Vicious: the Art of Dying Young

by Mark Paytress

Sid Vicious lived the quintessential punk life - fast, furious, out of control and over far too quickly. Over 30 years after his death, Vicious, perhaps more than any other rock icon, remains a figure of heated debate, a man both loved and loathed, sometimes simultaneously. What is it that continues to fascinate us about this Sex Pistol from South London? In "The Art of Dying Young Mark", Paytress offers fresh insights into the life and legend that was Sid. Though in-depth interviews with many of Sid's contemporaries and close friends as well as extensive research into the London punk era, Paytress paints a stark but humane portrait of a young man at once cursed and blessed, amazing and pathetic. From his early years in art school in Hackney to his last drug-soaked days in New York, readers get the whole Sid story. And it's one you won't soon forget.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography

231 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2004

About the author

Mark Paytress is a journalist, author and broadcaster. A regular contributor to MOJO magazine, his work has also appeared in numerous publications including The Guardian, Radio Times, Q, Rolling Stone, Crawdaddy, Maxim, La Repubblica and Record Collector.

His books include Bolan: The Rise & Fall Of A 20th Century Superstar (Omnibus Press), Break It Up: Patti Smith’s Horses And The Remaking Of Rock’n’Roll (Piatkus), I Was There: The Gigs That Changed The World (Cassell), BowieStyle (Omnibus Press), The Rolling Stones Files (Quadrillion), The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars (Schirmer), Siouxsie & The Banshees: The Authorised Biography, Vicious: The Art Of Dying Young and critical guides to the work of The Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Nirvana and the Sex Pistols.

Mark has contributed to various television and radio programmes (Night Waves, Front Row), and in winter 2008/09, researched and presented two documentaries for BBC Radio 4, Here’s Kenny (about DJ Kenny Everett) and Stash: The Dandy Aesthete Of Swinging London.

Reviews

[Pm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh God this is AWFUL. Pretentious and tedious. It reads like it was written in the 6th form common room of an expensive private school. "In the Damned's impious hands, the song is reborn: joyous, cathartic, contemporary." He writes like he is doing sleeve notes for a Yes album.

Vicious was basically what he thought of the man in the street: a ****. Best place to get a real image of the man is in Deborah Spungeon's book, where she describes how Nancy told her he tore off her ear and broke her nose. Yet "he couldn't have killed her because he loved her." Oh yes, violent partners always "love" their victims. Love them to death. You don't have to be a hardcore feminist to understand that.

Most of the book is old punks crying into their beer - tedious. One who could "forgive him anything," as regards him killing cats. I expect she wasn't glassed by him.

But I suppose this pretentious tone is actually a good one for punk - an imaginary rebellion run by wannabe working class kids who were actually extremely posh. All FOMO and self adoration. No idea at all about actually being poor. Always able to run back to mummy and daddy. The Pulp song Common People sums them up.

The "wisdom" of Sid is on a level with the "wisdom" of the UK race riot thugs. He would have loved that. Straight to the front with his swastika.

I once overheard some boys from the local expensive school in a cafe, talking about a friend who was into punk. "Punk is something you should be over by fourth form," they said. A clear and concise summation which is superior to anything in this book.

[Maria Laakso · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ensin todella paljon, ehkä itselle turhauttavan paljon, nippelitietoa musamaailmasta. Mut sit muuttui ensin vaan karuks ja surulliseks tarinaksi ja sitten vaan ihan todella sairaaksi ja kammottavaksi, en halua enää ikinä lukea mitään tällästä 😂 En tiedä miten noin voi elää ja olla vapaalla jalalla (ei putkassa tai suljetulla), ei varmaan enää voikaan, toivottavasti.

[Sari-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synkkä ja ahdistava, mutta hyvin kirjoitettu ja mielenkiintoinen tarina nuoren miehen itsetuhosta ja punkista.

[Heli Kristiina · Rating 3 out of 5]

start of the book is really boring. just lots of dates and names. bit confussing.

[Lynsey Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know a book about a person is bad when it makes you end up hating the person it was about.

But hay, maybe it’s not the books fault, maybe he was just a knob, and the book was still bad.

I love the aesthetic of Mr Vicious and the whole Punk age, so when i kind friend sent me this book i was tres excited, it didn’t last long, i’d say at best a 100 pages.

Apart from the fact who ever proof read this should be shot (i counted at least 10 basic spelling mistakes) the whole story (i’d use the word plot but that would be to kind) just bounced around in time and never actually told his story, it just kinda skimmed the top. And the writer wrote like he was some Rock n Roll god who knew it all and who’s opinion was gospel. And the ridiculously flowery purple prose sentences! They had no place in this book.

The flavour was all wrong, wrong wrong wrong.

If you’re interested in Sid, read one of the many other books about him that this author just copied quotes from in the first place.

[Cheryl Sim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could've been a captivating read, but Paytress has a droning and rambling style. Maybe he himself was taken with the "nothing is everything, everything is nothing" mantra that poor Sid misconstrued in living out a wasted life (or wasting a life to be lived).

I've been thinking that Ian Curtis of Joy Division would've been better subject material -- he was more talented, but sadly, hasn't the iconic status that Sid Vicious has to this day.

[Timo Vuorensola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ihan passeli, joskin vähän yliromantisoitu kuvaus Sidin elämänraakileesta. Hyvä vastapaino Deborah Sprungenin 'Nancy' -kirjalle, muttei mikään musiikkikirjallisuuden merkkipaalu. Kirjoitettu kuitenkin kiinnostavasti, ja koska allekirjoittanut ei Pistolseja aikaisemmin ole sen enempää kuunnellut - tosin ei jälkeenkään - näkyi futaavan myös märkäkorvalle nojatuolipunkkarille.

[Tiffany Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book to read. i learn a lot about sid and his childhood and become big in a famous punk band in the 70s and his famous girlfriend. talks about his death all his drugs problems. great book for anyone who love punk and music

[Rita · Rating 1 out of 5]

En pystynyt edes lukemaan koko kirjaa loppuun asti. Niin irrallinen ja hajanainen, ei saa kunnon otetta.

[Jane Gollner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ultimate anti hero! A fascinating and illuminating read. In the words of Lydon 'poor old Sid'.