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From a happy accident, a terrible beauty was born. That’s how Steve Diggle tells it anyway.

He was at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall the night the Sex Pistols exploded onto the stage playing to around 30 people.

It was a display unlike anything that had come before it. But it’s become a bit of a joke that everyone claims they were there that night of Friday June 4, 1976.

In fact, the London punks had been brought there by art college students Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto. View 10 Images

After seeing the band in London, they swiftly formed Buzzcocks, and convinced the Pistols’ manager Malcolm McLaren to let them support the band in Manchester.

It was agreed, but Howard and Pete couldn’t muster a rhythm section in time so put an advert in the New Manchester Rev

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