Sex Pistols Flip Off Rock Hall
Fri Feb 24, 6:24 PM ET

Never mind the Rock Hall, there go the Sex Pistols.

Britain's most infamous punk rabble rousers are giving the big middle finger to the music industry types who've tapped the band for enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, issuing a grammatically impaired open letter saying they have no intention of attending the induction ceremony scheduled for Mar. 13 at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

"Next to the sex Pistols, rock and roll and that hall of fame is a piss stain. Your museum. Urine in wine. We're not coming," the band says via a handwritten note posted on frontman Johnny Rotten's Website, thefiilthandthefury.co.uk. "Were [sic] not your monkey and so what? Fame at $25,000 if we paid for a table, or $15,000 to squeak up in the gallery, goes to a non-profit organization [sic] selling us a load of old famous."

The Sex Pistols, who had been passed over by voters for several years before making the list, had been expected to inject a little anarchy into the proceedings as one of five acts being inducted. Black Sabbath, Blondie, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the late Miles Davis will also be feted.

But, in a nod to the rebel spirit that inspired generations of mohawk-wearing youth, and helped them sell more than a million records, the Sex Pistols made it perfectly clear where their loyalties lie--with themselves.

"Congratulations," the missive continues. "If you voted for us, hope you noted your reasons. Your [sic] anonymous as judges, but your [sic] still music industry people. Were [sic] not coming. Your [sic] not paying attention. Outside the sh-t-stem is a real Sex Pistol."

With the Sex Pistols apparently sitting out the ceremony, there could still be some fireworks courtesy of Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne. In 2000, tired of repeated rejections by voters who opted for tamer acts like Percy Sledge and Bob Seger, Osbourne and his "War Pigs" comrades slammed the Rock Hall selection process, calling it "meaningless" because it's not voted on by fans. However, the bat-chomping metalhead is expected to turn up at next month's induction.

Despite releasing only one album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here Comes the Sex Pistols, the Sex Pistols--whose lineup included Johnny Rotten, Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and the late Sid Vicious--gave 1970s rock 'n' roll a major kick in the ass with blistering, two-minute odes to self-destruction, rebellion and generally bad behavior, including the indelible punk anthems "Anarchy in the U.K." and "God Save the Queen."

The band split in 1978, but surviving members regrouped in 1996 and 2003 for two extremely lucrative tours, which caused some longtime fans to grouse that the band sold out.

In a 2003 interview with Billboard.com, Rotten dissed the band's induction into the "Hall of Shame" and explained why the Sex Pistols have never issued new material since their heyday.

"We only needed to make one album to absolutely define how the world is," the snarling singer said. "Quite frankly, I think it's a miracle that we're still alive, and that's historical in itself. We fought this industry tooth and nail nonstop for 25 solid years, and we're still here."

They just won't be in New York for the ceremony.

I simply don't see what warrants them the Hall anyway. They can fuck off.

KISS on the other hand...

It is kind of surprising that theyre being inducted considering they only ever released 1 album. I wasn't aware of that.

They're one of the best punk rock bands, ever.

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols is one of the great rock albums I consider a must-own, despite what anyone says.

Besides, who needs the Hall of Fame? I'd like to see an inductee of the Academy Awards' Lifetime award do the same.

You know how I feel about this DV.

Although Never Mind the Bollocks is one of the most electrfying albums and the Pistols had their little chunck of 15 minutes and you can never take that away. This current HOF thing is sad.

When it comes down to it this is all about $$$$. It is most lucrative for the Pistols to shun the HOF and try to create some buzz for their 30 year old adolecent act which will later line their pockets. They will get more press from this move insted of showing up expresseing thanks and playing a few numbers.

Me thinks that Malcolm Maclaren has shown his ugly head once again

Well, one thing is true about the Hall of Fame...fans have ZERO input in it. So basically, the only groups elected are those as decreeded by music industry professionals...in other words, producers and executives. :rolleyes:

BTW, when is KISS getting in?

P.S. - Actually, I think the Sex Pistols are worthy of the Rock HOF, if the HOF itself is legit. I mean, yes only one album, but their iconic impact on rock itself makes up for only one album.

I agree Ronnie. Personally, I don't think this is a publicity move by Rotten and the others.

I'm sorry. I just don't see it. Yes, Never Mind the Bollocks is one of the most important albums ever, but that's all they did. That's like saying Brady Anderson should be in the baseball Hall of Fame because he hit 50 homers one year.

Why KISS continually gets snubbed year after year is befuddling to me.

If Citizen Kane was the only film Welles directed I would still favor him on a director's Hall of Fame.

Fair point.

Maybe because KISS sucks?

*Waits for this to become a pointless Sex Pistols vs. Kiss debate.

As far as my opinion guys, I disagree with you on Kiss sucking. Sure there are better bands around, but still.

Don't worry DV, we're not going to turn this into IMDb.

Anyway, I disagree on KISS sucking. Are they the best band ever? Hell no! Not even close. But they still are damn good. Not to mention they have the most gold records by any American band ever.

Don A. you're not gonna like this but I think that KISS is highly overrated. I mean they had a couple of good hits and stuff but their fans are so devoted, I bet if they formed a cult or whatever and told people they had to cut their left hands off, there would be a bunch of people around North America and The World with one hand. Sure, they must put on a pretty decent live show but halfway decent bands are SUPPOSED to do that. Plus Gene Simmons just really irritates me. He seems like an obnoxious, good for nothing, retard with no sense of history or what real Rock And Roll is. As for their being in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, well the R&R H.O.F. is a bit of joke anyways, so yeah, why not?! Induct them. Their fans and their detractors won't really give a shit so it won't really change anything. You know how you can tell that the R&R H.O.F. is a joke?? It's in CLEVELAND! Not New York, not Los Angeles, not Chicago, not Washington D.C., not Detroit, not Seattle but CLEVELAND! :p

Well, anyone who's been to a KISS show knows it's not just decent. It's probably the best live show going. As
for Simmons, well, he's not a retard. He's just very full of himself and if I had Shannon Tweed and millions of dollars as pocket change, I would be too.

I'm not quite sure what you meant by the "not having a sense of what rock and roll is", etc.

Sure KISS fans are devoted, but doesn't every group have devoted fans?

Your points are valid and I can definitely see where you're coming from Andrew. Especially your point about fans of a group or movie star being extremely devoted (I still don't know why Aishwarya Rai doesn't return my calls and has not given an answer to my asking for her hand in marriage ) but I mean, KISS fans take it to like the next level. They dress up like the band for one, think that they're in the band, and refuse to listen to anyone who would dare question KISS's authority as the best band on the face of The Planet.

As for my saying that Simmons doesn't know what real Rock 'N Roll is, well I mean, to me it seems that KISS is all about theatrics. This is fine and good. A lot of Rock is based on theatrics, and it has been proven time and again that theatrics produce entertainment, and musicians whether they want to be or not are in the entertainment indusry. If they don't build it, people will not come. However, KISS focuses too much on their costumes and their makeup (wtf?) instead of their music. I realize they already have the fans, the chicks, the money, the houses, the cars and pretty much everything us mere mortals could hope to aspire to have. But having all this and having the costumes and the makeup and the fire and the whatnot whatever, KISS seems to forget that they should be a (and maybe were at one time) Rock 'N Roll band, first and foremost. Simmons is the main instigator for their nonsense bullshit so he should get most of the blame. Don't get me wrong, they have produced some great music and I have bobbed my head to the odd KISS tune every now and then, but they are not all that they have been made up to be.

Then again Don J, what about Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper, two men known for their stage theatrics? BTW, why Cooper isn't in the HOF either is another pisser at the HOF.

BTW, scary thought of the night....Alice Cooper is a Republican. No really, just try to imagine that.

Ronnie, yeah for sure Ozzy Ozbourne and Alice Cooper both employ the use of theatrics in their acts and as I said in my last post this is all good. It's when the theatrics get in the way of the music, that's when the theatrics become a problem for me. Both Ozbourne and Cooper and many others who are perhaps more well known for their live shows then the quality of their music overall, have been integral in the history and development of Rock 'N Roll music and others like them will continue to be. I don't know I just value Ozbourne and Cooper and say a band like System Of a Down, or The Killers, or Franz Ferdinand (or whoever you young folk are listening to today ) more as artists and musicians than say KISS.

As for Cooper being a Republican? Yup, that is kinda scary. It's kinda like finding out that Don Cherry (a diehard supporter of The Conservative Party of Canada) votes for The (Leftist) New Democratic Party. :p

I saw KISS in 1978 and I remember alot of Moms & Dads taking their 10 year old kids to the show. I knew it was time to get off the ride right then.

Hall of Fame a joke, maybe but there is still time to right the ship. Putting KISS in would'nt do that.

What's next The Monkees, The Partridge Family

Ok, well first and foremost let me make this point. KISS, what they are all about, is appealing to the superhero aspect. Fans dress up as their favorite members, don the makeup of their favorite members (I sure have), etc. The makeup and costumes ('wtf!?') are part of the act. As for KISS fans 'refusing to listen to anyone who would dare question KISS's authority as the best band on the face of The Planet', again, which band that has diehard fans don't say this? And that isn't even true. I for one, love KISS, but know that they aren't the best band ever.

KISS have admitted, that it is first and foremost about the theatrics, and second the music. There is nothing wrong with that, as KISS delivers pretty damn good music anyway. Just give me one example of a KISS stinker (DYNASTY) and I'll give you a great Rock and Roll album (HOTTER THAN HELL).

As for Simmons being 'the instigator of their nonsense bullshit', what exactly is their nonsense bullshit?

Don A., I interpret a lot of the spitting blood and stuff as "nonsense bullshit" but perhaps I was a bit harsh in that assessment. That is part of the theatrics and there are quite a few people who are into that. Whatever, I guess on a weird day, I would be into that kind of stuff myself.

I know you are a fan of the band, and I for the most part am not. You have stated that KISS places an emphasis on the theatrics and actually say that they are entertainers first and musicians second. See, I didn't know this. I had a feeling, but I wasn't completely sure. This changes my opinion of them a bit but not fully. It's good that they do acknowledge that entertaining people and making them feel good is what they are all about and that they do on occasion make music but that is not their primary concern. That's all kool and the gang. Obviously all musicians and all entertainers (actors, comedians, artists, writers, whatever) are out to either make people feel good, educate them, make them bring out their emotions, make them laugh, make them cry, make them think etc. etc. The sign of a really good artist is that he/she is able to do all of these things depending on the piece of art.

You also mentioned the whole "super hero" thing about the band. This is something I totally get as well. Lord knows that I idolize many athletes, academics, journalists, politicians, actors, writers, comedians, artists and yes musicians. I don't want to overanalyze this and get all highfalutin but I think that KISS fans such as yourself can experience a relief from their troubles for at least an hour or two (or however long one of their shows lasts) and come out of one feeling like a new and better person. We all do this with movies, music, reading, watching tv, admiring a piece of art, porn, whatever. Of course with porn the results are quite immediate when compared with the others but that is another matter altogether.lol!

I like Simmons though I have to admit his ego annoys me at times.

I pissed myself when he stated that he "invented" the horns gesture, when in fact it was Ronnie James Dio.

I agree. Trust me, alot of KISS fans agree.