How a Dundee shop out-punked the biggest punk band of them all

Lawyers for the Sex Pistols turn out not to be particularly punk when it comes to trademarks and so on

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the punk movement of the late 1970s was “often politicised”, “full of vital energy beneath a sarcastic, hostile facade” and “armed with a critique of the music industry and consumerism”.

So when a Dundee opticians hit upon the name, “Spex Pistols”, they may have thought the most punk of all the genre’s bands would have been fine with it. After all, the Sex Pistols’ debut single was called Anarchy in the UK. So anything goes, right?

Wrong. The band’s lawyers sent a “cease and desist” letter, highlighting similarities between the shop’s logo and the band’s. Not exactly a very punk thing to do.

The biggest punks of all: the Sex Pistols perform in San Francisco in 1978 (Picture: George Rose) | Getty Images

Following discussions, the lawyers agreed to live with Spex Pistols but wanted a new logo. However, rather than submit to their conditions, shop owner Richard Cook showed his own punk credentials and instead changed the name to Land O’Spex in tribute to former Dundee bakers Land O’Cakes.

Another punk band, X-Ray Spex, might have offered an alternative, although we suppose not-punk-at-all trading standards officers might have objected to that one. And presumably Joy of Spex was taken.