I Swear I Was There

I Swear I Was There: The Gig That Changed the World by David Nolan (IMP 2006) is a detailed book account of the Sex Pistols' gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester on 4 June 1976. The gig was voted by Channel 4 television as one of the three most important gigs of all time, and featured in the films 24 Hour Party People and Control.

Those rumoured to have been in the audience include:

• Howard Devoto (Buzzcocks/Magazine)
• Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks)
• Morrissey (The Smiths)
• Tony Wilson (Factory Records/The Haçienda)
• Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order)
• Bernard Sumner (Joy Division/New Order/Electronic)
• Mark E Smith (The Fall)

The book also features the follow-up gig on 20 July 1976 and the Pistols' first TV appearance on Granada Television in September 1976.

External links

• "Sex Pistols gig: the truth" — BBC interview with David Nolan