12/25/2025
🎶🎄 ON THIS DAY DECEMBER 25th, 1977🎄🎶
Anarchy at Christmas: The S*x Pistols at Ivanhoe’s, Christmas Day 1977
On December 25, 1977, in a twist that would have been unthinkable just months earlier, the S*x Pistols — the band most reviled by the British establishment — found themselves not in London’s West End or the blistering clubs of Manchester, but onstage at Ivanhoe’s nightclub in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. It was Christmas Day — a sacred holiday in Britain — and instead of church carols sparking the afternoon, feedback-driven guitar riffs and snarling vocals echoed through a room of bewildered children.
🎟️ Why Here, Why Now?
By late 1977, the Pistols were virtually banned from playing many venues. Their virulent anti-establishment stance had led councils and police authorities to pull permits, cancel gigs, and regard them as a scourge on public decency. In response, manager Malcolm McLaren organized a scrappy winter tour billed as “Never Mind the Bans — The S*x Pistols Will Play.” Rather than major concert halls, this guerrilla-style tour hit small towns and odd venues — including Huddersfield’s Ivanhoe’s.
Wikipedia
But the Huddersfield date was different: it was arranged as a charity show to benefit the families of striking firefighters. In the winter of 1977 the UK was in the midst of a severe fire brigade strike, and funds were scarce. Somehow — improbably — the Pistols agreed to play two shows on Christmas Day to raise money and lift spirits.
Dangerous Minds
🍰 The Children’s Concert: Punk Meets Mince Pies
The afternoon performance was scheduled specifically as a matinee for the children of striking firemen.
Children — some barely older than seven or eight — packed the small dance floor alongside teens, clutching posters, badges, and S*x Pistols merchandise handed out by Johnny Rotten himself.
Sid Vicious, notorious for his dark image, was caught on film dancing with kids to disco hits like Baccara’s Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, spinning around the floor like a mischievous teenage shadow.
At one point, a massive cake the size of a car bonnet — decorated with S*X PISTOLS in icing — became the centerpiece of a spontaneous food fight that had children and band members laughing and smearing cake frosting everywhere.
Dangerous Minds
In fairness, the band modified their performance for the juniors: swear words were dropped from songs like Bodies, and the overall mood was enthusiastic but surprisingly wholesome for a S*x Pistols matinee.
