The Rise and Fall of ... - 2. Year Zero
Britain in the summer of 1976 was hot, angry, on strike and broke; a country on the brink. In the shadows, four raw, unpolished young punks were limbering up on the sidelines, unaware of the impact they would make.
From half-empty art school shows to now-legendary gigs at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall and London’s 100 Club Punk Festival, Episode 2 takes you inside the band’s earliest and most shambolic shows.
At the heart of it all: a band more interested in provocation than perfection. As guitarist Steve Jones told the NME during this period: “We’re not into music, we’re into chaos.”
Fights broke out, glasses were thrown, and punk ripped itself from the underground onto the front pages. The Pistols were forming a following, and they were soundtracking a country crying out for change.
The Sex Pistols were ready to deliver it, whether Britain wanted it or not.
Episode 2 features archive interviews from: Johnny Rotten, Glen Matlock, London club promoter Jack Barrie, Paul Cook, Peter Hook from Joy Division and New Order, Sid Vicious, Siouxsie Sioux, Malcolm McLaren and 100 Club promoter Ron Watts.
Alongside this, there is a new interview from TV Smith from The Adverts.
Presented by Gina Birch and Steve Lamacq
A BBC Audio Production
Published on Monday, 27th October 2025.
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