Nearly 30 years since they last set foot on Australian soil, Sex Pistols are making a triumphant return—this time with modern punk firebrand Frank Carter at the helm. After a rapturous debut performance together in August 2024, where Carter joined original Pistols Paul Cook, Steve Jones, and Glen Matlock to perform Never Mind the Bollocks in full, the legendary punk outfit is taking their raw energy Down Under for an exclusive run of shows this April.
Joining them for the ride is Melbourne rock outfit CIVIC, a band that has been redefining punk rock for a new generation. Formed in 2017, CIVIC was built on a no-nonsense approach to rock and roll—delivering high-octane, no-frills music that’s as exhilarating as it is uncompromising.
Their 2021 debut album Future Forecast was met with critical acclaim, while their second release, Taken By Force (2023), cemented their reputation for merging raw intensity with sharp social commentary, earning them fans across the globe—including punk icon Henry Rollins.
CIVIC’s origins are as unfiltered as their music. The idea for the band first took shape in a Japanese bowling alley in 2016 when founding members Jim McCullough and Darcy Grigg decided to redefine the spirit of punk, which is to “do good rock and roll and not to stuff about with it”. Within a year, they had solidified their lineup and hit the airwaves with a blistering live set on 3RRR’s Teenage Hate. Since then, they’ve been on a relentless trajectory, with a series of acclaimed EPs leading up to their explosive full-length releases.
Speaking to University of Michigan’s WCBN-FM in late 2023, frontman Jim McCullough reflected on the band’s ethos: “We just wanted to make music that felt real, that had guts. There’s too much overthinking in rock and roll these days—we’re here to cut through that.”
The tour kicks off in Melbourne on April 5th before hitting Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, and wrapping up in Fremantle on April 11th. Australian fans will get the rare opportunity to witness Never Mind the Bollocks played in its entirety, with Carter proving himself a seamless fit for the Pistols’ timeless, incendiary anthems. His ferocious stage presence and deep reverence for the band’s legacy ensure these performances will be unmissable.
As guitarist Steve Jones told Rolling Stone AU/NZ in a recent interview, it wasn’t even worth asking original frontman John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon to join the band for their reunion following lawsuits over the use of the band’s music in the 2022 biographical miniseries, Pistol.
“We don’t talk,”Jones told Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
“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 [about the reunion tour].
“I don’t think he was interested.”
Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter 2025 Australia & New Zealand Tour
# with special guests CIVIC ^ special guests TBA
Wednesday, April 2nd
Town Hall, Auckland, NZ ^
Thursday, April 3rd
Town Hall, Christchurch, NZ ^
Saturday, April 5th
Festival Hall, Melbourne, VIC #
Sunday, April 6th
Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide, SA #
Tuesday, April 8th
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, NSW #
Wednesday, April 9th
Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD #
Friday, April 11th
Fremantle Prison, Perth, WA #
