John Lydon Nixes Idea of Reunion With ‘Woke’ Sex Pistols: ‘I Am the Pistols, and They’re Not’

Fans of English punk icons the Sex Pistols should temper their expectations when it comes to dreams of a reunion with vocalist Johnny Rotten, the singer says.

News of a tour from the Sex Pistols emerged in 2024 when it was first announced that the band – featuring original members Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock – were to reunite for a two-night affair to benefit West London’s Bush Hall. 

Instead of Rotten (whose real name is John Lydon) taking on the role of frontman, the group was to feature Frank Carter, who has previously performed as the singer of acts such as Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes. As a result, the current version of the band is officially being billed as the ‘Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter.’

Lydon has not been shy in regard to his opinions of the current lineup, however. Previously, he labelled the reunion tantamount to “karaoke,” while being far more straightforward with his opinions in other interviews. 

“When I first heard that the Sex Pistols were touring this year without me it pissed me off,” he told British publication The i Paper. “It annoyed me. I just thought, ‘they’re absolutely going to kill all that was good with the Pistols by eliminating the point and the purpose of it all.’”

Now, Lydon addressed the notion as to whether a reunion with him behind the microphone would be a possibility at some point. However, he told PA (via The Independent) that after his legal disagreements with his bandmates over the usage of songs in the 2022 FX/Disney+ series Pistol, such a dream will remain unrealized for fans.

“Never, not after what I consider their dirty deeds, let them wallow in Walt Disney woke expectations,” he explained. “They’ve killed the content, or done their best to, and turned the whole thing into a rubbish, childishness, and that’s unacceptable.

“Sorry, I’m not going to give a helping hand to this any longer, as far as I am concerned, I am the Pistols, and they’re not.”

In a recent interview, Jones explained that Lydon wasn’t involved in any discussions about the nascent version of the band, conceding there would be no point in attempting to get him to join the band given their recent disagreements.

“I literally haven’t spoken to John since that last tour in 2008,” Jones explained. “I want to be clear, I’ve got nothing bad to say about John. I think he’s great; I love him. We had a great past and I’m just moving on from that. That’s all. It was just no fun anymore.”

The current iteration of the band recently announced a run of North American tour dates, which will launch in Dallas, TX on Sept. 16 and wrap in Los Angeles, CA one month later on Oct. 16.

Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter – North American Tour 2025

Sept. 16 – Longhorn Ballroom, Dallas, TX
Sept. 23 – 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Sept. 26 – Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 27 – TBD, Brooklyn, NY
Sept. 30 – Mtelus, Montreal, QC
Oct. 1 – History, Toronto, ON
Oct. 3 – Agora Theatre, Cleveland, OH
Oct. 4 – Fillmore, Detroit, MI
Oct. 7 – Fillmore, Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 10 – Mission Ballroom, Denver, CO
Oct. 13 – Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
Oct. 15 – Warfield, San Francisco, CA
Oct. 16 – Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA