I Swear I Was There: Sex Pistols, Manchester and the Gig that Changed the World

When the Sex Pistols played Manchester in 1976—what the NME named the most important gig of all time—they set off a series of musical detonations that are still being felt today. Despite thousands claiming they were in attendance, only a handful of people were actually there—but those that were went on to form bands including The Smiths, Buzzcocks, Joy Division, New Order, and The Fall. They kick-started the Manchester music scene, created Factory Records, and laid the foundations for the world-famous Hacienda nightclub. Forty years on, music journalist David Nolan tells the true story of that legendary gig, plus the Pistols’ follow up performance and the band’s first ever TV appearance at Manchester’s Granada TV a few weeks later. The question has truly become one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest mysteries: Who really saw the Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976? So how does David Nolan finally solve it? By trying to track down the whole audience! In an updated edition comprised of extensive interviews with key players and audience members, and featuring previously unpublished photos, I Swear I Was There is the true story of the electrifying gig that changed the music scene forever.