THE BILL GRUNDY INTERVIEW

Often misquoted, this is an accurate transcription of the interview which went out live on 1 December 1976.

The original Sex Pistols line-up are seated - from left to right as the camera sees them;

Johnny Rotten,
Steve Jones,
Glen Matlock and Paul Cook. Bill Grundy sits to their left. Standing behind the Pistols are the punk hangers-on from the Bromley Contingent, Siouxsie Sioux, Steve Severin, Simon Barker and 'Simone'.

Grundy introduces the band to the cameras.

GRUNDY: (To camera) They are punk rockers. The new craze, they tell me. Their heroes? Not the nice, clean Rolling Stones... you see they are as drunk as I am... they are clean by comparison. They're a group called The Sex Pistols, and I am surrounded by all of them...

JONES: (Reading the autocue) In action!

GRUNDY: Just let us see The Sex Pistols in action. Come on kids...

[Film of The Sex Pistols in action is shown; then back to Grundy.]

GRUNDY: I am told that that group (hits his knee with sheaf of papers) have received forty thousand pounds from a record company. Doesn't that seem, er, to be slightly opposed to their anti-materialistic view of life?

MATLOCK: No, the more the merrier.

GRUNDY: Really?

MATLOCK: Oh yeah.

GRUNDY: Well tell me more then.

JONES: We've fuckin' spent it, ain't we?

GRUNDY: I don't know, have you?

MATLOCK: Yeah, it's all gone.

GRUNDY: Really?

JONES: Down the boozer.

GRUNDY: Really? Good Lord! Now I want to know one thing...

MATLOCK: What?

GRUNDY: Are you serious or are you just making me, trying to make me laugh?

MATLOCK: No, it's all gone. Gone.

GRUNDY: Really?

MATLOCK: Yeah.

GRUNDY: No, but I mean about what you're doing.

MATLOCK: Oh yeah.

GRUNDY: You are serious?

MATLOCK: Mmm.

GRUNDY: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and Brahms have all died...

ROTTEN: They're all heroes of ours, ain't they?

GRUNDY: Really... what? What were you saying, sir?

ROTTEN: They're wonderful people.

GRUNDY: Are they?

ROTTEN: Oh yes! They really turn us on.

JONES: But they're dead!

GRUNDY: Well suppose they turn other people on?

ROTTEN: (Under his breath) That's just their tough shit.

GRUNDY: It's what?

ROTTEN: Nothing. A rude word. Next question.

GRUNDY: No, no, what was the rude word?

ROTTEN: Shit.

GRUNDY: Was it really? Good heavens, you frighten me to death.

ROTTEN: Oh alright, Siegfried...

GRUNDY: (Turning to those standing behind the band) What about you girls behind?

MATLOCK: He's like yer dad, inni, this geezer?

GRUNDY: Are you, er...

MATLOCK: Or your granddad.

GRUNDY: (To Sioux) Are you worried, or are you just enjoying yourself?

SIOUX: Enjoying myself.

GRUNDY: Are you?

SIOUX: Yeah.

GRUNDY: Ah, that's what I thought you were doing.

SIOUX: I always wanted to meet you.

GRUNDY: Did you really?

SIOUX: Yeah.

GRUNDY: We'll meet afterwards, shall we? (Sioux does a camp pout)

JONES: You dirty sod. You dirty old man!

GRUNDY: Well keep going, chief, keep going. Go on, you've got another five seconds. Say something outrageous.

JONES: You dirty bastard!

GRUNDY: Go on, again.

JONES: You dirty fucker! (Laughter from the group)

GRUNDY: What a clever boy!

JONES: What a fucking rotter.

GRUNDY: Well, that's it for tonight. The other rocker Eamonn, and I'm saying nothing else about him, will be back tomorrow. I'll be seeing you soon, I hope I'm not seeing you [the band] again. From me, though, goodnight.