No Lydon, No Worries: The New-Look Sex Pistols Are Ready for Anarchy in Australia

That’s it. I’ve finally mastered the iconic sneer made famous by Billy Idol and the punk rockers of the 1970s – including the first band I learned to love, the Sex Pistols. Laughing and proud, my teenage cousin whips out a camera to snap a photo of my new party trick, and I immediately revert to the coy smile of a typical four-year-old. Decades later, the mark the band left on me is as indelible as the one they left on the very fabric of music history…

It’s been nearly 30 years since the Sex Pistols’ one and only tour of Australia, and almost 50 since they shook the very foundations of music with their one and only studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols.

This year, the punk legends return, bringing their raw energy and classic cuts with a fresh twist: Frank Carter, of Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, is stepping in for John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon as frontman. It’s a move that may raise eyebrows but, as guitarist Steve Jones tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ, it was the right call.

“We didn’t audition anybody else,” Jones says, recalling how Carter became part of the band. “We were doing this benefit in Shepherd’s Bush, rehearsed for a week, and it all fell into place. Frank brings this insane energy, he’s in the crowd, he gets people going. And he’s not trying to be Johnny Rotten, which is important. It just works.”

The upcoming Australian tour will see the Sex Pistols perform Never Mind the Bollocks in full, an album that remains as incendiary and relevant today as it was in 1977. Despite its singularity in the Pistols’ discography, its impact has been seismic, shaping music, art, fashion, and film, all while cementing punk as more than just a genre – it became a movement.

Released amidst chaos, controversy, and censorship, Never Mind the Bollocks was a middle finger to the establishment, a rallying cry for the disaffected, and a blueprint for punk itself.

From the anthemic snarl of “Anarchy in the UK” to the defiant chants of “God Save the Queen”, the album encapsulated the frustration of a generation. “It’s funny,” Jones reflects, “we didn’t even know what was happening when we were recording it. It was all so fast. We didn’t have some record guy saying, ‘I don’t hear a single.’ We just had these songs.”

But the Pistols were always about more than just their music. They were the leather-clad embodiment of rebellion, an image cultivated by their manager Malcolm McLaren and designer Vivienne Westwood. Their style – ripped clothes, safety pins, DIY aesthetics – became synonymous with punk, influencing generations of artists including The Clash and Green Day.

Their impact on fashion is still visible today, from high-end designers drawing inspiration from punk aesthetics to streetwear brands embracing the DIY ethos. Jamie Reid’s iconic artwork – collages of cut-out letters and defaced royal imagery – became the gold standard for punk visuals, still referenced in art and media. 

And then, of course, there was the drama: Sid Vicious, Nancy Spungen, public outcry, arrests, and implosions. It was all part of the legend.

“It ticked all the boxes – music, fashion, the drama. Sid’s death, Nancy’s death, the Jamie Reid artwork, Vivian and Malcolm with the clothes and the publicity stunts. It was just one of those lightning-in-a-bottle things that was meant to burn out,” Jones explains. “If we’d kept going, it probably wouldn’t be as popular today. It was a train wreck near the end, but people love a train wreck.”

A new generation was introduced to the Sex Pistols’ legacy in 2022 via Danny Boyle’s miniseries, Pistol, which featured Australian actor Toby Wallace playing Jones. “It turned a lot of young people on who didn’t know anything about it really, I think,” Jones reflects, “and it was great.”

He was particularly impressed with Wallace’s performance, noting, “He had to have elocution lessons – he’s Australian, so he had to talk (Cockney) like me.” Jones also praised the series for bringing the band’s story to a fresh audience, adding, “It was bizarre seeing my life turned into a TV show, but they did a great job with it.”

Since their first Australian tour in 1996, the Sex Pistols have only reunited a handful of times. Jones, along with bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook, knew they still had the fire, but bringing in Carter for vocals injected something new into the mix. “It’s put a lot of new life into it,” Jones admits. “And the crowds – old punks, new punks – they’re going crazy for it. Even the naysayers leave with smiles on their faces.”

But the absence of Lydon is notable. Once the unmistakable voice of the Pistols, his relationship with the band has become notoriously strained. “We don’t talk,” Jones says bluntly. “The last time I spoke to him was 2008. But I wish him all the best. I really do. We had a great time when we were young, and it was life-changing for all of us. But after the court case with Pistol, it wasn’t even worth asking John. I don’t think he was interested.”

Carter’s energy, however, has reignited the band’s chemistry. “He’s got a lot of energy. He’s a lot younger than us, and he’s a great frontman,” Jones says. “He gets in the crowd, he gets them going while me, Paul, and Glen just stoke the burner on the train.”

Thankfully, this time, that train hasn’t wrecked again.

Jones describes the initial rehearsals with Carter as invigorating. “At first, we were a bit rusty, hadn’t played in a long time. But after about a week, it all clicked. The first show was a bit shaky – some drum beats in the wrong place, a couple of missed chords here and there – but the energy was insane. It reminded me of why we did this in the first place.”

Jones notes the generational differences between Carter’s experience in the music industry and his own. “Back then, you had to buy the record, read the magazines, go to the shows,” Jones says. “There’s no product anymore, you know? No one’s making CDs, no one’s promoting bands properly. Now it’s just out there in the air, and Spotify takes all the money. It’s a joke, really. Musicians get nothing from it.”

Despite the industry’s shifts, punk’s raw energy persists. “There are new bands giving it a go,” Jones acknowledges. “I think it’s just in some people’s blood to want to rock out.”

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And rock out they will, as the Sex Pistols prepare to bring their legendary chaos to Australia once more. “From what I remember, the crowds really got off on it when we played there in ’96,” Jones says. “You come up with some good bands too – The Saints were a great punk band. And of course, AC/DC and Rose Tattoo. I liked them a lot.”

Now nearing 70, Jones isn’t under any illusions about touring at his age. “I mean, it’s a lot,” he admits. “We’ve got festivals in Europe after this (Australian tour), then the States. It’s a long run. But when I see people in the crowd, going absolutely mad, it makes it all worth it. That’s why we do this.”

If their past is anything to go by, they won’t just get through it – they’ll tear through it, leaving behind the same anarchy they sparked all those years ago.

Jones laughs, adding, “And hey, at least we’ve all still got our hair. Well… most of us.”

Ticket information for Sex Pistols’ Australian tour can be found here.