For the first time ever, fans of the Sex Pistols will be able to experience the raw energy of the band’s legendary 1978 U.S. tour in its entirety, with the release of three full live albums. This highly anticipated drop includes recordings from the band’s final shows in San Francisco, Atlanta, and Dallas—capturing the chaotic brilliance of a band at the brink of self-destruction.
On January 14th, 1978, at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, Johnny Rotten (aka John Lydon) delivered the unforgettable parting words, “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?” His declaration marked the end of a turbulent chapter in punk history, as the Sex Pistols played their final show before their infamous breakup. It would be nearly two decades before the band would reunite, but the ferocity of their last live performances remains as legendary as the Sex Pistols themselves.
Now, those iconic moments are being resurrected with the release of special edition colored vinyls, featuring the San Francisco show, along with performances from Atlanta (South East Music, 5th January 1978) and Dallas (Longhorns Ballroom, 10th January 1978). These releases will also be available as a three-CD set and for digital download, allowing fans to experience the mayhem up close like never before.
Even if the band had not imploded in the aftermath of their U.S. tour, these performances would have secured their place in rock history. The Pistols’ reputation had preceded them as they made their way across America’s conservative heartlands, with venues often on edge, ready for any signs of the chaos that had come to define punk rock. Police were stationed, religious protesters gathered, and the air was thick with anticipation—waiting for the British outcasts to deliver their explosive brand of anarchy.
And deliver they did. Rotten, Lydon, drummer Paul Cook, guitarist Steve Jones, and bassist Sid Vicious were primed for confrontation, and their music reflected it. Hits like God Save the Queen, Bodies, and the re-targetted Anarchy in the USA were unleashed on unsuspecting audiences and the authorities, who were just as unprepared for the sonic assault.
“Now, we came to dance—what did you come for?” Rotten taunts the crowd in Atlanta before tearing into God Save the Queen. He adds with trademark snark, “That was the new British National Anthem.” The audience, of course, erupts in approval, as the raw energy of the band fuels the riotous atmosphere.
The newly mastered live recordings capture the sweaty, chaotic ambiance of these iconic shows, putting listeners right in the heart of the action. “Aren’t we the worst thing you’ve ever seen?” Rotten taunts during the Atlanta show, and it’s clear that this confrontation is exactly what the band was after. Jones’s guitar snarls, and Rotten’s guttural delivery fills every note with venom.
The Sex Pistols were at the height of their destructive power. Even a radio ad for the Dallas show boasted, “They said no one could be more bizarre than Alice Cooper or more destructive than Kiss. They have not seen the Sex Pistols…Banned in their own home country, England’s Sex Pistols denied admittance to the United States – the Sex Pistols bring the new wave to the Metroplex this Tuesday night in the Longhorn Ballroom.”
After the band crashed through The Stooges’ ‘No Fun’ in San Francisco, Rotten challenged the crowd directly: “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”
Within days, he announced his departure and the Sex Pistols explosion, detonated in the turmoil of the late 1970s, was over.
These primal, unsanitized recordings mark the final shockwaves of a band that didn’t just change music—they changed the world. What remains now are the moments of brilliance, chaos, and defiance, preserved forever for those brave enough to relive them. Whether you were there or not, the Sex Pistols’ final performances offer a visceral reminder of the power of punk in all its raw, unpredictable glory.
The Sex Pistols: Live In The USA 1978 release dates and details are as follows and are available to pre-order here:
Friday 28th February
1LP (Red Vinyl)
Sex Pistols – Live In The USA 1978
Great South East Music Hall, Atlanta, 5th January 1978
Friday 28th March
1LP (White Vinyl)
Sex Pistols – Live In The USA 1978
Longhorns Ballroom, Dallas, 10th January 1978
Friday 25th April
1LP (Blue Vinyl)
Sex Pistols – Live In The USA 1978
Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, 14th January 1978
3CD – all 3 shows
Digital – all 3 shows