A punk band’s first gig outside London has been remembered 50 years later with a talk and a commemorative plaque in a North Yorkshire town.
The Sex Pistols played at Sayers nightclub in Northallerton, now Amadeus, on May 19, 1976, as part of a five-day tour that also included stops in Middlesbrough and Scarborough.
This performance marked their first appearance outside London.
To mark the anniversary, Northallerton Library hosted a talk by punk historian Ian Trowell, who shared rare photographs and explored the rise of punk in 1976.
Mr Trowell said: "We don’t know how many people attended the concert, but we are sure they didn’t enjoy it!
"Of course, that was the idea: the band was openly committed more to creating chaos than to creating music".
The event drew an audience of 40 people and was attended by the Mayor of Northallerton, Cllr Andrew Hugill, alongside councillors Phil Eames and Shirley Bell.
Read more
-
65 photos as almost 1,400 runners brave 24°C heat for Northallerton 10k
-
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears at Northallerton 10K on crutches
-
Much-loved family-run North Yorkshire fish and chip café closes after 30 years
-
Plaque recalls the man behind a gift which helped shape a town’s future education
During the event, a green plaque was unveiled to commemorate the historic gig.
Cllr Eames, who commissioned the plaque, said: "Although this was a small concert by a relatively unknown band at the time, they went on to become world-famous, and we know that their visit to the town is a special memory for many residents, as shown by the interest in this event".
Northallerton Town Council hopes to install the plaque on or near the original venue.
Share