If there is one band that I hold dear it’s these boys. What they did for music, society and attitudes was so stark it could never to be rivalled again. What still confuse’ me though are the attitudes towards the Pistols to this year, 2-thousand and something or another.

And I am not only talking about the God fearing, white collared, Side parting, wash car Sunday’s and 2.2 Children makers and fine Samaritans of our land. I am also talking to the young fishnet-tight, PVC and Lace Clad Lads and Lassies that adorn ‘I am the Anti Christ incarnate’ (or at least his evil younger brother) T- Shirts. Normally accompanied beautifully with a rucksack of some description, and customary ‘Teddy Bear’ Key ring dangling from it. Love it. But this is not just about the ‘Goths’ or shoe gazers either. This is about attitude.

You see the Sex Pistols are viewed to this day like the fans that followed them. Full of nut jobs and anti social young thugums! Dear dear dear! When in fact the sex Pistols were never like this. Only one member could be likened to the fans and that’s because he was one and that was one John Simon Ritchie/Beverley– Or Sid Vicious so termed after a Hamster he had apparently. Sid Vicious was nothing more than a bit of a head banger mate of Lydon, but loved the band from the off, so was drafted in to replace Matlock because he wanted to play ballads and fluffy stuff (official reason – he loved the Beatles). Turfed out on his arse despite being the only one in the band who could actually play or throw a tune together.

I laugh now when I see the next batch of kids coming through with Pictures of Sid on their walls simply because he was nuts. Jeez I even painted one myself when I was a kid, Right above my bed. I thought he was the absolute Dogs Bollocks, mental and anti establishment. That’ll do for me? I’m having some of that to go with my puberty!!! It’s only after years of reading about the pistols I see Sid for what he was, a mad Junkie who gave the band the image they needed and no more. Talentless and out his tits more often than not he could offer image but nothing remotely creative. His dog collar, leather jacket and Guitar stance were Jonnie Thunders and Ramones inspired. Nothing was original really. Perhaps his mothers white dinner jacket in my Way but not much else. The real genius was John the Rotten Lydon.

Lydon is probably the most misunderstood man in music. For most he just hated everything! And I suppose he did hate a lot of things, same as me and you. The difference was that he did something about it. I would like to think of this as challenging ideas. Yes let’s call it that for now. This, for me, is why he was by far the best politician Britain has ever produced. He was his own person, took no direction from anyone, came up with is own thought process then challenged how he had arrived there. Then if it was still relevant in a few weeks time or whatever then this was to be his point of view. Of course this was to be reviewed again after another period of time. Can’t let it stagnate now can we. When that would be? He may decide to change that too. Personally I think this is a fantastic way to be. Never to be pigeon-hole others or to accept be pigeon-holed yourself, but to challenge and progress. It’s a way of thinking and a way to develop. You only need to look at religious nuts running around preaching and brainwashing without an ounce of proof to see why that’s dangerous, far more dangerous than the Sex Pistols who look positively mild mannered by comparison.

Lydon was never anti the common man, anti the music scene, anti the workers, anti art. He was however anti fat cat, anti acceptance, anti greed and anti bureaucracy, with a very low tolerance of stupidity and that for me is his greatest quality. In the Julian Temple film ‘the filth and the fury’, the greatest ever film made about the sex pistols and one of my all time favourites alongside Talking Heads True Stories, you can see the Sex Pistols play a Xmas party for striking miner's kids and one kid chucks a cream pie or cake in Lydon's face. This is why it seems perfectly natural he went onto talk shows and participated in I'm a Celebrity! He never did take himself too seriously. The fans did. This is why I get annoyed when I hear fans say he sold out – he never sold in!! He just didn’t tolerate bollocks.

Ever get the feeling you’re being Cheated? – God Bless the Sex Pistols and all who sail in them.