Never Mind the Absence: Frank Carter Revives the Sex Pistols’ Glory

September 29, 2024 rocknews

We had a front-row seat to the hottest ticket in town and were massively excited for this gig. The band that changed the world – The Sex Pistols (or at least three of them) – were back on the road following three sold out shows in August to raise much-needed funds for Bush Hall in West London. Those gigs went so well that demand for more was high, and they answered the call. Tonight in London was the last of a short UK tour following shows in Nottingham, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester.

There was one original member notably absent though. John Lydon has become increasingly estranged from his former bandmates following the Pistol TV series (based on Steve Jones’ autobiography) and the row over the use of songs.

Following a recommendation from Glen Matlock’s son, Frank Carter was recruited for vocal duties and the Bush Hall shows went ahead to great reviews.

So, the tour billed as “Frank Carter and Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols Do Never Mind The Bollocks” was booked and has played to sold out venues all week.

We arrived at the Forum in Kentish Town half an hour before the support act were due on stage and it was already filling up nicely. It seemed nobody wanted to miss a minute of the evening. Everyone was in great spirits, and none more so than a guy we spoke to from Oslo. He told us that he was in his office at home at 2 o’clock that afternoon when he got a call from a friend in London with a spare ticket. He went straight to the airport, got on a plane to London and then on to the venue. He had no hotel and didn’t know where he would be staying that night but he didn’t care. “I can die happy” he told us!

Girlband

The girls from Nottingham grew in confidence as their set went on, and they definitely won the crowd over with catchy hooks, and great singing, with songs taken from their ‘Heartbreak Town’ EP. We particularly liked ‘Thelma and Louise’ and ’21st Century Suffragette’ which saw the band get the crowd involved in a call and response to the intro riff.

Support tonight came in the form of alternative rock trio Girlband. They gave us a 30 minute set of well constructed songs with a pop sensibility and a punk edge.

Georgie, Jada and Kay have great chemistry, good tunes and a strong stage presence. We look forward to seeing and hearing more of them in the future.

The Sex Pistols

After a delayed start due to a medical emergency at front of house the lights dimmed, the orchestral version of ‘God Save the Queen’ – used in the Great Rock ’N’ Roll Swindle and familiar to listeners of the Jonesey’s Jukebox podcast – blasted from the PA and there they were! Glen Matlock, Steve Jones and Paul Cook strolled onto the stage to massive applause. Following them was vocalist Frank Carter, his stage presence was immediate and he was grinning from ear to ear. Cookie sat behind his kit, Matlock strapped his bass on, Jones picked up that familiar Les Paul and we were off – straight into ‘Holidays In the Sun’. Cookie’s thumping bass drum giving way to THAT guitar sound. Matlock led the clapping along and Carter whirled around the stage like a man possessed. “Are you fucking ready London?” he screamed before putting his all into the vocal. What a start – this was going to be an epic night!

’Seventeen’ and ‘New York’ followed in rapid succession – they were not hanging around!

‘Pretty Vacant’ saw Carter make his first visit into the crowd, as he surfed above the pit leading the audience in the chorus refrain like a demented conductor.

“Frank’s not bad, is he?” Asked Cookie from behind the kit. The roar of the crowd indicated we were all in agreement.

As he does during the Rattlesnakes shows, Carter asked for a safe space in the pit for the girls to mosh, before dedicating ‘Bodies’ to them. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he endeared himself to the crowd by waving at his mum in the balcony. There were times when Jones looked over at him and smiled like a proud uncle.

Speaking of Jonesey……

There is no guitar player on Earth that sounds like Steve Jones. His sound is totally unique and, save for one or two effects, is simply a Gibson straight in to a Marshall. The noise he makes is like a wave and it hits you right in the face. Add to that the rhythm section of Matlock and Cook who are so locked in with each other (Cook was recently described as the best ‘in the pocket’ drummer of that era) it’s almost effortless and you get not just the best Punk band ever, but one of THE great rock and roll bands still firing on all cylenders.

‘Silly Thing’, the first of three “non-Bollocks” songs was next before ‘Liar’ and a lyrically changed ‘God Save The (King) Queen’.

Carter disappeared into the crowd again after ’Submission’ and reappeared above the stalls on the staircase where he sang the first verse of ‘Satellite’.

“Here I come” he warned, before diving from the steps, never missing a note and being carried back to the stage by the increasingly excited masses.

‘No Feelings’ gave way to a superb cover of Iggy’s ‘No Fun’. It was always a Pistols staple, but tonight it sounded like it truly belonged to them.

‘Problems’ and a joyous ‘EMI’ finished the main set before a short break.

“Do you want another one?” asked Carter as they reappeared to a huge cheer. “How about another two?!”

‘My Way’ will be indelibly linked to Sid and the scene towards the end of the Swindle, and so to play it in this incarnation of the band it would have to be different and special.

And so it was.

The slow first verse giving way to Jones’ chugging riff was still there, but Carter sang the original words while Jones and Matlock sat playing on the drum riser and watched him work the crowd. The sight of a mohawk-wearing punk on someone’s shoulders singing along enthusiastically was a mark of approval and as the song gained momentum so did the crowd. Beer rained down on the pit and as everyone joined in with the chorus Carter stood centre stage, again grinning like a Cheshire Cat as he introduced his bandmates as “the greatest punk band of all time”.

The finale was, naturally, ‘Anarchy On the UK’. The song that started it all and changed the musical landscape sounds as fresh today as it ever did.

As they posed for the obligatory photo from the back of the stage, Jones threw dozens of guitar picks into the crowd and the four of them looked happy with their lot.

As those at the front searched the beer-soaked floor for guitar picks, the accordion-led, French language version of ‘Anarchy’ (again from the Great Rock ’N’ Roll Swindle) played us out.

“A band that can’t play is better than a band that can” stated Malcolm McLaren in the Swindle. Except the Pistols could always play, and they wrote some of the greatest rock n roll songs of the past 50 years. Tonight was a testament to those tracks, to the songwriting talent of Matlock and to the rock solid playing of him, Jones and Cook.

“No Lydon, no Pistols” is a common comment on social media in response to this line up – and maybe they have a point, BUT this is not some nostalgia trip. This is a rejuvenated band with a vocalist who is a perfect fit living their best life. Frank Carter has taken these songs and breathed new life into them. He doesn’t try to imitate Rotten (who could?) but instead sings them in his own voice and adds passion and authenticity to the whole thing.

In the past couple of days, Jones has written on Instagram: “I don’t think this will be the last by far, its to good not to”, and the official band account backed that up with: “We will be back! its too good not to”.

Whatever they do we will be there, and we suggest you are too!