The Sex Pistols are back, albeit briefly, for a seven date tour of the UK. But are we talking anger and anarchy or just another bunch of ageing rockers getting back together for a lucrative singalong? The occasion this time is the 30th anniversary of their seminal album “Never Mind the Bollocks … Here’s the Sex Pistols”. I guess that means that in theory, with all four band members in their early 50s, we could be celebrating the 50th 
anniversary with another tour in 2027.
At Brixton Academy in south London on Thursday John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten), Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook took us through the limited back catalogue of Pistols hits, and very entertaining it was too. Lydon growled and snarled and screamed and swore, and the crowd of mainly balding 40- and 50-something men were taken back on a wave of nostalgia to the wild old days when Pistols and punk swept all before them. A few in the crowd chanted “You fat bastard!” at the slightly portly punk pioneer, and he took it all in good humour. And the fans sang along lustily to the patriotic war-time song “There’ll Always Be An England”, clearly in on the irony that they were now happy to be a part of the kind of sentiment the Pistols used to despise.
Old bands reuniting is, of course, nothing new, and many of the acts defend themselves against media cynicism about their motives simply by saying: “Why shouldn’t we?” But when we are talking about the iconoclastic Pistols, the rebellious anti-establishment bad boys who relish in mocking the music industry, is there a difference? Are they the biggest sellouts of all?
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8 comments so far
blah, blah, blah newspapers dont even have a right to critise the pistols, because they earned the right to play in the face of the entire hatred of the UK. They fought & won the war, so they can play on & on, even if there fat old farts.
- Posted by BullsEyEi went along to see the sex pistols - a great pity to see the punk movemement being reduced to a circus.
- Posted by Simon Discostudenti went to see them just yesterday and am now left lovin it the atmosphere was great and it wasnt just older people their.people had a great time and it will be a great expearience and the supporting act the cribs wernt bad either.if anyone has a chance they HAVE to see it.
- Posted by luciait was amazin
- Posted by luciaThe Pistols were vilified when they started. It seems difficult to believe now, but they were genuinely shocking and subversive - enough so for them to be banned from playing live, and notoriously expunged from the No.1 slot in the ‘hit parade’.
Now they are vilified for different reasons. Of course it can be viewed as a sell-out, but the bottom line for me is that - against expectations - they still play great, and the material still provides 90 minutes of sheer adrenaline and ENTERTAINMENT. I hope they scooped a ‘good amount’ for their efforts. I go to lots of gigs and this one will stand tall in the memory for the above reasons.
To expect the mass media to understand this is evidently still a bridge too far!
- Posted by Kevin O'Briensell outs? i dont belive thay are sel outs though the 80 pound tickets were bang out of order thay were nown (as all punk music) for doing music serporting the underdog and he who has sufferd at the hands of goverment (the poor) and yet thay are making it so only the ritch can see them live?
that is dodgy.
- Posted by darryl brownthough i have to say for the media to say enything against the sex pistols is wrong thay have earnd the right to be were thay are in rock history its a shame sutch influentule groups like thease is gone now and slowly being forgottern thay arnt sell outs.
its just a very selfish play for them to make.
Well if they sold out, at least they had something to sell out. They have to eat, you know.
- Posted by MIkeI am sure they all would have survived without these gigs,so it was more of a gift to the fans than anything.
Sell Out?
Yes, everywhere they play
Forgive me, but the Sex Pistols first reunited 11 years ago for the Filthy Lucre Tour. I’m tired of journalists constantly having a go when they’ve never even seen the band live. They are the most iconic and influancial band there has ever been in the United Kingdom. There’s been nothing like it since and these reunions celebrate that, no recreate the glory days of the 1970s.
- Posted by Tom Green