hastings pier

supplied by Sarah Harvey

photos supplied by Michael Johansson.

Michael says… Budgie 1976. Second picture 68 Milward Rd 1976

Sarah Harvey…..Was talking to the fella’ who services my boiler the other day and his lasting memory of Hastings Pier was this gig. He said the Sex Pistols were pile of poo and got practically booed off the stage…. everyone had come to see Budgie. Also amused me about the Wrestling and some those that were household names during the 70s.

Bobby Walker….I was there. Had gone to see Budgie, as had become a huge fan after seeing them supporting Genesis on the Pier (never got to see that much of Genesis as spent their set chatting to Budgie in the bar).  The Pistols were an almost completely unknown entity at the time – Danny Baker had mentioned them once in the NME.  They were on stage for less than 20 minutes. They couldn’t play. They played “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone” three times and definitely played The Stooges “No Fun”.  They were, without doubt, the most exciting live band I’d ever seen.  Think there was only one punk in the audience. A really nice bloke who called himself Sid Vicious.
A friend, Marianne (sadly no longer with us), was so impressed with the Pistols at that gig she changed her name and formed her own band – she became Poly Styrene and the band was X-Ray Spex
Two weeks later, The Stranglers played support to the Frankie Miller Band and got the same poor reception, despite being quite brilliant. Remember only three of us were on our feet during the Stranglers … me, Gary Paine and John Storer (who I met again a couple of years back – he’s now a lawyer)
We got invited backstage by Hugh Cornwell from the stage and he called the rest of the audience “wankers”.

Jane Hartley…..Oh yes, I was at the Rosko night, still got the ciggie he gave me!

Mick O’Dowd…..Most people when asked about The Pistols appearing on The Pier thought they were the headliners when in fact they were only the support. They never did reappear on the Pier.

Martyn Baker…..My girlfriend at the time was dead keen for us to see The Sex Pistols that night. I’d never heard of them , so I said “nah, let’s go down The Anchor instead”! Missed opportunity?

Paul Morfey… I was there, wondering what the hell was going on, green hair and safety pins!

Dave Weeks… Me too

Ernest Ballard… Sex pistols supporting Budgie ?

Neil William Michael McGuigan… It was quite a night. Pistols were virtually unknown at the time outside of London and a few mentions in NME. Only 2 punks in the crowd, Sid and the blonde from SEX Kings Road

Peter Houghton… Think I saw Budgie a couple of times on the pier

Alan Esdaile… Have them listed as playing 8 times on the pier.

Tony Court-holmes… twice saw them both times i think they were the support for Genesis

Nigel Ford… I was there too and there was a group of their friends / fans (more than 2) down the front wearing safety pins and pogoing and spitting so I kept well back, thinking “Huh, they’ll never make it as their ‘music’ was so lack-lustre”… a more anaemic looking bunch I’ve never seen when they all came in the bar afterwards. BUDGIE were their brilliant heavy, tight unit as always and played some from their new album aswell as going back to their first, I think. This being about the 6th time I’d seen them in Hastings maybe more as the first time was in 1970 when I bought their eponomous, 1st album on the strength of their performance from Big Al at the DISC JOCKEY, 2 Queens Road.

photo: Stuart Richard Meadows, shared by Chris Boorman

Stuart Richard Meadows… Good day. This is probably the rarest SEX PISTOLS related poster I’m ever likely to have in my possession. A real gem from mid 1976 with heavy rockers BUDGIE being the headline act. Admission to the gig being only a quid which in this day and age seems quite remarkable. Only a few months after this gig, the Pistols would become public enemy number one and spark a huge musical revolution, inspiring loads of kids up and down the country to pick up instruments and blow away the drabness that had become the mid 70s.

Gerry Fortsch… My mum and wife were on the pier in the afternoon when the Pistols did a sound check, when they came home they both told me that they had heard the worst band ever, the rest is history.

Stuart Moir… They were shit but they made a lot of cash

Dave Weeks… Budgie were great, Pistols were shite and nobody really knew what the F they were all about. It was a good chance to watch the lightning out to sea though

Alan Esdaile… Not sure about this poster. As soon as the posters went up for this gig Bob Knights the pier manager went berserk and called it obscene, ripped the poster down and got someone else to rip all the other posters displayed, down. I’ve just checked with the promoter Barry Taylor and he doesn’t recognise this as being the poster he did and said he would not have written London. Pretty sure on the original poster Sex Pistols was in big bold type.

Peter Fairless… Pretty sure it’s fake Alan

Chris Boorman… Yes agree that it’s likely to be fake. When was Mason’s music started? Looked at a website and it says 1978. I think it’s been photoshopped over another poster.

Alan Esdaile… I did have a shop on the pier at that time Chris but don’t think I was selling tickets, as they would have been available from the box office on the pier and also would have thought Disc Jockey would have sold tickets as well.

Colin Bell… Im no expert but that doesn’t look ‘right’ to me.

Pete Fairless… Here’s the actual flyer…