August 28th, 1976 - 46 years ago today, the Sex Pistols made their TV debut on the Granada TV music show So It Goes hosted by Tony Wilson
Famous for giving TV spots to bands spearheading the burgeoning new wave and punk movements, Tony Wilson managed to get the Sex Pistols on the show to perform 'Anarchy in the UK' three months before the single was released [November 26th, 1976] and their legendary encounter with Bill Grundy [December 1st, 1976] made headline news.
"It was nothing short of an epiphany, Wilson said. "The idiots at the BBC just didn't get it. After this I wanted to film the Pistols Anarchy Tour, but someone got cold feet. A memo arrived in the office saying, 'there will be no mention of the Sex Pistols on this programme [So It Goes] for the next month'."
The performance of 'Anarchy' was legendary, but its ending was edited for broadcast. The recording was originally an epic six or seven minutes long and had to be cut down for transmission. Sadly the original version has been wiped but what remained managed to capture the all-important shot of Johnny’s stare.
Punk icon Jordan also appeared in the performance. It was noticeable that her armband was taped over. Wilson had acted as an intermediary between the Pistols and Granada TV controllers in a three-hour long discussion to decide whether she would be allowed on the show wearing a swastika armband. A compromise was made that meant she could keep the sleevewear as long as the symbol was masked!