The Clash Live - Paignton Penelopes - 1976 Anarchy Tour

The booking at Penelope’s Discothèque, Paignton, was meant to rescue the Anarchy Tour after Torquay’s 400 Ballroom fell through. But it quickly became the focus of the same civic outrage.

The Mayor of Torbay, Walter Beesley, wrote to owner C. V. Tanna: “I am taking this opportunity to reiterate my telephone conversation urging you not to engage the Sex Pistols at your establishment later this month. I feel that this would be a very retrograde step and certainly not in the interests of the community of Paignton and Torbay.” (Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 7 Dec 1976).

Councillor Joan Cooper declared the group “sickening” and condemned “the kind of image publicised by this group: one of slovenly appearance, filth, and habit.” (Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 8 Dec 1976). Student leader Ian MacTaggart countered, calling the ban “another way of discriminating against the youth of Torbay.” (Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 9 Dec 1976).

Mr. Tanna initially hit back, insisting: “I don’t think the mayor is musically competent enough to advise me… How would you like a High Court judge to remove your appendix?” (Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 8 Dec 1976). But within days he reversed, conceding: “I am creating a lot of controversy… I am a businessman and I do not want to create controversy. I want everybody to be happy.” (Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 13 Dec 1976).

The cancellation in Paignton, coming on the heels of Torquay, summed up the collapse of the Anarchy Tour — with dates scrapped, venues hostile, and the bands pushed to the margins.

From Torquay to Paignton, the South West turned its back, and the Anarchy Tour limped to its end.

By the time Christmas 1976 arrived, the so-called Anarchy Tour had collapsed into legend — fourteen shows announced, barely seven performed, and the rest lost to civic bans, moral outrage and promoter withdrawals.

The Sex Pistols emerged notorious, vilified and exhausted, hounded from hotels and vilified in the press.

The Clash, less infamous but sharper for the experience, and had shown flashes of brilliance that convinced reviewers like Jonh Ingham they were “the band that stormed it” (SOUNDS, 25 Dec 1976).

What was left was not a successful tour but a cultural fault line: from Manchester to Plymouth, and from cancelled halls across the UK, punk had broken into Britain’s headlines, shaking the establishment even where the music was never played.

No. 15,627 –– 6p –– Torquay, Tuesday, December 7, 1976

Mayor asks club: Cancel that group

The Mayor of Torbay, Mr Walter Beesley, has written to the owner of Penelope's nightclub, Paignton, asking him to cancel the controversial Sex Pistols concert, planned for December 22. Mr Beesley spoke to Mr C. V. Tanna yesterday, and has now written an official letter to reinforce his request. The letter reads: “I am taking this opportunity to reiterate my telephone conversation urging you not to engage the Sex Pistols at your establishment later this month. I feel that this would be a very retrograde step and certainly not in the interests of the community of Paignton and Torbay. Indeed I feel sure that a vast majority of the townsfolk would be delighted to hear that you have acceded to this application. It is hoped that you will see your way clear to concurring with my wishes.”

Meeting?

The Mayor also explained to the Herald Express that he would be discussing with the town clerk the possibilities of a council meeting on the matter. “I have not had much time to look into the matter, and I am not sure if the council will meet to discuss it, but I shall certainly discuss the possibility with the town clerk,” he said.

“The council and a lot of private individuals are trying to build up this area and make it a little better. Had this been planned for the Town Hall, or any public building, I am sure that the council would not have allowed it to take place. My views are very strong, especially after reading an article saying that they had smashed up the lobby of a Leeds hotel.”

Mr Tanna said that when he received the Mayor's letter he would give it the fullest consideration, but at the moment he had no doubts that the concert would go on.

Respect

“His worship spoke to me on the phone before I had fully decided about the concert. I told him that I would look into the matter fully, and I have. But when his letter arrives I will certainly pay it full consideration, because I respect the Mayor very highly indeed. I only wonder how many concerts he has been to,” said Mr Tanna.

“If, after reading the letter I decide that putting the concert on would be bad for Penelope's, because we have a good reputation, or that violence may occur at the performance, then I will not go through with it. But I repeat that I see all that has happened as a major publicity stunt, and at this moment, the concert will definitely go ahead.”

‘Rubbish’

Meanwhile, scores of students left the concert given by the Sex Pistols in disgust halfway through the show at Leeds Polytechnic last night. One said: “They are rubbish. It is the worst group I have ever heard. They did not shock me. Their music was just so bad.”

Eight concerts organised for the group have been cancelled.

Sex Pistols, the controversial punk rock group, will not appear at Penelope's night club, Paignton, December 22. Owner, Mr C. V. Tanna today told Herald Express he had cancelled 400 Ballroom, Torquay, booking he made after the 400 Ballroom management refused to have the group.

Torbay's recreation committee want to ban the Sex Pistols from the area, but there is nothing they can do about it.

NO AUTHORITY TO BAN TORBAY CONCERT BY SEX PISTOLS

Torbay's recreation committee want to ban the Sex Pistols from the area, but there is nothing they can do about it.

When the matter was brought up at yesterday's meeting, Mr David Hudson, the town clerk, made it clear that as the concert was a private enterprise, and was not being held in a public building, the committee had no authority to act.

The discussion was raised by committee chairman Mr John Farrell, who said he had been inundated by people complaining about the concert. One clergyman who telephoned him claimed to represent the views of 3,000 people who wanted the concert cancelled.

But the main attack came from Mrs Joan Cooper, who described the group as sickening. “It is not enough simply to have them out of Torquay; we must publicly dissociate our borough from entertainment of this kind. It is one thing to recommend others what ought to be done to better the standards of behaviour in Torbay, but this is a circumstance when we must take action.”

“I strongly deplore the kind of image publicised by this group: one of slovenly appearance, filth, and habit. There has never been anything like this before. The trouble is that our own local youngsters who attend performances model themselves upon this so-called fashion. Entertainment to encourage anti-establishment attitudes while whipping up a state of frenzy and uncontrollable non-reason in youngsters is no good to anyone,” she said. “Let it be known that Torbay is not putting up with such sickening behaviour.”

The topic was brought to a sudden close by Mrs Mary Thairwall, who suggested that any further discussion on the Sex Pistols would bring them publicity which they did not deserve.

Meanwhile the letter sent by the Mayor of Torbay, Mr Walter Beesley, to C. V. Tanna, owner of Penelope's, the Paignton club where the group are booked to appear, appealing for the cancellation of the concert, has brought a sharp retort. “I don’t think the mayor is musically competent enough to advise me,” said Mr Tanna. “How would you like a High Court judge to remove your appendix?”