Steve Jones on joining the Sex Pistols: "The only spot open in the band was guitarist, so I had to do that or f**k off"
In this archival GW chat, the punk guitar ace discusses the Pistols' origins, and his first Les Paul
With the recent release of Pistol, the six-part TV mini-series documenting the tumultuous, all-too-brief career of UK punk legends the Sex Pistols, we thought it'd be a good time to revisit this brief but insightful chat with the band's hugely influential electric guitar player, Steve Jones.
Frontman Johnny Rotten and especially the band's late bassist, Sid Vicious, might have gotten all of the headlines, but it was Jones' Chuck Berry-by-way-of-the-gutter riffery that powered songs like God Save the Queen, Anarchy in the U.K. and Holidays in the Sun, all integral pieces of the great punk songbook.
The following interview with Jones – which features him discussing the Pistols' origins, his first Les Paul, his attitude toward gear and more – was originally published in the June 2010 issue of Guitar World.
What inspired you to start playing the guitar?
"I actually got pushed over from singing to playing guitar. I wasn’t planning on being a guitar player; I was going to be a singer. And I was for a little bit in the Sex Pistols – that is, until we got John Lydon [Johnny Rotten]. And then I realized I wasn’t really suited as a front guy. The only spot open in the band was guitarist, so I had to do that or fuck off."
What was your first guitar?
"It was a ’74 Gibson Les Paul, a white Custom. [Former Pistols manager] Malcolm McLaren brought it back after he finished managing the New York Dolls and gave it to me when I was around 18 or 19. It used to belong to [Dolls guitarist] Sylvain Sylvain."
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Do you remember your first gig?
"My very first gig was with the Sex Pistols, and it was also our first-ever gig – it was a very short set, and it was at Saint Martins College of Art [in the U.K.], in 1975. We were opening up for a band called Bazooka Joe, and their bass player at the time was Adam Ant, who went on to form Adam and the Ants. But they pulled the plug on us after only four songs because we were so loud and different. They all freaked out."
Ever had an embarrassing onstage moment?
"I really can’t remember any specific one, though I know I’ve had many of them. And I do know it was usually when I was intoxicated. But who doesn’t do silly things when they’re drunk?"
What is your favorite piece of gear?
"I haven’t got one because I don’t get attached to things like a lot of people do. A lot of guitar players collect loads of guitars and all that, but that is not my thing. If someone offered me the right price for my Les Paul, I would fuckin’ sell it. At the end of the day, it’s how you play that matters, not your gear."
Got any advice for young players?
"I would say that they have picked a weird time to start playing music, as there is no money to be made right now. But if you still want to, go ahead. I’d tell them to copy me, because whatever I do is fantastic."
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Joe Matera is an Australian guitarist and music journalist who has spent the past two decades interviewing a who's who of the rock and metal world and written for Guitar World, Total Guitar, Rolling Stone, Goldmine, Sound On Sound, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and many others. He is also a recording and performing musician and solo artist who has toured Europe on a regular basis and released several well-received albums including instrumental guitar rock outings through various European labels. Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera has called him, "... a great guitarist who knows what an electric guitar should sound like and plays a fluid pleasing style of rock." He's the author of Backstage Pass: The Grit and the Glamour.
“I remember my dad saying, ‘There’s no ambience, Brian. I don’t feel like I’m in the room with you playing next to me’”: Why Brian May and Queen were unhappy with their debut album – and how the newly revamped version fixes the “very dry” guitar parts
“He wasn’t very nice to anybody. I could hear my mom saying, ‘Are you really going to spend the next 15 years of your life with this man?’” Stevie Nicks pinpoints the moment she knew Lindsey Buckingham had to be axed from Fleetwood Mac