What was Sid Vicious' final show? Where the Sex Pistols rocker gave his swan song performance and what he played...

2 February 2026, 19:54 | Updated: 3 February 2026, 11:29

Sid Vicious photographed in January 1978. Picture: Roberta Bayley/Redferns/Getty

The Sex Pistols rocker Sid Vicious tragically died on 2nd February 1979, but when did he take to the stage for his final show and what did he play?

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Sid Vicious - whose real name was Simon John Ritchie - died on 2nd February 1979 of a heroin overdose at just 21 years old.

The Sex Pistols bassist's untimely demise forever cemented his status as an icon of punk subculture as well as a cautionary tale of the tragic consequences of drug addiction.

Much has been speculated about the rock star's final days. Vicious took the fatal overdose while out on bail after being charged with the death of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, who died of a stab wound to the chest on 12th October 1978.

Despite the controversy and uncertainty surrounding the couples passings, Vicious has remained key figure of the scene, with many curious when he gave his final swan song.

47 years on from his death, we ask what was Sid Vicious' final show and what did he play? Find out below...

Sid Vicious performs with The Sex Pistols at Randy's Rodeo Nightclub, San Antonio on 8th January 1978. Picture: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty

Read more:

What happened to the members of the Sex Pistols after they split?

What was Sid Vicious' final show?

The answer to this could be considered three fold, depending on who you ask or what you want to know. Is it when the rocker's last Sex Pistols show was, when his final UK show was or when his last ever performance took place overall?

Sid Vicious' final solo performance and his last ever show overall took place on 29th September 1978 at Max's Kansas City. According to reports, he played two sets in one night at the venue, along with a backing band which included Steve Dior and members of the New York Dolls Arthur Kane and Jerry Nolan. The first show had a longer setlist, but the second saw him play a slightly shorter set of all covers; Iggy and The Stooges' Search and Destroy, New York Dolls' Chatterbox, The Stooges' I Wanna Be Your Dog and My Way, which was written by Paul Anka and popularised by Frank Sinatra.

According to reports, despite drawing large crowds, Sid's shows were chaotic and tumultuous, with audience members booing his onstage antics and Vicious in turn insulting the crowd. Some examples of these can be heard on the Sid Sings album and also in Live at Max's Kansas City, NY 1978.

Less than a month later, Sid's girlfriend Nancy Spungen was to be found in their hotel room on 12th October 1978 with a single stab wound to the abdomen at the Chelsea Hotel. As the prime suspect in the case, Vicious's already chaotic life was about to spin even further out of control as he was charged with her death and placed on bail. He never took to the stage again.

See the setlist for Sid Vicious' final show at Max's Kansas City in NYC:

Search and Destroy (Iggy and The Stooges cover)
Chatterbox (New York Dolls cover)
I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges cover)
My Way (Paul Anka cover)

Sid Vicious performs with Vicious White Kids at the Electric Ballroom on 15th August 1978. Picture: Aubrey Hart/Evening Standard/Getty Images

What was the last ever gig Sid Vicious played in the UK?

Sid Vicious last played the UK with a gig at London's Electric Ballroom in Camden Town on 15th August 1978. The rocker performed as part of Vicious White Kids - a one-time supergroup comprised of former Sex Pistol bassist Glen Matlock, who he'd replaced, The Damned's Rat Scabies and guitarist Steve New.

Vicious White Kids setlist at the Electric Ballroom on 15th August 1978:

Somethin' Else (Eddie Cochran cover)
C'mon Everybody (Eddie Cochran cover)
I'm Not Your Stepping Stone (Paul Revere and the Raiders cover)
Don't Give Me No Lip Child (Dave Berry cover)
I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges cover)
Belsen Was a Gas (Sex Pistols cover)
Chatterbox (New York Dolls cover)
Tight Pants (Iggy and The Stooges cover)
My Way (Paul Anka cover)
Search and Destroy (Iggy and The Stooges cover)

Encore:

My Way (Paul Anka cover)

Sid Vicious at the Sex Pistols last concert in n Winterland on January 14, 1978 in San Francisco, California. Picture: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

What was Sid Vicious' last gig with The Sex Pistols?

Sid Vicious played an ill-fated final show with the Sex Pistols at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on 14th January 1978. The gig, which was fraught with inner-band tension, poor sound quality and a very sick saw the Sex Pistols encore with a cover of the Stooges’ classic No Fun and ended with Rotten mocking the audience, laughing: “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”

Sex Pistols setlist live at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, 14th January 1978: