Just In:“I love Bowie, but I was a kleptomaniac. I couldn’t help it!”: Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones remembers the night he stole David Bowie’s gear..

Steve Jones, guitarist for the legendary British punk rock band the Sex Pistols, is no stranger to controversy and wild tales from the heyday of punk. In a revealing moment, he confessed to an act that might raise eyebrows in the world of rock ‘n’ roll lore: stealing David Bowie’s gear. The story, a chaotic mix of youthful rebellion, kleptomania, and admiration for one of the most influential figures in rock history, paints a picture of the untamed energy and unpredictable nature of the punk scene in the 1970s. Jones’s confession, coupled with the lasting admiration he holds for Bowie, highlights both the chaotic freedom of punk rock and the complexities of idolizing someone while simultaneously engaging in acts of rebellion.

A Clash of Icons

By the mid-1970s, David Bowie had already cemented his status as one of the most innovative and genre-defying figures in rock music. With his Ziggy Stardust persona, which blurred the lines between gender, fashion, and musical genres, Bowie revolutionized popular music and culture. Meanwhile, the Sex Pistols were beginning to rise in the ashes of a broken and disillusioned Britain, fueled by anger and rebellion against the status quo. Bowie represented the avant-garde of rock, while the Sex Pistols represented its raw, anarchistic fury.

Steve Jones, who was a key member of the Sex Pistols and whose distinctive guitar work became a hallmark of the band’s aggressive sound, was no stranger to the rebellious nature of punk rock. But Jones’s early days were also marked by a kind of desperate need to make a statement, one that often manifested in self-destructive behavior. His admission that he stole Bowie’s gear shows the intersection between fandom and anarchy, two elements that punk music was built on.

The Scene: A Time of Excess and Chaos

To understand the gravity of Jones’s actions, it’s essential to place them in the context of the late 1970s. The UK was in the midst of an economic downturn, and the punk movement was a direct response to the bleak reality facing young people at the time. Punk was characterized by a DIY ethos, anti-establishment sentiment, and a disregard for the polished, corporate rock world represented by artists like Bowie.

It’s also important to note that by the time Jones and the Sex Pistols were making a name for themselves, Bowie had already begun to lose some of his earlier cultural cachet. While the Ziggy Stardust era had made him a superstar, Bowie was moving into different phases of his career, experimenting with soul, funk, and electronic music. To many young punks, Bowie, the godfather of glam rock, was part of a more mainstream world they felt they had to reject. And yet, for Jones, a massive fan of Bowie’s musical genius, stealing his gear seems to have been a strange form of tribute, a reflection of the chaotic energy and fervor that punk brought to every facet of life, even in the act of theft.

The Theft: How It Happened

In a recent interview, Steve Jones detailed the night of the infamous theft, shedding light on the punk rock madness of the era. The story begins in the late 1970s, during one of the many chaotic nights out that Jones and his fellow Sex Pistols members often found themselves in. As the story goes, Jones was at a venue where Bowie had just performed, and the opportunity to swipe some of the legendary musician’s equipment presented itself.

Jones, whose kleptomania had been a known issue, didn’t hesitate. He simply took the gear, which included valuable musical equipment. His rationale, as he humorously admits, was driven less by malice and more by an almost compulsive desire to seize what he desired. To Jones, it wasn’t a crime in the traditional sense; it was more of a reckless, impulsive act of punk rebellion.

In the interview, Jones didn’t express regret, but rather, a sense of disbelief that he had actually stolen Bowie’s gear. “I love Bowie, but I was a kleptomaniac. I couldn’t help it!” he remarked, acknowledging the absurdity of the situation. This mix of admiration and disobedience encapsulates the paradox that many young punks felt in relation to their musical heroes. On one hand, they idolized Bowie’s groundbreaking contributions to music, but on the other, they saw themselves as part of a movement that rejected everything he stood for in terms of image and status.

Punk’s Destructive Freedom

The act of theft, while certainly outrageous, also illustrates the frenetic energy that marked the punk scene. Punk was about pushing boundaries, whether through music, fashion, or behavior. Jones, in his youth, embodied this spirit. His confession about the theft speaks to the unpredictability and wildness of punk, where rules were meant to be broken and the very concept of fame was often turned on its head.