold more copies.
The bandās record company hopes it hits No. 1 this time, though it failed to dent the charts when rereleased for the queenās Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Other cultural institutions are also getting in on the jubilee action. Auctioneer Christieās is selling two Andy Warhol screen prints of the queen. Rival Sothebyās is offering a lightbox portrait of the queen by Chris Levine and Jamie Reidās now-iconic artwork for the Pistols' āGod Save the Queen,ā showing the monarchās face covered in ransom-note lettering.
Many museums and galleries have special exhibitions and events. Some are quirky, such as a jubilee-themed Drag Queen Bingo that Londonās Horniman Museum is holding.
Britainās monarchy has a sometimes awkward, but increasingly close, relationship with popular culture. Who can forget the queenās scene with Daniel Craigās James Bond during the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, which culminated in a stunt double for the monarch skydiving into the stadium?
Pop music ā nothing too edgy ā is playing a central part in this week's jubilee festivities. A concert outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday will feature artists including Elton John, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran and Diana Ross, while Ed Sheeran is due to perform at the main jubilee pageant on Sunday.
Television series āThe Crownā has mined the queenās long reign for drama, and blurred the lines between fact and fiction for millions of viewers. The Sex Pistols are having their own fact-meets-fiction moment with āPistol,ā a Danny Boyle-directed miniseries based on Jonesā memoir āLonely Boy.ā
The Sex Pistols split in 1978 after releasing one album. Jones says heād ājust had enough. It was so dark and horrible at that point.ā
But he is proud of the bandās legacy, even if he sometimes sounds weary talking about it.
āIt was an important time in music and Iām glad it happened,ā Jones said. āBecause it made people think, and it made people think, āWell I can do that.ā Prior to that living in England, you didnāt have many options."
But, Jones added: āI donāt particularly listen to punk rock anymore. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years, you know, and Iām 66 years old. Iām not a kid anymore. I think it would be a bit silly if I was still flying that flag."
āI like Steely Dan," he said. "Is that bad?ā
Pistols bassist Sid Vicious died in 1979 at age 21, but the surviving members have reunited sporadically for concerts. Lydon and his former bandmates faced off in court earlier this year when the singer tried to stop the groupās music being used in the āPistolā TV series.
A further musical reunion ā perhaps for the queenās 75-year anniversary in 2027 ā seems unlikely.
āI canāt see it,ā Jones said. āBut you never know, man. This band ā you never know.ā
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Follow all AP stories on the British royals at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii