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Win Tickets to a Money Can’t Buy Screening of Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols Series ‘Pistol’

Calling all flowers in the dustbin and Sex Pistols fanatics: Rolling Stone Australia is giving away ten double-passes to an exclusive premiere screening of the forthcoming Star on Disney+ series, Pistol.

Cast of the new Sex Pistols series on Disney+, 'Pistol'

“PISTOL” -- Pictured (L-R): Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Anson Boon as John Lyndon, Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, Christian Lees as Glen Matlock . CR: Miya Mizuno/FX

Miya Mizuno/FX

Pistol is a new limited series that tells the story of UK punk pioneers the Sex Pistols. Across its six-episodes, Pistol depicts the Sex Pistols’ journey from working class rebels on the streets of London to national infamy and global influence.

Pistol lands on Disney+ under the Star banner on Tuesday May 31st. In the meantime, Rolling Stone Australia has ten double-passes to an exclusive screening of Pistol at Dendy Cinemas Newtown on Thursday May 26th. Winners will get to attend a pre-screening party at Sydney’s premiere rock’n’roll bar, Mary’s Newtown. No dogsbody—this is the real deal.

To be in the running, we’re asking Rolling Stone readers to tell us how the Sex Pistols’ music and radical spirit has changed their lives. Forget the opening lyrics of “Pretty Vacant”—”There’s no point in asking, you’ll get no reply”—and send us your stories of punk worship, monarchical sacrilege, and safety-pin-piercings.

Pistol is based on guitarist Steve Jones’ autobiography, Lonely Boy: Tales From a Sex Pistol, published in 2016. “We’re going to kick this country awake, if it kills us,” says Australian actor, Toby Wallace, as Jones in Pistol. The Sex Pistols came good on this aim during their short, incendiary career. Despite releasing just one full-length album, the London band comprehensively shook up the commercial rock music establishment of the late-1970s.

Pistol stars Wallace as Jones and Anson Boon as the Sex Pistols’ provocative frontperson, John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten. Jacob Slater plays Sex Pistols drummer and Jones’ childhood friend, Paul Cook. Christian Lees appears as the Sex Pistols’ original bass player, Glen Matlock, while Louis Partridge plays Matlock’s replacement, Sid Vicious, who joined ahead of the Sex Pistols’ debut album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, in 1977.

Cast of the new Sex Pistols series, 'Pistol'

“PISTOL” — Pictured (L-R): Anson Boon as John Lyndon, Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook. CR: Rebecca Brenneman/FX

British director Danny Boyle helmed the six-episode project. Boyle has form when it comes to bringing literary work to the big screen—not only did he turn the novels Trainspotting and The Beach into box office hits, but also directed 127 Hours and Steve Jobs, both of which were based on non-fiction books.

“This is the moment that British society and culture changed forever,” Boyle said in a statement regarding the series’ subject matter. “It is the detonation point for British street culture… where ordinary young people had the stage and vented their fury and their fashion… and everyone had to watch and listen… and everyone feared them or followed them.”

Boyle described Steve Jones circa-1976 as “a young charming illiterate kleptomaniac” and “a hero for the times,” who became—in Jones’ own words—“the 94th greatest guitarist of all time.”

Pistol’s primary cast also includes Emma Appleton as Sid Vicious’ ill-fated girlfriend, Nancy Spungen; Sydney Chandler as the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde (who wrote the foreword to Jones’ memoir); Beth Dillon as Siouxsie Sioux, a former bandmate of Vicious; and Zachary Goldman as London punk scene acolyte Billy Idol.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster appears as the Sex Pistols’ manager, Malcolm McLaren, and Talulah Riley plays punk fashion designer and McLaren’s former partner, Vivienne Westwood. “My vision for the Sex Pistols is one of danger and desire,” says Brodie-Sangster in the role of McLaren. “Whether you can play is not the criteria—it’s whether you’ve got something to say.”

Wanna see some history? Tell us how the Sex Pistols changed your life and go in the running for one of ten double-passes to the premiere screening of Pistol at Dendy Newtown on Thursday May 26th.

This competition is now closed. Thanks for your participation!

Pistol is streaming in full on Disney+ under the Star banner from Tuesday May 31st.

Full terms and conditions can be found here.

COMPETITION INFORMATION

Competition: Win Tickets to a Money Can’t Buy Screening of Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols Series ‘Pistol’
Entrants: Only Australian residents are eligible
Entry Period: Starts at May 11th 2022 11am AEST and ends at May 23rd 2021 12pm AEST
Entry: 
  1. Log on to the page;
  2. Fill in all the required data fields on the entry form; and
  3. Answer the following question: “How the Sex Pistols changed your life”
Limit: One (1) entry per person
Judging Criteria:  Originality and creativity
Prize Determination: The winners will be picked based on originality and relevance to the question
Notification:  By email within 3 business days of the competition closing
Prize: One of ten double-passes to the premiere screening of Pistol at Dendy Newtown on Thursday May 26th
Total Prize Value: N/A
Prize Conditions: a) Entrants must answer the question as required