John Lydon admits he's 'shocked' by 'how awful' Sex Pistols' gigs with Frank Carter are
John Lydon has finally seen footage of the Sex Pistols performing with Frank Carter, here's what he had to say...
John Lydon is "shocked by how awful" the Sex Pistols' shows with Frank Carter are.
The former lead singer of the iconic punk rock band has now seen footage of his former bandmates - Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock - and his replacement Carter performing live, and is far from impressed.
Lydon told Louder Than War: “It’s a tough job to be taking on imitating somebody like that. It’s a ridiculous position that he’s going to find himself in if not already. What value system is he working under there?”
Repeating his previous comments about it just being "karaoke", he continued: "I’ve been shocked how awful it is. It just seems like they’ve rented a puppet and there it is. It is truly karaoke I think with really mediocre results."
Lydon - who was known as Johnny Rotten during his days in the band - says Carter should "feel ashamed".
He went on: “He doesn’t understand any of those lyrics. He couldn’t possibly, because if he did he wouldn’t be doing it. He’d feel ashamed about the imitating someone else and pretending that original songwriter and ‘Personality of the Year’ award person didn’t exist.”
Lydon called them out for "mocking the original content" and quipped that they are "mellowing it down somewhat".
Asked why he's so relaxed about it all, he replied: “Why would I not be?! I had plenty of fear that it was going to be magnificent (laughs). I’m well rewarded by the results! I’d never go out and pretend to be somebody else!
“They’re actually mocking the original content and they’re mellowing it down somewhat. It’s like an ominous omission for any band to be lacking the (original) frontman.”
The 'Anarchy in the U.K.' rocker will never reunite with the Pistols and accused them of "an act of evil" over the way they treated him at their high-profile court case while his late wife Nora was dying.
Lydon took his former bandmates to the High Court over the use of the group's music in Danny Boyle's Disney miniseries 'Pistol' in 2021, but ultimately lost the case.
Asked if he would consider reuniting with his bandmates, he said: “Listen, after using Walt Disney’s financial backing to mock me in court, while Nora was dying - and they knew this – that to me is an act of evil I can’t easily forgive. And why should I? I’ll do them no more favours ever again. Never ever.”
The Sex Pistols reunited in 1996 for two years, and again between 2002 and 2003, before going their separates after another reunion between 2007 and 2008.
Former Gallows frontman Carter has been performing as frontman for the band since last year.
