Punk was mostly crap.
The Clash soon became something other than punk.
The Sex Pistols were really a metal band and deep down wanted to be Led Zep, just like every other rock band of the day. I swear I read an article where, many years after their original demise, Mr Rotten admitted it but best I can find is:
JL answer to Classic Rock:
I remember waiting in the bar for you to come on during the Album tour, hearing Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir coming over the PA, and thinking the DJ was having some kind of breakdown, but it turned out to be the first song in PiL’s set. Quite an audacious move.
Yeah, I know. I was supposed to run on and do the Robert Plant bit, but no, I can’t [laughs]. I mean, we’d rehearsed it, but it never, ever felt right to [do it]. I thought I’d be standing in someone else’s shoes at that point, but it was a good homage to a band that we do love. Although, yes, I’ve never mentioned Zeppelin very much, Physical Graffiti is one of my favourite albums. The sheer terror and ferocity of it… beautiful landscaping.
Steve Jones in Rolling Stone:
You wrote that something that bugged you about punk is how it seemed like you weren’t supposed to want money or enjoy success. Where do you think that came from so early?
Well it came from all the other punk bands at the time, the Clash, with the lyrics. There were all these other bands saying, “We’re not like all the rock stars that drive around in Rolls Royces and live in mansions.” It’s not like we were going to do that, but it we didn’t want to be broke either. Who wants to be broke? It was a stupid thing. I don’t want to live in some bloody squat. None of us did. I think I speak for all of us when I say we wanted to make dough like anybody else, and we deserved to make dough.
So I don’t know where all that started. It was other bands thinking that’s what it was about. It was a different vibe from Led Zeppelin, it was a different thing. But apart from the money, there’s no difference between Led Zeppelin and the Sex Pistols. It’s the same personality: There’s the crazy one, the one who don’t like that one, and they do outrageous things. There’s no difference.
