Holidays in the Sun: The Sex Pistols at the Seaside

Abstract

This article analyzes early performances by the Sex Pistols in the North of England, in particular a performance at the White Horse Inn, Whitby, on 11 September 1976, and another at the Penthouse Club, Scarborough, on 24 August 1977—both of which the author attended. The article uses an approach based on Vallack's methodology for valid, first-person research and the schema proposed by Auslander to analyze the performances in terms of the performer, the performance, the audience, and the context. I also relate my analysis to literature on punk culture, and performance, in an attempt to understand the essence of early UK punk rock.