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The shows are rough, that’s for sure. I’m familiar with several of these live recordings as they first appeared on the 1979 release Sid Sings and I totally recognize a beyond-irritating audience member who was too close to the recording equipment “singing backup” through much of the set and shouting out shit constantly. The four sets from the two evenings on Sid Lives are pretty similar. They all include covers of The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Search and Destroy,” the Vicious-penned Sex Pistols song “Belsen Was a Gas,” Paul Revere and the Raiders/The Monkees’ “Stepping Stone,” Jerry Nolan’s “Take a Chance” (from the liner notes: “Sid had to read the lyrics every night we did this. And every night he lost ‘em.”), and Dave Berry via Sex Pistols’ “Don’t Gimme No Lip, Child.” There are two Johnny Thunders covers that don’t appear on all of the sets: “Born to Lose” and “Chatterbox” (from the liner notes: “Originally Johnny Thunders was offered the other guitar spot [in Dior’s band that backed Vicious], on the condition that he was somewhat straight. I was there when [Jerry] Nolan called him. ‘Johnny, if you turn up looking the least bit silly, I’m walking!’ Thunders never showed up. Too many junkies on the one stage is a recipe for total disaster!”) plus Richard Hell’s (co-written by Dee Dee Ramone) “Chinese Rocks” and Eddie Cochran’s “Something Else.” One of my favorites is Sid’s cover of Paul Anka’s “My Way” made popular by Frank Sinatra. Back when I first heard Sid Sings in the 1980′s I honestly had never heard Frank’s version before so my only awareness of the classic pop tune was Sid’s. Hahaha, imagine my surprise when I finally heard the original.

Again according to the liner notes, Vicious had planned to go into the studio with the band (going by The Idols at the time) soon after these shows. However, twelve days after the last gig on October 12th, Sid’s girlfriend Nancy Spungen was found dead with a knife wound to her abdomen and Sid was arrested on murder charges. Steve Dior clearly doesn’t believe Sid did it. “I got to see many tender moments between Sid and Nancy. My memories are fond. I remember clearly the moment I summoned up the courage to ask him about Nancy. We sat alone in my apartment on 3rd Street. I wanted to ask him but I was really scared. Finally: ‘Sid, I’ve to ask you! Did you do it?’ ‘No! Steve! I didn’t! I didn’t kill Nancy!’”

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Reading about John Lydon’s reaction to the film and soundtrack – he is funny, rude and so very very Johnny Rotten: “I cannot understand why anyone would want to put out a movie like Sid and Nancy and not bother to speak to me; Alex Cox, the director, didn’t. He used as his point of reference – of all the people on this earth – Joe Strummer! That guttural singer from The Clash? What the fuck did he know about Sid and Nancy? That’s probably all he could find, which was really scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

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What an amazing lineup of musicians and performers. The title track, “Love Kills” by Joe Strummer, is one of the best soundtrack offerings ever. Strummers’ “Dum Dum Club” has a shadowy western flavor that conjures the energy of bleak New York streets and wretched flop hotels. “Haunted” by the Pogues (sung by Calt O’Riordan rather than by Shane MacGowan) is truly haunting and probably my favorite (only?) punk rock ballads. Classic American punk makes a strong showing by the Circle Jerks in their own version of “Love Kills.” AND JOHN CALE (“She Never Took No For an Answer”)! It doesn’t get more Britain/New York mash-up than a member of Velvet Underground. Actor Gary Oldman nails perfectly awful renditions of “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “My Way” because, well, Sid Vicious wasn’t exactly known for his musical prowess.  Even the musical interludes by Pray for Rain lend a dark and fatalistic tone to the soundtrack which perfectly mirrors the movie’s tone. The only weak track, in my opinion, is “Pleasure and Pain,” ironically by the only member of the Sex Pistols included in the project, Steve Jones.

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