In October 1976 the Sex Pistols signed their record deal with EMI and recorded their single 'Anarchy In The UK'. A tour was hurriedly put together by the Sex Pistols management to promote the single; showcase their band and punk rock in general. The December 'Anarchy Tour' was confirmed with the Damned and the Clash as support, with Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers flying in as special guests from New York. It was the first time that fans outside of London could really get close to what was happening. Then, after the infamous two-minute "foul-mouthed" December 1 television appearance opposite Bill Grundy on the Today programme, punk became front page news and within days, 16 out of 19 halls cancelled. The Damned only lasted the first gig.
The story goes that the tour was prevented from becoming the trailblazing nationwide package it could've been. The tabloid storm that followed the 'Grundy' incident meant punk was defined and commodified by the media. Most commercial radio stations refused to play the Sex Pistols, and only John Peel played 'Anarchy In The UK' at the BBC. EMI backing out financially halfway through also put a huge financial strain on all the bands.
By mid-December there were very few venues in the country that would consider having the bands. Every concert that was played seemed a minor miracle.
In the end they played just 7 dates at 5 venues.
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