Anarchy In The U.K.: FX ‘Pistol’ Reveals Band’s Seventies’ Beginnings
The forgotten generation roars once again on FX’s Pistol, the Danny Boyle-directed biopic that has loads of controversy and an explosive level of anarchistic youth pent up in Britain who were fed up with the stultifying economic and cultural scene of the mid-1970s.
They were called saboteurs, anarchists, and destroyers of the status quo in rock. The Sex Pistols led by John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, were an amalgam created by the band’s manager Malcolm McLaren (Thomas Brodie-Sangster).
McLaren’s vision was pure provocation in every way. His trio consisted of guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock, and he recruited 19-year-old John Lydon, who for all appearances was as out there in personality as a frontman could muster.
Their creation is on full display in the new short trailer released today for Pistol which will air on Hulu.
Punks, British society, and anarchy in the U.K.
The punk scene in the UK was fully against Britain’s monarchy and it flouted norms, systemic bigotry and classism, politesse in society, and the usual stuffy British middle-class ways.
Their weapons were discordant hammering music that spared no one in lyrics with head-turning alt-fashion statements like thrift store pinned-up clothes worn with Doc Martens, and an out-there style of hair and makeup that made them stand out vividly.
Executive producer and director Danny Boyle’s Pistol is based on Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones’ 2017 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol which tells the story of a rock & roll revolution that took place over a three-year span.
This is a story of a band of working-class kids with no future who shook the establishment and changed music, fashion, and culture forever.
Toby Wallace is cast as Jones, Anson Boon plays Johnny Rotten, who in reality is suing over this project, plus Louis Partridge cast as Sid Vicious. Also, cast are Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, and Christian Lees as Glen Matlock. Maisie Williams is cast as punk icon Jordan, with Talulah Riley as designer Vivienne Westwood. Iris Law will debut in the series as Soo Catwoman.
At the recent Television Critics Association, Boyle told the TV critics on the video call that it is hard to imagine the sense of futility they felt at that moment. He said: “I can remember trying to explain because your lives are so full now, there are so many opportunities—not just you, but everybody—there’s so much in the world, and there was so little then. You felt like it was kind of well, it wasn’t just kind of flat, it was kind of timed. You felt like you were young and then you were old, and there was nothing in between.”
Boyle said the band’s place in history was profound. “[Sex Pistols] They were the fountainhead that changed it for so many other people coming after them. And I think what they did is they gave a sense of timelessness…And what was different about them is they said that you can do whatever the f*** you want with it. You can waste it, be vacant, be futile or not; it’s up to you. And nothing ever seemed to be the same again, especially for working-class people…”
Controversy erupts
Announced a year ago, the project, Pistol received heavy pushback from John Lydon, who called the effort: “the most disrespectful sh** I’ve ever had to endure” and threatened legal action against what he considered to be an unauthorized series in an interview with The Sunday Times.
By the end of summer, Lydon was countered by Jones and Cook to give FX permission to use the band’s music in Pistol, despite the “majority rules basis” the agreement lays out.
During the TCA panel event, Boyle noted that Lydon completely bowed out of consulting on the production of this TV event.
Tune in to see how a band changed everything, on Hulu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ol1B3w7NtU&feature=youtu.be
Pistols will drop on May 31, exclusively on Hulu in the U.S. Disney+ will host all six episodes in other territories.
