The surviving Sex Pistols members, minus frontman John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten), will reunite to play a pair of concerts this summer to raise funds for the historic venue Bush Hall, located in the Shepherd’s Bush section of London.
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Guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock will team up with veteran U.K. punk singer Frank Carter to perform the band’s classic 1977 album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, in full at the shows, scheduled for August 13 and 14.
Tickets for the concerts go on sale this Wednesday, June 5. Bush Hall, which dates back to 1904, was restored and reopened as a rock venue in 2001. The club has been experiencing financial issues recently, and in 2023, it saw an of almost-25-percent decrease in live bookings.
Statements from Sex Pistols Members and Carter
“We’re doing a benefit for Bush Hall with the famous Frank Carter,” Cook said in a statement, according to Blabbermouth.net. “We’re going to be playing Pistols numbers ’cause they need support and they need the money. We thought it would be a great way to stop it going under.”
The drummer added, “This is my local venue. I grew up in Shepherd’s Bush and I still live round here. It would be a real shame to see it disappear and we want to keep it going. So everyone get down to the gig!”
Jones, meanwhile, quipped, “If it all goes wrong, it’s Paul’s f—ing fault.”
Matlock added, “I tend to agree with Steve.” He then continued, “Smaller music venues are the lifeblood of new music. It’s in these intimate spaces that raw talent gets a chance to shine, where bands can really connect with their audiences, and where the spirit of live music truly comes alive so we need to keep them going.”
Carter said about getting to perform with the legendary punk band, “This has been a joy from start to finish. When The Sex Pistols call, you answer. I’m very excited to be a part of it.”
First (Near) Sex Pistols Reunion Since 2008
The last time Jones, Cook, and Matlock all performed together was in 2008, when the Sex Pistols, including Lydon, wrapped up their Combine Harvester reunion tour.
Since then, Lydon has focused on his post-Sex Pistols group, Public Image Ltd. The singer also has insisted he has no interest in doing another Sex Pistols reunion.
In recent years, Jones and Cook have played together in the punk supergroup Generation Sex, which also features former Generation X bandmates Billy Idol and Tony James.
Lydon’s Recent Conflict with His Ex-Bandmates
In 2021, Lydon sought to block the use of Sex Pistols songs in Pistol, a Hulu miniseries based on Jones’ 2016 memoir Lonely Boy that dramatized the band’s story. Jones, Cook, and Matlock supported the project and, because of a band agreement that was in place, overrode Lydon’s objections.
A Famous Artists Designed the Bush Hall Concerts Poster
The poster for the concerts was designed by acclaimed graphic artist Shepard Fairey.
“The Sex Pistols were a life-changing band for me,” Fairey said in a statement. “[S]o it’s an honor to collaborate with them, along with Frank Carter, who shares the Pistols’ spirit but throws his own gas on the fire!”
More About Carter
Carter first performed at Bush Hall in 2012 with his former band Pure Love. He now fronts a group called Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes. A huge Sex Pistols fan, Carter first met Jones in 2008 when he was interviewed on Steve’s radio show. He later met and befriended Cook and Matlock.
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