45 years ago, a legendary show took place in San Antonio. In 1978, The Sex Pistols playing only a handful of U.S. shows, decided to make Randy’s Rodeo one of their first stops.
Raucous, wild and violent - stories of beer poured on guitars, hot dogs flung into the crowd, and a bass guitar swung on audience members have all been documented about that historic night.
Some of the organizers and folks who were in the crowd are getting together to remember this show - The Filth and The Flautas - Saturday, January 7th, 2023 at the Paper Tiger in San Antonio.
Presented by local label Saustex Records and South Texas pop-culture museum TexPop San Antonio, this all-day event will feature everything from a film screening, a gallery of unseen photos from the show, a moderated panel discussion about the impact, and of course, the same wild and raucous live music we might have heard if we had been there.
Here’s Jeff Smith, frontman of the band Hickoids and one of the organizers of the event, “The original show had it all. There was a real threat of violence, sexuality threatened by quote ‘a bunch of queers from England.’ The confrontation of the public’s musical taste, or lack thereof. There aren't many shows that happened almost 50 years ago that people still actively discuss or dig into. There’s an air of morbid curiosity and some lower level fact finding… the truth is out there! I hope this event helps people find their version of it.”
Relive the history and culture through local lenses
A large photo exhibition featuring unseen and unpublished photos from photographers Ken Hoge, Lindell "Tiger" Tate and Danny Grace will be set up for viewing. There will also be a screening of Pretty Vacant, a film by Jim Mendiola, which reimagines the happenings on the day of the Sex Pistols show.
Be a part of the history
If you were at the Randy’s Rodeo show, you might want to stop by and visit with UTSA library scientist, Steph Noell. They’ll be onsite to share more about an oral history project which plans to document these stories.
Learn more about the show’s impact on music culture
Lee College professor, archivist and noted ‘punk historian’ David Ensminger is going to moderate a panel discussion with Jack Orbin, the owner of Stone City Attractions - the promoters of the 1978 show, along with some attendees of the San Antonio and Dallas shows.
Preserving the live punk rock legacy
In commemoration of the music you might have heard at the show, Jeff Smith and a cast of local rock legends are bringing you some special live music, including the Hickoids performing the Sex Pistols' set from 1978.
Here's a full list performances:
- The Sons of Hercules (featuring singer Frank Pugliese of The Vamps who opened the Randy’s show)
- Hickoids (performing the Pistol’s set from 01.08.78)
- Jefferson Trout (co-fronted by Buxf Parrot of Texas punk legends The Dicks and Dotty Farrell of The Punkaroos)
- The Babylonz (a new San Antonio act that carry the tradition of the New York Dolls and Heartbreakers)
- The Cuntry Killers (an artful and chaotic all-female “revenge” cowpunk act from Austin who a reminiscent of some of early Rough Trade Records post-punk acts)
- Z-Pocalypse (San Antonio teen band who sprung out of The High Voltage Music Program and carry the spirit forward.)
RUN OF SHOW:
3:00 p.m. Doors
4:00 p.m. 'Pretty Vacant' film screening followed by 15 minute Q&A with Jim Mendiola
5:00 p.m. - Speaker Panel
6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Z-Pocalypse
6:50 p.m. - 7:30 p.m - Cuntry Killers
7:50 p.m. - 8:30 p.m - T!ts Out
8:50 p.m. - 9:30 p.m - Jefferson Trout
9:50 p.m. - 10:30 p.m - Sons of Hercules
10:50 p.m. - 11:25 p.m - Hickoids
11:45 p.m. - 12:15 a.m - The Babylonz
A portion of the show’s profits will benefit theHigh Voltage Music Program and Tex Pop. High Voltage is a non-profit after school program that serves kids 12-18 years old in the San Antonio area, putting instruments in their hands and offering free music instruction. Additionally, Tex Pop is a repository of information and ephemera that seeks to preserve the musical history of South and Central Texas with an emphasis on San Antonio. Both are 501c3 registered non-profits, founded and run by women, and based in San Antonio.
Tickets to the show can be purchased here - $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the show.
Check out this episode of There's A Story Here, which features more about the Sex Pistols at Randy's Rodeo:
