John Lydon was instrumental in Sex Pistols’ success back in the 1970s – but he doesn’t approve of the current 50th-anniversary tour that’s occurring without him.
Lydon’s former bandmates – guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook – are commemorating five decades of the punk rock band and performing in Europe in December, with singer Frank Carter performing in Lydon’s place.
But, according to Lydon, the tour is in “shocking bad taste”.
He told The Telegraph: “But really, bottom line, I don’t care… There are some real karaoke bands out there doing Sex Pistols, and they’re putting them out of work.”
The Sex Pistols, who originally disbanded in 1978, were known for their rebel spirit and speaking out against the monarchy and the established political order. Their provocative songs include “God Save The Queen” and “Anarchy In The UK”.
After leaving The Sex Pistols in 1979, Lydon formed Public Image Ltd, and sporadically reunited with the band in the 1990s and 2000s.
However, he has promised he will never return after fighting a high-profile court battle to stop their songs from being used in a Disney+ series based on their story, called Pistol.
Director Danny Boyle didn’t consult Lydon about the project, stating that he didn’t want the punk musician to like it, a sentiment that left the musician feeling as if the director was “dismantling” the spirit of the raucous music genre.
“What kind of ambition is that?” Lydon said in an interview with The Times in 2025. “It sounds like an act of spite rather than any character understanding.”
He continued: “Something in me wanted it to be good, but it might as well have been about the Partridge Family. I don’t like anything to do with it because I wasn’t asked to contribute.”
Lydon also claimed his former bandmates did not contact him when his wife, Nora Forster, died. The singer lost his wife of nearly 50 years to Alzheimer’s in April 2023, and became her full-time carer two years after she received her diagnosis.
However, despite anticipating a message from his bandmates, he alleged he did not receive any form of message from the musicians. The Independent has contacted The Sex Pistols for comment.
Read MoreIconic guitar valued at £30,000 put up for auction
Bono says ‘not up to’ working with Trump on humanitarian causes despite invitation
