Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones has revealed that he hasn’t spoken to Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) since their last tour in 2008.
In a new interview on the Rockonteurs podcast, Jones explained the estrangement. “I haven’t spoken to him in years,” he said. “2008 was the last time. We did 30 shows in Europe, Japan, Australia, and ended with one last show in the Basque Country. That was it. I was done after that—too much, too old, not enough done.”
The band’s 2007-2008 reunion tour, called the Combine Harvester Tour, marked their return after decades apart. The final show took place at the Azkena Festival in Spain in September 2008. After this tensioned seemed to simmer between the pair.
However, after a recent stash, it became clear that a reunion was unlikely to be on the books anytime soon. The tensions were spurred on by Lydon’s refusal to license Sex Pistols music for Danny Boyle’s Pistol biopic led to a legal battle in 2021. Lydon eventually lost this legal battle after it played out in court.
Meanwhile, Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock have continued to tour under the Sex Pistols name. Frank Carter (of Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes) has since replaced Lydon on vocals. The band performed Never Mind the Bollocks in full during a series of UK shows in August and September, including dates in London, Birmingham, and Manchester.
Lydon, on the other hand, is auctioning handwritten lyrics to Holidays In The Sun and Submission, with bids expected to reach $80,000. He has also announced a 2025 Public Image Ltd UK and Ireland tour, with tickets due to go on sale November 15.
Despite their ongoing divide, both Lydon and Jones continue to keep the Sex Pistols’ legacy alive, each in their own unique way.
