ABSTRACT
The Sex Pistols' first performance at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall on June 4, 1976 has become widely accredited as 'year zero' in the history of Mancunian rock music. It is claimed that those attending the gig experienced a personal epiphany, going on to change the fortunes of the local music scene and eventually to shape the future development of Anglo-American rock. In fact, many of the details of the performance as represented in the film are wildly inaccurate. In gauging its significance for the Manchester music scene, the awkward problem of ascertaining who actually attended the gig is central. Manchester's vibrant music and club culture of the 1960s had become increasingly impoverished by the early 1970s. Rock acts such as David Bowie, Lou Reed and Led Zeppelin appeared at major venues in the area, but only acted to re-affirm the gulf between the aspirations of local musicians and the opportunities to hand.
