The appearance of the Sex Pistols in 1976 seemed less like the arrival of a band than a warning from a nightmarish future. Sex Pistols: Poison in the Machine examines the group's explosive impact by placing Malcolm McLaren's audacious, self-sabotaging art project at its centre - a scheme forged from radical politics, cultural fatigue and a genius for provocation. John Scanlan traces how this volatile experiment collided with the Pistols' own musical force and John Lydon's uncompromising originality, reshaping its purpose and accelerating the band's implosion. Moving between London and New York, Scanlan reveals the personalities, pressures and accidents that gave punk its charge and altered popular culture far beyond its brief, chaotic lifespan.
| ISBN: | 9781836392897 |
| Publication date: | 1st July 2026 |
| Author: | John Scanlan |
| Publisher: | Reaktion Books |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 276 pages |
| Genres: |
Music Popular music Musicians, singers, bands and groups |
The appearance of the Sex Pistols in 1976 seemed less like the arrival of a band than a warning from a nightmarish future. Sex Pistols: Poison in the Machine examines the group's explosive impact by placing Malcolm McLaren's audacious, self-sabotaging art project at its centre - a scheme forged from radical politics, cultural fatigue and a genius for provocation. John Scanlan traces how this volatile experiment collided with the Pistols' own musical force and John Lydon's uncompromising originality, reshaping its purpose and accelerating the band's implosion. Moving between London and New York, Scanlan reveals the personalities, pressures and accidents that gave punk its charge and altered popular culture far beyond its brief, chaotic lifespan.
Sex Pistols features in the following genres: Music, Popular music, Musicians, singers, bands and groups
Sex Pistols is available in Paperback, Hardback
Sex Pistols was written by John Scanlan and published by Reaktion Books
Sex Pistols has 276 pages
£11.66