Queen and Sex Pistols concerts in London in 1976 — Rolling Stone
In September 1976, two concerts took place in London, United Kingdom, reflecting different directions in rock music at the time. Queen played a free show in Hyde Park for approximately 150,000 people, while two days later the 100 Club Punk Special drew around 600 spectators for performances by young punk bands. Rolling Stone recounts these events in a retrospective feature.
Queen’s performance in Hyde Park
Amid the success of the songs Seven Seas of Rhye, Killer Queen, Now I’m Here, You’re My Best Friend, and Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen considered holding the biggest free concert in Hyde Park since the Rolling Stones’ performance in 1969. Bohemian Rhapsody topped the UK singles chart for nine weeks.
Queen concluded the main part of their performance with In the Lap of the Gods… Revisited and were preparing to return for an encore featuring Now I’m Here, Big Spender, Jailhouse Rock, and God Save the Queen. However, authorities did not allow the musicians to return to the stage because they feared the situation in the dark park with such a large crowd. Guitarist Brian May later stated that the audience behaved peacefully. At the same time, the following day Sunday Mirror reported several arrests and people taken to hospital after members of the crowd threw bolts and drink cans.
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The punk scene at the 100 Club
The Damned, Buzzcocks, The Clash, Sex Pistols, and Siouxsie and the Banshees performed at the 100 Club Punk Special. At that time, these groups were known primarily within a small London punk scene. Melody Maker magazine called the queue of 600 people outside the club evidence of the beginning of a new era in rock music.
Sex Pistols closed the first evening with a program that included Anarchy in the U.K., Pretty Vacant, New York, as well as covers of The Stooges’ No Fun, The Who’s Substitute, and I’m Not Your Stepping Stone. The Clash opened their set with the new song White Riot. Those attending the performance included Paul Weller, Shane MacGowan, Chrissie Hynde, Colin Newman, Kevin Haskins, and David J.
Rolling Stone notes that Queen’s concert demonstrated the scale of the band’s popularity, while the evening at the 100 Club became an important point in the development of British punk. In the magazine’s view, the simplicity and accessibility of punk compositions encouraged listeners to form their own bands.
