John Lydon isn’t holding back, yet again. The former Sex Pistols frontman has taken another swing at his old band, calling their current lineup “karaoke”.
He also took aim directly at Frank Carter, who’s now fronting the punk pioneers on tour.
Speaking to Classic Rock, Lydon said the band’s new incarnation is “a dumbing down of all the integrity, intensity, genuine honesty and heartfelt emotions I put into that band.” He added: “Come on, Mr Carter, you’re not Johnny Rotten, I am. Right? Stop it.”
To be fair, he did throw Frank a bone: “I actually think he took it on in the right spirit.” But the tone was still more backhanded than congratulatory.
Carter joined the Pistols last year and kicked off the band’s latest chapter with small gigs at Bush Hall before taking on Royal Albert Hall and an upcoming Download Festival slot. The move raised eyebrows, but mostly avoided backlash — something Lydon clearly didn’t expect.
This isn’t new territory. Lydon’s made it clear he won’t rejoin the band, calling the current version “childish” and “malicious in its intent.” He’s also repeatedly questioned the motives behind the reunion and wondered whether Carter “knows what he’s walked into.”
Guitarist Steve Jones, meanwhile, said it “wasn’t even worth asking” Lydon to return, adding that they haven’t spoken in 17 years. For his part, Jones seemed surprised at how little backlash the Carter-fronted version has faced. “It just made it easy,” he said. “We all get along.”
Lydon, now back with Public Image Ltd., is focusing on a new tour and some “raucous” new music. But clearly, he’s not done defining himself as the Sex Pistol — no matter who’s currently singing Anarchy in the UK.
The real takeaway? Lydon might not be onstage with them anymore, but he’s still very much part of the conversation. Just don’t expect him to clap along from the sidelines.
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