Sex Pistols Reunite, Play First Show Without Johnny Rotten

Sex Pistols reunited and played their first show since 2008 last night, and it was also their first performance without Johnny Rotten (aka John Lydon).

When the punk-rockers announced a pair of benefit shows earlier this year, they revealed that Frank Carter (Gallows, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes) would fill in for Rotten. The first of the two concerts took place last night (Aug. 13) at London’s Bush Hall.

All of the original members, except Rotten, took part in the reunion. Thus, the evening was the first time Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock played onstage together as the Sex Pistols since Sept. 5, 2008 [via Setlist.fm]. Rotten fronted the band throughout all of ’07 and ’08.

The band promised to play their sole 1977 album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols in its entirety when they first announced the shows, so last night’s set consisted of 15 songs, including their biggest hits “God Save the Queen” (which they changed the lyrics to) and “Anarchy in the U.K.” Yungblud jumped onstage for a bit during the former of the two.

READ MORE: Sex Pistols Change ‘God Save the Queen’ Lyrics at Reunion Show

They also played three songs that weren’t included on the original album release, but were either B-sides or bonus tracks — “Did You No Wrong,” “Submission,” “Satellite” and their cover of The Stooges’ “No Fun.”

“Thanks for the invitation lads,” Carter wrote in an Instagram post when they first announced the shows back in early June. “Will be an honor to smash our way through one of the most influential records of all time together.”

Check out the full setlist, as well as some fan-filmed footage from the night, below.

Johnny Rotten and Sex Pistols

In April of 2022, Rotten said his Sex Pistols bandmates “can all fuck off” after he found out they had been working on the FX biopic series Pistol without him. Jones and Cook also filed a lawsuit against the vocalist the year prior because he was against the use of the band’s official recordings in the show. Rotten claimed that the court case that followed had left him in financial ruin.

It’s unclear if the show itself is the reason Rotten wasn’t part of these reunion performances.

Sex Pistols Setlist — Aug. 13, 2024

01. “Holidays in the Sun”02. “Seventeen”03. “New York”04. “Pretty Vacant”05. “Bodies”06. “Did You No Wrong”07. “Liar”08. “God Save the Queen” (Lyrics changed to fit “God Save The King”, Yungblud came on stage for two lines)09. “Submission”10. “Satellite”11. “No Feelings”12. “E.M.I.”13. “Problems”Encore:14. “No Fun” (The Stooges cover)15. “Anarchy in the U.K.”via setlist.fm

Sex Pistols With Frank Carter – “Pretty Vacant” (Live 2024)

Sex Pistols With Frank Carter – “God Save the Queen” (Live 2024)

Sex Pistols With Frank Carter – “EMI” (Live 2024)