Introduction. This website is named after Randy's Rodeo, a nightclub in San Antonio, Texas. The Sex Pistols' gig there on January 8, 1978, and the riotous events that surrounded it, became one of the most notorious chapters in rock history. The Pistols' Svengali-like manager, Malcolm McLaren, booked the band primarily into country & western nightclubs like Randy's in small markets like San Antonio. It was a perverse, provocative joke. His intent was not to sell tickets, but to incite controversy and mayhem. He succeeded famously.

John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, later expounded on McLaren's strategy in his autobiography, Rotten: "It wasn't a question of throwing the band to the wolves when we chose to just play the South during the American tour. We felt that if we were ever going to be taken seriously in America, it would be from a base we built down south. The cowboys seemed to take it for the joke it was meant to be. We weren't there to destroy their way of life or anything like that. We sought to bring a little freshness into their boring, daily routines."

The Sex Pistols landed in New York on January 3 and performed their American debut in Atlanta on the 5th. Just nine days later after whistle stops in Memphis, San Antonio, Baton Rouge, Dallas, and Tulsa, the tour ended ignominiously with a dispirited show at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco - ironically, the only reasonably appropriate venue on the itinerary.

The Sex Pistols broke up only days after their final performance. Within months, Sid Vicious was found dead of a drug overdose at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. Soon after, John Lydon claimed the Pistols had "killed" rock and roll and embarked on his next musical adventure with Public Image Limited. In the late 90's the Sex Pistols reunited (with original bass player Glen Matlock standing in for Sid) for the aptly monikered "Filthy Lucre" tour.

The following pages present facts, photographs, and (sometimes conflicting) accounts of the Randy's Rodeo show and the American Tour.

Photo Credits

Many of the photographs on these pages were taken by renowned artist Bob Gruen. His Sex Pistols photography - and much more - is displayed on his website, www.bobgruen.com.

Other photos, including the shot of Randy's Rodeo marquis on this page, were taken by Roberta Bayley. Other examples of her work may be seen at the website of Modern Culture At The Gershwin Hotel, a New York gallery specializing in contemporary art. Photos on page 8 and page 9 were taken by Nancy Gray; most of the photos on page 10 were taken by Ken Hoge.

The sources for the rest of the pictures are unknown. Proper credit and links will be given to the photographers and/or copyright holders upon request at anytime; contact Randy's Rodeo via email . Most of these photos were downloaded from Jeremy Frey's excellent (now defunct) website "Welcome To The Rodeo," an in-depth study of the Sex Pistols and their American tour.

Many of these photos were resized, cropped, and altered to suit the format of Randy's Rodeo. Where possible, the photos are linked to their original host pages where they may be viewed in their original, full-sized format.