Photo: Richard Young, Sex Pistols Studio Shoot, Notting Hill, London, 1976

Always more than a musical genre, punk allowed a generation to express themselves without deference, to invent without fear, and to create without boundaries. 40 years on, Punk London is a year long programme of events to celebrate the most rebellious of music movements. 

One of the highlights of the program – ‘ANARCHY IN THE UK: #PUNKLONDON’ - opens at the Richard Young gallery this week, showcasing an incredible selection of both classic and never-seen-before images from Richard Young’s archive. 

The music photographer went on tour with the Sex Pistols, and describes the first time he saw the band perform at The Notre Dame Hall just off Leicester Square: “The audience were wild, everyone was wearing tartan kilts and trousers, safety pins, ragged t-shirts and sporting Mohican haircuts… It was the embodiment of anti-establishment with loads of testosterone and raw energy in the room.”

Beyond the Sex Pistols, the exhibition features photographs from other iconic punk bands including The Clash and The Jam, as well as presenting the culture that emerged in reaction to punk. 

Universal Music Publishing hold an impressive catalogue of punk – including the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam, The Undertones, The Stranglers, The Tubes and more. 

Listen to our Punk Playlist 

ANARCHY IN THE UK: #PUNKLONDON runs at London's Richard Young Gallery until 24th June.